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we might as well make blair prime minister for life and have done with it...
IDS will not quit
it's such a joke, the government should be coming under fire for so much at the moment, increasing taxes, fuel duty, the fact our transport system is worse than it's ever been, the fact we're throwing good money after bad on public services which never seem to get any better, the coming of the EU constitution and all manner of other things are government is screwing up.
and yet what are her majesty's opposition doing about it, tearing themselves apart in another bloody struggle, which could have sorted out a long time ago if iain duncan smith had just done the decent thing and resigned and let someone else take over the tory party into the next election.
Iain Duncan Smith has told the BBC he will not quit even if Tory MPs call for a vote of confidence on his leadership.
The Conservative leader insisted he would lead his party into the next election, despite the party being "frightened and bullied" by a small minority within.
"I say to those who hide in the shadows and whose voices are heard out of bitterness and personal ambition they should go gracefully," he told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost.
But Tory MP Derek Conway, a former government whip, told Sky News he has signed a letter calling for a vote of confidence and has told Mr Duncan Smith.
"We have just come to a judgement that Iain Duncan Smith's time is up," he said.
Meanwhile, Dominic Cummings, the Tories' former director of strategy, said Mr Duncan Smith was not up to the job of leader and urged MPs to "bite the bullet" and get rid of him.
The calls came as the Tory leader denied a Sunday Telegraph report he had told aides he would step down if 25 Tory MPs triggered a leadership ballot.
Mr Duncan Smith said: "The simple message is this: I earned the right to lead this party to the next election.
"The party membership out there in the country voted, and they voted overwhelmingly."
'Push off'
As he spoke, Tory MPs continued talking to party workers and activists in their constituencies about their leader's future.
Mr Duncan Smith said it would be nonsense for his party to plunge itself into a divisive leadership contest at a time when the public wanted an alternative to Tony Blair.
He said the small number of people who had never accepted his leadership election should "push off" and let the party get on with winning the next election.
"This party is in the process of being frightened and bullied by a small number of people whose personal ambition and whose personal anger and bitterness is in the process of trying to push the party to the edge of a divisive leadership process which would rip them apart," he said.
Earlier he told the Mail on Sunday plots against him had left his party "staring into the abyss".
'Turf wars'
He said he would set out "our plans for the first Conservative government of the 21st century" in a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies on Thursday.
The bookies' favourite to take over the leadership, shadow chancellor Michael Howard, told the Sunday Times: "We are on course to present a clear and coherent programme for government at the next election.
"These are Iain's policies. They are a tribute to Iain's work.
"Iain has earned the right to carry that work forward.
But Mr Cummings, who quit Conservative Central Office in September 2002, claimed the party was riven by "constant turf wars over trivia".
He told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House the shadow cabinet knew Mr Duncan Smith was not up to the job.
"It's time they stopped hiding behind the press and hiding behind each other and got on with it," he said.
He said David Davis, who shadows the deputy prime minister, would be a better alternative as leader.
Tory MP John Greenway, who insisted he was not a "plotter" argued Mr Duncan Smith could restore dignity to the situation "by calling for a vote of confidence himself".
Major warning
He said a line would not be drawn under the matter "by him saying 'I intend to carry on'".
On Saturday former prime minister John Major told Tory "plotters" to stop damaging the party by undermining their leader.
On Friday Tory whips stressed their "total loyalty" to the leader.
Tory chief whip David Maclean said: "I have spoken personally to all the whips and they are unanimous in their support for the leader of the party."
The Conservative leader insisted he would lead his party into the next election, despite the party being "frightened and bullied" by a small minority within.
"I say to those who hide in the shadows and whose voices are heard out of bitterness and personal ambition they should go gracefully," he told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost.
But Tory MP Derek Conway, a former government whip, told Sky News he has signed a letter calling for a vote of confidence and has told Mr Duncan Smith.
"We have just come to a judgement that Iain Duncan Smith's time is up," he said.
Meanwhile, Dominic Cummings, the Tories' former director of strategy, said Mr Duncan Smith was not up to the job of leader and urged MPs to "bite the bullet" and get rid of him.
The calls came as the Tory leader denied a Sunday Telegraph report he had told aides he would step down if 25 Tory MPs triggered a leadership ballot.
Mr Duncan Smith said: "The simple message is this: I earned the right to lead this party to the next election.
"The party membership out there in the country voted, and they voted overwhelmingly."
'Push off'
As he spoke, Tory MPs continued talking to party workers and activists in their constituencies about their leader's future.
Mr Duncan Smith said it would be nonsense for his party to plunge itself into a divisive leadership contest at a time when the public wanted an alternative to Tony Blair.
He said the small number of people who had never accepted his leadership election should "push off" and let the party get on with winning the next election.
"This party is in the process of being frightened and bullied by a small number of people whose personal ambition and whose personal anger and bitterness is in the process of trying to push the party to the edge of a divisive leadership process which would rip them apart," he said.
Earlier he told the Mail on Sunday plots against him had left his party "staring into the abyss".
'Turf wars'
He said he would set out "our plans for the first Conservative government of the 21st century" in a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies on Thursday.
The bookies' favourite to take over the leadership, shadow chancellor Michael Howard, told the Sunday Times: "We are on course to present a clear and coherent programme for government at the next election.
"These are Iain's policies. They are a tribute to Iain's work.
"Iain has earned the right to carry that work forward.
But Mr Cummings, who quit Conservative Central Office in September 2002, claimed the party was riven by "constant turf wars over trivia".
He told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House the shadow cabinet knew Mr Duncan Smith was not up to the job.
"It's time they stopped hiding behind the press and hiding behind each other and got on with it," he said.
He said David Davis, who shadows the deputy prime minister, would be a better alternative as leader.
Tory MP John Greenway, who insisted he was not a "plotter" argued Mr Duncan Smith could restore dignity to the situation "by calling for a vote of confidence himself".
Major warning
He said a line would not be drawn under the matter "by him saying 'I intend to carry on'".
On Saturday former prime minister John Major told Tory "plotters" to stop damaging the party by undermining their leader.
On Friday Tory whips stressed their "total loyalty" to the leader.
Tory chief whip David Maclean said: "I have spoken personally to all the whips and they are unanimous in their support for the leader of the party."
and yet what are her majesty's opposition doing about it, tearing themselves apart in another bloody struggle, which could have sorted out a long time ago if iain duncan smith had just done the decent thing and resigned and let someone else take over the tory party into the next election.
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