Tory Crisis Grows

The Slog now has seen reality, a quote from the latest comment:

The business case for departure from the EU is extremely powerful, but blocked at every turn by pols and bureaucrats who can talk only in terms of fear: how would we cope? where would we sell? What would the penalties be? Nobody can give all the answers to these weak-kneed questions, but what we can do is point out that with £118bn less to find each year (and another £40bn bill about to be dumped on our welcome mat) we'd be off to a flying start. The fact of the matter is that redistributionist Europe and its chocolate soldiers are history: the future lies in making added-value products, and selling them to a bottomless market called Asia.

Between mad pc on the one hand and the BNP on the other, there is a largely untapped area of the electorate called Decency & Common Sense. I think we have reached the stage now where one major defection of a senior Tory or a leading media figure to UKIP just might prove to be a game-changer. UKIP now has the same level of Opinion Poll Support as the LibDems. A joint Tory/UKIP ticket in winnable seats would produce a comfortable majority in many of them; but that would require wholesale regime change in the Conservative Party.

More apparatchiks join the British Government

Link to the former seat of Britain's leaders, from here.


the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, currently Secretary of State for Transport, to become Secretary of State for Defence;



Justine Greening MP, currently Economic Secretary at HM Treasury, to become Secretary of State for Transport;


Chloe Smith MP, currently an Assistant Whip in the House of Commons, to become Economic Secretary at HM Treasury;


  Greg Hands MP to become an Assistant Whip in the House of Commons.


LIFE EXPERIENCE - ZERO    POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY - NIL

David Cameron

The following is the end of an accurate post on the present ste of play on Britain's thoroughly odious PM from The Slog, linked here:

David Cameron's real persona is thus the obvious contender for this weekend's SUITF....a new feature here that I at least am beginning to enjoy writing. He is an empty till, ready and willing to ring up a sale of anything to anyone. He is youthful and baby faced. He is Dorian Gray - and somewhere, alone in the attic of 10 Downing Street now that Mrs Brownchester has been set free, is a creepy-crawly painting of the oily toff who somehow lucked into the leadership of the Conservative Party.

But if you find the use of the diabolical Dorian to be unfair and/or over the top as a parallel, ask yourself this: what would David Cameron privately not approve of? Coke snorting? Phone hacking? Leaving a mentally ill PM in office in order to have an easy task in a future election? Chucking pot plants out of Oxford windows? Insider trading? The taking and raping of Turkish democracy? Working with Gaddafi's intelligence loons?

Either way, I'm making an appeal to all readers: this relatively quiet Sunday evening before cold market reality finally hits us at the end of summer, please do all you can to get #DorianGraymoron trending on Twitter.

Cameron on the Riots in the Sunday Express!

Amazingly, Downing Street press office, has tweeted this article so that the world beyond the Sunday Express can appreciate the complete irrelevance of the British Prime Minister, read here.

As the EU faces complete melt down it is the following that David Cameron now sees as his nation's priority:

We are looking at creating our own British Bill of Rights. We are going to fight in Europe for changes to the way the European Court works and we will fight to ensure people understand the real scope of these rights and do not use them as cover for rules or excuses that fly in the face of common sense.

A sloppy, slap-happy government...!!

“I called it sloppy, slap-happy government. It is time for some disciplined thought and disciplined action. Being a Prime Minister is a serious business,” So said Lord Tebbit as reported in the London Evening Standard this evening, linked here.

Cameron and his similarly privileged and EU programmed side-kick Nick Clegg, are further dishing the country ever deeper into the mire, as if New Labour had not already brought it to its knees. (Mixed metaphor or what? Will the mire soon reach the neck?)

Yet senior Conservative Party politicians such as Lord Tebbit himself remain on board the train that careers ever downwards and out of control, in spite of his assertion at lunch on 9th September 2003 that the only choice as far as the EU was concerned, was to get off and board another tube train heading in a directly opposite direction!

