What has Davies achieved?
A month ago, I did a posting on the decision of Conservative frontbencher David Davies to resign and force a by-election and wrote:
“All that will happen is that the public purse will fund a totally unnecessary by-election in which there will no serious opposition and a very poor turnout. Davies will destroy his career, the Conservative Party will look divided and stupid, and Gordon Brown will be grateful for some diversion from his multiple troubles.”
I stand by that assessment. Today we have the news that inevitably David won on a much reduced turnout of 34%. He has raised the profile of the 42 day detention issue a bit, but this was was a self-indulgent act by a man who was frustrated and bored.