|
|
Article: The quiet of the grave; Britain's Conservative Party.(Deeper trouble for Iain Duncan Smith)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- November 9, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Economist Newspaper Ltd. 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)
|
Finding a new Tory leader would be an awful business, but the alternative looks worse
A YEAR and a half ago, when Tony Blair won a second successive landslide victory, the Conservative Party seemed to have reached its nadir. It hadn't. Things have got even worse since then. Iain Duncan Smith, elected leader in the wake of that defeat, has failed to boost the party's poll ratings or heal its divisions. His embarrassing performances in Parliament have contributed to a rumble of discontent which reached a crescendo this week when eight MPs rebelled against the party in a vote, and Mr Duncan Smith summoned the press to call for Tories to "unite or die". At last ...