"Being Prime Minister is a serious business" states Lord Tebbit, yet his party tolerated Cameron for years to only then lead their party into but one more predictable defeat (as almost daily chronicled on this blog). Yet still these senior sceptics remain, bleating about the froth, whipped up by the escaping air from the head of the opportunistic, marketing-model dimwit their party put in charge!

Resign and form a proper party Lord Tebbit, as you should have done many years ago, or spare us your tardy protests!

Cameron's evasions prove his unfitness for Governance!

The transcript of the string of shameless evasions the Conservative Leader employed in this morning's interview on the Andrew Marr Show will be posted here tomorrow when the transcript of the broadcast is available from the BBC.

(3rd May links added: transcript here, video link here).

They will become a platform for defiance were he to be elected to become Prime Minister next Thursday.

The measures for Greece to cure a similar debt and deficit problem agreed by the Greek PM and his Cabinet this morning, include the following, as reported by Reuters, linked here:

Under the deal with the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF), Greece plans to cut the deficit to 8.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010, 7.6 percent in 2011 and 6.5 percent in 2012.

The deficit would not fall below the EU's 3 percent of GDP limit until 2014. Debt was expected to rise to nearly 150 percent in 2013, before falling from 2014.

He said the measures included a rise in value-added tax (VAT) to 23 percent from 21 percent, a 10 percent hike in fuel, alcohol and tobacco taxes and a further reduction in public sector salaries and pensions.

We must wait to see if the Eurogroup leaders now have the nerve to force these huge commitments upon their peoples via enforced parliamentary votes, especially considering the near certainty that the funds will never be repaid or that more will not soon be required elsewhere within the eurozone.

Meantime, how can any prospective UK Prime Minister expect to call upon the sacrifices necessary to cure Britain's similarly horrendous deficit and debts when he has so far avoided even beginning to confront reality and coming clean with the electorate? Marr suggested that Conservative cuts of around eleven billion equaled only some 17 to 20 per cent of the total being suggested by the Institue of Fiscal Studies...... Cameron's disgraceful response may be read from a link to be placed here tomorrow, or by tuning in to the BBC Parliament Channel for a re-run of the interview this evening.

Only UKIP by calling for fifty billion pounds worth of cuts this year and a withdrawal from the train wreck that is now the EU presently seems worthy of your vote this week! For reasons why real conservatives should not vote Tory read Peter Hitchens today in the Mail on Sunday, linked here.

Forming a Personality Cult around an Empty Vessel

Is this all that the Conservative Party can offer the country?





Has modern Conservatism been reduced to meaningless PR à la News of the World?

Where are the policies as Greece slides into economic bondage to the EU with an economy almost the twin of that of the UK after 13 years of shredding by incompetents?

Unbloodybelievable!

The Telegraph Polling Report that sealed Cameron's Leadership

The report to which my posting of 11th November referred as explained in the post beneath this of earlier today is quoted below. As my original link does not now work it is impossible for me to know if this is exactly the same as the article upon which I commented. My posting was dated 11th November 2005, whereas this apparently was only published on the 12th November 2005.

The link is here. Note the images on the polling results! The article stated the following:

Cameron takes big lead as the votes come in

By George Jones and Brendan Carlin

Published: 12:01AM GMT 12 Nov 2005

Previous

1 of 2 Images

Next

Click to enlarge

David Cameron is seen as a man of the future

David Cameron has established a 2-1 lead among the third of Conservative Party members who have voted in the leadership election, according to a YouGov survey for The Daily Telegraph today.

The contest enters a critical stage next week with the start of nationwide hustings for the 254,000 Tory members and only a major upset looks likely to prevent Mr Cameron, 39, becoming the next leader.

The poll shows that 68 per cent of party members who have returned their ballot papers backed Mr Cameron, compared with 32 per cent for his older and more experienced rival, David Davis.

Mr Cameron has a similar lead among the 67 per cent who have still to vote, with 66 per cent saying they will back him, compared with 34 per cent for Mr Davis.

