The quiet rise of Liam Fox
At a time when the Conservative leadership have come under criticism for a lack of core ideology, there is one person who has stood out from the crowd. Slowly and quietly, Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox is gaining friends across academia and the think tank world as well as building a solid bloc of support throughout the party.
During the conference, Mr Fox made a series of thoughtful and intelligent speeches to the fringe (and to conference delegates in the main hall), which sought to reassure the Americans where Conservative true loyalty lies. He also made a powerful speech on President Putin warning that Russia is slipping back to the authoritarianism of old. Mr Fox is becoming the leading neo-con in the Shadow Cabinet and is not afraid to take on the Michael Moore Conservatives who ran amok in the party during the summer. Unlike Shadow Foreign Minister Keith Simpson, who is an arch proponent of realpolitik and in hock to the FCO establishment, Mr Fox is not afraid to take on vested interests in the MoD or FCO. Mr Fox's time will surely come.
To read more by Watlington, see Watlington.
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Fortunately the influence of the Dr. Strangelove Conservatives such as Fox, Gove and Watlington is balanced by the well thought out and balanced responses of William Hague and his frontbench team. Mr. Hague, after a break from the frontbench, is seen by many, witihin and without the Consevative Party, as a responsible and informed commentator.
Posted by: Kubrick at October 11, 2006 11:31 PM