Ever since Michael Howard said he was standing down as leader of the Conservative Party, the front-runners to replace him have been playing a strange game. The candidates have tried to explain why the Tories have been in the doldrums since 1997, agreed that the party must sound more idealistic and less uncomfortable with Britain today, and then each proposed a different miracle formula for victory, containing some combination of tax cuts and reformed public services. This entertainment has not been dull exactly, but it has been jolly sensible. A nutty new prescription for success from some socially conservative Tories is thus welcome.
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