The former Chancellor also pays tribute to Geoffrey Howe.
Plus: The SNP take over a bar, a rumpus at Women to Win, no booze at Steve Hilton’s book launch…and from Russia with Love to Soames.
Campaigning costs money. Taxpayer-funding of political parties would be a disaster. So there’s only one solution – and it isn’t quick or easy.
The crisis wasn’t on the agenda at Cabinet this week. Some Conservative Cabinet Ministers now want a pledge to hit the two per cent goal. They are right.
The former ground the Commons to a halt in his campaign for Home Rule. That wouldn’t be so easy for the SNP. But they will make their presence felt…
Plus: Theresa May faces the Pale, Male and Stale. Leslie on special ops. Dog bites Redwood. And: Hugo Swire, former owner of Hong Kong.
“So you don’t arrive at a decision because you’re a barrister and therefore you favour the bar or because you’re a solicitor and therefore you favour the solicitors’ firms.”
Penny Mordaunt’s controversial speech propels her into second place.
The reality is that there is no easy bounce-back recovery for the Lib Dems. It’s going to be a long, hard slog. And that’s the best case scenario.
Of course our efforts at Rochester weren’t helped by the glitches in the new CCHQ computer “Darth Vader”.
But the Conservatives need fundamental change.
Behind the arguments that the left throws up against the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is an anti-free trade, anti-liberalism, and anti-US agenda.