The survey confirms that Mr Davis has made up some ground over the past week but he needs a 25 per cent swing to overtake Mr Cameron before the poll closes on Dec 5.

It would take a serious gaffe by Mr Cameron or a stunning comeback by Mr Davis at next week's hustings to derail the Cameron campaign and stop him being crowned the next leader early next month.

Mr Davis, 56, impressed MPs with a strong performance in Wednesday's debate on police powers to detain terrorist suspects, which resulted in Tony Blair's first Commons defeat since he came to power.

He has also announced plans for tax cuts and referendums on Europe aimed at the party's core supporters and got the better of Mr Cameron in a Question Time debate on BBC Television.

But grassroots Tories appear to prefer Mr Cameron's youth and freshness to Mr Davis's experience.

A large majority sees him as a man of the future under whom the Conservatives could make a fresh start after three election defeats. He does not appear to have been damaged by his more liberal views on drugs, even though they are rejected by a majority of party members.

The YouGov findings were backed by several Tory MPs, who reported that Mr Cameron had captured the imagination of many of their local activists.

Anne Maine, the MP for St Albans, who formerly supported Mr Davis, said she was now backing Mr Cameron, taking his support to 107 MPs - well over half the 198-strong parliamentary party.

Michael Ancram, the party's deputy leader, said the backing of a clear majority of Tory MPs was an important signal to party members.

In 2001, when Iain Duncan Smith was elected, party members did not know who the majority of the parliamentary party backed.

"This time it is different," Mr Ancram said. "We now know that a clear majority of the parliamentary party supports David Cameron. I am sure that will be taken into account by members as they reach their decision."

Yesterday Mr Cameron attacked Mr Davis's tax cut plans, portraying his opponent as a Right-winger who had deserted the centre ground.

"Our party faces a clear choice in this contest," he said. "Do we move to the Right or do we fight for the centre gound?"

Interviewed on More 4 last night, he said he thought the Duchess of Cornwall should become queen when the Prince of Wales became king. He said he would vote for a reduction in the 24-week limit for abortions but did not want it to go lower than 18 weeks.

Today Mr Davis will appeal directly to Tory councillors by promising to put local government at the heart of "a Conservative renaissance".

A Reminder of how Cameron stole the Conservative Party

My posting to this blog on 11th November 2005, linked here, ended as follows:

This blog quite correctly predicted the outcome of a Michael Howard leadership takeover - I feel equally certain that if the Tories go for Cameron then it will be the end of their party. How best to then restore decency and democracy to British politics will then become an even trickier problem.

It now seems Nick Clegg is providing the answer. The entire posting is repeated below as archive links on this blog do not always work well AND it reveals the dirty dealngs behind Cameron's placement into the leadership, even though the link to the proof in the Telegraph does not now work!!!!!


The post below was first published on 11th November 2005:

Tories heading for oblivion?

If the headline article in the online edition of the Daily Telegraph is to be believed the Conservative Party is doomed as David Cameron, the media darling who will become its mauled and mangled victim by the next General Election were he to become Party Leader, is reported to have opened an early and large lead over rival David Davis in the leadership contest.

Such are the results of a YouGov poll which has been so manipulatively reported as to condemn the Telegraph to the lowest possible level of even present day journalism. The report may be read from this link.

To try to grasp the degree of distortion it is necessary to recall the basis on which YouGov polls. Anybody can join YouGov and participate in those polls as they may wish. Is it really likely as the report seems to imply that one third of those conservative party members who have already voted are signed up as YouGov contributors. Unlike most polls published as far as I can find there is nowhere any reference to the size of the sample. Just how many conservative party members who have already voted could have been polled - it must be an incredibly small number unless there was some collusion or identification of names of those who had voted from party sources, any names thus provided could then well have been tilted towards the results desired by the Telegraph group owners and editors and/or the party establishment.

