Politics

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

Tuesday

Peter Hoskin

Brown introduces a stamp duty holiday

So Brown has introduced a stamp duty holiday as part of his rescue package for home owners and buyers. From tomorrow until 3 September 2009, properties costing less than £175,000 will be exempt from the levy. Oddly – even though plans for a stamp duty holiday emerged a few weeks ago – it’s still a surprising announcement. Since that initial leak, the government has kept a tight lid on the proposal, and – right up until this morning – it was widely assumed that it had been ditched. There’s evidence to suggest it could prove popular with a public which is increasingly feeling the fiscal squeeze. But I’m still not

Peter Hoskin

The extent of the reshuffle

As usual, Rachel Sylvester’s column in the Times is essential reading. Today, she writes – contrary to Ben Brogan – that relations between Brown and Darling are poor. But goes on to suggest that Darling will hang on to his job in a “limited reshuffle” later this week. Here’s the key passage:   “A limited reshuffle – focused on merging the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland jobs into a single constitutional secretary role – had been pencilled into the No 10 diary for this week. Mr Brown is being urged to postpone it and carry out a wider reshuffle involving Mr Darling. It would be wrong of the Prime Minister

Monday

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Five reasons why things are now looking up for the Republicans

1) Gustav has been downgraded to a Category One hurricane. No levees were breached. So no disaster – and McCain may deliver convention speech in person after all. 2) To an extent, Gustav may atone for Katrina in showing lessons were learned â“ and that McCain is a decisive leader who didn’t dither about the convention. 3) Bush and Cheney cancelled their speeches due today. No one in Team McCain will shed a tear for that. 4) Sarah Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy is an issue, but looks likely to be treated sympathetically and may yet augment her appeal. Time Magazine is on the scene in Alaska, and says it was “no

Daniel Korski

The Tories go nuclear

In a recent conversation with a Cameroon about the Tory Leader’s foreign policy overtures, I was alerted to William Hague’s July speech at the Institute for Strategic Studies during which the Shadow Foreign Secretary said the world faces a “new age of insecurity” unless the brakes are put on nuclear proliferation. In many ways, his concern sits a little uncomfortably with today’s dominant foreign policy narratives. We are meant mainly to talk about home-grown terrorists, climate change and – after Georgia’s buffoonery and Russia’s aggression – the resurgence of Cold War–style confrontation with Moscow as well as the rise of China. But while these challenges are serious and need to

Peter Hoskin

Is bare-knuckle politics the way forward for Labour?

As James wrote yesterday, Stephen Carter’s alleged slide down the pecking order at No.10 suggests that his softly-softly approach to tackling Davids Miliband and Cameron has been thrown out the window.  The assumption now is that the Brownite attack dogs will be let off the leash, and we’ll start seeing some bare-knuckle politics from Team Brown. One question doing the rounds, then, is whether that (potential) new approach will help Labour eat into the Tory poll lead.  I’m inclined to agree with Political Betting’s Mike Smithson that it will do nothing ot the sort.  Two simple, interrelated reasons spring to mind: 1) There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that David Cameron is extremely popular with

Peter Hoskin

Has Balls lost out in the Darling row?

The Alistair Darling story just keeps on rolling.  The latest comes courtesy of Benedict Brogan, who writes on his excellent blog that “relations between Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown remain remarkably good … Talk of rows and explosions since the Guardian hit the streets on Friday night are wide of the mark”.  So might the limelight now fall on Ed Balls?  The schools secretary is widely believed to be behind the spate of “Darling to be axed in a forthcoming reshuffle” rumours circling around.  But if things are good between Brown and Darling – and if that implies that Darling is safe in his job – then the PM may not look

Peter Hoskin

Leaky government

Expect more furious nail-chewing in Downing Street today, after the leak of a pessimistic memo from Jacqui Smith to Gordon Brown.  The picture that the Home Secretary paints, of the effect the economic downturn will have on crime, is a bleak one.  Here are some extracts: “[A downturn] would place significant upward pressure on acquisitive crime (theft, robbery and burglary) and therefore overall crime figures … [this] might require difficult decisions over officer numbers and priorities.” And “There is a risk of a downturn increasing the appeal of far right extremism … which presents a threat as there is evidence that … experiencing racism is one of the factors that can lead to people

