Top Tory's bomb site jibe at PM
The Conservatives are on course to inherit "bomb-site Britain," after the next General Election, says Alan Duncan.
The Conservatives are on course to inherit "bomb-site Britain," after the next General Election, says Alan Duncan.
The Shadow Trade Secretary was in the Black Country meeting local businesses and party members.
In an exclusive Express & Star interview, he predicted that Gordon Brown, having missed his "best chance" with an election in the autumn of 2007, would stay in office until the spring of 2010. But Mr Duncan is clearly bitter at the prospect.
H said: "The legacy we Conservatives left New Labour in 1997 was an economy in the best possible shape. In contrast, they are going to leave us with bomb-site Britain.
"It's the same old story. Labour governments always run out of money.
"They have squandered a decade, mortgaged this country and left us with the biggest bill in history. That is Labour's legacy and in politics we just have to accept the cards we are dealt."
Was he not surprised that the Tories are not further ahead in the opinion polls? One recent poll suggested Labour was trailing the Tories by just one point. Others suggest a Tory lead of between five and 15 per cent.
Mr Duncan said: "Of course, we would always like to be further ahead. But the downturn is now settling firmly against Labour.
"Gordon Brown gives people the shivers. People are now looking at him and thinking 'You have wrecked us'."
Mr Duncan stands 5ft 6in and is known around the Commons as "the Bonsai Heseltine," in contrast to his predecessor Michael "Tarzan" Heseltine.
He finds himself pitted in Parliament against Business Minister Lord Mandelson. How does he rate Mandy? Duncan admitted a grudging admiration. He said: "Mandelson has a certain grip on things. He's a big beast but he's in the House of Lords and unassailable to MPs and he doesn't give a damn.
"He was the architect of New Labour and now he's walking amid the rubble of New Labour. He shows up the weakness of Alistair Darling and the utter failure of the Prime Minister. If Mandelson is the answer, it shows how bad the problem is."
Yesterday's whistle-stop tour of the region was aimed at a number of Labour seats that the Tories hope to win, including Wolverhampton South West.
But this is the Black Country. Does this dapper, diminutive Tory, the MP for leafy Rutland & Melton, not accept that thousands of local folk would never dream of voting Conservative?
"I'm not so sure. We are in seismic times. People's voting intentions will suddenly change gear."
Mr Duncan said the Commons furore over the arrest of Damian Green MP and the police search of his office had added to public disquiet about the way Britain is governed.
