Two months ago the seemingly impossible happened. Daniel Hannan finally started to actually do something in the European Parliament when he became the Conservatives' front bench legal affairs spokesperson.
It could never last. Hannan has spent all his political career as a shouter not a doer, rabble rousing rather than negotiating. (If ever one wanted an argument for restricting leadership elections to parliamentarians, the fact that Hannan would win an activists' ballot for leader of the MEPs despite being utterly unsuited to the task is one.) And today the inevitable happened and Hannan has resigned. (Evening Standard - Paul Waugh: Cam's "EU-turn" backed by 1922..but not ConHome)
I'll post my thoughts on the new Conservative policy later, but for now I'll just say that Hannan will not be missed from the front bench. And I doubt he will have much influence on party policy either, after the mess he dragged the party into in the European Parliament. He will just have to rant in the wilderness.
3 comments:
Hannan is one of the very few visible and tangible assets the party has. Any more wetness and we'll be looking to people like Bercow for direction.
This is shaping up to be a very bad week for the Conservative Party.
Our view: http://www.keeprightonline.com/2009/11/04/mr-hannan-i-doff-my-cap-to-you/
I agree with you Tim, Hannan has allowed his vanity to make a mockery of any virtue he may have possessed.
I will just add my comments on Hannan from "another place":
"The fact that an MEP who compares a motion on a minor operation of power in the European Parliament with Hitler's Enabling Act (and no, "I would almost but..." is not a get-out clause), who has not actually made any significant contribution to the output of the Parliament (strutting about making bold speeches isn't contributing to the output) and who has stirred up a hornet's nest that's led to an absurd decision on groupings just to satisfy a membership that Hannan has spread half-truths to, is not likely to be selected for a safe seat any time soon says a lot about the Conservative Party valuing substance over style."
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