editorial cartoons

ex-Tory co-Chairman Maurice Saatchi publishes as mea culpa, stating that a lot of the failures in the 2005 election campaign could be laid at his door. However, his failures were of the "failure to convince" variety; he failed to convince the party that if "you don't stand for anything, you'll fall for anything". He suggests four essentials for a new leader, including a "noble purpose" and a sense of direction. As the candidates line up for the starting block in the party leadership campaign, do any of them match up to "Dr" Saatchi's fitness test? His intervention is set against the background of an internal debate about where the Tory heart lies - left, right or centre. Candidates in the queue are Ken Clarke, David Davis, Alan Duncan, Malcolm Rifkind and Theresa May. Others might include David Cameron, David Willetts and Liam Fox.

The Times; Tuesday 21/6/05

previous next