Politics

Read about the latest UK political news, views and analysis.

Wednesday

Sinclair McKay

David Cameron can learn from The Avengers

Sinclair McKay says the Tory leader could do worse than emulate his fellow Old Etonian — the elegant, ruthless, cucumber-cool TV hero John Steed Who is David Cameron’s role model? No one quite knows. Of course Dave would like to be a British Obama, but that’s a little far-fetched (for obvious reasons), so here’s another candidate, just as cool as the President but more up Cameron’s street. Like Cameron he’s an Old Etonian but a social progressive; like Cameron he’s a fashionable man-about-town. Basically, Dave couldn’t have a better hero than John Steed of The Avengers. Steed’s an example of how an unabashed posh chap can win over the entire

Martin Vander Weyer Martin Vander Weyer

Is Lord Turner ‘socially useful’ to business?

Probably not, says Martin Vander Weyer, but the banks do need reining in. We’ll all be better off when the Tories dismantle Brown’s disastrous ‘tripartite’ regulatory system The last time I argued politics with Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, he was firmly on the centre right and I was a rather confused proto-Will-Hutton of the left. But that was a lifetime ago, when we were fifth-formers on the eve of Ted Heath’s 1970 election victory. Not quite 40 years on, all has changed. Turner has been making headlines in the guise of ‘Red Adair’ (or ‘Daring Adair’ in the Guardian) and being applauded by Will Hutton for articulating the most radical

Dennis Sewell

Dave can’t govern unless he destroys the quangos

The closer David Cameron gets to the election, the more he may come to realise how short-lived the elation following his victory may be. Defeating an exhausted Labour party will be the easy part. Winning real power will be a separate, longer battle — and one that requires him to outwit an enemy far more cunning and resilient than Gordon Brown. To transform Britain means seeing off the cronies, placemen and political stooges with whom the government has packed the boards of Britain’s quangos. Over the Labour years these groups have swelled from an irritant into a state within a state. With 700,000 employees and boards that read like a who-was-who

Tuesday

Alex Massie Alex Massie

Lockerbie Letters: No Smoking Gun

I know this won’t satisfy anyone who desperately wants there to have been a shady, grubby conspiracy but a quick perusal of the correspondence on the Lockerbie Affair published by the Justice Department, the Scottish Government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office today gives no support to the notion that there was any such deal*.  The pattern is quite clear: the Scottish authorities weren’t happy with a PTA being signed at all but if there was one they wanted the PTA to contain a provision specifically excluding Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi from its terms. London agreed and tried to make a deal with Libya excluding Megrahi. Libya demurred and London relented,

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Brown’s new dividing lines are merely muddled hypotheticals

Reading the transcript of Gordon Brown’s interview with the FT one is struck by how little of a domestic policy message Brown has. Say what you like about Labour’s mantra in 2001 and 2005 of Labour investment versus Tory cuts but it was clear. By contrast, Brown’s attempt to explain his new dividing lines to the FT is distinctly muddled. Brown’s main line is that things could have been a lot worse without the government’s action. But that is, of course, a hypothetical. It also seems doubtful that the public will share this view or forget who was Chancellor in the decade before the crisis. Brown then moves on to

David Blackburn

Cameron should be wary of taking the moral high ground in opposition

I’ve just re-read Cameron’s article in the Times and it contains one section that might come back to haunt him, should he become Prime Minister. He writes: ‘Many will be disgusted by the suggestion that ministers in Whitehall encouraged al-Megrahi’s release — and did so for commercial reasons. Diplomacy often involves hard-nosed backroom deals. It would be naive to think otherwise. But there need to be lines you are not prepared to cross; values you will not compromise, whatever deal you broker. I believe even to hint that a convicted terrorist could be used as makeweight for trade is a betrayal of everything that Britain stands for.’  I agree with

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 1 September 2009

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the bank holiday weekend. Peter Hoskin says the Sunday Times’ revelations about a Lockerbie deal for oil leave the government in very hot water, and thinks that the Tories will have to raise taxes. David Blackburn believes Labour must come clean over al-Megrahi’s release, and urges a future Conservative government to appoint a minister for Afghanistan. Daniel Korski says the Tories must articulate a clear policy on Europe. Clive Davis ponders the existence of God whilst looking at a tray of radishes. Alex Massie delves into the Sunday Times’ revelations about a Lockerbie deal for oil. And Cappuccino Culture watches agog as

David Blackburn

Cameron is the winner of the al-Megrahi scandal 

It is clear that the al-Megrahi release has damaged Labour, not least because their collective refusal to condemn, or at least have an opinion on, the release of the Lockerbie bomber has confirmed that the government is totally out of touch with public opinion. On the other hand, David Cameron has played a blinder. In stark contrast to the Prime Minister’s Trappist monk act, Cameron has led this issue, voicing considered condemnations of Kenny MacAskill’s decision, the government’s reticence and the its supposedly ethical foreign policy. Cameron writes a piece in today’s Times branding the entire affair a ‘fiasco’ and a ‘failure of judgement by the Scottish government…the British government…and

Monday

Peter Hoskin

Political viewing

If you feel like wearing a political anorak on this sunny bank holiday Monday, then here’s a video history of the Conservative Party which the Tories have updated for the launch of the new ‘History’ section on their website. Alastair Cooke introduces the whole project on the Blue Blog, here. Hat-tip: ConservativeHome

David Blackburn

Labour’s new dividing line is a gamble

Alistair Darling has long suggested that the original dividing line between the Tories and Labour concerned Labour spending, which will stimulate growth, versus Tory inaction. And last week, Darling was quoted in the Mail on Sunday setting out a new dividing line between the parties by framing the “debate in terms of our cuts being better than their cuts”. It is a stance that presupposes Britain is returning to growth thanks to the government’s strategy. And that is the message of an opinion piece, titled ‘The cure is working’, penned by Darling in this morning’s Guardian. Here’s the key section: ‘The Tories have opposed our measures every inch of the

