James Forsyth is former political editor of The Spectator.
You can watch last night’s debate and read a transcript of it here. The insta-polls give the debate to Obama by a relatively comfortable margin. Time’s Mark Halperin also scores it to Obama while the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza suggests that McCain might have edged it. More later.
After a gripping week of political theatre in Manchester, James Forsyth invites readers to submit nominations for a new category in our Parliamentarian of the Year Awards: the prize for the Readers’ Representative If a week is a long time in politics, then a year is an absolute age. In Manchester, Labour delegates appeared staggered
John McCain will attend tonight’s debate despite there not yet being a deal on the bailout. Realistically, McCain couldn’t afford to miss it. Obama’s biggest weakness is still the Commander in Chief test: McCain has to ram home the point that he is significantly better qualified for this role than Obama if he is to
The Sun reports today that Tony McNulty is the new favourite to replace Geoff Hoon as Chief Whip. George Pascoe-Watson reveals that Brown was told by a Minister that if he appointed Nick Brown to the job, “All hell would break. It would destroy any Cabinet unity and people would feel very uncomfortable.” McNulty would
A great stat about the financial crisis from the Daily Mail: “There were 734 second-hand Ferraris placed on the market last week.” Hat Tip: The Week
Martin Kettle’s column this morning contains an absolutely astonishing example of how much of a control freak Brown is: “Four years ago, ministers decided that Britain’s South Atlantic island possession of St Helena needed to have an airport. If planes could land on the tiny island, more than 1,200 miles from the nearest continent, its
Iain Martin’s post is absolutely hilarious and, having been up in Manchester, I’d say more likely than not spot-on.
President Bush’s dramatic statement to the nation last night was aimed at persuading recalcitrant House Republicans to support the bailout bill. His bald statement that without immediate action by Congress, “America could slip into a financial panic, and a distressing scenario would unfold” was meant to create the political pressure to bring them into line.
If Geoff Hoon is to be moved in the coming reshuffle, which seems almost certain, who to make the new Chief Whip will be a telling and tricky decision for the PM. Many Brown loyalists are furious about Hoon’s light-touch approach to the rebels. His comments about the rebellion have been ambivalent—“I simply don’t think
The Telegraph is reporting that Gordon Brown will not be seeing the US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, the main mover on the US bailout plan, on his trip to the States. This is despite Brown saying in his conference speech that “I and then Alistair will meet financial and government leaders in New York” to
Harriet Harman in many ways had the easiest speech of the conference to deliver. All she had to do was throw red meat to the delegates – but she did so effectively. Certainly, the standing ovation that the two thirds full hall gave her was far more sustained and heart-felt than the one David Miliband
Ruth Kelly’s resignation has guaranteed that Brown’s speech is going to be a one day story. Rumours are swirling about why she has gone and why the news leaked out now—the worst time for Brown. In her speech to conference just now, Kelly said what a privilege it had been to work with both Blair
As expected, the by-election up in Fife is going to be on November 6th—two days after the US presidential election. If Labour lose, then those in the cabinet who know Brown’s limitations will face their moment of decision.
Here in Manchester, Team Brown are making little attempt to pretend that the ‘no time for a novice’ line wasn’t aimed at David Miliband as much—if not more—than David Cameron. Indeed, after the whole ‘six out of ten’ ‘Heseltine’ debacle and the photos of Miliband looking slightly ridiculous most people here are shorting Miliband. If
Gordon Brown’s speech hasn’t changed the fact that Labour still have to fight the Glenthroes by-election at some point. If Labour lose that—as all the people I’ve spoken to who know Scottish politics thinks they will—then Labour will face its moment of decision: will it go down to a massive defeat under Brown’s leadership or
I’m in a minority in thinking that Brown’s speech didn’t do what it had to do. I agree that the ‘no time for a novice’ line was an effective swipe at David Miliband and the Tory top team of Cameron and Osborne. But – and this is why I believe the speech will be seen
We haven’t seen the details yet of Brown’s internet announcement but the Tories are already pointing out how it is not new. Indeed, it should already have happened by now, given what Labour promised back in 2004. “Our country and its people prospering in the knowledge economy. Increasing by £1 billion the investment in science,
A report on Politics Home has sparked off speculation here in Manchester that Brown will reshuffle his Cabinet before the end of this week. It is easy to see why this might appeal to the Brownites; the rebels are still not sure what to do next, David Miliband can’t decide whether to go for it
As I wrote earlier, Miliband did fine today. But, as Nick Robinson says, the speech did not have the electricity to inspire Labour to dump Gordon. Of course, they might well still end up doing so. But – on today’s evidence – it won’t be because they’re particularly enthused by the idea of Prime Minister
David Miliband’s speech was neither a triumph nor a disaster. It was, as a fellow scribbler put it to me afterwards, a seven out of ten speech. I doubt that many people who weren’t for Miliband before it thought he was the man Labour needs after it. But equally Miliband’s supporters will have been relieved