Check.

As Westminster reels from the shock announcement that David Davis has resigned as an MP, the sentiment from the grassroots could not be clearer. His personal crusade has rallied all the opponents of 42 days under one banner, and even Nick Clegg has said that the Liberal Democrats will not be fielding a candidate in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election. But despite Nick Robinson’s analysis that David Cameron has “lost control of his strategy”, I don’t see these events as damaging to the Conservative Party at all, rather a brilliantly cunning plan. So here are the thoughts of a conspiracy theorist.

First of all we have a motion which is hugely unpopular, so unpopular that it is indisputable that we will be seeing a ping pong match between the Lords and the Commons this summer, therefore the Conservatives have nothing to fear for the time being. Next we have said motion passed by a margin of only 9 votes, upon which many opponents are claiming its illegitimacy. Thirdly we have the uproar of the DUP being bought off by Gordon Brown, which further lays waste to his character which was questionable already before this issue. Finally, we have a major piece in the game being sacrificed because he is a “man of principle”. Everything just seems to be falling into place so conveniently for the Conservatives that it’s like the Reichstag fire Mk II (no other parallels drawn I hasten to add).

Davis is already being crowned a martyr by everyone who supports him but does he really deserve the title? Even Labour MP Denis McShane says that he is sure Davis would win the by-election, so much so that he does not think Labour should even field a candidate against him. So Davis resurrects with two angels on his shoulders and an even larger majority than the 5,116 he received in 2005. What has he lost apart from his Shadow Home Secretary position (which can be regained after a shuffle)? Being a “dark horse” or a “cannonball” hardly counts against him, as we’ve seen Boris compete for and win the position of London Mayor. And given that the kudos Davis will receive will be spilling over to his party as well, it’s a wonder why there’s even a supposed rift between Davis and Cameron, this is the best thing to happen to the Conservatives since Gordon Brown. Personally I’m hoping that this is indeed the engineered “stunt” Labour scoffs at, since I’d rather the Conservatives be smart than be lucky.