Davis' Shadow Cabinet?

Hey Guys,

In the 2005 Conservative Leadership Election Davis was initially the favourite to win, however after a poorly taken speech at the Conservative Party Conference his support rapidly slipped away.

However let's say that it doesn't and that Davis manages to win the election against David Cameron. Now whatever kind of leader you may think he'll be and whether you think he'd win the 2010 General Election is another matter.

What I'm asking is whom do you think he'd put on the Shadow Cabinet? I don't actually know who his supporters were and can't find the information anywhere which I find annoying, however I do know Andrew Mitchell was his campaign manager and thus would have a high up status in the Cabinet? Perhaps Home Secretary or something else high-up, the man has experience from being an MP from 1987...

But who else might make it into the Cabinet? I doubt George Osbourne would become Chancellor, however could he or Cameron make it in?
 
Cameron would undoubtedly have to be in if he came second. I'm not sure what position he would have got but it's probably a toss up between Home Secretary and staying on at Education. Ultimately it would depend on how close the election was I would guess.

Campaign managers usually aren't rewarded with high profile jobs so much as 'strategic' middle-ranking ones. Defence is possible for Mitchell.

More in a moment, have to restart my machine.
 
David Willetts notably backed Davis in spite of him (Willetts) probably being closer to the Cameron way of thinking (I assume it was an early endorsement before the Cameron bandwagon started rolling) so he would be rewarded for bringing in the moderniser vote. A possiblity as shadow chancellor.

Hague held off endorsing until he was sure who would win, but even if he endorses Davis I can't see him being quite as prominent ITTL. Cameron put him in as deputy and shadow foreign sec to provide ballast and shore himself up with the right. Obviously Davis does not have that problem. Plus he and Hague weren't on great terms - Davis had dismissed Hague when he was leader and hadn't served in his shadow cabinet. There were rumours of a rapprochment at the time but I just can't see him being quite as prominent if Davis wins.

Davis' supporters in the parliamentary party weren't a terribly impressive bunch - a lot of them were old hand right-wingers and backwoodsmen. As such, I don't think you'd see a massive change in the composition of the shadow cabinet from OTL. New faces in the shadow cabinet here, in so far as there are any, will consequently be a nondescript James Brokenshire-style variety.

Osbourne will probably be turfed out as shadow chancellor (I wouldn't say it was a cert, but on balance more likely than not) but I can't see him being dropped completely.
 
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His Home Secretary would likely have to be on the same page as Davis in regards to Davis's opposition to ID cards and detention without charges.

What policy positions would Davis advocate? Could he beat Brown? (And, if he does, by how much would he beat him? Would there need to be a Coalition? How would the Regional parties do?)
 
His Home Secretary would likely have to be on the same page as Davis in regards to Davis's opposition to ID cards and detention without charges.

It would be beneficial but by no means a neccessity that they have strong convictions on the subject. With Davis as leader he is going to be able to keep policy on ID cards to the one he has already set and whoever is shadow home sec will have to follow that.

The party as a whole had already largely (or rather, was largely) come(ing) round to that point of view by 2005 anyway - it was in the 2001-2005 Parliament that it was more up in the air.

Incidentally, I already posted about my feelings about a Davis leadership on here if anyone wants to search for it.
 
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