The Tories score at crisis management

CS

Of course Brown has a majority in the Commons but there are two chambers of parliament.

TrevorsDen

Guido has pointed out the flip flops that Vince Cable is making.

http://www.order-order.com/2008/09/cable-flip-flops.html

Having seen the shambles created by that scraggy harridian Pelosi - I think a measured response to the immediate crisis is important.

Truth is there is nothing that can be done in Britain and elsewhere. The great Titanic of the banking system has struck the iceberg, it is holed below the water line - it is going to sink, its a mathematical certainty and there are just not enough lifeboats to go round. Despite all Browns stern talk of doing 'everything necessary' its not at all clear that the poor passengers in steerage are going to get any help.

wonderdfulforhisage

"But hey it’s now the Tory’s turn to get away with nonsense."

Would that DD and not Blairlite had won the leadership, at least I would still be a member of the party and proud to be so.

Peter Hitchens hit the nail on the head years ago with the 'Useless Tories' sobriquet.

To paraphrase the Sun "If Labour or the Tories win the next election would the last person to leave the country please blow out the candle".

Chuck Unsworth

Cameron has kept his options wide open. The comings and goings of Osborne are good PR, but Cameron can always kick up if he needs to. Brown has been substantially weakened. I look forward to Parliament.

Miranda

A wipe out conference would be a pity given the large amount of meat I've seen so far. Here are just a few, all of which will help mend our 'broken economy' and make our lives happier.

Getting us moving and competitive again:-
High speed rail
No 5th runway.
Scrapping road pricing
Community solutions to the school run

Skills to overcome the shortage and give meaning back to the life of many:-
Apprenticeships back
Focus on trades and manufacturing
Pathway from real skill based apprenticeships to university for the talented.
More funds for life-long learning and FE colleges linked to local areas

Reform:-
EU referendum promise
Scrapping of HIPS

Enterprise:-
The sweeping away of regulation for small business

Small business corporation tax down 2p in the pound

Tax:-
Promise not to increase it in the face of HUGE deficit. And cutting community charges with money spent on consultancy and advertising. Plus local cost cutting measures to be found by councils with incentives if they do.

And this is just a start. The trouble with all you Westminster Village folk is that you don't know what we 'ordinary people' want to hear. We are sick of the 'how can Brown save himself' - if it's not the 'political game' then you don't want to report it. No wonder so many people are turning away from politics. George Osbourne gave a good speech yesterday in the circumstances, and there has been little in the press besides personal remarks, sniping that he is too 'inexperiences' (as if Brown's experience is good!!!), that his figures don't add up (as if Browns do)!!

I'd like to see the Spectator publish a report on all the positive policies and actions that this conference has produced to make OUR LIVES better. **** Brown.

Tiberius

There are some odd, topsy-turvey points coming from you journos over this Tory initiative.

Pelosi is accused of wrecking the US initiative, while Cameron and Osborne don't replicate a UK equivalent. Yet it's nonsense.

Equally, their participation is not a zero sum game when it comes to crticizing Brown.

Late night after the party, guys?

mitch

If brown accepts the offer of help from Cameron I would say it means he knows its going to be really bad and he just wants to spread the dirt as far as possible.Brown would never accept help if he thought he could fix it himself.

TGF UKIP

"The Tories score at crisis management." Bollocks! There is a current financial crisis at which the Tories by virtue of their position as an Opposition can only, realistically, be onlookers.

There is, however, an equally big crisis looming which will fully burst on their watch, assuming (big assumption) that they win in 2010.

That crisis is the ENERGY CRISIS. Over the next ten years 6 ageing nuclear power stations and 6 knackered coal stations are scheduled for closure with the number of breakdowns and shut downs increasing year by year over this period. In short by 2020 a huge proportion of the nation's generating power (15,428 megawatts) will be either shutdown or creaking along on its last legs beyond its scheduled life.

