Along with thousands of other Conservative supporters in Brighton and Hove, I sincerely regret we have to have yet another new leader.
Regardless of the mistakes he made, by his own honest admission, Iain Duncan Smith oversaw the most radical and comprehensive policy review carried out by a political party since the 1997 General Election.
Even his sternest critics in the party and in the media agree that the policies he announced at our recent conference put the Conservatives back in their rightful place as the "thinking" party.
And whoever our leader is, regardless of their charisma or the lack of it, it is policies which the people of Brighton and Hove are looking for from their next Conservative government.
So, while I look forward to working with a new Conservative leader, I thank IDS for enabling our party to take the fight to Labour, policies in hand, and prepare for the next election and the downfall of Blair's tired and taxing government.
-David Gold, vice-president, Brighton Pavilion Conservative Association
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