Live from Tony Abbott’s private suite: his election victory, as it happened.
Politics
Read about the latest UK political news, views and analysis.
Saturday
Syria, schools, David Frost and Universal Credit – this week in audio
It’s been a varied week on Coffee House, with domestic matters rearing their head once again while Syria continues to dominate the news agenda. Isabel, James and Douglas sat down on Monday for a View from 22 podcast special on the US situation in Syria: listen to ‘View from 22 Syria special – with Douglas Murray, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman’ on Audioboo http://cdn.spectator.co.uk/content/uploads/2013/09/TheViewFrom22_05092013_v4.mp3 In the Commons, the Defence Secretary insisted there would not be a second vote on intervention: listen to ‘Hammond: 'Circumstances would have to change very significantly' before MPs get another vote on military action in Syria’ on Audioboo
Friday
Labour clears Unite and Karie Murphy of wrongdoing in Falkirk row
After going all out over the Falkirk selection row, Labour rather quietly issued a statement this afternoon conceding that neither Unite’s candidate Karie Murphy, nor constituency party chair Stephen Deans, nor the union itself were guilty of any wrongdoing. The party’s statement said: ‘The Labour Party began an internal process to examine the controversy surrounding the selection of a parliamentary candidate for Falkirk. At each step Labour’s general secretary and NEC have acted quickly to protect the interest of the party. ‘Since Labour began its internal process key evidence has been withdrawn and further evidence provided by individuals concerned. Karie Murphy and Steve Deans, who were suspended, will now be
David Cameron: We can’t let Russia dictate other countries’ foreign policy
As well as having another extended Hugh Grant moment about how great Britain is (excluding David Beckham’s feet, but including One Direction), David Cameron got his chance to hit back at Russia’s intransigence on Syria this afternoon as the G20 summit drew to a close. Nodding to the lengthy declaration issued by the leaders – which fails to mention Syria or Assad – the Prime Minister emphasised that ‘this summit was never going to reach an agreement on what action is needed on Syria’. When Barack Obama spoke later, he said the discussions had reached unanimity that ‘chemical weapons were used in Syria, there was a unanimous view that the
David Cameron’s Small Island songs
In response to some snarky comments from Russia about Britain, the Prime Minister has just released this bizarre statement on his Google+ page about how he feels about our country: ‘Britain may be a small island, but I would challenge anyone to find a country with a prouder history, a bigger heart or greater resilience. ‘Britain is an island that has helped to clear the European continent of fascism – and was resolute in doing that throughout World War Two. ‘Britain is an island that helped to abolish slavery, that has invented most of the things worth inventing, including every sport currently played around the world, that still today is
Thursday
How Australia’s Tony Abbott pulled off a great conservative victory
By conventional wisdom, Tony Abbott should not become Prime Minister of Australia this weekend. He ought to be too conservative, a throwback to a bygone age. He is sceptical about global warming, and proposed to abolish a carbon tax on the grounds of its expense and uselessness. He is a churchgoer who is against abortion and is sceptical about gay marriage. He is a former boxer, who tends to back America in foreign policy disputes. He is an Anglophile and an enthusiastic monarchist. He ticks almost every unfashionable box in modern politics. His victory is not inevitable, but those wishing to place money on his rival, Kevin Rudd, can find
The Spectator’s Notes | 5 September 2013
David Cameron says that he will not come back to the House of Commons again about the question of Syria because Parliament has spoken. Obviously, having sought its opinion, he cannot now try to override it. But no one can know how the issue will now play out, and it may well be that new circumstances (major foreign interventions, for example) will change everything. Parliament cannot make foreign policy decisions in advance of facts, and therefore should not try. Foreign policy is not like legislation: it is protean. The House of Commons should support the government when it gets it right and arraign it when it gets it wrong. It
Liam Byrne’s vulture strategy
David Aaronovitch’s furious Times column this morning described Ed Miliband as a vulture, swooping down on problems caused by this government rather than leading. If he wanted another example of how this leadership style has affected the rest of the Labour party, he could have done worse than to attend the Commons urgent question on universal credit this morning. There, Liam Byrne attacked Iain Duncan Smith’s handling of the project, saying: ‘What I want to say to the Secretary of State, however, is this: he has let this House form a picture of universal credit, which the nation’s auditor’s say is wrong. The most charitable explanation is that he has
Michael Gove: I deplore the teaching unions, but not striking teachers
With the upcoming teaching unions’ strikes, is Michael Gove battling the teachers? Just days after the new school term has begun, the unions have announced the dates of the strikes — including one in the middle of the Tory conference — while blaming the Education Secretary for not listening to the concerns of their members. As Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, said on the World at One today: ‘With pay, pensions and working conditions being systematically attacked and an education secretary who refuses to listen or negotiate teachers now have no other choice’ listen to ‘Michael Gove & Christine Blower on the teaching unions’ strikes’ on Audioboo
Nick Boles meets his doppelganger
The world of social media often goes through the looking glass, but today has been particularly bizarre. Housing minister Nick Boles has decided to join the fun and games on Twitter, announcing his arrival this afternoon. The problem is the popular parody account, General Boles. The General’s satirical pictures (such as the one above) and funnies enjoy a cult following in the Westminster village. And he can be a plausible imposter; our friends at the Guardian, for instance, were taken in when he appeared. In fact the General is such a power in the land that the real Boles, a minister of the Crown no less, has prostrated himself before this
Iain Duncan Smith turns up the jargon on universal credit
Iain Duncan Smith was in an aggressive mood when he appeared before MPs this morning to explain the latest awkward report on universal credit to the Commons. He combined his anger with a plethora of jargon. This made for an interesting debate, as it’s very difficult to sound punchy and angry while talking about ‘agile processes’, ‘roll-outs’ and ‘pathfinders’ (although mercifully he didn’t use ‘pathfinder as a verb’, as he and other colleagues have in the past). listen to ‘Iain Duncan Smith defends his welfare reforms in the Commons.’ on Audioboo At one point the Work and Pensions Secretary forcefully told MPs that he was looking at ‘rolling out in the
Toby Young: Should I be an MP?
