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Gordon Brown vs David Cameron

Irwin Stelzer

Wednesday, 14th June 2006

Irwin Stelzer says that the sharp policy distinctions of the past are no more, but that the choice ahead of the voters is still one to relish. This is his audit of the scores so far

Finally, we come to Britain’s geopolitical position. In addition to deserving credit for keeping Britain euro-free, Brown merits applause for his continuing effort to persuade his European partners that reform, not protectionism, is the route to prosperity in the 21st century. But the reforms he proposes are for other countries to enact — many involve even greater government activity — and all the while taxes in the UK rise to, and in the case of Germany soar above, EU levels. Brown is an admirable apostle of free trade, but his power to bring the French and others along is limited, and his penchant for believing that he can devise governmental interventions to meet global competition is worrying to those who prefer liberating individual entrepreneurship to schemes such as his new proposal for a government-business council to consider what to do about globalisation.

Cameron is as likely as Brown to hunt for ways to extend the scope and depth of the common market, but less prone to want to create new government agencies to meet the challenges Britain must overcome if it is to succeed in what will be a very difficult competitive environment in coming years. And if he does incline to Europe-wide solutions, voters can count on his loony Right — ever on the alert to avoid the debilitating effect of contact with continental Europeans — to call a halt.

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Labour’s punishment freaks are hounding honest citizens

Ross Clark

Ross Clark says that far from keeping our streets safer or cleaner, the government’s new force of amateur policemen are ignoring the worst offenders and pursuing law-abiding innocents instead

‘Whoever killed Benazir wants to kill me’

Christina Lamb

Christina Lamb interviews the husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, who hopes to be named President of Pakistan this Saturday

Never mind the Olympics — get set for the Jubilee

Robert Hardman

Free and open to everyone, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 will eclipse the London Games, says Robert Hardman — an unforgettable tribute to the monarch

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Mary Wakefield

Mary Wakefield talks to the author William P. Young, whose self-published religious novel has astounded the publishing world and sold nearly two million copies

In defence of David Southall

Theodore Dalrymple

Theodore Dalrymple examines the evidence against two much-vilified British paediatricians, Professors Southall and Meadow, and finds it sadly lacking

Economic recovery plan? Forget it, Gordon

Martin Vander Weyer

The Prime Minister’s survival is pinned on a September ‘relaunch’ to ease the voters’ economic woes. But, says Martin Vander Weyer, each door through which Brown tries to escape his predicament slams in his face. His room for manoeuvre is negligible

Give us back our Big Idea, Mr Cameron

Liam Byrne

Liam Byrne — tipped for Cabinet promotion in the reshuffle — says that when Cameroons advocate ‘fraternity’ they are repackaging the Conservative case for the shrinking of the state

‘I’m not an ambassador for New Labour, I’m an MP’

Martin Rowson

In the latest of his occasional series, Martin Rowson talks to Bob Marshall-Andrews, serial Labour rebel who had the entertaining cheek to accuse Miliband of disloyalty

‘There is nothing saying Labour will ever win power again’

Fraser Nelson

The choice facing the governing party is between defeat and annihilation, says Fraser Nelson. For now, Labour is mired in ‘division without decision’ as Jack Straw, David Miliband and others wait to see who — if anyone — will wield the knife against Gordon Brown

Very discreetly, Cameron is writing his first Queen’s Speech

Fraser Nelson

In spite of their commanding poll lead, the Tories are terrified of seeming complacent. But, as Fraser Nelson discloses, work is well advanced on a first-term plan for government in which education reform and a welfare revolution will be the centrepieces