Peter Hoskin

Monday

Peter Hoskin

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 1 September – 7 September

From our UK edition

Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers' Wall.  For those who haven't come across the Wall before, it's a post we put up each Monday, on which – provided your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency – you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no topic, so there’s no need to stay ‘on topic’ – which means you’ll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There’s also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything’s fair game – from political stories in your local paper, to chat about the latest football results.

Peter Hoskin

Has Balls lost out in the Darling row?

From our UK edition

The Alistair Darling story just keeps on rolling.  The latest comes courtesy of Benedict Brogan, who writes on his excellent blog that "relations between Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown remain remarkably good ... Talk of rows and explosions since the Guardian hit the streets on Friday night are wide of the mark".  So might the limelight now fall on Ed Balls?  The schools secretary is widely believed to be behind the spate of "Darling to be axed in a forthcoming reshuffle" rumours circling around.  But if things are good between Brown and Darling - and if that implies that Darling is safe in his job - then the PM may not look too kindly on any efforts to unseat the Chancellor and make the government look even more divided than it is in the process.

Peter Hoskin

Leaky government

From our UK edition

Expect more furious nail-chewing in Downing Street today, after the leak of a pessimistic memo from Jacqui Smith to Gordon Brown.  The picture that the Home Secretary paints, of the effect the economic downturn will have on crime, is a bleak one.  Here are some extracts: "[A downturn] would place significant upward pressure on acquisitive crime (theft, robbery and burglary) and therefore overall crime figures ... [this] might require difficult decisions over officer numbers and priorities." And "There is a risk of a downturn increasing the appeal of far right extremism ... which presents a threat as there is evidence that ... experiencing racism is one of the factors that can lead to people becoming terrorists.

Sunday

Peter Hoskin

Forcing the narrative

From our UK edition

There's a comment piece by Gordon Brown in today's Observer, and one by David Miliband in the Mail on Sunday.  The subject of both? Russia and the Georgian crisis. Our Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary's words on the matter are familiar by now - all about how Russian aggression is "unacceptable" and how they must recognise Georgian "territorial integrity".  But there's still little sign that this message will be backed up by substantive action, of any sort. In which case, it's difficult not to read the articles from the perspective of a Kremlinoglogist.  Two comment pieces, on the same topic, by two senior ministers, in one day?

Saturday

Peter Hoskin

Will Darling’s frankness lose him his job?

From our UK edition

Has Alistair Darling just earned himself the chop?  In an interview with the Guardian this morning, he claims that the current economic downturn could be the worst we've faced for over 60 years, and that voters are "pissed off" with the Government. Frank admissions both.  But - as they depart completely from Gordon Brown's alleged belief that the economic storm clouds will start dispersing in a couple of months - No.10 may read them personal affront to the Prime Minister, and another supposed sign that the Chancellor is a dangerous livewire who needs to be dealt with in the forthcoming reshuffle. On that front, Darling says that there are "lots of people who'd like to do my job".  Problem is for No.

Friday

Peter Hoskin

The week that was | 29 August 2008

From our UK edition

On Americano James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson have been reporting from Denver, Colorado, on the Democratic National Conference. James thinks McCain has rolled the dice with his VP pick and the Democrat electoral challenge.

Peter Hoskin

Your questions for Dominic Grieve

From our UK edition

It's been a week since we asked CoffeeHousers to put forward their questions for Dominic Grieve.  We've since picked out the best five, which have now been put to the shadow home secretary.  He'll get back to us at the start of next week. The CoffeeHousers whose questions were chosen can e-mail me on phoskin@ spectator.co.uk to claim their t-shirt and 180th Anniversary issue of the magazine. Anyway, here are the questions: Alex R Do you understand that your views on the ECHR are in contradiction to those of the huge majority of conservative supporters and potential conservative supporters. Do you understand why many people believe this should disqualify you from ever being Home Secetary in the next conservative government?

Peter Hoskin

Is this independence?

From our UK edition

Earlier this week, Russia formally recognised South Ossetia's "independence".  And now, as the Telegraph reports: Znaur Gassiyev, the Speaker of South Ossetia’s parliament, said the enclave would formally join Russia "in several years" or possible earlier. This had been "firmly stated by both leaders” during their meeting in Moscow. Tarzan Kokoiti, the deputy Speaker, predicted: “We will live in one united Russian state.

Peter Hoskin

Blanchflower foresees a miserable Christmas

From our UK edition

Hardly a day goes by now without a new set of grim economic forecasts in the papers.  But some stand out more than others, such as the prediction made by David Blanchflower today that 300,000 more people will be unemployed by Christmas - putting overall unemployment at over 2 million.  If Blanchflower's correct, it would be the most dramatic - and sorry - impact that the current downturn's had on the lives of British people so far.  And, of course, it compounds the Government's problems.  Not only will Brown no longer be able boast about "low employment", but the idea that any kind of "economic recovery package" will make a substantial difference is looking increasingly fanciful.

Peter Hoskin

Has Brown bought himself more time?

