Dracula, MP

10 November 2003


Howard to Lead Britain's Tories -- Nowhere

According to one of his colleagues, there is something of the night about Michael Howard, MP, PC. The man, called "Dracula" and "Mr. Nasty" by those who hate him, is now head of the British Conservative Party. His unopposed (s)election by the parliamentary party may be ratified by a vote of grass roots activists, but that will be the only election he will win in the next few years.

Despite what the media in the UK are saying about his coronation, Mr. Howard takes over a party that is desperate. Intellectually spent, conservatism now stands for running the country much as Labour does but with fees for services instead of straight taxation. And Mr. Howard, as Home Secretary, was "Mr. Poll Tax" in the biggest disaster of Prime Minister Thatcher's last government. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy (pinch of salt considering the source) was largely right when he observed Mr. Howard's selection "will probably shore up the core Conservative vote, but he may not be able to extend their appeal beyond that."

Which leaves the country with Mr. Blair's main opposition coming from his own Chancellor, Gordon Brown. This is hardly healthy given that Mr. Blair's war in concert with Mr. Bush against Iraq is hugely unpopular in the UK and given that the inquiry into the death of Dr. David Kelly (intimately tied to the Iraq war) will conclude around New Year's Day. There is much ammunition for effective and positive opposition, but Mr. Howard is not the man to use it. He has too much baggage himself.

There is a place in liberal democracies for traditionalism (e.g., Prime Minister Disraeli). In extreme situations, that traditionalism can take on a radical tone while remaining true to its roots (e.g., Prime Minister Thatcher). But when the customarily progressive party adopt traditionalism (e.g.,Mr. Blair's New Labour and Mr. Clinton's New Democrats), there is a superfluity on the right. Either extremism becomes the norm (the current GOP in the US is much to the right of where it was a decade ago) or the party fights over the smallest of issues (Mr. Howard's challenge is to change this among the UK's Tories).

There is an argument being made in Britain, not entirely incorrect, that says New Labour is to the right of the Liberal Democrats. If so, where does that leave the Tories? Mr. Howard is the first Welshman to lead Britain's Conservative Party, and David Lloyd-George was the last Liberal prime minister. He, too, was Welsh. Where does the parallel end?

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