I don’t like you but I need you: Cameron’s reshuffle revisited

Not did they just run against each other for the Tory leadership in 2005 and disagree on Europe, VAT cuts and their approach to the economic crisis, Cameron’s new found pal, Kenneth ‘big beast’ Clarke, was also responsible for the firing of the current Tory leader in 1993 from his post as special advisor to [...]

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The tables have turned

I just watched Paxman interviewing Tony McNulty and Alan Duncan on the economic crisis and it’s curious how the tables have turned in British politics since 1997. In 1987 and 1992 Labour lost two general election mainly on the electorate not trusting them with the economy. Tax and spending was the Tories’ electoral forte for [...]

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Osborne is feeling the heat

George Osborne must be cursing the day he chose Corfu as his holiday destination last summer. Everything was great for the shadow chancellor before that, but then he got himself entangled in a very silly but also very damaging political situation.
The Osborne-Deripaska affair became the first nail in the coffin. Boy George thought he could [...]

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Cameron’s tax credit is a total shambles

With ideas like this one understands why they are reluctant to put more policy substance out there…it would just be embarrassing.
The argument against brilliantly put by Hopi and Chris here and here.
Enjoy!

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Osborne’s big big mistake

For many inside the Westminster bubble the fact that there has been no resignation or institutional investigation in the Osborne/Deripaska affair meant the end of the story. Many think Osborne has been shaken and the Tories will actually be better off now that he has learnt a valuable lesson, never to get too cocky.
But those [...]

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On the cabinet reshuffle

Gordon Brown has certainly regained the political initiative with today’s announcement of the return of Peter Mandelson to British politics. Wait for this weekend’s papers, one is going to feel like is back to 1998. So far surprise is the only feeling everyone can agree on the return of our very own ‘comeback kid’.
But moving [...]

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On Cameron’s speech and the end of conference season

Well, conference season is over and it seems everyone is happy but the LibDems, which seems to be the norm since Charles Kennedy left the party’s leadership anyways.
Cameron’s speech today was awaited with certain degree of nervousness in Tory ranks due to the sudden resurgence of that political corpse that was Gordon Brown a few [...]

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So far, so good, the tide is changing…

In the last few days I feel like reading the papers and watching the news again. Labour is certainly out of the woods again and has got its political edge back, this can only be good for British politics, even if you don’t support Labour.
The key reason for the change on political momentum was Brown’s [...]

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Key week ahead for Labour

A Guardian-ICM poll today puts Labour up three points just 9 behind the Tories in the narrowest lead for Cameron since April. This is obviously good news, it means Brown has managed with his conference speech to crawl out of the hole of being seen as a lame duck PM.
The Tories are preparing for what [...]

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On Labour’s badly needed new message

As promised yesterday I would like to throw out there a couple of ideas for a new political message for Labour. Now that Brown is finally taking some time out (and hopefully getting some good sleep to clear his head) I hope No. 10 staffers are working hard on the new message and calendar to [...]

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