'National Liberal' ticket won't happen, says Downing Street after minister's remark

 
19 November 2013
WEST END FINAL

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A Tory minister made waves today by suggesting that the Conservatives could field candidates under a “National Liberal” ticket.

Planning Minister Nicholas Boles said in a speech: “An explicit National Liberal pitch might make the difference between victory and defeat.”

Downing Street distanced itself from the idea. A source close to David Cameron said: “It is not supported by No 10 and it is not going to happen.”

But Mr Boles claimed it would also attract “proper Liberal Democrats” like Education Minister David Laws and ex-minister Jeremy Browne, whose views were closer to the Conservatives than to the left-wing elements of Nick Clegg’s party.

“Existing MPs, councillors, candidates and party members of liberal views would be encouraged to join,” said Mr Boles. “And we could use it to recruit new supporters who might initially balk at the idea of calling themselves Conservative.”

In 1947, the National Liberal Party - a breakaway faction from the old Liberals - merged with the Conservatives.

Mr Boles has previous called for Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg to run joint candidates - but he said he had changed his mind because the Lib Dems had proved to be “a statist party of the soft left”.

He said: “Although there are some proper liberals in the upper echelons – Jeremy Browne and David Laws – in the last year the Liberal Democrat party has shown that it is not a liberal party but a statist party of the soft left.”

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