Fraser Nelson is a Times columnist and a former editor of The Spectator.
“I really want the Conservatives to win the next election because…” A few CoffeeHousers have offered some endings to the above sentence, and I’d like to offer the bribe of a bottle of champagne for the best entry. One rule (sorry, Tiberius) it can’t just be “because Brown is a villain” etc – it has to
It is horrible to imagine. It would be a tragedy, for party and country. Even contemplating it seems lurid and, given recent events, deeply mischievous. It is certainly not something for loyal Tories to discuss in public. But, in their darker moments, few Conservative politicians will have not asked themselves the question in the past
As Matt suggested, I’m getting some stick from Tories here in the Commons – mainly ones who have just seen today’s Spectator cover (Peter Brooke’s brilliant cartoon of Cameron about to be run over a bus) and asking if I’ve gone all Brutus. Quite the reverse. I merely sought to dangle regicidal Tories over the
It was almost like David Cameron was being bullied by the Commons today. When he stood up, all MPs cheered – the kind of sarcastic cheer they normally reserve for Ming Campbell. When he mentioned the floods and “people in this country are discussing this issue” an almighty laugh went up saying “what would you
Beneath the dynamic surface, Brown is dismantling Blair’s public service reforms When ministerial limousines line Great Smith Street in Westminster it is normally a sign that the Cinnamon Club is doing brisk trade. This upmarket Indian restaurant has become so popular with MPs that it has wired up a division bell in its foyer to
Ben Brogan reports that George Bridges, David Cameron’s former campaign manager, has quit, It is a loss, he’s a great guy and had a hell of a tough job. Being in charge of campaigning for Scotland and the north is like being made head of the Saudi Arabian division of Guinness. I gather his departure
Richard Littlejohn is perhaps the funniest journalist in Britain today, but it’s a mistake to be distracted by the brilliance of his jokes. He regularly unearths the social and political trends making a direct impact on people’s lives. Today its the “global warming racket” – how councils are hiring “carbon advisers” on £30k a year.
What today’s polls say to me is “early election”. If Brown keeps this up into the recess, his honeymoon will stretch through the summer. Remember, the Tories need a ten-point lead to win an overall majority. I’ve been amazed how much ammunition Brown is discharging. He could have announced Super Casinos in the autumn. He
Reading the blogosphere must often be a frustrating business for David Cameron. But I gather a more supportive site is on the way. Fiona Melville, a member of his leadership campaign who left the party just two months ago, is working on a website which my sources tell me will have a “modern liberal Conservative
Putting City Academies under the care of local authorities is like putting chickens in the care of wolves – as Mr Brown knows very well. So it’s goodbye to Mr Blair’s market reforms, although the Prime Minister has subcontracted the wielding of the knife. Witness his twin strategy: he keeps Lord Adonis, joint architect of
Brown has a PMQs headline for us: let Cameron do the PR, he’ll be the PM. Well, his performance was better than last week. But what struck me was the Tory’s “behold the Jock” strategy. One Tory backbencher demanded English votes for English laws. Another asked “The Prime Minister claims to treat people equally, so
The News of the World (where yours truly is a columnist) is not only top for celebrity news (they had the Wills/Kate reunion last week) but its news stories are often ahead of the competition by weeks. So I’m struck by their story that there now 219 terror cells on MI5’s map, plus a fascinating
Don’t mention the war on terror — even if we’re winning it The war on terror is over — or at least has been purged from the vocabulary of Gordon Brown’s government. The phrase, he has decided, will never be mentioned by any of his ministers. The men who attempted to attack a London nightclub
Perched high up in the press gallery for PMQs, I didn’t see Cameron’s superb sneer when Brown moaned he’s only been in the job for five days (seven, actually, Gordon but who’s counting?). That sneer was the most eloquent remark of all. Like American party conventions, there are two shows – the one you see
A packed house and full of entertainment. Ming Campbell spent ages trying to make his way to his seat: people didn’t seem to notice him. Brown was wearing a pastel blue tie, Cameron a red one – just one sign of the switched agendas going on. Brown is still being cautious on terror “I’ve only
Some thoughts on the Brown statement… 1. Cameron’s response was very good. He had varied intonation and passion – while Brown’s stutter got steadily worse as he read his constitutional proposals out like a Budget-style shopping list. I fancied I saw Cameron’s hands shake a little as he faced Prime Minister Brown for the first time
What I love about the climate change “debate” is that when the public show themselves unconvinced about its wilder claims, the media talks patronisingly about a need to “educate.” This goes to show that environmentalism has become a religion with no tolerance for dissenters who must either be converted or burnt at the cross. Iain
Some thoughts on the Tory reshuffle… 1. This was described to me as an “election footing” reshuffle. It’s the explanation why Maude has gone – he represented the pre-election phase, apparently. 2. George Osborne is given powers for election co-ordinator. He has no experience in the field, and will face a formidable challenge from Douglas Alexander who
Francis Maude has been sacked as Tory chairman, party sources confirm. He’ll be taking up another job, though. More soon.
Fraser Nelson says that the new Prime Minister has positioned himself in territory that the Tories have left vacant, and is ready to fight a cultural battle to defend the ‘British way of life’ and win over the C1 voters who decide elections It was a phrase that David Cameron would never dare to utter.