Politics

Quotes have been released from the Sky News interview with the Prime Minister tonight, and one catches my eye. He talks about City firms misbehaving. Kay Burley asks him how. He answers: “What we are discovering is that there were large off balance sheet activities that were being run by some of the major companies in the world, I’m not naming any individual companies, because many companies were involved in this. They were not fully disclosed, they were therefore the problem that had to be dealt with when the markets started to fall.” Hmm – large off-balance sheet activities? This from the man who has so far kept at least £50 billion

The Brown demise is on a downward rollercoaster trajectory: it stabilises before it plunges again. I suspect that a period of stabilisation, and maybe even an upswing, is now on the cards. Yesterday went very well for him, and from the quotes I have seen he managed to get through even Jeff Randall on the Sky interview to be broadcast at 8pm tonight. Also, he may soon have another merger deal to point to.  EDF, which walked away from British Energy in July, will meet during the Labour Party conference to discuss a higher offer. Creating an entente nuclear is one of Brown’s main ambitions – something which justifies his

With the Brown premiership on the ropes, Coffee House takes a look at those who might succeed him as party leader.  In the run-up to the Labour Party conference this weekend, we’ll be profiling each of the main contenders.  And, once we’ve got through them, we’ll give you the chance to vote on which one you think would be the best for Labour.  We kick things off with the bookies’ favourite… David Miliband, 43, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Pros Youth: According to the “Milibama” strategy, Miliband’s youthful vim and vigour will go some way to rejuvenating the Labour project itself.  At the very least, it offers a stark

The major Tory donor Stuart Wheeler is to deliver an ultimatum to David Cameron tonight.  If the Tories fail to make two particular pledges in their next manfiesto, he’ll take his money elswhere.  And those pledges are:  1. A promise that if the Lisbon Treaty is not law when they come to power, they will hold a referendum on whether to withdraw UK ratification. 2. A promise that if the Lisbon Treaty is law when they come to power, there will be an immediate, massive renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with the EU. If the UK did not get what it wants, the UK should pull out of the Union altogether.

Rather than wading into the fray, Alan Milburn steps gingerly towards it with his article for the think tank Progress today.  Sure, he writes that “change beckons once again”, but he also holds back from questioning Gordon Brown’s leadership.  Why so timid?  I somehow doubt it’s because he supports Brown.  But rather because Blairites – like Milburn – have to be careful not to give No.10 any opportunity to portray the current rebellion as one masterminded by a rightist cabal.  This, I suspect, is the main reason why many major figures are biting their tongues for the time being.  Until the widest-possible coalition against Brown is built, their explicit involvement

The Evening Standard reveals that Eric Joyce – the Falkirk MP and John Hutton’s PPS – is to step down from his government role after the Labour Party conference.  There’s been a lot of speculation over the past few days that Hutton himself will be the first Cabinet minister to resign in protest at the Brown premiership.  This can only fuel that rumour.

In the end, I’d say Nick Clegg’s speech at the Lib Dem conference was so-so.  The very good parts were offset by the very bad parts, and there was a chunk of neither-here-nor-there material in between.  And all delivered in the now-ubiquitous, walk-around-the-stage-with-no-notes manner.  If you want to read the whole thing, there’s a copy of it here.  I’ll just deal with the two extremes: The very bad Clegg’s speech began like a stand-up routine.  And a terrible one, at that.  There was joke, after joke, after joke, at the expense of both Labour and the Tories.  The Government were likened to the “living dead -They are a Zombie government. A cross between