Uk politics

Thursday

Steerpike

Vince Cable’s leadership dilemma

Although Christmas is supposed to mean peace on earth and goodwill to all men, this goodwill appears not to extend to the Liberal Democrats – or Vince Cable anyway. The Lib Dem leader has become the topic du jour for political journalists over the December dry season – with both the Guardian and Times publishing scathing articles on Cable's failure to unite his party and 'spark Lib Dems into life' (see Steerpike's November report for a pre-cursor to the latest Lib Dem fear and loathing). Now questions are being asked over Cable's suitability – and whether he even wants the job. This hasn't been helped by Cable telling Politico his new year resolution is to 'work less and sleep more'.

Wednesday

Mary Killen

Dear Mary solves Ruth Davidson’s sartorial dilemma

From Ruth Davidson Q. My mother often tells me that I look scruffy. What’s the appropriate dress for a leader of the Scottish Conservative Party? A. Your mother should relax. Your own spontaneously evolved style speaks so eloquently of egolessness that it is of wide appeal to your fan base.

Tuesday

Katy Balls

Theresa May caught between a fox and a hard place over hunting vote

Although the Boxing Day hunt is one of the biggest events of the year for the hunting community, it's safe to presume that the Christmas cheer at yesterday's hunt was dampened by reports the Prime Minister is expected to abandon all plans for a free vote to overturn the fox hunting ban. After having to bin the manifesto pledge to bring forward a free vote on the Hunting Act in this parliamentary session, Theresa May is reported to be preparing to go one step further in the new year and announce plans to drop the commitment permanently. As I write in the i paper today, it was only really a matter of time until the Tories turned their attention to fox-hunting.

James Bartholomew

What explains the idiocy of the liberal elite? It’s their education

We’re closing 2017 by republishing our twelve most-read articles of the year. Here’s No. 6: James Bartholomew on the liberal elite's reaction to Brexit and Trump: Enough! Enough! For months, the so-called liberal elite has been writing articles, having radio and TV discussions, giving sermons (literally) and making speeches in which it has struggled to understand those strange creatures: ordinary people. The elite is bemused by what drives these people to make perverse decisions about Brexit and Trump. Are they racist, narrow-minded or just stupid? Whatever the reason, ordinary people have frankly been a disappointment. Time, ladies and gentlemen, please! Instead, let’s do the opposite. Let’s try to explain to ordinary people what drives the liberal elite.

Sunday

Mary Killen

Dear Mary solves Tim Martin’s Brexit dinner party problem

From Tim Martin Q. I have campaigned vociferously for Brexit. In my own world of pubs, Leavers prevail. However, my wife insists I attend Remain-dominated dinner parties over Christmas, where I am as popular as Jonny Bairstow in an Aussie team talk. How can I ingratiate myself with the bourgeoisie? A. Subtly encourage the inevitable kangaroo court atmosphere so the rival males can let off steam and use you as a verbal punchbag, asserting their masculinity and showing off in front of their wives. You might initiate a dispute on one of the Leave campaign’s less sound assertions and concede points so they can be seen to have ‘won’. Let Christmas spirit prevail as you use your own unpopularity to boost the group’s self-esteem.

Rod Liddle

The worst Tory election campaign ever

We’re closing 2017 by republishing our twelve most-read articles of the year. Here’s No. 8: Rod Liddle on the bungled snap election. His piece was published 12 days before Theresa May blew her majority: I am trying to remember if there was ever a worse Conservative election campaign than this current dog’s breakfast — and failing. Certainly 2001 was pretty awful, with Oliver Letwin going rogue and Thatcher sniping nastily from behind the arras. It is often said that 1987 was a little lacklustre and Ted Heath had effectively thrown in the towel in October 1974. But I don’t think anything quite matches up to this combination of prize gaffes and the robotic incantation of platitudinous idiocies.

Saturday

Steerpike

A very Guardian Christmas: decorate a tree branch

Christmas – the season of goodwill, turkey, tinsel and general over-indulgence. Except that is, if you work at the Guardian. With just two days to go until Christmas day, the paper has produced a late contender for most Grauniad article of the year. Writing for the paper, Saskia Sarginson shares her Christmas dilemma: can one permit traditional indulgences when 'they seem at odds with the world we live in today'? Sarginson's environmentally-conscious children have changed her perspective on Christmas traditions: 'My children have no desire to hark back to something that is gone, and I see their point that traditional indulgences seem at odds with the world we live in today.

