09 October 2004

The Conservative party is handling the United Kingdom Independence party problem in a worrying way. Ukip is not an embarrassment; it is not a distraction; it is not an understandable but naive reaction to the issues of the day; it is not a theoretically appealing movement whose practical consequences could sadly prove perverse. And supporting

The Tory party conference began on Monday, and Radio 4’s Today programme gave it the kind of send-off reserved for truly hopeless causes. Item after item emphasised the Tories’ unfitness to govern, their uniformly low spirits and their enduring unpopularity. One excited reporter even suggested that the party might slide off the political map as