Sunday

Peter Hoskin

Forcing the narrative

There’s a comment piece by Gordon Brown in today’s Observer, and one by David Miliband in the Mail on Sunday.  The subject of both? Russia and the Georgian crisis. Our Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary’s words on the matter are familiar by now – all about how Russian aggression is “unacceptable” and how they must recognise Georgian “territorial integrity”.  But there’s still little sign that this message will be backed up by substantive action, of any sort. In which case, it’s difficult not to read the articles from the perspective of a Kremlinoglogist.  Two comment pieces, on the same topic, by two senior ministers, in one day?  Yes, there’s a European summit in

Saturday

Peter Hoskin

Will Darling’s frankness lose him his job?

Has Alistair Darling just earned himself the chop?  In an interview with the Guardian this morning, he claims that the current economic downturn could be the worst we’ve faced for over 60 years, and that voters are “pissed off” with the Government. Frank admissions both.  But – as they depart completely from Gordon Brown’s alleged belief that the economic storm clouds will start dispersing in a couple of months – No.10 may read them personal affront to the Prime Minister, and another supposed sign that the Chancellor is a dangerous livewire who needs to be dealt with in the forthcoming reshuffle. On that front, Darling says that there are “lots of people

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Politics | 30 August 2008

Denver, Colorado Just as high street stores send spies to the Paris fashion shows in order to copy all the latest designs, so British political parties send agents to American conventions in search of ideas and inspiration. Several Brits were skulking around the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week, carefully noting the new soundbites and attack lines that were being unveiled on the world’s greatest political catwalk. Yet if these Labour and Tory emissaries were doing their job properly they’ll come back with bleak news — because the four-day convention showed both British parties how vulnerable they truly are. All the excitement in the thin mountain air was underpinned

The Spectator

Taxing questions

Demoralised Labour backbenchers, watching helplessly as their government disintegrates and the prospect of electoral humiliation looms, have at last found a cause to which they can rally: higher taxes on the ‘super-rich’, both private and corporate. In the first of those categories, the target is anyone with an annual income of £250,000 or more. In the second category, the proposal gathering support not only on Labour benches but also in opinion polls is for a windfall tax on utility companies which have jacked up the prices of electricity and gas so dramatically in recent months, blaming soaring wholesale energy markets, yet still have the gall to announce handsome profits. Behind

Friday

Peter Hoskin

Your questions for Dominic Grieve

It’s been a week since we asked CoffeeHousers to put forward their questions for Dominic Grieve.  We’ve since picked out the best five, which have now been put to the shadow home secretary.  He’ll get back to us at the start of next week. The CoffeeHousers whose questions were chosen can e-mail me on phoskin@ spectator.co.uk to claim their t-shirt and 180th Anniversary issue of the magazine. Anyway, here are the questions: Alex R Do you understand that your views on the ECHR are in contradiction to those of the huge majority of conservative supporters and potential conservative supporters. Do you understand why many people believe this should disqualify you from ever being Home

Peter Hoskin

Blanchflower foresees a miserable Christmas

Hardly a day goes by now without a new set of grim economic forecasts in the papers.  But some stand out more than others, such as the prediction made by David Blanchflower today that 300,000 more people will be unemployed by Christmas – putting overall unemployment at over 2 million.  If Blanchflower’s correct, it would be the most dramatic – and sorry – impact that the current downturn’s had on the lives of British people so far.  And, of course, it compounds the Government’s problems.  Not only will Brown no longer be able boast about “low employment”, but the idea that any kind of “economic recovery package” will make a substantial difference is looking increasingly fanciful.

Peter Hoskin

Has Brown bought himself more time?