Lynn Barber

Theresa May’s skirts are a disgrace

I asked a Tory friend in the country if she had any strong views about the Prime Minister that she would like me to express on her behalf. Yes, she said, her skirts are a disgrace. Why does she always have to show her knees? I relayed this to a friend in London, saying I sometimes wondered whether women should ever have been given the vote, but she eyed me sternly and said: ‘I couldn’t agree more. Nobody wants to see Theresa May’s knees.’ Honestly! It’s not as if she wears ra-ra skirts or pussy-pelmets. But I notice that she wore a knee-length coat and skirt for the Remembrance Day service.

Friday

Mary Killen

Dear Mary solves Vince Cable’s ballroom dancing dilemma

From Sir Vince Cable MP Q. I have an unfulfilled ambition to win a national title for ballroom dancing in my age group. But this leadership thing gets in the way of my training. What’s more important — Parliament’s squabbling schoolroom or Blackpool’s twinkle-toes ballroom? A. What’s all this either/or business? These days the only way to become a leader is to become a celebrity first. Viz Trump. If they like you as leader it won’t be because you’ve got the ‘leadership thing’ — it will have been the twinkle toes that swung it.

Hugo Rifkind

The real reason Nigel Farage hates Douglas Carswell

We’re closing 2017 by republishing our twelve most-read articles of the year. Here’s No. 10: Hugo Rifkind on spotting the difference between a real anti-establishment man and a fake one: If the British establishment really wants to troll Ukip, then I suppose it ought to give Douglas Carswell a knighthood for blocking Nigel Farage’s knighthood. He says he didn’t, of course, and I don’t see how he could have done. Farage, though, clearly thinks he did, and his wrath about this is the most fun thing to have happened in British politics for ages. He’s furious. His little demons are furious. Too furious, really. ‘This must be about something else,’ I kept thinking. ‘Deep down, it must be. But what?

Thursday

Katy Balls

Will Theresa May replace her Willie?

The news of Damian Green's 'resignation' (some would call it a polite sacking) as First Secretary of State has broadly speaking been accepted as necessary by Conservative MPs. David Davis has valiantly reneged on his pledge to resign from Cabinet in protest if Green was shown the door. Meanwhile, the at times outspoken Andrew Bridgen has busied himself on the airwaves this morning waxing lyrical about the government. What helps May is that Green broke the ministerial code because he made misleading statements – meaning she hasn't had to make the decision based on a judgment on his alleged actions. The next question: will May replace Green?

Tom Goodenough

What the papers say: How has May managed to cling on?

Damian Green was Theresa May’s closest ally in government and his departure makes life even trickier for the embattled Prime Minister. Yet while Green's sacking caps off a dreadful 2017 for the PM, still May survives. ‘In an otherwise traumatic year’, says the Guardian, ‘that probably counts as a success.’ So how has May managed to cling on? The Guardian says May owes her survival to the lack of a viable alternative within the Tory ranks. What’s more, it's worth remembering that those who would seek to replace the PM – Philip Hammond, Boris Johnson and David Davis, for instance – have hardly had the best of years themselves.

Alex Massie

Theresa May must share the blame for the Brexit bitterness

As Gore Vidal said, “Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little” and by that exacting standard, Tim Shipman has become a significant trial to his many friends. I thought of this again when it emerged – as they say in Westminster – that the cabinet would meet to discuss the future shape of Brexit. It seemed telling that this actually counted as a bona fide 'news' story. That is, it was a man bites dog moment and therefore worth putting in the newspapers.  Then again, readers of Fall Out, Shipman’s sequel to his best-selling account of the Brexit referendum entertainment, would not have been surprised.