In this week’s Spectator, columnist Toby Young toys with the idea of standing as a Conservative candidate in in Hammersmith. He examines the factors stacked against any chance of success, and the reasons he has for standing: Suppose I won. Then what? I’d be faced with the pride-swallowing siege that is the life of a newly elected MP. Forget about affairs of state. The only decision I’d have to make would be who to suck up to more, George Osborne or John Bercow? Neither prospect fills me with joy. Being a backbench MP is drudge work for the most part and I’d have to take a salary cut to do
David Aaronovitch: Syria vote shows Ed Miliband is a ‘vulture’ not a ‘leader’
David Aaronovitch’s column in The Times today (here) is fairly devastating for Ed Miliband. He’s angry about the Syria vote, but this has crystalised his misgivings about the character of the man who would be Prime Minister. Miliband could have accepted Cameron’s motion and taken credit for getting proper process established, he said. But instead he chose to exploit and scavenge. It was said of Gordon Brown that he was a destructive force, and could not build – as Blair had built. Aaranovich gives an even worse verdict for Miliband: he’s so hopeless that cannot even destruct. He just waits for people to fall into trouble, and then swoops. He
Syria vote? What Syria vote? David Cameron’s strategy is to forget it ever happened
The political conference season may be lacking in party activists nowadays, but it has lost none of its importance to the party leaders. For David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, the next four weeks are a chance to position themselves for the final, full parliamentary year before the general election. Clegg needs to get his party members to sign off on the policies he has pursued in government, to prevent any manifesto embarrassments. Miliband needs to find an iconic policy which tells voters what his government might be like. Cameron needs to protect his right flank from Ukip, while still appealing to the centre. But none had planned for
You can’t demand democracy in Syria but ignore it at home
After David Cameron’s decision to seek parliamentary approval for air strikes against Syria, two lobbies came charging in, banners aloft. Now their attention has moved to Barack Obama’s decision to seek approval from the US Congress. Though on opposite sides of the argument, these two groups have something in common, and it depresses me. Both see democracy as capable of securing a right decision. Neither sees democracy as capable of making a decision right. Let me explain. The anti-interventionists are of course delighted (as was I) that our Prime Minister sought a Commons mandate for military action. They’re even more delighted now that Parliament has said no. They may not
Parliament has finally woken up – because voters are keeping their MPs in line
They should have seen it coming. A government defeat on an issue of war may be unprecedented, but defeat on the Syria vote did not come out of the blue. You can certainly blame poor party management, failure to prepare the ground, underestimating the poisonous legacy of Iraq — but such failings are common enough. The biggest single factor is one that ministers, the media and MPs themselves have failed to understand: Parliament has changed. The consensus has long been that Parliament no longer matters. It is assumed to be the docile creature of the government, full of spineless or ambitious MPs who are the slaves of the party whips.
Wednesday
Coffee Shots: George Osborne discovers Wikipedia
On this balmy summer’s evening, George Osborne has popped over to east London to get down with some of the tech kids at the Campus Party in The O2. Judging from the above picture, the chancellor is quite impressed at what Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, had to show him: Just don’t expect tax rates anyone can edit.
William Hague tells the 1922 that ‘lessons will be learned’ from Syria vote
William Hague’s appearance at the 1922 Committee has underlined the fact that the Tory party is now split on foreign policy. I’m told that the questions that the Foreign Secretary received were pretty much evenly split between the passionate supporters of intervention in Syria and its passionate opponents. Those present calculate that the room was evenly split between the two factions. Hague, I understand, made a robust case for why Britain needs to remain an outward looking nation that is prepared to use its military forces. But he did say, when asked, that ‘lessons will be learned’ from how the Syria vote was handled. This answer will fuel Westminster speculation
PMQs: Playing politics with dead children was avoided. Instead, Prince George got the attention
It never happened. That’s what happened at PMQs today. Westminster fans tuned in expecting to see the ugly moment when MPs would start accusing each other of playing politics with dead babies. Instead it was a live baby – Prince George – who got all the attention. David Cameron wished ‘a happy and healthy life’ to the royal rug-rat. Then up stood Ed Miliband. The Tories cheered and jeered at him with ironic savagery. Clearly, he was about to be rinsed in the Westminster car-wash. He glared at the government benches wearing his favourite expression of indignant grandeur. If only it made him look like a leader rather than like
PMQs: does David Cameron have any idea of MPs’ real concerns with the Lobbying Bill?
There’s nothing wrong with the Prime Minister turning up to PMQs with a snappy line that he wants those watching to remember. But sometimes as the exchanges wear on, the risk grows that the clever line isn’t going to get a showing because the questions haven’t been quite right. And so the line gets shoehorned into an answer that isn’t quite relevant. Take today’s question from Margaret Beckett on the lobbying bill that last night some Tory MPs decided to vote against. Beckett asked: ‘Why does the PM believe that his plans to restrict lobbying are opposed by organisations from the Salvation Army, Countryside Alliance, Oxfam, the British Legion and so