As I wrote a couple of days ago, Brown’s close involvement in the Glenrothes by-election is a high risk strategy – after all, he’ll be regarded as even more reponsible should Labour be defeated.  But the strategy may just have bought him more time in his role.  Recently, the story was that the leadership challenges would kick off at the Labour conference in September.  But the latest – as reported in today’s Times – is that Labour MPs are prepared to sheath their knives until after the by-election, which will most likely be in October or November.  The thinking is that Brown should be given an opportunity to prove himself, and to implement his economic recovery package.  Two thoughts: 1)  If the story’s

Peter Hoskin

Yet another poll battering for Brown

Does the latest YouGov poll for the Telegraph have the Tories 19 or 20 points ahead of Labour?  The reported numbers have the Tories on 46 percent, Labour on 26 percent and the Lib Dems on 16 percent – so a 20 point lead for Cameron & Co.  But, writing in the Telegraph, both Andrew Porter and Anthony King talk about a 19 point lead. Not that the discrepancy matters.  Either way, the figures show that the Tories have solidified the 20-ish point lead that they’ve enjoyed over Labour recently – and that despite a fizzling out of the leadership speculation surrouding Brown.  Indeed, the Tories have now had a double-digit lead over

Thursday

Peter Hoskin

Is the eco-town coalition collapsing?

Ok, so Tesco’s announcement that they’re dropping plans to construct an eco-town at Hanley Grange, Cambridgeshire, was couched in diplomatic terms (“We think the proposal had very good prospects of succeeding under the government’s Eco Town initiative”, they said). But it’s hard not to regard their actions as a sign that confidence in eco-towns is dwindling. After all, as this Government’s stock falls, and as further questions about the towns’ “green” credentials emerge, it’s no longer good PR – or good business – to back the scheme. The Tories recognised that back in June, when they also withdrew their support from it.  Of course, it’s all a pretty hefty blow for Brown – who might

Peter Hoskin

The leadership buzz has fizzled out, but for how long?

Do read John Retoul’s excellent article in the Independent today.  In it, he picks up on how the leadership speculation surrounding Brown has slowly fizzled out over the past few weeks.  Things are certainly quieter than those heady days in late July, when David Miliband was plastering his ambitions all over the comment pages of the Guardian. There are a number of theories as to why, including: 1) It’s still the recess, the story was always going to die down until Parliament reconvened; 2) David Miliband and the other would-be leaders have had to defer their plotting in respect of the Georgia conflict; and 3) Labour have ever so slightly warmed towards the PM after what was

Wednesday

Alex Massie Alex Massie

Why-oh-why-oh why does Obama hate the Irish?

In the name of the wee man, has it come to this? Apparently it has. Barack Obama has not “committed” himself to appointing a US “Special Envoy” to Northern Ireland. He believes, a spokesman said, that the “crisis point” in Ulster has passed. Cue much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the usual Irish-American suspects. Cue too, to no-one’s great surprise, this response from Team McCain: Barack Obama, once again demonstrating his total lack of experience and profoundly poor judgment on matters of foreign policy, has issued a statement questioning ‘whether a special U.S. envoy for Northern Ireland continues to be necessary.’ The special U.S. envoy was first appointed by

Peter Hoskin

Coffee House poll results: should the Tories pledge to cut public spending?

A couple of days ago, we asked CoffeeHousers whether the Tories should pledge to cut public spending.  Many thanks to all those who voted.  The results are now in… Yes, but they should wait until nearer a general election to make the pledge — 49.5 percent Yes, they should make the pledge over the next few weeks — 33.5 percent No — 15.0 percent Don’t know — 2.0 percent  

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Lessons to be learned

Just as high street chains send spies to Paris fashion shows to nick ideas, so British political parties send envoys to American conventions to see what new ideas are coming off the production line. Francis Maude is here for the Tories and Ed Miliband (plus his fellow Harvard alumni David Lammy) for Labour. In my political column for tomorrow’s magazine, I list some lessons they should be taking home – because the convention so far has highlighted vulnerability in both parties. The first two are worrying for Cameron, the last three for Labour.  When charisma goes wrong. The ghost at the feast here in Denver is the lack of any