James Bartholomew

Letter to a young Corbynista

We’re closing 2017 by republishing our twelve most-read articles of the year. Here’s No. 11: James Bartholomew explains to his nephew why he is not voting for Jeremy Corbyn: Dear John, I really hope you won’t be offended by this letter from your uncle. I have nothing but respect for you and I would hate to damage the friendly relationship we have had since I first met you when you were six years old. I understand from your aunt that you voted Labour in the latest election and that you are a ‘Corbynista’. In fact even your aunt herself — a lifelong Tory as far as I know — has been saying how nice Jeremy Corbyn is and how much better he handled the Grenfell Tower tragedy than Theresa May did.

Wednesday

Steerpike

Claws out at the BBC over Peston’s Damian Green report

The news that Damian Green has resigned this evening as First Secretary of State following an investigation into his conduct has taken many by surprise. However, Mr S suspects that one Westminster hack may be the most surprised of all. Just this month, ITV's Robert Peston reported that not just one but three well-placed sources had reported that Damian Green would be informed that he 'does not need to resign': Peston's former BBC colleagues appear to be taking a less than charitable view of the situation: https://twitter.com/BBCDanielS/status/943599507597651968 Perhaps Peston's sources were correct at the time of publication...

Isabel Hardman

Breaking: Damian Green resigns from the Government

Damian Green has resigned from the Government following an investigation into his conduct. Below are the letters between the former First Secretary of State and the Prime Minister:   May makes clear in her letter that she asked Green to resign - but it’s worth noting what the resignation was for, as the investigation into his conduct focused on two aspects. The summary of the Cabinet Secretary’s report on these allegations, which was released to the media this evening, says that it was ‘not possible to reach a definitive conclusion on the appropriateness of Mr Green’s behaviour with Kate Maltby in early 2015, though the investigation found Ms Maltby’s account to be plausible’.

Katy Balls

Theresa May masters the art of saying nothing at Liaison Committee

Although staffers in No 10 have been busy this week celebrating Theresa May making it to Christmas, the Prime Minister had to first make it through an appearance in front of the Liaison Committee this afternoon. Summoned to give evidence on everything from Brexit and the intricacies of alignment to the now defunct social mobility commission and sexual harassment, May found herself in a very different position to the one she was in when she last appeared before the committee a year ago. With no Conservative majority and a divided party behind her, May was reminded of her problems by the very presence of the new chair of the committee Sarah Wollaston.

Isabel Hardman

Tory MPs keep up pressure on government over refuge funding plans

One of the better questions at today’s PMQs came from Tory MP Chris Green, who asked about the government’s proposed funding model for refuges. Green was among the Conservatives who last week raised concerns about the plan for local authorities to pay grants to refuges rather than individual places being paid for by a woman’s housing benefit, and he did so again today, asking Theresa May the following: ‘Will my right hon. Friend join me in praising the work of Fortalice, which has provided domestic abuse support in Bolton for 40 years? Will she consider under the current reforms the benefits of a new funding structure for domestic abuse refuges separate from the supported housing sector, so that refuges can continue to deliver their specialist support?

Lloyd Evans

The SNP is a coven of hysterical exhibitionists

Have you noticed the temperature? It’s got weirdly balmy all of a sudden. And the forecasters are predicting a spell of bikini weather over the festive period. By Boxing Day, we’ll be tippling iced cocktails to take the edge off the muggy gusts breezing up from the tropics. This is bad news for the energy companies. And it’s even worse for Labour MPs who love a winter breakdown in the NHS. The party’s crisis-profiteers are praying for icy blizzards and vicious gales chiselling down from the frozen north. They were hard at it today. Jeremy Corbyn assumed a gloating tone when he asked Mrs May about underfunding, missed targets and other symptoms of ‘the crisis’.

Stephen Daisley

The bland secret of Jeremy Corbyn’s appeal

Jeremy Corbyn's interview with Grazia (a 2017 sentence if ever there was one) was helpfully revealing. Not his assertion that ‘there will probably be another election in the next 12 months’ and that he ‘will probably win'. That just tells us that the man who supposedly never wanted the job really wants the job. His chat with the glossy magazine provides deeper insights into his character and his methods. Interviewer Anna Silverman writes: 'I want to know whether his jovial good nature is genuine or whether he’s mastered the true politician’s art of charming the crowds. I ask a couple of members of his team – which, interestingly, is mostly female – whether he is always so equable and friendly.