Evidence of the desired outcome of the senior party hierarchy comes later in the same report which states:

"Anne Maine, the MP for St Albans, who formerly supported Mr Davis, said she was now backing Mr Cameron, taking his support to 107 MPs - well over half the 198-strong parliamentary party.

Michael Ancram, the party's deputy leader, said the backing of a clear majority of Tory MPs was an important signal to party members."

The Gaderene rush to support the dubious, media reported front-runner by sitting MPs and their European counterparts is understandable when looking at the calibre and motives of the present elected party and remembering that were Cameron to win at only 39 years of age and given his apparent lack of policies and therefore presumably either character or principles, future advancement within the party is likely to be lost pretty much forever as far as the present entire elected members are concerned.

The announcement by the comparatively youthful Owen Paterson MP for David Davis is particularly commendable in this regard.

This blog quite correctly predicted the outcome of a Michael Howard leadership takeover - I feel equally certain that if the Tories go for Cameron then it will be the end of their party. How best to then restore decency and democracy to British politics will then become an even trickier problem.

Posted by Martin at 10:58 AM

Crashing Cameron!

Last Saturday I contributed the following comment to the Matthew Parris column in The Times, linked here:

Martin Cole wrote:

Even worse tactics arrived this morning, I feel sure Mr Parris would agree, with the throwing away of a controversial new levy on the banks for a meaningless small subsidy to a tiny number of attached couples!

Today could mark the high-point of Cameron's campaign!

(Blogger's emphasis)

There has not been one poll taken this week which I have seen that proves me wrong so far.

Now we have had the first TV debate and Matthew Parris throws up this rot.

What was Cameron thinking during the ninety minutes of debate on ITV? Playground bullies in the toughest of primary schools are sometimes impressed by the threat that a victims father might be a policeman, no doubt at Cameron's prep school the revelation that his Mummy was a magistrate could have put awe in his schoolmates, but it left this viewer, (and, I imagine, much of the country), completely unimpressed.

All the huge character deficiencies of Vapid Cameron, detailed on this blog down the years were fully on display last Thursday. Next week the critical matter of the EU and international affairs must be covered. I have already blogged on the glaring contradiction in the manifesto which demonstrates Cameron's plan to continue to sell out the nation to the EU, there will be more on this topic on this blog next week and an important item on "Germans, Napalm and the Euro" on Ironies Too later this weekend.

Cameron should heed Kipling





England only seeks fairness, those with "lots of Scot's blood" flowing through their veins should heed Rudyard Kipling! The complete poem Norman and Saxon may be read from here.

Norman and Saxon


"My son," said the Norman Baron, "I am dying, and you will
be heir
To all the broad acres in England that William gave me for
share
When he conquered the Saxon at Hastings, and a nice little
handful it is.
But before you go over to rule it I want you to understand this:--

"The Saxon is not like us Normans. His manners are not so polite.
But he never means anything serious till he talks about justice
right.
When he stands like an ox in the furrow--with his sullen set eyes
on your own,
And grumbles, 'This isn't fair dealing,' my son, leave the Saxon
alone.

David Cameron knows the Barnett Formula is unfair to England, see his reply to Andrew Marr, posted below. David Cameron should be warned in the coming election that advice framed by Rudyard Kipling for Normans goes for the Picts as well.

Of course Cameron will do nothing to help the English, he is committed to the Barnett formula, the effect of which is to manufacture a huge subsidy flowing ever faster North across the border to Scotland!

Why is this the case? Who knows, but perhaps the answer lies in his response to a question once posed by fellow Scot, Andrew Marr, as seen and quoted in the posting that follows.

ANDREW MARR: Sure - another area of constitutional argument just at the moment is the whole business of the Scots and the English. Lots of people are saying now there should be English votes for English laws - Ken Clarke is clearly attracted by that - and there's quite hubbub now saying that the Scots are getting too much public money, that the old Barnett formula, in fact Joel Barnett himself has said this, needs to be looked at again. Are the Scots getting too much public money at the moment, proportionately?

