Sid Pollitt
I wonder if the judgement shown by Tory leader David Cameron recently will result in the fate that befell Ian Duncan Smith before the last general election. Cameron's decisions on europe, his close advisors etc may see the Tory grandees act against him as swiftly as they did against IDS.
The sticking with George Osborne and bringing in Ken Clarke to bolster his inept shadow chancellor looks to be a decision borne out of what is best for him rather than his shadow cabinet and holding on to his communications chief Andy Coulson might, or might not, come back to bite him as soon as next week.
Cameron's decision to change his party's european allies may bring shame to the Tories, and maybe our country. This new grouping they are in is led by Michal Kaminski who has been described by a board member of Poland's Campaign Against Homophobia as a symbol of homophobia in Poland. As an MEP he has consistently voted against resolutions that fight homophobia in Europe and he used to belong to a neo-fascist group.
The FT reckons the decision to break from the EPP group in the Euro parliament was always daft and 'a bit like the right wing of the US Republican Party splitting off and forming a minority group in Congress'.
This week the Tories relinquished the leadership of their new faction, the European Conservatives and Reformists [ECR] group, to Kaminski, this was after Edward McMillan-Scott, a Tory MEP, refused to respect a deal in which Kaminski had been promised one of the parliament's vice-presidency posts. McMillan-Scott, who instead secured the vice-presidency for himself, has now effectively been kicked out of the ECR, and the Tories are in disarray.
Cameron cant say he wasn't warned and the knives may be sharpened over the summer.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i think that the knives are being sharpened sid, but for different reasons.
mr cameron has uttered words to the effect that big business must be controlled in a way that makes sure it does not ride roughshod over the people.
the chap with the hush puppies and crumpled suits has already warned him not to turn rhetoric into policy.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
in conculsion what is the point of all this nonsence.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Very amusing Sid, utter nonsense and somewhat out of date. Incidentally given the FT stance on the EU, anything that it disapproves of in Tory European policy works for me.
Most amusing is what you say about George Osborne, the man Labour fear the most, hence the intense campaign against him.
As for Coulson, well Cameron's judgement seems very sound there. The police said the Guardian did not come up with anything new, so did the prosecution service and the Guardian has also failed to produce anything new and damning. Cameron is right on the button for not sacking a man for doing, well, nothing wrong.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
you may be right about nothing new barry.
the question is, was the old stuff investigated as thoroughly as it should have been.
incidentally barry, are you now making the ft a bedfellow of the liberal guardian now?
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
No not really howard. The FT is very pro 'Big EU' and has been for a long time.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
having not read that in about 20 years, i have no idea why of their politics.
what reason/s do they give for supporting our continued membership?
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
to wind barry up howard.
Sid Pollitt
I'd also question Cameron's judgement on the people he's got in his shadow cabinet. I dont think they're there on merit or owt, I think it's down to Cameron's arrogance or laziness. Have you seen who he's got as shadow Europe minister? It's someone called Mark Francois. He's just put down names to go with the portfolio hasn't he, Damien Green at Environment, Gillian Shepherd at agriculture and Julien Brazier at Energy wouldn't surprise me.
What put me on to this discovery is that I saw that James Brokenshire is shadow Home Office minister. So it's not that the country, as has been alledged for party political purposes, is broken it is just a county. If we find out which one it is then we can get them to scrap their county council and have unitory authorities and the problem will go away [not there really is one]. Maybe it is Cornwall coz the Tories have a shadow minister for Cornwall although there aint a minister, der. And just when is Cameron going to appoint a shadow minister of sound, get with the programme.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
If we take Barry's comments seriously on DC(WHICH few do)
and its true barrys believes labour fears osbourne
(which they dont)
they Barry must fear GB cos hes always attacking him
he must fear him ?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
highly amusing sid, i suppose that if virginia bottomley had still been in the commons, she would have had special responsibility for something.
Sid Pollitt
Bottomley would probably have rivals for the job. I tell you what, I dont like it when Osborne makes economic statements that wouldnt be out of place coming out of the mouth of Chance from Being There and then Cameron feels obliged to do an impression of Forrest Gump. Does Osborne have something on him?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i understand that they were chums at the top peoples school, they do seem to have some sort of loyalty code.
Sid Pollitt
I see that loads and loads of experts see the Tories plans to scrap the Financial Services Authority as a backward step mainly due to the nature of the BoE which would be lumbered if Cameron is allowed to enforce his poor judgement there. I did expect when Osborne was on me tellybox saying 'We'd scrap the FSA' that his next lines would be 'Let's bomb Russia' and 'Kick Michael Foot's stick away' coz it was at that level of political thought, at least when Kenny Everett said it it was mildly funny. I think that the only experience these guys have of financial matters is running a tuckshop and writing a cheque after they have trashed a restaurant.
I'd also concur with PaulB that Cameron seems to want to use British troops as a political football and I'm of the impression that Cameron wants to do the same with swine flu.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Sid - do keep to subjects you know something about.
Clearly the tri-partied arrangement Brown put in place has been a dismal failure, indeed according to the latest IMF report worse than that, it has led to severe damage to the world economy. It revealed that since 1997 British banks have lent to US citizens an amount the equivilent to 10% of the US GDP - a vast sum of money. That is extended to other countries so the collapse of British bank lending has thereforenot only made the UK recession worse, it has damaged the world economy. So yes, brown has been not just a UK disaster but a world disaster. The IMF provide a map demonstrating the impact of Brown's mad reforms.
With that background GO's proposals make clear sense. Restoring to the Bank of England many of the powers taken away by Brown to regulate Banks and adding more make sense with a clear ownership of financial macro economic prudence. The FSA has been a disaster, something I am personally aware of (and I am one IFA who is much more in tune with the thrust of the FSA's recent reforms than most...), that massive all in regulation model failed so getting a new regulator in charge of consumer interest makes clear sense.
A few predominantly left wing commentators may not like it as they prefer the more Stalinist FSA model but that, if anything, indicates GO has got it right. Some extreme free marketeers (I am one though I dont agree with them on this) may also criticise it but again that is an indication that GO is on the right lines.
This is a sound and sensible move that creates a clarity totally missing from the present arrangement and the changes proposed by Darling.
Sid Pollitt
The BBC's Robert Peston didnt cotton the Tories plans much. I must admit though that I have no knowledge of running a tuckshop or writing a cheque after trashing a restaurant.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
The BBC ehhhh, well well, you would not expecdt any different from that left wing organisation. This is clearly in pursuit of their policy of advocating left wing views as recently admitted by an executive. It just brings closer the day when they lose access to all the licence fee. Some of us do know how to run a bit more than a tuck shop. Clealry something alien to Labour Ministers as recently exposed by a former Home Secretary....
Sid Pollitt
All Osborne and Cameron know of financial matters is running a tuckshop and writing a cheque after they have trashed a restaurant. Fact. Unless Cameron was involved in the ERM mess rather than standing around looking gormless or being sent to get the coffees.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,698
Roger Bootle in the Telegraph Business pages seems also to feel that this is not the most well considered of proposals along with the Evening Standard City Editor as well - neither of who are left or liberal
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Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Ross wot a great posting, all coming home to roost
DC and G O #all getting found out