Sir John Major was told where to go in 1997 when Scotland booted every Tory MP off the electoral map.
Now he’s being listened to by some as the reasonable face of modern Conservatism. How times have changed.
The message is clear – Major is telling voters in key areas to back independent ex-Tory members against the party’s official candidate.
It’s an extraordinary step and it leaves voters in no doubt about how bad the current Tory leader must really be.
Boris Johnson unceremoniously ditched seasoned Tory veterans in his awful crusade to “get Brexit done”.
It saw figures such as David Gauke and Dominic Grieve cast adrift.
To be clear, losing these politicians from Westminster remains a desirable outcome. Whatever they think on Europe, they backed Tory austerity and all the rest of it when they had a chance.
Major’s intervention simply underlines how far the party has gone in the wrong direction under the woeful Johnson.
Regardless of Major’s background and politics, he is correct to draw attention to the narrow, isolationist, self-obsessed direction Johnson is taking the UK.
In Scotland, Tory MPs weren’t expelled. They were too quick to fawn over Johnson and fall right in line.
Major didn’t mention that. But it’s a reality voters should take with them into the polling station next week.
Deserved victory
Ten lives were put in jeopardy when the Tsunami ride at M&D’s theme park careered out of control.
Eight children and two adults were seriously injured – one boy, Ben Chalmers, was resuscitated twice at the scene.
More than three years later, the families have had to drag the company kicking and screaming to get compensation.
Ben’s dad Craig is understandably angry at the stress they’ve all been put through, the lack of apology and the “derisory” offers.
Now, with £1.2million in damages between them, the victims can try to move on.
But they should never have had to fight so hard for this.
They put their safety in M&D’s hands and paid for it.
