News just breaking that the Tory shadow Home Secretary David Davis is resigning – not just from the shadow cabinet but from the House of Commons.
This will – of course – trigger a by-election in a key Lib Dem target seat. And the BBC report, sparse though it is, suggests that’s not just a side-effect of Davis’ decision, but the whole point of it.
This is what the Beeb’s report says at the moment (no doubt it will soon be expanded).
Shadow home secretary David Davis is set to resign as an MP, the BBC understands.
It is thought he wants to trigger a by-election in his Haltemprice and Howden seat.
Mr Davis has been a passionate opponent of plans to extend the terror detention limit to 42 days.
It is thought he has privately threatened to resign if the Tories wavered on the issue vente de cialis pas cher. He will make a statement shortly.
There is absolutely no way in which this is anything other than desperately bad news for David Cameron, who needs this like he needs a hole in the head.
I’ve always thought Davis was one of the better sort of Tories, and was much struck by a joint TV interview he did with Mark Oaten about civil liberties when the latter was the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson.
They were barely distinguishable in what they said, which at the time I thought reflected more on Oaten than on Davis. But now I’m not so sure.
I suppose it’s too much to hope that this is all pre-arranged with Nick Clegg and Davis is going to re-stand at the by-election as a Lib Dem?
Edit: apparently, it is. He’ll be an independent, unopposed by us.
Our not standing against him is a sensible decision – but will the Tories put up a candidate? Cameron is spinning it as a jolly brave decision by a jolly fine chap.