“Blair´s got to go for the good of the country”

By Humphrey Carter CONSERVATIVE MP for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, Nigel Evans, will be arriving in Majorca this week for a Conservatives Abroad question time “on the crest of a wave.” Evans, who will be answering questions from members of the local branch on Saturday evening, told the Bulletin yesterday that the Conservative Party are riding high on the bounce after last week's local elections results and have their sights and minds firmly set on forming the next government with David Cameron as Prime Minister. “We're riding high for two principal reasons, the local election results and Blair's very puzzling cabinet reshuffle. “We've opened up a six to eight point lead over Labour in the opinion polls and have finally broken the 40 percent support of the public. For a long while we've been flat-lining at around 30 to 32 percent but 40 percent, and that's from the polling stations and voters, is enough to form the next government,” Evans said. “The local elections results and Labour's plummet to 26 percent of the vote is a wake up call for the government and for us. “We don't know when the next general election is going to be or how long Blair is going to last, but in the meantime we're going to build on our solid support and leave the Labour party and the government to continue going into meltdown. “For the good of the country we want Blair to go. Cameron called on the PM to stand down at PMQ's yesterday, but obviously the vicious civil war raging within the Labour Party only serves to help our cause,” he admitted. “But, I stress, Blair should, in the best interests of the UK, stand down. As should his deputy Prescott if he had any sense of responsibility. “I shudder when I think that I sat opposite him in the house for five years between 1992 and 1997 and had to put up with him accusing us of sleaze week-in, week-out. “We're not going to get involved with his or anyone else's private life, but it does smack of hypocrisy,” Evans told the Bulletin. “What is more, we've been through the break down the government is suffering now. “But it would appear that Labour have learnt nothing from the Major meltdown when we saw a majority of 21 literally disappear. “The Conservatives paid a high price for that and now it would appear Labour are going to do the same. “Blair is even losing the support of once loyal supporters and we would relish the chance to take on Brown, we're confident we can, and will, take care of him. “The solution to the government's problem is no longer merely replacing the leader, the general public have lost faith in the government, they're sick and tired of failed policies. “If you try and run a government and feed the people a diet of spin and presentation over substance, you eventually get found out and Labour have been caught out and found to be out of touch with reality. “The National Health service is in a mess, leaking millions of pounds, violent crime is on the rise and the public in general have had enough,” said Evans. “Cameron and the Conservatives are building a solid party to govern. We've got a good intake of new young and hugely talented people who all want to prove themselves in government. “We don't intend to be good opposition for long,” he stressed. “But, between now and the next election, which could be four years away, Cameron is in no rush to draw up his policies, he wants to get them right and is not going to rush the policy groups. “We all know where he stands on the environment, and it is not a new Tory concern, just one which was never really talked about by previous leaders - we've always been accused of not caring about the health services, for example. “We would obviously want to improve public services and, where and when possible, reduce taxation. “Cameron has a team of people with very clear ideas working on sensible and feasible policies which will be good for Britain. “We don't think Blair is going to last as long as he would desire, I think he's going to be forced out eventually - there is no way they would want to go into another Local Election and suffer another drubbing with him as leader and the Liberal Democrats don't really figure in our plans either. “The Lib Dems like to talk about hung parliaments, ‘in their dreams'. “They stalled, just as Ming Campbell did in the House yesterday, at the Local Election, they didn't even gain from any protest votes against Labour. We saw straight switches from Labour to the Conservatives and all the Lib Dems have been left with is to dream about a hung parliament, a disproportion of power and them being able to negotiate either with Labour or us. “As member of the Culture, Media and Sport Selecet Committee we're keeping the government in check over making sure London is ready for the Olympics and we're confident that David Cameron will be there as Prime Minister.” Bulletin editor Jason Moore, company director Alan Stewart and Calvia Council's Kate Mentink will be on the Question Time panel with Evans this Saturday at 6'30 pm at the Marina Hotel in Portals Nous.