DAVID CAMERON: I don't have any plans to change the arrangements. Obviously we're in opposition, we have the opportunity to look at these things and we should do so. But I don't have any plans to make changes. And we should look at funding on the basis of need. And I think that's the right way, right way round. But I want, you know, I am a passionate Unionist, I think that Scotland brings a huge amount to the United Kingdom. The Scottish people bring a huge amount to the United Kingdom and I don't want, and I'm a Cameron, there is quite a lot of Scottish blood flowing through these veins.

Full interview linked here.

"Spectator" Editor agrees Cameron is 'VAPID'

In a stinging attack on the Leader of the Conservative Party by the Conservative supporting weekly magazine 'The Spectator' the original assessment of Cameron's pathetic leadership by this blog (here) on his first election is confirmed mere months (perhaps weeks) before the country's most crucial election, by stating the following:

"I describe the speech as vapid nonsense." Read here.

My posting of December 2005 is repeated below:

'Vapid' Cameron looks set to win

The Conservative Party appears headed for oblivion today. We will know at four o'clock Brussels time.

If the Bookies, press and pundits are correct then the nothing that seems to be David Cameron (who this blog will refer to in future as 'Vapid') will ostensibly take over the leadership of Britain's still main opposition party.

With Simon Hughes seemingly positioning the LibDems to steal the English Democrats clothing that may not long be the case!

The British people can hardly be worse served if the leadership result is as predicted. The English people even less so!

Read this and WEEP!!!

Cameron writes that Britain can be cheerful about 2010 in the Mail on Sunday

Cameron is unfit to Lead

Earlier today I reported on the ill-considered, indeed lunatic, announcement from the leader of the main opposition party that in future he expects his supporters in the Commons and Lords to pay their taxes.

What he said was bad enough as may now be viewed on the Sky News web site linked here, but on further reflection the manner of its presentation was even worse.

Cameron appeared not only as every inch a person of zero drive and ambition, clearly evident in every word he spoke, but worse still, dressed as a man without the slightest intention, or indeed interest, in ever leading a country. Well certainly not one carrying any clout in the World.

Visit the website yourself, while still available to see what I mean ....... anybody seeking a part-time gardener in Witney or environs in Oxfordshire???????? They know where to look!

Cameron's reported response to Kirkbride's standing down proves him unfit as an MP let alone as Opposition Leader.

The actual wording, at present only being reported on TV, will be linked here as soon as it is available, it is quite simply astounding!

Update! Here is what Vapid said, as reported in the Telegraph, more than living up to that nickname:

Mr Cameron replied:

"Thank you for being so frank and candid about your decision to stand down at the coming election. I know this was a very hard decision for you to take, but I completely understand why you have decided to do so.

"You have been under enormous pressure in the last two weeks. Sometimes the focus of the public spotlight can be unbearably intense, as you described graphically to me on the phone this morning. I understand that the pressure has now become more than you can bear.

"You have struggled hard to balance your roles of mother and Member of Parliament, and spoken eloquently of how difficult it is to combine the two. As you said to me this morning, your first instinct must now be to protect the wellbeing of your family - especially of your son."

The BBC earlier reported that he went much further than this, I will try to obtain a more complete version, or possibly he has back-tracked.

Update 2 Here from the Guardian is the full text of Cameron's reply:

Thank you for being so frank and candid about your decision to stand down at the coming election. I know this was a very hard decision for you to take, but I completely understand why you have decided to do so.

You have been under enormous pressure in the last two weeks. Sometimes the focus of the public spotlight can be unbearably intense, as you described graphically to me on the phone this morning. I understand that the pressure has now become more than you can bear.

You have struggled hard to balance your roles of mother and Member of Parliament, and spoken eloquently of how difficult it is to combine the two. As you said to me this morning, your first instinct must now be to protect the wellbeing of your family - especially of your son.

