Tories “deeply defective” says Rifkind
The Conservative party is “deeply defective” and has made no progress during eight years in opposition, a contender for the Tory leadership has said.
Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind told the Sunday Telegraph the party’s third election defeat was “indefensible” and warned that the selection of a new Conservative leader would be crucial for its future.
He told the paper his party faced a choice of continuing down its “cul-de-sac”, or choosing an “alternative Conservative tradition”.
“The next few months will decide whether we have a future,” Sir Malcolm said.
Sir Malcolm, 59, who lost his Edinburgh Pentlands seat in Labour’s 1997 landslide was returned as MP for the safe Tory constituency of Kensington and Chelsea on May 5 this year.
Outlining plans for a consultation on public services, which he would immediately launch if selected to lead the party, the former Cabinet minister said his eight years away from the Commons had given him a unique perspective that other contenders for the Tory crown lacked.
“The last eight years have been deeply, deeply defective,” he said.
“There is no excuse that is convincing as to why a party that has been in opposition for eight years should be flat lining.”
“To have seen no increase in the share of the Conservative share of the vote, despite the intense unpopularity of the government, is indefensible,” Sir Malcolm added.
He also criticised his party’s focus on “classic right-wing Conservative issues” such as immigration, asylum, Europe, crime and tax. With the exception of crime, the public did not consider such matters to be the “gut issues” facing Britain, Sir Malcolm said.
The Conservatives are expected to select a new leader by mid-November after Michael Howard announced his decision to stand down following the last election.
