Perspective: Has Howard Appointed the Dream Team?; Michael Howard Has Stream-Lined His Shadow Cabinet to Make It More Voter Friendly, but Jonathan Walker Spies Weaknesses That Labour Will Be Quick to Take Advantage Of

Byline: Jonathan Walker

Michael Howard is enjoying a short political honeymoon -but it won't last much longer. He will rely on his shadow Cabinet to help him through the more difficult times which are just around the corner.

So the new Tory leader will soon discover whether Monday's appointments were the right ones.

The chaos which engulfed the Conservatives, from the run up to their party conference to the dismissal of Iain Duncan Smith as leader last month, was not new.

It was a culmination of the disorder which has afflicted the party since William Hague became leader in 1997, and arguably since Margaret Thatcher was toppled 13 years ago.

Conservative MPs are delighted at the prospect of ending it at last. Nobody wants to rock the boat now.

Mr Howard's smooth assumption to the leadership also suggested the Conservatives had rediscovered the ability to get things done, and a hunger for power.

And there was a consensus that Mr Duncan Smith, whatever his failings, had developed new policies which at the very least were original and interesting, and could prove popular.

But Mr Howard is not a new opposition leader appointed after an election defeat, with five …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Perspective: Has Howard Appointed the Dream Team?; Michael Howard Has Stream-Lined His Shadow Cabinet to Make It More Voter Friendly, but Jonathan Walker Spies Weaknesses That Labour Will Be Quick to Take Advantage Of. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: The Birmingham Post (England). Publication date: November 12, 2003. Page number: 10. © 2009 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd. COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group.

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