The Tories, we are told, are a party of unstable men who are genetically predisposed to plotting against their leader. I would certainly appreciate a learned piece on this subject from the Times’s esteemed medical correspondent, Dr Thomas Stuttaford. Perhaps when he has finished with the Tories he could turn his attention to his own paper. For if the Tories love to kill their leader, the Times loves to kill the leader of the Tory party. Under the editorship of Peter Stothard, the paper waged a fierce campaign against William Hague. Now it is gunning for Iain Duncan Smith. It seems that, no less than the Tories, senior journalists at the Times are only truly happy when they are trying to bring down the leader of the Conservative party.
I do not deny that there is a case to be made against IDS, though it has been difficult not to be impressed by the way in which he has attempted a rearguard action over the past few days. Nor do I complain if Times columnists should have it in for the Tory leader. Tim Hames and ‘Captain’ Michael Gove have long harboured feelings of affection for Michael Portillo, and Mary Ann Sieghart is entitled to her view that IDS was born several apples short of a full picnic. More distressing is the way in which the paper constantly exaggerates or spins supposed news stories about Mr Duncan Smith.
Almost alone in the press, the Times made much of the alleged ‘ticking off’ which IDS received from the Cabinet Office for using his official car to attend a football match and to ferry his children to school. This was a footling matter which the Times, in an attempt to damage the Tory leader, blew up out of all proportion.
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