House of Cards (31 page)
Urquhart
was
astonished
at
the
clarity
of
the
Landless analysis,
and
began
to
understand
why
the
East-Ender
had become
such
a
striking
success
in
the
business
world.
'So
where
do
I
come
into
this
great
plan?'
'You've
got
to
develop
a
unique
selling
proposition
for yourself,
something
which
will
be
attractive
to
your
fellow MPs
and
set
you
apart
from
your
rivals.'
'Such
as?'
asked
the
bewildered
Urquhart.
'Frankie,
you
become
the
archetypal
compromise
candidate.
While
all
those
other
bastards
are
shooting
and stabbing
each
other
in
public,
you
slip
quietly
through
as the
man
they
all
hate
least.'
'That's
what
the
Social
Democrats
used
to
pin
their hopes
on.
Remember
them?
And
frankly
I'm
not
sure
I
have much
of
a
reputation
as
being
the
obvious
compromise candidate.'
'But
the
Social
Democrats
didn't
have
my
help
or
my bunch
of
newspapers
behind
them.
You
will.
High
risks,
I know,
Frankie.
But
then
they
are
high
rewards.'
'What
do
I
have
to
do?'
To
catch
the
tide,
your
timing
has
to
be
right
Frankly,
I would
be
happier
if
there
were
a
little
time
-
perhaps
a month
-
between
now
and
when
the
voting
starts
to
give the
other
contenders
time
to
tire,
for
their
campaigns
to ship
a
little
water
and
to
get
everyone
bored
with
the
choice of
candidates
on
offer.
Then
you
discover
a
large
press campaign
promoting
your
late
and
unexpected
entry
into the
race,
which
brings
back
an
element
of
excitement
and relief.
The
tide
starts
running
with
you,
Francis.'
Urquhart
rioted
that
Landless
had
called
him
by
his proper
name
for
the
first
time.
The
man
was
absolutely serious
about
his
proposal.
'So
you
want
me
to
see
if
I
can
slow
the
election procedure
down
a
little
’
'Can
you
do
it?'
'Although
Humphrey
Newlands
runs
the
election, according
to
the
Party's
constitution
the
timing
of
the ballot
is
entirely
in
the
hands
of
the
Prime
Minister,
and he
would
do
nothing
to
help
Teddy
Williams'
favoured candidate.
So
I
think
there's
a
damned
good
chance...'
TUESDAY 26
th
OCTOBER
'Prime
Minister,
I
haven't
had
a
chance
to
speak
with
you since
your
announcement
yesterday.
I
can't
tell
you
how shocked
and
-
devastated
I
was.'
'Francis,
that's
very
kind
of
you.
But
no
sympathy, please.
I
feel
absolutely
content
with
the
situation.
In any
event,
I
have
little
time
today
for
second
thoughts. Humphrey
Newlands
is
coming
in
twenty
minutes
so
we can
get
the
leadership
election
process
under
way,
then
I'm off
to
spend
the
rest
of
the
day
with
my
brother
Charles.
It's marvellous
to
have
time
for
such
things!'
he
exclaimed.
Urquhart
was
astonished
to
see
he
meant
every
word
of
it.
'Prime
Minister,
you
don't
appear
to
be
in
a
mood
for maudlin
sentiments,
so
I
shan't
spend
any
time
adding
to them.
But
you
must
know
how
deeply
saddened
I
am.
As
I listened
to
you
yesterday
I
felt
as
if
I
...
were
falling
out
of the
sky,
quite
literally.
But
enough-
Let's
look
forward,
not back.
It
seems
to
me
that
some
of
our
colleagues
have served
you
rather
badly
in
recent
months,
not
showing
the support
you
deserved.
Now
while
you
have
already
said you
will
not
support
any
particular
candidate
in
the
election,
I
suspect
you
have
some
clear
views
as
to
whom
you do
not
wish
to
get
his
hands
on
the
leadership.
As
things stand
at
the
moment
I
have
no
intention
of
becoming
a candidate
myself,
so
I
thought
you
might
like
me
to
keep you
informed
of
what's
going
on
and
give
you
some
feedback
from
the
Parliamentary
Party
on
the
state
of
play.
I know
you
are
not
going
to
interfere,
but
perhaps
that
won't stop
you
taking
a
close
interest...'
They
both
knew
that
even
a
failed
Party
Leader
in
his
last days
still
has
enough
influence
to
sway
a
crucial
body
of opinion
within
the
Parliamentary
Party.
It
is
not
only
the favours
he
has
accumulated
from
placemen
over
time,
but also
the
not
inconsiderable
matter
of
his
nominations
for the
Resignation
Honours
List,
which
every
retiring
Prime Minister
is
allowed
to
make.
For
many
senior
members
of the
Party,
this
would
be
their
last
chance
to
rise
above
the mob
of
ordinary
parliamentarians
and
achieve
the
social status
to
which
their
wives
had
so
long
aspired.