Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin writes:
At the Scottish Conservative Conference today, the prime
minister has accused the SNP of trying to turn Scotland into a one-party state.
This
from the man who has, in recent months, driven forward a Trade Union Bill that
could reduce Labour Party funding by up to £8m a year, attempted to slash
opposition funding in the form of Short money and banned local councils and
student unions from undertaking ethical boycotts.
One
of the UK’s leaders is trying to stamp out political dissent, but it’s not
Nicola Sturgeon [she is, too].
While
many argue that these policy shifts, particularly the Trade Union Bill, are an
ideologically-driven attack on the British Left (and that is undoubtedly true
to some degree), we’ve learned this week that Cameron and his allies are also
attempting to quash local Conservative Associations.
The
initial plan, developed by party chairman Andrew Feldman, was to merge 650
local associations into as few as 60 multi-constituency associations.
While
push back from the parliamentary party has forced a partial retreat,
associations with fewer than 200 members are still facing mergers.
This
attack on his own party is the sign of a prime minister who is genuinely
terrified of dissent, and obsessed with centralisation.
Cameron
and those closest to him are not merely concerned about losing power to their
ideological opponents, they don’t want to cede any power to anyone.
And that,
ultimately, will be their downfall.
Already,
the Tory grassroots are in revolt over Europe, particularly outraged that
Cameron has instructed MPs to ignore eurosceptic local associations in the
run-up to the referendum.
“The
acrimonious manner in which all this has been conducted is troubling, and will
I fear have consequences long beyond June 23.”
In
the short-term, those consequences would hit Cameron hardest, but George
Osborne is likely to suffer more in the long run.
Indeed,
the crackdown on local associations may, more than anything, reflect a growing
concern among senior Tories that Osborne can’t win a leadership campaign
against Boris Johnson given his support for EU membership.
Fear
of dissent is Cameron’s tragic flaw. It could end his premiership, and is
already shredding his party.
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