ConHome has always thought Osborne would survive as Chancellor. We are beginning to believe that he’ll succeed too. Reason one: His weekend performance. His time-to-tell-the-truth interview with Andrew Marr was one of his best performances in recent times. It was also impressive to see colleagues and a former Chancellor coming to his aid over his […]
The benches behind him were relatively empty this afternoon as the Prime Minister got up to deliver a report on last week’s EU summitry. Although Mr Brown did not mention the Lisbon signing neither David Cameron nor Vince Cable were willing to let him push the issue under the carpet. David Cameron said that the […]
6.45pm: Guido has a graphic that the Brownites will hate. 4.30pm: I won’t endear myself to the diehard loyalists with this verdict but Brown did okay this afternoon. He wasn’t as witty as Cameron. Nor as smooth. But he was weightier. Cameron’s remarks were light on policy. Peter Riddell wrote last week that our party […]
David Cameron began his response to the Prime Minister’s statement on the EU Treaty by noting that Mr Brown didn’t mention the issue of a referendum once. ‘If Labour can’t trust the people, the people can’t trust him,’ he charged – echoing the words of Labour MP Gisela Stuart. Cameron invited the Prime Minister to […]
The real fireworks will happen on Wednesday – at PMQs (which, as usual, we’ll be live blogging) – but responding to today’s Iraq statement David Cameron had his first opportunity to cross swords with Gordon Brown. After statesmanlike questions on the meat of Mr Brown’s announcements (which included rights for Iraqi interpreters to apply for […]
Gordon Brown has told the Commons that he wants to deliver a new "constitutional settlement" for the British people: He promised twelve transfer of powers from the Prime Minister and the Executive to Parliament – including the Executive’s powers to declare war, request the dissolution of Parliament and key public appointments (including the Governor of […]
Speaking in the Commons this afternoon (where the number of Tory MPs appeared to significantly exceed the number of Labour MPs), the Conservative leader David Cameron said that the issue at stake in discussion of the Constitution/ EU draft Treaty was whether this Government was serious about listening to people or not. Addressing The Prime […]
I didn’t hear David Cameron’s response to the Queen’s Speech as I’ve been away from my desk all afternoon but here are a few highlights from the text: Things to welcome in the Speech: "I am delighted the Government is to link the basic state pension with earnings – our proposal at the last election. […]
Please use the thread below to post your reactions to The Queen’s Speech. This just in from The Freedom Association: "New laws proposed today in the Queen’s Speech pose a severe threat to freedom. New anti-terror laws will seek to further restrict the innocent in the name of security, and the reintroduction of the Mental […]
Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley reacted to last night’s comprehensive ban on smoking in public places with this statement: "The Conservatives were the first to offer a free vote on this issue. The House of Commons took a decision in favour of a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places. I took the personal view […]
During furious Commons exchanges David Cameron taunted the Prime Minister over his "£7bn EU rebate surrender": "On the budget, does the Prime Minister remember having three clear objectives? First, to limit its size, when almost every country in Europe is taxing and borrowing too much. Second, to ensure fundamental reform of the CAP. And third, […]
BBCi: "Labour MP Dennis Skinner has been banned from the Commons for the rest of Thursday for accusing shadow chancellor George Osborne of snorting cocaine. The claim came as Mr Osborne took on ministers at Treasury questions. Referring to the 1980s, Mr Skinner said: "The only thing that was growing then was the lines of […]