A few months back there were two simultaneous breakdowns affecting the Midlands with tens of thousands of homes without power. That is now going to happen on a more widespread and frequent pattern and from approx 2015 onwards "lights out" and energy rationing is not just a possibility but a very real likliehood.

Leaving aside the ten year culpability of Dave's hero Blair, how do these Tory giants of crisis management face up to this looming crisis.

Well, the short answer is they don't. So important do they believe it that there is no scheduled energy debate at this conference. Indeed, if there was, no doubt it would have as its centrepiece the official Tory Energy Policy. And here it really does become amusing.

If any Coffee Houser is desirous of some light relief and a smirk or two over a glass of red then I commend them to visit the Tory Party website and view the Official Energy Policy. One note of caution though it really is full of Gordon style porkies - micro chp is not widely available, indeed it doesn't really exist at present in mass market form at all. Nor is its use widespread in Holland, indeed the Dutch Government only have a target for its use in 10,000 home by the end of 2009.

Moreover when John Hutton announced that the governemnt were proceeding with a new coal fired station at Kingsnorth, Sweetie Duncan's knee jerk reaction was to oppose on green grounds. Now Hutton has announced an intention to build more coal stations to plug the energy gap, do the Tories even have a reaction? I haven't seen one so far.

This financial crisis is being seen as one brought on by the irresponsibility of the banks and it has come upon the nation relatively unexpectedly so the Government can avoid any direct blame.

However, IF the Tories do come to power in 2010 they will not be able to claim any excuses when the lights do start to go out on a regular basis. Although, the energy crisis has been seen coming for years, they did nothing as an opposition to chivvy the government along, they prepared no serious energy policy for government or even Conference discussion, all they did was bleat on about green enegy and climate change.

And, oh yes, they'll be able to point out the windmills on Dave's houses.

Peter Buss

Don't sneer too soon at Camerons remark about American politics - Brown may well need his help if (as respected commentators like Stelzer are saying) that Brown will have to have a Paulson type packeage as well. That would NOT be popular with every Labour backbencher believe me. I believe it was exactly that type of rescue which Cameron was referring to when he talked about marshalling support in the Country.

Dirty Euro

The tory leader is right. He is a novice and needs to learn form the master.
His experience is as a PR advisor to Norman Lamont and PR man for Carlton TV. All he needs to add is iceberg watcher on the Titanic.

Dirty Euro

What did Darling say to Osbourne?
1) You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill.
Followed by
2)They sent me boy to do a mans work.
or
3) I thought the paper boy had been here today already.
or
4)
Darling says : OK Mr Osborune so you came heere to learn about what is going on so let me begin at the basics, what part of this do you not understand
Mr Osbourne says : Is this a bank? Do I get free piggy bank if i open a bank account. I got my pockey money today. I will put a pound in.
Darling says : Eh yes that's right just give me the money i will invest it for you.
Osbourne leaves non the wiser.

John Adlington

http://dirtyeuropeansocialist.blogspot.com/2008/07/boycott-tory-blogs-now.html

Dirty European Socialist, what are you doing here?

mac

Frighteningly, Dirty Euro has probably written these erudite offerings sober. You're a telling advertisement for the party you support, DES.

Talia

What IS Dirty Euro doing here? It's just pathetic.

Bobby Moore

Why is Talia so rude. Is this how tories behave. The guy is a bully.

Hysteria

I think we should encourage all people to read what is (generally) a pretty good collection of comments. The more DES and his ilk visit this blog, the more they are exposed to the fallacy of their position.

I think we should encourage a wide discourse

oh - and personally I think we should stick to rational debate and not cheap personal attacks.... IMHO

Hadrian

One plank that long term the Tories MUST address is our creaking system of what is risibly called 'justice'. Our society's collapsing through rampant criminality and derisory sentencing. We also face a long, costly and bloody war that frankly has very little justification and is doubtful will achieve anything in the long term. You don't simply 'export' democracy into cultures where the basic worth and dignity of the individual and concommitant honesty have little roots.