Suddenly Politics Is Interesting Again

Well, the final destruction of anyone's illusions about New Labour being a progressive force for good should have been done and dusted by their grubby deal to bribe a bunch of medieval homophobic bigots into voting to bite another chunk out of British freedom.  The Unionists have always been essentially un-British in outlook and obviously have no problem in locking people up who look a bit different, or denying people rights based on religion - it's in the genes.  It probably didn't need £1.2bn or a promise to deny Irish women abortion rights, but Brown never did have great political judgment, did he?

Anyway, today we have the confirmation that the least relevant thing in British politics is whatever ghastly mess the Prime Minister is going to blunder into next week, much more important is the rising spectre of splits in the Conservative Party now that they look like winning an landslide election by default.  The tensions between the neocon/hard right/IDS wing and the soft lovable toff wing are already clear in London, where the toffs have lost (if you haven't been paying attention, Boris has handed most of his powers over to Policy Exchange robots, Thatcherite throat-slashers and hatchet men from the business world, and retired to mutter in Latin, avoid the press and count wine bottles).

Which brings us to a man who'd have made a damn sight more of the job of Mayor than Boris - David Davis.  Always a little out of place between the screaming wingnuts (Gove, Vaizey) and the toffs, I've had a sneaking regard for him ever since it dawned on me that he actually means it about ID cards and traditional British liberties.  It's not a vote-winner, it's not something the party is pushing as a PR stunt and it now seems that he's realised that he's fundamentally in the wrong party.  The Conservatives are being turned into a cross between New Labour and Bush/Rove Republicanism, and he's had enough.  Brave decision.  I'm suddenly interested in national politics again.  Let's sit back and enjoy it.

Elsewhere:

Rachel has met him and I'm glad to note that my instinctive belief that he means it is backed by someone who's met him.

Lib Dem Voice are having a barney in the comments over whether they should field a candidate.  I agree with the article author.