Policy pollution

MikeA

The biggest risk to DC is that he loses credibility. The green guff that Gummer and Goldsmith are spouting is utter nonsense, for the Tories and DC to be associated with it is profoundly damaging and paints the Tories as not being serious

Perry

Getting more difficult to paper over cracks in policy or discernment. What now? Wait for the edifice of the Limpid Opposition to come crumbling down? Shore up a few bits? Start over again?

Charles Miller

The Quality of Life Group was told that switching emphasis from domestic to long haul flights would increase emissions; and if a recent 95% increase in the price of aviation fuel did not reduce flight numbers, what good will 17.5% VAT do? Gummer & co were given sound solutions but it looks as though the green tax decision was made before they even started.

TGF UKIP

Well, at last, the penny appears to be dropping amongst at least some of the Speccie's legion of Cameron cheerleaders that Dave really is the absolute pillock many of us spotted him to be right from the start. 7p on a pint, taxing holiday flights, taxing supermarket visits etc, even Lib Dems wouldn't be so daft and he brought it all on himself with these public policy reports and putting a clown like Letwin in charge of policy development. Toss up really who appreciates Dave more, Gordon or UKIP

J H Holloway

Actually. Goldsmith is right about 'white lines' although that should probably read 'coloured stripes'.

'Removing the white lines' is a very boiled down description of the 'shared space' theory which is huge on the continent.

Bascially, you get rid of the hideous coloured stripes that cover the roads, dump the street furniture, the fencing, useless signage and and all that.

When all that is taken away, drivers concentrate much more, because they are no longer guided down a tunnel of stripes and metal barriers.

Instead of looking a 100 yards ahead down the visual tunnel, they tend to be looking within a few feet of their vehicle.

It works. High Street Kensington uses Shared-Space principles and apparently accidents have tumbled since it was brought in. Seven Dials near Covent garden is another. And Potsdammer Platz in Berlin.

Since Ken Livingstone got hold of the rest of the capital it has been uglified beyond belief.

I hope Goldsmith has explained this theory in full in the report. But he's right.

Fraser Nellson

TGF UKIP, I can't let that go unchallenged. I dont say or think Cameron is a complete pillock - its just he's been a little unwise in some of policy ocmmission appointments. I believe he's learned, and has adapted. I may be proved wrong, but I dont expect he'll adopt much/any of this nonsense.

bill

The white lines were removed for two months from the road above where I live for the purposes of resurfacing. It was a nightmare. People drove (including lorries and yes 4x4s) at great speed down the middle of the road forcing others to have to stop or face a collision.

bill

Fraser You are too kind to Cameron. I have been a sceptic about him and his project from day one. I was wrong to think it could not get worse: it has and continues to do so. The Tories are making themselves history.

Dave Bartlett

I find the constant defeatism from 'conservatives' on these online forums very odd.

Mr Rees-Mogg put it well:"There is no call for Conservative defeatism"

TomTom

Rees-Mogg is one of the more humorous characters in British media with a long rack record of being out in the left field on most issues and a son and daughter on Cameron's A-List. The Conservatives are dead. they picked a Joker to make their demise amusing, and he is, but he must sing and dance more to entertain us. No point in addressing serious issues - this man is a send-up and is simply ridiculous like Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do Have 'Em

Dave Bartlett

@TomTom,
Mr Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative party. He will be leader going into the next general election. If you want the Conservatives in government, knocking Mr Cameron is not constructive.

One policy that Mr Cameron was very clear about in his Telegraph TV interview was his intention of devolving power from Westiminster to local gov't. So, if you don't like Mr Cameron, you could comfort yourself with the idea that supporting him will result in a more autonomous local gov't that you can more easily influence if it is not to your liking.

Dave Bartlett

Re: previous comment. Forgot to close the *bold* tag, sorry.

TGF UKIP

Fraser, I am fully aware how much the previous and present editors of the Spectator and most of its leading commentators have invested in Dave but I ask you to consider whether it is the mark of a wise and savvy politician to paint himself into as many corners as Dave has. Consider (1) no more Punch and Judy politics - so every attempt to brand Brown a tax and spend wastrel and spinning knave is met with a chorus of "back to Punch and Judy." (2) Love and understanding for hoodies, open arms welcome for asylum seekers, no tax cuts economics agenda, no more banging on about Europe - so any attempt to talk about crime,immigration, the tax burden or Europe is met by Labour and BBC/New Labour choruses of "Lurch to the Right" and "same old Tories." Worse still it has enabled Brown to steal the rhetoric and dress himself up as the real common sense conservative. (3) His "nutters and fruitcakes" description of UKIP supporters when many (and now many more thanks to him)small "c" conservatives hover betweeen the Tories and UKIP make him the best recruiting sergeant UKIP could ever have. (4) Making these policy commission reports public was bound to lead to him getting bitten on the backside as badly as he has been(and I make no comment on putting green headbangers like Goldsmith and Gummer in charge.)(5) Banging on about the green agenda to the extent he has gets himself identified as virtually a single issue politician - and that an issue very low down on the vital C2 agenda. A clever politician does not shoot himself in the foot as often as Dave and as I note that you do not agree that he is "a complete pillock" perhaps you might risk the wrath of your editor by settling with me on the view that he is at least something of a pillock.