Can Ruth save the Tories?

23 Sunday Jul 2017

Posted by Martyn Jones in 4th generation Data Warehousing, Conservative Party, Economics, governance, Philosophy, Politics, Ruth Davidson, Scotland, Social, UK

≈ 1 Comment

Martyn Richard Jones

Carmarthen, Wales 23^rd July 2017

The UK government is in a mess. Theresa May’s team lacks coherence, cohesiveness and credibility. It’s driven by instinct and its instincts are not clever. It’s a team that has taken on far more than it can adequately manage. It has bluffed and blustered its way to the forefront of the political beauty stakes only to be confronted with significant political, economic and social challenges for which it has no rational or reasonable strategies, policies or plans.

The Tory cabinet is about as effective, credible and desirable as an unruly gang of drunken revellers on an extended stag-do in Benidorm.

The antics of the Tory cabinet would arguably make for great entertainment if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s not a political soap. It’s not something that we can afford to take lightly. It’s a grossly unedifying reality-show, which does no one any favours. Not the Tories, not the UK nor the EU.

The knives aren’t exactly out, but it’s getting very close to that time.

It’s politically acceptable to stab your leaders (metaphorically) in the back. But, who will save the Tories from themselves? Who will pick up the reigns once the dust has settled and the blood has been mopped up?

Several names have been bandied about in connection with Theresa May’s inevitable replacement. Amongst those names we encounter David Davis, Boris Johnson, Liam Fox, Jacob Reese-Mogg, Amber Rudd, Andrea Leadsom, Michael Fallon, Michael Gove, and a long list of etceteras. Each and every one of them promising more of the same or worse – far, far worse.

I look at the Tory cabinet today, especially Theresa May, and I am reminded of the immortal words of Homer Simpson: “I’m normally not a praying man, but if you’re up there, please save me, Superman.” Yes, it has become that dire.

So, who will redeem the Tory party and expel the odour of nastiness, incompetence and grand-standing tomfoolery? Who is up to the job of cleaning out the stables and putting order in the house? Who will bring the required degrees of respectability, gravitas and empathy back to government? Certainly no one in the present Tory cabinet.

So who? Who can possibly turn things around? Who is there who could work the magic?

I think I have stumbled on the best of all possible answers.

If the Tories want to save themselves from themselves, they should choose none other than Scotland’s Ruth Elizabeth Davidson as their next leader.

Ruth has single-handedly saved the credibility of the Tories in Scotland and much of the rest of the UK, which is in sharp contrast to the performance of Labour’s weak, dismal and weary Kezia Dugdale, and The Tories very own weak and wobbly leader in Number 10.

She is smart, has a wealth of experience and has totally respectable political, economic and social views, whether one agrees with them or not.

Ruth also deserves much credit for her leadership of the Tories in Scotland, because in spite of facing a formidable political opponent in the form of an intelligent, empathic and strong Nicola Sturgeon, she has managed to achieve what she has achieved, and in a short space of time. Her party has a lot to thank her for. Even though, to be fair, the SNP still managed to win a magnificent majority of MPs in Scotland.

I do believe that there is enough people who will consider Ruth to be tough, strong and intelligent enough to be leader of her party and Prime Minister. She’s an imaginative and centrist Tory; a strong and practical unionist; and, comes with a set of commendable values and a great sense of humour.

She’d fit right-in down in London’s famous gin-palace.

Yes, I hear you say, but she isn’t a member of parliament, she’s only a member of the Scottish parliament and leader of the Tories in Scotland.

Let’s be honest, this has never been an impediment.

A Tory MP in a safe seat, and almost certainly for the right price, could be encouraged to step down, triggering a by-election, which would give Ruth a fast-track to the House of Commons and leadership of the Tory Party.

Issue? Meet, non-issue!

So, simply stated, if the Tories want to stop the inevitable implosion and its attendant mayhem, they’ll be wise to choose Ruth.

Many thanks for reading.

Other blog pieces that you might be interested in:

Martyn Jones, citizen of the European Union – https://goodstrat.com/2017/07/14/citizen-of-the-european-union/

Post-truth, Fake-news and Big Data – https://goodstrat.com/2017/02/02/post-truth-fake-news-and-big-data/

BREXIT: Where’s Theresa May’s Plan B? – https://goodstrat.com/2016/09/10/brexit-wheres-theresa-mays-plan-b/

UK POLITICS: The Jeremy and Owen Show – https://goodstrat.com/2016/09/09/uk-politics-the-jeremy-and-owen-show/

BREXIT: Theresa May’s Catch-22 – https://goodstrat.com/2016/09/08/brexit-theresa-mays-catch-22/

BREXIT: The Martyn Jones Solution – https://goodstrat.com/2016/09/03/brexit-the-martyn-jones-solution/

Spanish General Elections: Power, Pride and Politesse – https://goodstrat.com/2016/05/01/spanish-general-elections-power-pride-and-politesse/

Can you read? Be honest, now – https://goodstrat.com/2016/03/15/can-you-read-be-honest-now/