Are there only two members of the Shadow Cabinet who can command the media spotlight?

graham

David Davis surely can also command the media spotlight?

Rhoda Klapp

PR Dave can only see the world in PR terms. PRat.

Rob C, Devon

I think the comment is fair, but more to do with who and how the media choose to report rather than their ability to communicate. The difficulty regarding Ken Clarke is where to place him as any move by the party towards a more pro-Europe stance would erode much of the poll lead. I have a lot of time for KC, but on this point believe he is very wrong. Living in the South West, I know many prospective Tory voters who lean to UKIP or don't even vote because of this and it allows the LD's to take Westcountry seats. The EU is perceived by most as our biggest waste of cash and could still be the weakest link for the Tories!

Gawain

I'm a bit confused. The Sun is reporting that Hague is now effectively Deputy Leader. I think Cameron needs a cabinet reshuffle to clarify all of this.

Andrew McPhail

Personally, whenever I hear Michael Gove's voice on TV or anyway for that matter, I feel like something inside of me is dying.

Dave

Perhaps too many members of the shadow cabinet are just too lazy or taken up with outside interests to do more media work?

Perhaps some of them need to get their fingers out and start concentrating on the job in hand?

Labour seem to have plenty of ministers willing and able to come on the TV and radio at every opportunity so why does Cameron have to take on the bulk of the work for his party?

James

The Times article is rather comprehensively undermined by Dave's Sun interview today, which makes clear his intention that Hague will be commanding rather a lot of the spotlight.

Michael Doyle

I think it important to remember that the people who will vote in the next Conservative Govt will not be people writing editorials or TV journos giving 3 minutes of their opinion on current affairs programmes.

It will be people worried about what they’re going to cook for dinner, whether they can afford a new pair of shoes, or if they should take a risk and try for a new job. Chances are, they will not know (nor care about) the name of either the Labor or the Tory spokesperson on Health or Education or whatever.

The election result will very much depend upon Cameron’s ability to remind the public of the failings of the Blair-Brown misgovernment. It will be essential for the public to associate his face and his voice with Opportunity, Choice, and Fairness. The opportunity to be better off, the ability to make real choices about what Britain is to become, and creation of an environment where the disadvantaged get the dignified assistance they deserve.

myanmar

James, I suspect the Sun story was briefed to deflect attention

TrevorsDen

Klapp talk krapp.

Mr Hoskin misses the point - its the exposure by the media which is the problem. the media - we mean principally the BBC here - do not give other shadow cabinet ministers time to develop a public persona.

Their agenda is facile and limited and personality driven.

Kevyn Bodman

I suspect TrevorsDen is wrong and that the reason other shadow cabinet members have not hade much TV exposure is that Cameron hasn't wanted it.
He could have decided to push other people forward some of the time but instead he decided to take on too much himself.

cuffleyburgers

I saw Cameron last night on the One show.

At one point he was asked how his party reflects modern Britain.

This was an opportunity not to be missed.

In my view he missed it by going on about women in te shadow cabinet, ethnic minorities and of course the fist muslim woman.

All good stuff and plays to the BBC agenda.

He missed in my view the chance to reply roughly as follows.

Of course the party reflects the country. The party stands for equality of opportunity, freedom, indivdual responsibility and self respect.

What this means in practice is good education, low tax, shrunken state eliminating the nannying quangos, and a vote on further EU integration to start with

In this way he could have set the terms of the debate rather than use the BBC's own weasel words.

Matt

There are certainly other Shadow Cabinet members who can command the media spotlight, Pickles, for example, the interesting question is why it is that Cameron doesn't want them to.

Rhoda Klapp

It's up to the tories to get the media exposure. The media are not about to change, unless forced. But selecting your team for TVgenic qualities is pure PR think. The message ought to be the thing, this is serious, not selling handbags.

Having said that, do the Labour party have any idea of how much many people despise the lot of them in terms of their dull language, appearance and apparent intellect?

David Raynes

Ken Clarke was right about the two KEY things that resonate with the voting public outside the commentariat. He was right about economic policy he above all right about Iraq. All his other flaws can be forgiven. They have been the critical issues since 1997. He was also right about these issues when others in his party were very wrong.

Verity

David Cameron is a petty, jealous man. That is why he has held other, cleverer, people back from the spotlight - especially those not in the Bullingdon clique.

The party is now overly dependent on him - just as Tony Blair was NuLabour - and he's just not a big enough personality or intellect to handle the load.

Cuffleyburgers notes that Dave goes on about a woman in the cabinet (trust me; women don't give a toss. And I doubt whether men do either, except sandadl-wearing Guardian readers. We just want a government that works), ethnic minorities (in other words, group favouritism, like the loathesome A List) and a "Muslim woman" - the icon of every lefty in Britain.

In other words, the heir to Blair is all PR spin and no substance. I agree with Rhoda K: PRat. What's worse is, he doesn't seem to be able to learn or listen. No wonder William Hague looks depressed.

David Lindsay

It's because Cameron and Osborne are pretty and thick, like Blair used to be. But he's not pretty any more.

TGF UKIP

I would agree with Verity, cuffleyburgers is spot on again.

As for Obsorne's media appearances, my guess is that everyone is counted by Mandy as being a major plus for Labour.

He looks and sounds precisely what he is a sneaky, snidey, pompous little lightweight which is the principal reason why, despite all their chronic mismanagement, Brown and Darling still consistently outpoll Dave and Osborne on economic management.