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We have to pull together or we will hang apart.”My late mother used to advise me never to attribute motives But this is not just attributing motives This is barking. As Enoch Powell once remarked of a short-lived Tory politician, John Davies: “We’ve got a right one here.” If Mr Clarke and Mr Portillo did indeed conspire as Mr Duncan Smith charged, firmer action was clearly necessary. But the evidence is that they were making a genuine protest.Mr Oliver Letwin appeared several times on radio and television to admit that he had been connected with both decisions – on the vote and on its sequel. Mr Letwin is an educated man, which makes him exceptional on the Tory side and, for that matter, on the Labour side as well The trouble is that he has been educated out of his wits He was partly responsible for the poll tax Mr Letwin is also a natural moderniser Mr Duncan Smith is not He was not elected as one but as its opposite That is why his present position is so false Most MPs would rather have Mr Clarke, as they did last year.

He would still win at Westminster, with or without Mr Portillo’s support, with Mr David Davis second. Once the contest was thrown open to the party, however, Mr Davis would win. It is doubtful whether the rules allow the submission of only one candidate such as Mr Clarke We may well be witnessing the strange death of Tory England
More from Alan Watkins. One of the virtues of a living in a university town like Cambridge is the eclectic array of top-flight experts on your doorstep. My near neighbours include a microbiologist, an astronomer and a criminologist. Then there’s the stout lady up the road with librarian hair, who brings to mind a photo of one of Philip Larkin’s mistresses. Her chaotic house breeds books as other people’s breed dust and if I wanted a quick summary of the complete works of Mrs Gaskell she would clearly be my woman.

My street is less a neighbourhood than a walking, talking encyclopaedia – but you still can’t find a good plumber when you want one. Last Saturday we were invited round to supper with Belinda, the criminologist. Belinda is somewhat unusual in academic circles in that she used to own and run a couple of beauty salons in Chigwell before abandoning a life of swimming-pool parties and designer clothes to take a long, hard look at the criminal mind. This means she is equally adept at talking about mascara or mass mur

One of the virtues of a living in a university town like Cambridge is the eclectic array of top-flight experts on your doorstep.