Britannist

Lot’s of backing for eurosceptic Simon Heffer, the Telegraph columnist who backed Nigel Farage MEP, UKIP’s candidate at the recent Bromley By-Election – and lot’s of opposition to anti-UKIP David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader:

The following were among comments left on Conservative Home on 10.8.2006. They do not mention UKIP directly but are mostly in support of Simon Heffer, the eurosceptic and anti-Cameron columnist on the Daily Telegraph who supported Nigel Farage, the UKIP candidate in the Bromley parliamentary By-Election held on 29.6.2006:

Tom Tom wrote on Conservative Home message board at 09.52 am on 10.8.2006) “The Conservative Party (under the leadership of David Cameron) looks like a debating club for Old Etonians deciding which hat the wife should wear to Ascot or whether to attend Henley Regatta.”

Tam Large wrote on Conservative Home at 10.40 am on 10.8.2006 “Heffer (the eurosceptic and anti-Cameron columnist on the Daily Telegraph) for Tory (Conservative) Leader I say. Then we and the voters will know there are real Tories out there - ready to say what people are thinking and demand what people are wanting: not afraid of the PC (politically correct) neo-socialist Blairoons.”

Christina Speight, the Conservative anti-EU campaigner, said on 10.8.2006 on the Conservative Home message board at 10.56 am “Simon Heffer (the eurosceptic columnist on the Daily Telegraph who is opposed to David Cameron’s leadership of the Conservative Party) speaks for the core Tory (Conservative) voters – those that didn’t vote at Bromley (in the parliamentary by-election of 29.6.2006). Ignore us at the party's peril. Letwin (the Conservative politician who backs David Cameron’s pro-EU ‘liberal’ stance) will find it hard to keep his seat as he was pressured last time but many of those who saved him have now rejected him. One said this month that Letwin has totally "lost the plot" since the election and is rabbitting on about "Beauty" and not things that actually matter and which governments are supposed to deal with. Too many people on this (Conservative Home) blog refuse to see the abyss ahead and face facts. If Cameron were to win the only person who would have made that happen would be Blair. Remember a 40% poll share is the MINIMUM to form a government.”

Phil Jackson said on the message board of Conservative Home at 12.10 pm on 10.8.2006 “David Cameron has retreated into patricianism.”

Arthur wrote on Conservative Home on 10.8.2006 at 2.29 pm “Tories (Conservatives) like Heffer (Simon Heffer the eurosceptic and anti-Cameron columnist on the Daily Telegraph) see themselves as the 'keepers of the flame'. People like him are there to ensure that 'Toryism' does not stray from the true path, the monarchy, constitution, the Union etc. They find the likes of Cameron/Letwin abhorrent, heretics who are destroying all that Toryism is about. Heffer speaks for a lot of people, perhaps even the majority of Tory voters.”

EML wrote on Conservative Home on 10.8.2006 at 2.41 pm “Right-wingers have no choice other than the Conservatives. If they don't vote Conservative, Labour will get in again. It's almost as simple as that.”

Sean Fear wrote on the message board of Conservative Home at 2.44 pm on 10.8.2006 “I struggle to think of a single speech that Cameron, Maude, or Letwin have given that contains anything to appeal to a core Conservative.”

Umbongo wrote on the Conservative Home message board on 10.8.2006 at 3.05 pm “It's always interesting to see that the critics of Simon Heffer (the anti-EU and anti-Cameron columnist on the Daily Telegraph) never actually address his criticisms of Cameron and his politbureau. The critics always have a go at the concept of "Natural Tories (Conservatives)" and scoff at those who have serious reservations about the direction in which Cameron is taking the Party. Unfortunately for the Cameroons, those who have reservations provide the core of the Conservative vote. I can tell you that Heffer speaks for this core; Cameron doesn't. I for one - being a "natural conservative" - will not vote Conservative at the next General Election if the (Conservative) manifesto at the General Election contains the present vacuous, PR-led, Blairite-inspired policies at present being promulgated by Her Majesty's (non-) Opposition.”

Christina Speight, the anti-EU Conservative, wrote on Conservative Home at 4.04 pm on 10.8.2006 “The problem is that a large lump of the core vote is also obsessed with the catastrophe that the creep Cameron IS. Simon Heffer (the eurosceptic and anti-Cameron columnist on the Daily Telegraph) is in tune with core Conservative thinking. Cameron doesn't comprehend the very idea. Do get it into your heads please that we will NOT vote Tory if Cameron is leader - unless the leopard changes his spots.”

Esbonio wrote on Conservative Home at 4.23 pm on 10.8.2006 “I only have to listen to a sentence from Letwin, Osborne or Cameron (maybe a sentence or two in his case) to feel the Tories (Conservative Party) are Tory in name only.”

James Maskell wrote on Conservative Home on 10.8.2006 at 5.54 pm “The vast majority of readers here will think I’m talking rubbish when I say this, but I cant be the only one thinking that the Great British public will see past this PR shine (from David Cameron) and see the vacuous space that is Tory (Conservative) policy and decide to go elsewhere...like staying inside? I am genuinely concerned about our (the Conservative Party's) chances next year. I'm not the only one.”