House of Cards (46 page)

Party
was
still
a
long
way
from
making
up
its
mind. Moreover,
the
small
sample
of
those
who
had
agreed
to respond
gave
no
clear
indication
as
to
the
likely
result. Samuel
was
ahead,
but
only
narrowly
and
to
a
degree
which the
pollsters
emphasised
was
'not
statistically
significant'. Woolton,
McKenzie
and
Earle
followed
in
close
order,
with the
four
other
declared
candidates
a
little
further
behind.

The
conclusions
to
be
drawn
from
such
insubstantial evidence
were
flimsy,
but
made
excellent
headlines,
just four
days
before
the
close
of
nominations.

'Samuel
slipping
-
early
lead
lost',
roared
the
Mail
on Sunday,
while
the
Observer
was
scarcely
less
restrained in
declaring
'Party
in
turmoil
as
poll
reveals
great uncertainty'.

Tlie
inevitable
result
was
a
flurry
of
editorials
hostile
to the
Party,
criticising
both
the
quality
of
the
candidates
and their
campaigns.
'This
country
has
a
right
to
expect
more
of the
governing
Party
than
the
undignified
squabbling
we have
been
subjected
to
in
recent
days
and
the
lacklustre and
uninspired
manner
in
which
it
is
deciding
its
fate,' the
Sunday
Express
intoned.
'We
may
be
witnessing
a governing
Party
which
is
finally
running
out
of
steam, ideas
and
leadership
after
too
long
in
power.'

The
following
day's
edition
of
the
Daily
Telegraph
was intended
to
resolve
all
that.
Just
three
days
before
the
close of
nominations,
it
put
aside
convention
and
for
the
first time
in
its
history
ran
its
editorial
on
the
front
page.
Its print
run
was
increased
and
a
copy
was
hand
delivered
to the
London
addresses
of
all
Government
MPs.
No
punches were
pulled
in
its
determination
to
make
its
views
heard throughout
the
corridors
of
Westminster.

This
paper
has
consistently
supported
the
Government,
not
through
blind
prejudice
but
because
we
felt that
they
served
the
interests
of
the
nation
better than
the
alternatives.
Throughout
the
Thatcher
years our
convictions
were
well
supported
by
the
progress which
was
made
in
restoring
the
economy
to
health and
the
inroads
which
began
to
be
made
in
some
of the
more
pressing
social
problems.

In
recent
months
we
began
to
feel
that
Henry Collingridge
was
not
the
best
leader
to
write
the
next chapter,
and
we
supported
his
decision
to
resign. However,
there
is
now
a
grave
danger
that
the
lack
of judgement
being
shown
by
all
the
present
contenders for
his
job
will
threaten
a
return
to
the
bad
old
ways
of weakness
and
indecisiveness
which
we
hoped
had been
left
behind
for
good.

Instead
of
the
steadying
hand
which
we
need
oh
the tiller
in
order
to
consolidate
the
economic
and
social advances
of
recent
years,
we
have
so
far
been
offered
a choice
between
youthful
inexperience,
environmental
upheaval
and
injudicious
outbursts
bordering
‘
on
racial
intolerance.

This
choice
is
insufficient.
The
Government
and the
country
need
a
leader
who
has
maturity,
who
has a
sense
of
discretion,
who
has
a
proven
capacity
for
working
with
all
his
colleagues
in
the
Parliamentary Party.

There
is
at
least
one
senior
figure
in
the
Party
who not
only
enjoys
all
of
these
attributes,
but
who
in recent
weeks
has
been
almost
unique
in
remembering
the
need
to
uphold
the
dignity
of
Government and
who,
so
rare
in
present
day
politics,
has
shown himself
capable
of
putting
aside
his
own
personal ambition
for
what
he
perceives
as
being
the
wider interests
of
his
Party.

He
has
announced
that
it
is
not
his
intention
to seek
election
as
Leader
of
the
Party,
but
he
still
has time
to
reconsider
before
nominations
close
on Thursday.
We
believe
it
would
be
in
the
best
interests of
all
concerned
if
the
Chief
Whip,
Francis
Urquhart, were
to
stand
and
to
be
elected.

There
were
forty
press,
television
and
radio
men
waiting outside
Urquhart's
home
in
Cambridge
Street
when
he emerged
at
8.10
that
morning.
He
had
been
waiting
rather nervously
inside,
wanting
to
ensure
that
the
timing
of
his exit
enabled
BBC
radio's
Today
programme
and
all
breakfast
television
channels
to
take
it
live.
Attracted
by
the scramble
of
newsmen,
a
host
of
passers-by
and
commuters from
nearby
Victoria
Station
had
gathered
to
discover
the cause
for
the
commotion,
and
the
live
television
pictures suggested
a
crowd
showing
considerable
interest
in
the man
who
now
emerged
onto
the
doorstep,
looking
down
on the
throng.