Are there any gentlemen left in the Tory Party?
Exit Michael Gove, pursued by a bear. Amid acrimony and skulduggery, the scene now shifts from corridors of power to a travelling circus.
No sooner had the result been announced and sawdust scattered on the bloodstains, than Boris Johnson “challenged” Jeremy Hunt to a television duel. In reality, both men had already accepted ITV’s offer of a debate on July 9. But the Boris camp needed to give the impression that their man was no longer evading scrutiny — even if that meant being economical with the truth.
Truth is a rare commodity in politics at the best of times, but one that counts for nothing when personal ambition is leaning heavily on the scales. The scramble for second place made an unedifying spectacle.
First, on the stroke of one, Sajid Javid was unceremoniously eliminated, having run an unexpectedly robust campaign and reportedly exacted a promise of the Treasury as his consolation prize from one or more rivals. But Gove had crept ahead of Hunt, fuelling speculation that the nation was about to witness a “psychodrama”, as lobby journalists relished the prospect of a return match between the bitter enemies of three years ago.
Then the arm-twisting and glad-handing began in earnest. All afternoon rumours were flying, as MPs used their careers as bargaining chips and even the Prime Minister was caught up in the frenzy. Had hers been one of the two spoiled ballot papers? If not, then whose?
Not much has changed in the century since Lenin claimed the only question that mattered was: “Who? Whom?” The only question yesterday was who had betrayed whom. Team Boris reportedly discussed how and when to lend their votes to Hunt in order to “take Gove out”, or even “dropping him from the highest height possible”. After the result was announced, a Johnson supporter was quoted as crowing: “Gove stabbed us in the back — we’ve stabbed him in the front.”
Now that the contest is moving to the constituencies, the Tories need to stop behaving like Bolsheviks; they can safely leave that to Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. Both surviving candidates can afford to be magnanimous towards one another and those they have left bleeding on the battlefield.
There should be no room for such unbecoming conduct as that displayed on Thursday night by the Foreign Office minister Mark Field, who is MP for Westminster and one of Jeremy Hunt’s lieutenants. At the Mansion House banquet, Field brutally manhandled a female climate protestor, shoving her against a pillar, grabbing her by the neck and marching her out of the room.
Field has “unreservedly apologised” and referred himself to the Cabinet Office, but he has already made his excuses. He claims that he acted “instinctively” because “in the current climate I felt I needed to act decisively to close down the threat to the safety of those present”. It doesn’t sound as though Field “deeply regrets” using unnecessary force. The victim did not look like a terrorist: she was armed only with leaflets. Most men who had publicly assaulted a woman would expect to face prosecution. They would also expect to face questions about how much drink had been taken at the reception before dinner.
This ugly incident, coupled with the disreputable behaviour that has surrounded the leadership contest, will make the public wonder whether there are any gentlemen left in the Conservative Party. Most MPs of all parties are decent people trying to do their best. But they do seem to bend the rules a little too often. When the SNP leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, claimed that Boris Johnson was “not only racist” but “has a record of dishonesty” at Prime Minister’s Questions this week, the Speaker urged him to “be extremely careful in the language he uses”. Faced with this limp-wristed rebuke, Blackford refused to withdraw his remarks.
Yet not only was his language clearly unparliamentary, but the allegation of racism was bogus. It is based on a Spectator article of 2005 in which Boris had objected to Tony Blair handing over the reins to Gordon Brown, arguing that “government by a Scot is just not conceivable in the current constitutional context”. This is no more “racist” than Scots objecting to being governed by the English, which the SNP does all the time. Blackford got away with his defamatory remarks. He thereby broke the rules of the House of Commons, which preclude vulgar abuse. Speaker Bercow, who perhaps thinks Boris Johnson deserves to have his integrity impugned, should be ashamed of himself.
The country has low expectations of our political class. It ought to be the aim of both candidates for the highest office to raise their game and thereby restore something resembling true leadership. It would be nice if this new phase of the contest were to commence with both Hunt and Johnson committing themselves to avoid dirty tricks. The nation expects that both men will do their duty: a clean and fair fight.
