Just back from two great functions – George Osborne’s excellent speech to the Centre for Policy Studies and the HM Treasury summer reception. Osborne’s speech was basically the best Cameron ideas without any of the dodgy ones (like that Chapter 11 malarkey) – and a full narrative, focusing on worklessness and Labour’s failure in unemployment. Osborne said the most important statistic he wanted us to take away was that youth unemployment is now higher than the OECD average where in 1997 it was way below. “Know that fact, and you will know why Labour has failed
There were lots of powerful points in Osborne’s speech. None new, but put together in a powerful way that may make – dare one say – a Tory narrative. Afterwards, a once-senior Tory said something to me along the lines of “by George, I think he’s got it” as if Osborne had just come out with the ideological equivalent of ‘the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain’ (aficionados, click here – you know it’s worth it).
Next to the Treasury. You’d expect to find Darling at the bar by himself with a long line of glasses of whisky, but he was in great form; making quite funny jokes about a certain low-budget airline, and being dismissive of Cameron’s speech (as were most people). Those around Darling say his high spirits is a defining characteristic: when mortals would be suicidal, Darling keeps happy. He has more resilience than many give him credit for and as I said in my last political column he has the potential for Geoffrey Howe-type detonation. I also picked up why Labour’s rebuttal on Chapter 11 was so dire. No one worked out who was supposed to be responding to it, and by the time John Hutton issued some words most journalists had already written it up. So just like the Osborne’s non doms policy, the Tories were spared embarrassment by Labour’s very unrapid reaction force. From the chat both at the CPS and the Treasury, it is insolvency lawyers who consider the Chapter 11 plan especially naïve.
Oh, and in the spirit of full disclosure – I became a CPS board member a few weeks ago. It’s a great honour to be part of a think tank of its pedigree and output and I hope to have my first contribution – a UK version of my Glasgow East stuff – out in time for party conference.
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