Lord Tebbit attacks David Cameron over 'dog of a coalition Government'

 
PA
21 October 2012
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Conservative grandee Lord Tebbit today hit out at David Cameron following the resignation of Andrew Mitchell as chief whip.

The Prime Minister was said to have allowed "this dog of a coalition Government" to look incompetent after finally losing Mr Mitchell having previously offered support and refusing to sack him over the damaging 'plebgate' row.

Lord Tebbit's criticism came amid reports that Mr Mitchell decided to quit after younger Tory MPs from the 2010 intake made clear their hostility when parliament returned this week.

Writing in The Observer, Lord Tebbit - a Cabinet minister in Margaret Thatcher's government - said: "This dog of a coalition government has let itself be given a bad name and now anybody can beat it.

"It has let itself be called a government of unfeeling toffs. Past governments have had far more real Tory toffs: prime ministers Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Macmillan, or even in Thatcher's day, Whitelaw, Soames, Hailsham, Carrington, Gowrie, Joseph, Avon, Trenchard and plenty more, without incurring similar abuse."

He added: "The abiding sin of the government is not that some ministers are rich, but that it seems unable to manage its affairs competently."

Mr Mitchell finally fell on his sword last night after admitting that the row over his confrontation with Downing Street police made his position untenable.

After weeks of criticism and speculation over his future, Mr Mitchell said it was not fair to put his colleagues and family through such "damaging" stories any longer.

He insisted in a letter to the Prime Minister that he had not referred to an officer on the gate in Downing Street as either a "pleb" or a "moron" but acknowledged delivering, after being told he could not ride his bike through the main gates, the parting line: "I thought you guys were supposed to f****** help us."

He was swiftly replaced as chief whip by Sir George Young last night.

At a union rally in Hyde Park yesterday, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the Government remained on the wrong path despite Mr Mitchell's resignation.

"Andrew Mitchell may finally have resigned, but the culture of two nations runs right across this government.

"They cut taxes for millionaires, and raise taxes for ordinary families. They leave young people out of work while the bonuses at the banks carry on.

"They even have a Chancellor of the Exchequer who tries to travel first class on a standard class ticket.

"It's one rule for those at the top and another rule for everybody else: everybody like you who plays their part and does the right thing."

In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Mitchell said: "I have made clear to you - and I give you my categorical assurance again - that I did not, never have, and never would call a police officer a 'pleb' or a 'moron' or used any of the other pejorative descriptions attributed to me.

"The offending comment and the reason for my apology to the police was my parting remark 'I thought you guys were supposed to f****** help us'. It was obviously wrong of me to use such bad language and I am very sorry about it and grateful to the police officer for accepting my apology."

Accepting his resignation, Mr Cameron said he was "sorry" to receive Mr Mitchell's letter but added: "I understand why you have reached the conclusion that you have, and why you have decided to resign from the Government.

"I regret that this has become necessary, and am very grateful for all you have done, both in Government and in Opposition - as well as for the kind words in your letter."

end

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in