Exactly ten years ago – the David Cameron David Davis CON leadership live TV debate

Exactly ten years ago – the David Cameron David Davis CON leadership live TV debate

Davis was deemed the debate “winner” but Cameron went on to an easy victory in the membership ballot

Next month David Cameron will be celebrating ten years as Conservative leader and at this stage in November 2005 he faced what was his last big hurdle before securing the prize – the BBC Question Time leadership debate. It’s a fascinating watch.

My PB report on the post debate YouGov poll noted:

  • Tory members who had watched the programme said Davis won by 45-18.
  • Members are backing Cameron for leader by 68-32. This is down from 77-23 ten days ago. Those members who watched the debate split Cameron-Davis 65-35
  • They rated Cameron as a better Prime Minister by 54-31.
  • Of those members who took part in the poll 57% had watched the debate.

    Davis was rated by 51% as “having substance but not style” while 59% thought that if Cameron was leader the party could make a fresh start. A total of 24% said Cameron was “lightweight “compared with 9% for Davis. On who was the “man of the future” the survey split Cameron 67 to Davis 8.

    The YouGov polling on the leadership election itself proved to be almost spot on.

    David Davis, as we are seeing at the moment, continues to be an irritant to the man who beat him.

    Mike Smithson



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