By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. It's characteristic of George Osborne, professional politician that he is, to have dodged the inevitable question this week on whether he could live on £53 a week, and also characteristic of Iain Duncan Smith, who is not a professional politician at all, to have confronted it. Andrew Pierce of […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. George Osborne is no less a pupil of Gordon Brown than Ed Balls, at least when it comes to moving pieces on the political chessboard. To change the image, Brown was a believer in "dividing lines" – gambits designed to throw his opponents on the defensive. "Labour Investment versus […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. Liam Fox and George Osborne have been united for years by a mutual love of America, excellent links with the Republicans, and neo-conservative foreign policy instincts – not to mention a shared sense of humour. After Fox left the Cabinet, word got around that the two were enjoying regular […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. The Independent reported yesterday that George Osborne has taken it upon himself to intervene in today's same-sex marriage bill. The Chancellor, it said, "is understood to have been contacting MPs whose position is still uncertain" (on a measure, remember, which is officially a matter for a free vote). It […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Following on from yesterday's speculation that Tory MPs would gun for George Osborne if (i) next month's Budget underwhelms or (ii) the economy suffers a triple dip recession, Patrick O'Flynn begins his Saturday Express column by quoting what he calls an "experienced and very sensible" Conservative MP: “We can’t […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. Iain Duncan Smith might never have become Work and Pensions Secretary. An alternative history could easily read as follows. David Willetts was made Work and Pensions Secretary in 2010. After Theresa May had been sent to the Home Office, Mr Willetts (who's in the news today over University admissions) […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. The media pendulum that swung all the way, one way, is now swinging all the way, the other – and knocking the police off their perch: Nick Herbert in the Observer: "Last week on Any Questions, broadcast from a Buckinghamshire village, Jonathan Dimbleby gasped as the majority of his […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. Yesterday evening's investigation by Michael Crick into the Andrew Mitchell affair revealed that an e-mail apparently corroborating the police logbook account of what took place didn't come from an ordinary eyewitness – as David Cameron believed when he read it. It appears to have been sent from the home […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. The essence of the case against Andrew Mitchell is that he called police officers "plebs", and told them to "know your place" – and, furthermore, swore at them rather than in passing. They say he did. He says he didn't. Voters showed more of an inclination to believe the […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Tim Montgomerie yesterday offered congratulations to George Osborne, and commiserations to Policy Exchange, on respectively gaining and losing Neil O'Brien. Seconded. As Tim wrote, "Team Cameron is succeeding in recruiting the calibre of people that it needs to maximise its effectiveness".
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Liam Fox has a must-read piece in today's Mail on Sunday. He warns against simplistic post mortems into the US election result and against "making direct comparisons with British politics [that are] fraught with dangers". He does, however – like all of us (!) – suggest a few lessons. […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Ken Clarke has given his first post-reshuffle-demotion interview to the Daily Telegraph today. The former Justice Secretary appears his usual, ebullient self. After some speculation after the reshuffle about what his "roaming" role as Minister without Portfolio actually involves, he clarifies his role as being "able to advise, put my oar […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter On Saturday ConservativeHome held our Victory 2015 Conference – on how we might win the next General Election. Lord Ashcroft has already written his review of the day and here are a few headline conclusions from me: There is an appetite for serious politics. Saturday was quite heavy. There […]