AS Laura has related on TCW, Sir Roger Scruton was sacked from his role as a government housing adviser on the basis of a manipulated and doctored interview conducted by George Eaton from the New Statesman.
There is so much in this story as a sign of the times: taking offence at valid political opinions; the Twittermob in full, salivating force; the dishonesty of the media; the craven ‘conservative’ politicians desperate to indulge a Left that will never, ever, ever like them – unless they completely and utterly disown any vestige of conservativism.
Laura rightly points out that Scruton is a conservative and for Eaton that was enough. But most shocking was that the Conservative MPs – Johnny Mercer, Tom Tugendhat and James Brokenshire – were happy to throw Sir Roger under the bus.
It’s expected to have Left-wing activists clamouring for the blood of a conservative philosopher, but when those on the Right turn their back on him too, it is worrying. For where do people with conservative opinions go?
It is often said that the old Left-Right dichotomy is dead and this episode illustrates that perfectly. What’s the difference between George Osborne and Tony Blair? David Cameron and Gordon Brown? The Tory MPs in this story showed they don’t have conservative instincts. They reacted with intemperance without waiting for the facts to emerge.
The Conservatives don’t conserve. Theresa May can’t even bring herself to describe those killed by yet more Islamist nutters as Christians. Instead, they are ‘Easter worshippers’. In my opinion, a genuine, positive conservative movement must act in conjunction with genuine Christian faith.
But I won’t hold my breath. Under the Conservative government, we have had moves to enable people to change their gender without even a doctor’s consultation. We have had a move to introduce no-fault divorces. We have had the contempt shown to democracy with their hashing of Brexit.
If this is what the Conservatives serve up – managed decline, at best – then what fresh horrors do Labour have in store?
The Roger Scruton affair really would make a good basis for as a story, or a play – a lovely little vignette to describe where we are.
As an aside, has no one read or seen The Crucible?
Roger Scruton has been vindicated by Douglas Murray getting his hands on the tapes. I’m not surprised by the underhand tactics employed by Eaton. Lefties will always Leftie.
But the Tories should be better than this, and if they want to regain some credibility they need to stop being so hand-wringing. Work out what they actually think. And stop trying to court the Left. It’s embarrassing to watch, and in this instance, a man’s reputation was ruined.
