31 August 2013...from the vote on Syria....
Lets start from the leaders and where the two main parties stand.
Milliminor and Labour wibbled and wobbled along to an unprincipled and opportunist position. Milliminor himself made a terrible speech in the debate, even the Grauniad said so. I find it impossible to raise my opinion of Labour to anything over contempt and disgust in normal times and over this issued excelled themselves to even greater depths of loathing and disgust. But, albeit temporarily, they have ended up in a stronger position than at the start.
Cameron, on the other hand, made a superb speech and yes, even the Grauniad said so. But this whole issue raises serious concerns about his Party management. He should never have made the tactical miscalculations he did. Another point in his favour was his dignified and statesmanlike reponse after the result. We cannot get away from the fact though that, again albeit temporarily, he has diminished his position and his government by the loss of that vote.
But above all the UK has been diminished by this outcome. Our influence in the world and on events has been reduced. That can only be bad for the UK and the world in the long term.
Above: a cheese eating surrender money to the rescue?
But, what of the future as we leave the USA and other allies, like the French 'surrender monkeys', to do what is right and defend the innocent?
Cameron will come through this and be strengthened. He must now see the weaknesses in his No10 operation and make changes to party management in good time before the general election. The Party will rally around him too and he will emerge from the Conference with his authority actually enhanced. There are lessons to be learned and Cameron is no fool and will have learned them.
World events are also likely to play into Cameron's hands but that will be another story to which we will return.
"Please Miss, my dog ate my homework."
The debacle, the Omnishambles, this embarrassing waste of a whole day of debate, this plucking of defeat from the success laden vine, is entirely the doing of Conservative Members, and their leader.