A Walk in the Park

Interesting article in the Times this morning by Matthew Parris here in which he maintains that the leadership of the right of the Conservative Party has now passed from the old guard represented by the likes of David Davis and Liam Fox to the younger generation of MPs who were elected for the first time last year. James Forsyth agrees with him as can be seen from his blog in the Coffee House section of the Spectator online here. In the meantime John Redwood makes the valid claim in his blog this morning here that trying to label people right wing is confusing since there are those who want out of the EU altogether and yet there are those who are happy to remain in it so long as the terms of membership are changed to something perhaps akin to to the terms Switzerland enjoys. John Redwood also points out that such views are not restricted to the Tories but that there are elements within the other parties which share the same point of view. Those who are generally described as right wing are likely to have similar views on climate change, want cheaper energy, lower taxation and much less regulation. However in common with all other conservatives they want  a return to sustainable economics which they know can only be achieved by deficit reduction and they know that this has to take priority. As to Liam Fox a friend I met today who knows him well told me that Fox is in a sense his own worst enemy as he is so certain that all he does is right that he will not listen to any suggestions about changing his approach even if from a well meant source. The same friend also knows Oliver Letwin well and told me that Letwin has always made it a rule, like any good constituency MP, to reply himself to letters from his constituents and to this end each morning between 6.30 and 8.30 he is on the 'phone to his secretary dictating answers to those letters of which his secretary presumably has kept either a copy or the original. Once he has answered each letter he then disposes of the copy/original. When caught by the 'pap' who sold his photos to the Mirror, Letwin was taking advantage of a beautiful morning by walking in the park whilst dictating to his secretary and disposing of the letters he had answered in the bins so thoughtfully provided by the Royal Parks people.