David vs. David vs. Goliath

So the Tory elite have made their decision the next leader of the Conservatives will be called David, Cameron or Davis, it doesn't matter just so long as they have a name spanning back almost as far as recorded history, a nice conservative name.

Bemusement aside, both Davids have six weeks to drum up support in the wider party membership before the next vote and the party eventually decides who will be the next leader of the Tory party, but I wonder if it really matters?

Six weeks is a lot of time for the supporters of both candidates (if not the candidates themselves) to sling enough mud to bury the reputations of the candidates and with them the party so deep that they'll only have pulled themselves halfway out by the next election.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Tory member or supporter, but I'm not a Green Party supporter, Labour supporter, New Labour lackey, or member any of the registered political parties. I am however interested in our system of government and its effectiveness.

I am of the opinion that the current situation with Labour, New Labour, Tony's Cronies, whatever you want to call them, having such a big majority and virtually no oppositions isn't a good thing. It wasn't a good thing in 1997 and it still isn't a good thing.

I think that a parliamentary democracy is a good thing, never perfect but better than most of the alternatives, most of the time. However I also think that strong democracies only exist when there is space for debate and consensus and where the arguments for and against each issue is heard and considered. This isn't happening in the UK at present. Tony and his cronies have their agendas, and I can't blame them for that, but no one appears to be able to make them listen to any one else's opinions, even when the majority of the population (maybe even the majority of the electorate [a small proportion of the population it seems]) may be against or have reservations about their ideas.

Now I'm not talking about general ideas like taxation and public expenditure, everybody would like to pay less tax and have more public services. I'm talking about moral and social issues like 'the liberation of Iraq', 'the war on terror', 'standards in education', 'human rights', etc. If the ideas and policies of the current government as so good they should be willing put them into the public arena and explain them to the general public, in detail and in language that everyone can understand. If they can't do that with the immense resources available then they aren't really working in the best interests of the populous.

Sorry - bit of a rant, back to the original train of thought. Please, please Messrs Cameron & Davis, remember that neither of you can make a damn bit of difference if you and your party are not elected into government, or at least an effective opposition.

Bearing this in mind, don't go tearing up the Tory party into a thousand little special interest splinter groups. May the best Ken ahem, cough, sputter, David win.