Sunday

David Blackburn

Labour’s tactical blunder

Mike Smithson has an interesting post with how the fallout from the al-Megrahi affair is damaging Labour. He writes: ‘Where I think that Labour is going wrong here is in trying to cover up what has happened and by hiding behind the Scottish dimension. Why not come out and say that the paramount objective was energy and the need to open up new areas? A reference to Russia’s aggressive energy strategy would underline the point. What’s becoming clear is that the truth will out – why not get in with their explanation first?’ He’s right that Labour have made an enormous tactical blunder by not coming clean over this piece

Saturday

The Spectator

Patently right

In contrast to Gordon Brown’s dull and worthy holiday working as a volunteer on community projects in his constituency, there is something rather refreshing about Lord Mandelson’s taste for extravagant vacations on Corfu in the company of wealthy moguls. Moreover, his holidays are a godsend for deskbound journalists in London struggling for a good political story in the otherwise dead month of August. Three weeks ago the business secretary enjoyed a dinner with David Geffen, a wealthy Hollywood producer who along with others in the industry has campaigned against internet piracy. Upon his return to London, Lord Mandelson effected an about-turn on the government’s policy towards internet piracy. Former Digital

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

A word about my new job

As CoffeeHousers may have heard, I am succeeding Matt d’Ancona as editor of the magazine. It’s a huge honour and an awesome task – but one made a lot easier by what he has accomplished in the role. The magazine passing 75,000 circulation is only the most visible aspect of a job well done on levels that editors seldom get credit for. Matt was, quite simply, the best boss a political editor could ask for: always supportive and keen that I pursued whatever line I wanted, even if it meant contradicting what was on the leader page. There are numerous others who will testify to his support, his eye for

The Spectator

Should al-Megrahi have been released? A Spectator poll

Kenny MacAskill’s decision to release Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, on compassionate grounds has caused controversy around the world — in America and also in Britain. Kenny MacAskill’s decision to release Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, on compassionate grounds has caused controversy around the world — in America and also in Britain. But though he has deplored the rejoicing on the streets of Tripoli, at the time of writing Gordon Brown had still refused to comment on the affair other than to say that it was not his place to interfere. But while Downing Street maintained its silence, the British public was happy to speak out. Over the past few

Friday

Peter Hoskin

Brown’s hypocrisy over Lockerbie?

So far, Gordon Brown has refused to specifically comment on the Scottish Government’s decision to release Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi to Libya.  Yes, we’ve heard that he was “angry and repulsed” by al-Megrahi’s reception in Libya, and that our government had “no role” in the decision.  But there’s been nothing on whether he actually agrees or disagrees with the Scottish government’s actions. The official excuse has been that Brown has to respect the devolution settlement and can’t comment on devolved matters.  But – what’s this? – it seems he hasn’t had a problem with commenting on another devolved matter before now: the level of health spending set by the Scottish Government. 

David Blackburn

No way to lead a nation

It’s been terrible a morning for Gordon Brown in the editorials and on the front pages. And David Cameron, scenting blood, has condemned Gordon Brown’s leadership over the al-Megrahi affair. These pieces share the same basic analysis: Brown’s calculated caution is the cause of his problems. John Rentoul, admittedly no fan of the PM, writes in today’s Independent: ‘This has everything to do with a pattern of behaviour, an inbuilt caution that served Brown well enough on the road to No 10, but which is disastrous in anyone actually holding the top job.’ Brown’s leadership style has been unremittingly disastrous because it is not leadership; it is the political equivalent

Thursday

David Blackburn

Delicately poised in Scotland

Despite a week of international codemnation, a YouGov poll shows that 42 per cent of Scottish voters still agree with Kenny MacAskill’s decision to release al-Megrahi, whereas 51 per cent oppose it. Channel Four’s Gary Gibbon notes that this undermines Labour’s arguments that the SNP’s decision is not backed by the Scottish working class, and that Labour will find the Glasgow North East by-election hard going. I’m not so sure. Clearly it’s going to be tight, but Labour will take heart from this poll, which also reveals voting intentions. The SNP is down 6 points to 33 per cent and Labour is up 5 to 33 per cent. It was

Alex Massie Alex Massie

A Romney Pipe Dream

Anyone who wants to see Mitt Romney fail now should hope he follows the advice given by Lisa Schiffren and Peter Roff and runs for the now open Senate seat in Massachussetts; anyone looking forward to kicking Multiple Choice Mitt in a couple of years time should hope his political instincts haven’t yet deteriorated beyond the point of no return and that, consequently, he’ll decline this exciting invivation to failure. As James Joyner suggests, this idea makes no sense at all, not least from Romney’s perspective. The fact that it’s being offered in a friendly spirit is quite astonishing. Here’s Roff explaining why Rmney should run: Such an announcement would

Peter Hoskin

Is Theresa May priming a second Freud Review?

In some respects, Theresa May has delivered an effective speech on unemployment and the benefits system today.  It touches on all the tragic indicators – the 6 million people on out-of-work benefits, the high levels of youth worklessness, the shocking consequences of welfare ghettoes etc. – and re-states, in no uncertain terms, the Tories’ commitment to welfare reform.  She even partially responds to those critics who thought she’d been drafted into the shadow welfare role to be “softer” on single mums than Labour, by instead attacking the state for encouraging lone parents “not to bother trying to work until their youngest child was sixteen”.  But perhaps the most crucial passage