In terms of your own case, you have given full answers to the questions that have been put to you, and you have given a good account of yourself.

You step down in the knowledge that you have been an incredibly hardworking and committed Member of Parliament, and that your achievements cannot be taken away from you. You have always fought for the people of Bromsgrove with great spirit, and I know that very many of them are extremely grateful for the work you have done for them for the last 12 years.

Don't let this cast a shadow over your achievements. You should be extremely proud of what you have done - including as shadow culture secretary, and on the select committee for business and enterprise. Since your student days you've been a valiant fighter for the Conservative party. Though today must seem a very dark day, I know that you have so much to offer in the future.

The public are rightly angry at what has happened over MPs' expenses. If we are to rebuild trust in politics, it is essential that there is thorough and urgent reform. But it is also extremely important that part of that reform should include better ways of enabling women to combine the roles of politician and mother.

I hope that you and Andrew will, in the coming months, be able to start the process of rebuilding your lives.

What planet is Cameron living upon? Fifty thousand pounds of tax payers money to build a bedroom for her brother to live in rent free with all the other abuses of taxpayer funds by this miserable couple! Unbelievable!! To then say this:

Don't let this cast a shadow over your achievements. You should be extremely proud of what you have done

David Cameron stated yesterday "... if you share our values come and be a Conservative candidate.”

What values might they be? I wondered as Cameron uttered this latest glib gimmick on the Andrew Marr Show yesterday morning.

David Cameron, or just plain vapid as this blog likes to occasionally refer to him, has no obvious values whatsoever. He has ambition, the burning desire to be Prime Minister which might be considered commendable by some, particularly as he so vividly and frequently gives evidence of the fact that he lacks any single character attribute for such a job! But values? No way, I thought so I have sought guidance from the Party's web site, linked here.

Sure enough, all kinds of policies and statements about what will be accomplished, talk of war rooms etc., but not a single word about this alien concept for the Cameroon's which must have sounded so alluring in preparing for the TV Studio - VALUES! At one point I found a link stating "Where we stand" but when it is clicked all we get is "Void" the item being merely a heading for all kinds of specific nonsense with narry a value, let alone a principle, in sight.

If you visit the "People" page on the web site, just before the smiling faces of Cameron's motley crew appear you are greeted with the message "Wide Branding Image" very apt..... perhaps Dave should have said to Marr "....if you share our wide branding image come and be a Conservative candidate."

In fact if one searched for an antonym to what Cameron stands for, VALUES would be way up there with the front runners.

Were I not already dissuaded from considering throwing my hat into the ring for a Conservative candidature by the ghastly thought that one would need to be a "team player" with the dross with which Cameron has surrounded himself, then the misuse of this word and the sheer effrontery of this man's ignorance of what it means, would certainly deter me.

Husky photo shoot with Values emblazoned on the sleigh anyone?

"Hole in the heart" my foot tis a "VOID in the head"

Fraser Nelson in the News of the World, here, comments on the lamentable lack of leadership in the Tory Party, welcome to what this blog has been trying to put across for years Mr Nelson!

A few quotes:

You won't hear any Tory grumbling in public. It's amazing how a poll lead (and the prospect of ministerial limos) can unify a party. But Tories do wonder: what's the point of winning if all we're going to do is dress up Labour plans in posher words? Or, as a senior shadow minister put to me: "Are we promising a change of government, or just a change of personnel?"

I heard it reported about Labour this weekend that they cannot get rid of Brown at this stage because the party would be slaughtered at the election, the same seems true of Cameron (in spite of the present huge poll lead) and the Tories, for things are deteriorating so fast it is the country as a whole that will have been effectively slaughtered in thirteen months from now.

Massive public spending cuts have to begin now. The IFS has shown there is at least a 45 billion pound hole in the budget sums which is growing daily, meantime the abhorrent gluttony in the public sector, led by the political class, continues apace with no sign Cameron has even noticed the hypocrisy of his own position.