From our UK edition

As I wrote a couple of days ago, Brown's close involvement in the Glenrothes by-election is a high risk strategy - after all, he'll be regarded as even more reponsible should Labour be defeated.  But the strategy may just have bought him more time in his role.  Recently, the story was that the leadership challenges would kick off at the Labour conference in September.  But the latest - as reported in today's Times - is that Labour MPs are prepared to sheath their knives until after the by-election, which will most likely be in October or November.  The thinking is that Brown should be given an opportunity to prove himself, and to implement his economic recovery package.

Peter Hoskin

Yet another poll battering for Brown

From our UK edition

Does the latest YouGov poll for the Telegraph have the Tories 19 or 20 points ahead of Labour?  The reported numbers have the Tories on 46 percent, Labour on 26 percent and the Lib Dems on 16 percent - so a 20 point lead for Cameron & Co.  But, writing in the Telegraph, both Andrew Porter and Anthony King talk about a 19 point lead. Not that the discrepancy matters.  Either way, the figures show that the Tories have solidified the 20-ish point lead that they've enjoyed over Labour recently - and that despite a fizzling out of the leadership speculation surrouding Brown.  Indeed, the Tories have now had a double-digit lead over Labour for six consecutive months - their best performance since the early 1980s.

Thursday

Peter Hoskin

Is the eco-town coalition collapsing?

From our UK edition

Ok, so Tesco's announcement that they're dropping plans to construct an eco-town at Hanley Grange, Cambridgeshire, was couched in diplomatic terms ("We think the proposal had very good prospects of succeeding under the government's Eco Town initiative", they said). But it's hard not to regard their actions as a sign that confidence in eco-towns is dwindling. After all, as this Government's stock falls, and as further questions about the towns' "green" credentials emerge, it's no longer good PR - or good business - to back the scheme. The Tories recognised that back in June, when they also withdrew their support from it.  Of course, it's all a pretty hefty blow for Brown - who might have hoped the eco-towns would be a lasting legacy, however misguided.

Peter Hoskin

The leadership buzz has fizzled out, but for how long?

From our UK edition

Do read John Retoul's excellent article in the Independent today.  In it, he picks up on how the leadership speculation surrounding Brown has slowly fizzled out over the past few weeks.  Things are certainly quieter than those heady days in late July, when David Miliband was plastering his ambitions all over the comment pages of the Guardian. There are a number of theories as to why, including: 1) It's still the recess, the story was always going to die down until Parliament reconvened; 2) David Miliband and the other would-be leaders have had to defer their plotting in respect of the Georgia conflict; and 3) Labour have ever so slightly warmed towards the PM after what was - by Brown's standards - a quietly effective performance in Beijing.

Wednesday

Peter Hoskin

Coffee House poll results: should the Tories pledge to cut public spending?

From our UK edition

A couple of days ago, we asked CoffeeHousers whether the Tories should pledge to cut public spending.  Many thanks to all those who voted.  The results are now in... Yes, but they should wait until nearer a general election to make the pledge --- 49.5 percent Yes, they should make the pledge over the next few weeks --- 33.5 percent No --- 15.0 percent Don’t know --- 2.

Peter Hoskin

A Coffee House challenge: how to sell a Cabinet?

From our UK edition

One of the things about Cameron on Cameron is that it provides journos with a bank of quotes from the Tory leader, on more topics than you could care to think of.  Accordingly, then, I flicked through it, looking for some words on Andrew Lansley, whilst writing my earlier post.  There's only one relevant entry in the index and it took me to this exchange: [Dylan Jones:] Sell me your Shadow Cabinet. What's so brilliant about it? [David Cameron:] Our Cabinet is so much stronger than theirs. David Davis (Shadow Home Secretary) is quite clearly so much stronger than Jacqui Smith.  Or look at Liam Fox (Shadow Secretary of State) against Des Browne.  There's just no comparison.

Peter Hoskin

Have the Tories scored an own goal over food packaging?

From our UK edition

In a speech to the think tank Reform earlier today, Andrew Lansley outlined a few potential measures to tackle obesity in the UK.  You can find a good summary of those measures here, and we'll have more about them on Coffee House later.  In the meantime, a controversy is brewing over one of Lansley's suggestions - namely, that the 'traffic light' labelling currently used to flag up fat, saturates, sugar and salt on food packaging should be replaced with clearer information about 'guideline daily amounts'. Why so controversial?  Well, it's less to do with the suggestion itself - although there are issues about whether ditching traffic light labelling would be a helpful move - and more to do with the working group that Lansley's established to evaluate that suggestion.

Peter Hoskin

Brown takes charge in Glenrothes

From our UK edition

The Daily Record reports that Gordon Brown is to take personal charge of the Labour campaign in the forthcoming Glenrothes by-election, presumably on the basis that he's well acquainted with the area.  It's a high risk strategy.  Of course, should Labour triumph he'll be able to claim greater credit than would otherwise be the case, and his hand will be strengthened in any Labour leadership struggle.  But there's an obvious flip side to that. If Labour are defeated - and that's currently the most likely outcome - then many in the party will hold Brown even more responsible.  That he's prepared to take such risks is proabably a measure of how precarious he sees his position as being.