Common Sense from Norman Tebbit

The article is in this week's The Spectator, linked here.

Another chilling quote from Fraser Nelson in the same magazine:

One party agent told me that twice the number of people are coming to Blackpool from her constituency — not to prepare for battle against Labour, but, astonishingly, ‘because they hate Cameron and want to see him take a kicking’. They come with the same macabre curiosity that led mediaeval villagers to a hanging.

Samizdata says it better!

The principled-stand-of-the-week by Dave Cameron

Perry de Havilland (London) UK affairs

Dave Cameron is actually a very funny guy. His faux sincerity and Forceful Leader hand gestures (no doubt practised in front of a mirror for best effect), combined with crassly obvious weathervane-like changes of political position, are the perfect stuff of parody. I expect most politicians to be insincere as it is more or less a job requirement, but I find the combination of mannered earnestness and whore-like opinion poll based ideology-of-the-week strangely compelling viewing.

In truth the principle-free pursuit of power he represents is so toxic that I want to have an endless series of Two Minute Hates at the mere mention of his name... but then when I see that phoney baloney shtick of his in full televisual motion and pimple enhancing digital hi-rez colour, I find myself grinning from ear to ear at the sheer absurdity of the man (and indeed the party that voted for this bozo to be its boss). He changes direction faster than a startled fish and the fact anyone believes anything that comes out of his mouth is a source of morbid fascination to me.

Where is Vapid?

At the cleaners it would appear. The excruciatingly sycophantic (and now heavily censored website) Conservative Home had reports he was at a posh fund-raiser at the Dorchester last evening. The editor should be aware that ten pence less than five quid for a small pot of tea is nothing out of the ordinary for the likes of 'call me Dave'

It appears Vapid is in hiding, the only report I can find of any activity whatsoever comes from "Laundry and Cleaning News ' linked here.

The tories are fretting about the opinion polls, up to last week they liked to quote last May's local election results as evidence all was well, with the BNP having come second in three Nuneaton by-elections this year and having lost control of Worcester they should now be considering re-selecting the candidates in their Shadow Cabinet's constituencies if their party is to have any hope of survival, not fretting about A listers and vacant seats.

No cash for Traditional Tory Seats?

There is an amazing report in this morning's Sunday Telegraph here, from which comes this quote:

In a suite of offices at Conservative campaign headquarters in Victoria, London, Lord Ashcroft presides over a list of expectations drawn up by polling huge samples of 10,000 people at a time.

The list is divided into three categories: "development seats", which might just be won and are given £3,000 and include places such as Tooting (majority 5,190); "battleground seats" which are on the edge of what is currently possible for the Tories and which are awarded £25,000, such as Pendle (majority 2,180); and "early gains" which the party thinks it will definitely win and are given £3,000, such as Battersea (majority 336).

In addition, Lord Ashcroft is using his inspections to decide who deserves more money than the formula, and who will get less.

Any observer of the present political scene must be aware, however, that if the Tories really are to fight the next general election under the ineffective team of Cameron, Osborne, Letwin and Zac it is retaining their traditional votes that will be the toughest task. Out in the shires safe Tory seats will be a struggle to hold in the face of massive traditional Tory voting abstentions.

Mission Impossible

The Times of London, 1st September, 2007, linked here:

David Cameron has authorised a poster campaign next week amid Tory fears that Gordon Brown is preparing to announce an election this autumn.

The new advertising will seek to neutralise Labour claims that Mr Cameron has no substance and does not believe in anything, according to allies of the Tory leader.