Basher’s supporters describe him as the Heineken candidate “..the DD campaign has the chance to communicate its message clearly. That message, in a word, is ‘Heineken‘ – that under a DD leadership, the party can reach the parts of Britain that it hasn’t reached for far too long. DD is the best candidate to reach out beyond our southern comfort zone ..yadda yadda yadda.. because he grew up on a council estate and is the son of a single mum.” Cue violins…

So wrote Basher-backing MP Paul Goodman. Wat Tyler, the increasingly desperate online cheerleader also lauds his hero as the Heineken candidate. So what do the polls say?

David Davis is less popular in the North than he is in the South. Yes that says he is even less popular amongst Northern Tories than Southern softies. ICM polling shows that oop North only 18% intend to vote for Basher and 82% for Cameron. Down South that narrows fractionally to 24% for Basher and 76% for Cameron. Even in his own Midlands Cameron beats him 71% to 29%. The only place that the Heineken candidate seems to reach is a distant last place.