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Article: Davis steps aside in a secret pact; As Howard's main rival dramatically drops out of the running, Tories deny any 'Blair-Brown' style deal on the eventual succession.
- Article from:
- Daily Mail (London)
- Article date:
- October 30, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: DAVID HUGHES
DAVID Davis, a man whose ambition to lead the Tory party is almost hot to the touch, sensationally stood aside from any contest last night.
Instead of staking his own claim for the top job, he threw his weight behind Michael Howard.
The move was totally unexpected. Just an hour before the announcement Mr Davis was insisting he would 'do no deals because people always break them'.
The shadow deputy prime minister was always seen as the chief challenger to Mr Howard. He has strong support among party activists in the country, whereas the shadow chancellor does not.
The conventional wisdom has been that if Mr ...