Tory grumblings

Do read Tim Montgomerie’s sobering take on the simmering discontent that has gripped the Tory backbenches. He distills what’s been noticeable for some weeks now since the expenses thing started claiming scalps: suspicion that Mr Cameron and his office are happy to defenestrate bed-blockers to protect Tory stars in the Shadow Cabinet. Tim puts it thus:

“MPs’ are angry on many levels.  At the heart of their concerns is equity.  They don’t think that all MPs are being treated the same.  There is, for example, a lot of sympathy for Peter Viggers.  The Gosport MP was told to quit because of the expenses claim that has come to define the whole affair – his claim for a duck house.  Why, some MPs ask, was Viggers ousted but shadow cabinet members who made much bigger misclaims are allowed to stay in office?”

The equity issue is far more serious than the complaints about ‘them and us’ which always dog ruthless leaders. Mr Cameron can afford to ignore those, assuming he goes on to win. But as I’ve said before memories of the Howard Flight affair remain raw. Why exactly should a duck house cost you your career, but not a load of furniture from the leader’s mother-in-law’s shop, say, or even flipping?