Letters From A Tory Daily views on British politics and the Conservative Party from a centre-right thinker who writes letters on his blog to politicians, journalists and many others.

“Tom Harris’s breathtaking comments raise Labour’s arrogance and complacency to a whole new level.”
- Conservative Treasury Spokesman Philip Hammond, responding to remarks by Labour minister Tom Harris who says that everyone hit by the credit crunch should stop being “so bloody miserable”

Dear Iain Martin,
You have picked up on something rather curious about the EU that has been bugging me for quite a few days now.  It was written in stone that unless all 27 EU nations ratified the Lisbon Treaty, it was dead.  Somehow, this seems to have forgotten by our Great European Overlords.  For you [...]

I don’t know about you, but every time I think that things can’t get any worse, they do.  How far can our economy fall and how many people will it take with it?

“It is an absolute disgrace that MPs and MEPs claim more expenses in a month than public service workers earn in a year – and that’s without the nanny”
- Dave Prentis, boss of Unison

Dear readers,
Sorry for the lack of proper posting.  Today was promising to be a fantastic day for this blog, as I was going to reveal exclusive news about David Davis’ by-election campaign and also reveal some highly sensitive information about Labour ministers’ private lives, but unfortunately I left all my notes on Hazel Blears’s computer.

From Gordon Brown’s speech on civil liberties yesterday:
“it is our duty to write a new chapter in our country’s story – one in which we protect and promote both our security and our liberty”
“our border controls are stronger than ever”
“[We must] strengthen the protection of the individual by never subjecting the citizen to arbitrary treatment [...]

First came the health and safety legislation that prevented us from climbing a ladder without the appropriate training.  Now comes the litigation culture that means you can sue your employer for not giving you the training necessary to climb up a ladder.

Dear David Cameron,
I really wish you’d come to speak to me before you released some new policy initiatives on the environment yesterday.  Your commitment to green issues, even in a period of economic uncertainty, is laudable but the policies themselves look a little ropey.  Seeing as I spent almost a decade in the world of Psychology [...]

“Brussels, like the Clintons, is extremely reluctant to recognise defeat”
- Lord Rees-Mogg on the Irish referendum rejection of the Treaty of Lisbon

Dear Philip Johnston,
A truly excellent article in today’s Telegraph.  When looking back to the resignation of David Davis last week, it is regrettable that the incident invoked more stories about Conservative confusion and disarray than it did about the reason behind his decision.  Your analysis brought it home that Davis’s incredible and unexpected actions were [...]

And here’s what they didn’t want you to see…

Gordon Brown gets a rough ride in the press these days as it is, but he really brought it on himself this time.  Zero sympathy.

“I have the utmost respect for Italy and Italian people but accept that my comments, no matter how inadvertent, were unacceptable.”
- Conservative Welsh Assembly member Alun Cairns, who has been suspended after calling Italians “greasy wops” during a radio discussion about football

Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon Treaty leaves the EU scratching it’s head. 
What now for the Lisbon Treaty and what now for Gordon Brown’s decision to deny us a referendum?
 

“It has been described by Mr Cameron as ‘personal’. He’s treated [the resignation of David Davis] as a piece of stinking fish. Evidently not something he would have wanted.” – Jack Straw
“Faced with a crucial decision on the safety and protection of the British public, the Conservatives have collapsed into total disarray on what is [...]

Lib Dems: not standing.
BNP: Not standing.
UKIP: Considering it’s position.
Labour: No decision yet.   David Davis says: “This is their issue… If they don’t [put up a candidate], what does it show about their nerve? What matters is the principles that we are dealing with here.”
My question to my readers is this - are Labour damned if they do and [...]

Dear readers,
After the disastrous outcome in the vote last night, I went in search of a story in today’s papers that would reignite your faith in democracy, liberty and freedom.  Unfortunately, I stumbled across something that will have quite the opposite effect.  I, like many other people, am counting on Ireland to crush the Lisbon [...]

I suspect Gordon Brown is feeling pretty relieved this morning after surviving the 42-day detention vote, but I wonder if his next crisis is already in the making (it certainly is, should we see anything like what has been happening in other countries). 

Yesterday was a dark day for civil liberties.
Yesterday was also a dark day for democracy.  For the second time in a matter of weeks, Labour attempted to bribe their opponents using taxpayers’ money to avoid a humiliating defeat – first came the £2.7 billion bribe for Crewe and Nantwich, this time it was the DUP receiving bribes [...]

“One of the untold stories of Iraq is that we explored the diplomacy a lot.  We all wanted to solve this ‘disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences’ in a diplomatic fashion. After all, I went to the United Nations security council.”
- George Bush, who has evidently forgotten how he ignored the UN and the weapons [...]

Dear Tony McNulty,
As a Home Office minister I can imagine that you are pretty nervous right now.  The vote at 6pm tonight on 42-day detention is going to be very close and I think everyone from all political parties knows that the ramifications of this vote go way beyond the confines of a simple Commons [...]