Cameron seizes the "long-term" rhetoric
Peter Hoskin 4:42pm
One of the opportunities that the resurgent Labour infighting presents the Tories is to portray the Government as too caught up in dirty politics to deal properly with the economic crisis. It's a message that keys directly into the "headless chicken" charge, and it's boosted by stories like this, via today's Indpendent:
"The Government's £200m mortgage rescue scheme has helped just one household stave off repossession in its first three months of operation, official figures have revealed.The slow progress in rolling out the measure, which was launched in January amid claims it would help 6,000 families, comes amid criticisms that the Government has failed to follow through on other plans to help people in financial trouble."
Cameron already seems to be developing the attack. Speaking in Birkenhead earlier, he said that "We have a Government focused on the hopelessly short term rather than taking long term decisions for the country." I wonder whether Downing St will appreciate the irony of one of Brown's favourite soundbites being used against him...
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Draughtsman
May 1st, 2009 5:16pm Report this commentWhilst labour are busy navel gazing again and fretting over the defeat they are facing at the next election with Brown as their 'leader', perhaps this would be a good time for the Tories to come out with some positive policies for the future. It might set Labour on the back foot and show the country that the Tories are a united government in waiting.
Aless Bieri
May 1st, 2009 5:25pm Report this commentThe Tories are making policy decisions such as the small business loan guarantee scheme, they're taking the action that is needed to help people and businesses through hard times. The Prime Minister's policy is to do nothing!
johnny come lately.
May 1st, 2009 6:44pm Report this commentI will only listen to Cameron when he answers the question on the EU.
He has not given us a straight answer yet.
IF he is different, IF he believes himself to be honest let him give us a straight answer.
What will he do IF the Lisbon Treaty is ratified prior to a General Election?
IF you cannot renegotiate our terms what then, IN OR OUT?
Will we ever get a straight answer from The Tony Blair Tribute Act?
Verity
May 1st, 2009 7:36pm Report this commentJohnny Come Lately - Exactly!
Perhaps he thinks we don't notice that he sidesteps this issue, or slithers round it. Perhaps he thinks he is clever enough to have lulled us into a false sense of security.
Well, I am still waiting for an answer.
And I am confident that we are not going to get it.
West Morland
May 1st, 2009 9:55pm Report this commentJCL - it's no surprise that Verity agrees with you.
I fervently hope that Verity is right in her assumption that Cameron won't be giving out detailed policy proposals over a year before the general election. If he does, we know what will happen, Brown will "Focus Group" them and then try and implement the ones that resonate.
Mr Cameron, keep your powder dry!
I for one agree with the Tory front bench (and Napoleon) that one should never interrupt an enemy when they're making mistakes...
Jim
May 2nd, 2009 12:09am Report this commentMaybe the reason Brown is behaving like a headless chicken is because the Tories haven't released any proposals that he can copy.
carol42
May 2nd, 2009 12:10am Report this commentOff subject I know but can I urge everyone to read Nick Cohen's first class article on Brown and his cohorts in Standpoint. It is excellent and well worth reading if rather terrifying that it has come to this.
Verity
May 2nd, 2009 1:16am Report this commentWest Morland, you're getting the two issues confused.
Interrupting the enemy is not the point. Telling voters in a democracy - or police-state mutant democracy - what they would be voting for is different.
Or do you think the voters should vote on good faith? Trusting that the Tories really are fielding a Tory?
Cameron has been "keeping his powder dry for three years, except on the really important issues of "global warming" and positive discrimination for women in the Cabinet.
He has not got a clue about how democracy works.
Rhoda Klapp
May 2nd, 2009 8:33am Report this commentWest Morland, that's fine, but what about the Euros in June. It looks as if the parties will all treat this is a very large opinion poll on the UK elction position. Nobody seems ready to articulate a policy based on whatever MEPs do in their toy parliament. Is it not reasonable to ask Cameron to state his Euro policy unequivocally before June 4th? Is it not reasonable to ask parties which support the EU to take its elections seriously? None of them seem to want to mention the E word in the run-up. While it's not a bad idea to keep detailed policy under wraps before an election, it is constitutionally essential to tell the voters what your policy is by election day.
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