Benedict Rogers at ConservativeHome:
I agree that the Brown Bounce has been bigger than expected. I agree the grammar schools row was a fiasco. I agree that in Ealing Southall, it was a mistake to raise expectations too much, it was a mistake to list the candidate as coming from David Camerons Conservatives, and it was a mistake to force Tony Lit on the local association. I watched Lit being interviewed at 3am when the result was declared, and on camera he was desperately unimpressive. His answers were incoherent and banal. But I did not leap onto the airwaves to say so. I kept quiet.
Yes, Benedict, because of course, no-one else noticed, did they? Anyone who watched the interview, then or when it was repeated the next day, must surely have questioned Cameron’s judgement in hand-picking this chap as the Tory candidate in a by-election where the spotlight would be on him. The country is looking to select our next Prime Minister for heaven’s sake, and anyone watching would have realised Cameron’s judgement was seriously flawed.
That was my view too that David Cameron erred in his judgement.
Tony Lit was an utter muppet in that interview. Surly, over defensive, graceless, not obviously charming OR intelligent OR principled OR anything other than an ambitious, not-so-slick, tailor’s dummy.
But well done to Dominic for holding his tongue … until now.