Ming hit back at critics today saying that there was idle chatter from the occasional dissident......if that is true he has nothing to worry about. He is right, we all have a responsibility to raise our game, but he is the only one who can do anything about raising his own personal ratings.
Having spoken out earlier this year I have kept my mouth shut due to the possibility of a snap election and due to fellow party members asking me to because they believed it would damage the party. That is the last thing any of us want to do. All parties have their dissidents, in fact it would be quite unhealthy if they didn't. They can actually be quite useful for a leader to show his or her metal by either silencing them or bringing them on board. But there has to come a time when continuing to pretend everything in the garden is rosy is more damaging than being honest.
Ming is an honourable man. On a personal level he has been absolutely charming to me on the occasions we have met since my comments in the summer. He is hugely talented and has been and will continue to be an asset to our party. And because he is honourable I believe he will listen to what his parliamentary colleagues and grassroots activists are saying. A leader can continue very well with the occasional dissident, but when you have lost the confidence of a third of your party chairs and if that is translated to a third of your party, you surely must consider your position.
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