Peter Hoskin

Tuesday

Peter Hoskin

Where it all went wrong for Brown: the 10p tax debacle

From our UK edition

Here's the first in our series of posts looking back over the mistakes made by Brown in his first year as Prime Minister.  Later in the week, you'll be able to vote on which mistake you think is the worst. 21 March, 2007. With the words “A Budget for Britain’s families, for fairness and the future,” Brown had just finished his last Budget speech as Chancellor. Or so it seemed. But like Columbo circling around to ask “just one more thing”, he had another announcement to make: “With the other decisions I have made today we are able to hold to our pledge made at the election not to raise the basic rate of income tax.

Peter Hoskin

Is Davis heading for the Speaker’s chair?

From our UK edition

Over on his superb blog, Benedict Brogan indulges in a bit of interesting speculation: does David Davis want to be Speaker? It seems crazy - and probably is - but there could still be something in this.  After all, the smart money's on Michael Martin stepping down soon.  Whilst Davis's actions have both establised him as an independently-minded MP and won him support from across the House.  An ideal replacement, some might think. Besides, it's a bid that Team Cameron could get behind.  If Davis is gunning for the Speakership, then the worry about whether he should be reinstalled on the front bench can largely be swept aside. What do CoffeeHousers think?

Peter Hoskin

Stephen Pollard: Social mobility disappeared with the grammar schools

From our UK edition

I'd recommend you head over to Stephen's blog, where he flags up his latest Times article: "Social Mobility disappeared with the grammar schools".  It's a great response to Brown's speech yesterday.  But it should also be required reading for Ed Balls, who has an unfathomable aversion to some of our most successful academic institutions.

Peter Hoskin

Brown feels the fiscal squeeze

From our UK edition

Another week, another great column from Rachel Sylvester. It contains venomous quotes aplenty (e.g. one cabinet minister: “We're all doomed ... We might as well ring the removal vans to take us out of office.”), and some important observations about Labour donors. Here's the key passage: “I bumped into one rich businessman, who has given substantial sums to Labour, rushing into the House of Lords last week.  'I'm not going to give them any more money while Gordon Brown is leader,' he declared. 'It's time for the next generation to take over.'  Another former donor admitted that he was deeply disappointed by the Labour leader's performance 'He's just not up to the job,' he said.

Monday

Peter Hoskin

Can Brown avoid death by inflation?

From our UK edition

We've made the point before that Brown's fortunes are largely wedded to the state of the economy.  After all, he took all the credit for its buoyancy during his time as Chancellor.  So he seems to be the best candidate to take the blame now things have gone awry. The worry for Team Brown is that things may be about to get a whole lot worse.  Over the past few days, the chatter from monetary policy makers has been of how both the private and public sectors need to show pay restraint in order to prevent a particularly vicious inflationary spiral.  Trouble is, many public sector workers don't exactly share the Treasury's worries.  Today some 600,000 council workers backed a strike over pay.

Peter Hoskin

Your questions for David Davis

From our UK edition

It's been just over a week since we asked CoffeeHousers to put forward their questions for David Davis.  We've since picked out the best ten, which have now been put to the former shadow home secretary.  He'll get back to us over the next couple of days. 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: 1) Simon Chapman: “The Conservative Party had won the argument and the moral victory. There are still battles to be fought in Parliament. As Shadow Home Secretary, in the current polls, you had the opportunity in two years time to reverse not only 42 days but the whole erosion of liberty that you have championed.

Peter Hoskin

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 23 June – 29 June

From our UK edition

Welcome to a new feature on Coffee House – one we’re calling CoffeeHousers’ Wall. Every Monday, we’ll put up a ‘wall’ post and – provided your writing isn’t libelous, 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 (that means you TGF UKIP and Tiberius). There’s also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers.

Peter Hoskin

Two MPs wanted to join David Davis

From our UK edition

If you want to quantify the power of David Davis' campaign for civil liberties, then there's always this news story in today's Standard.  Apparently, two other MPs offered to step down - and force by-elections - in sympathy with the former shadow home secretary.  They were only prevented from doing so when Davis told them "there should only be one sacrifice". What gives the story added spice is the claim that one of the MPs belongs to Labour (the other's said to be a Tory).  Do CoffeeHousers have any ideas about who the rebel might be?

Peter Hoskin

Unkind comparisons

From our UK edition

Oh dear. It looks as though Brown's speechwriters have got it wrong, wrong, wrong for his address on social mobility today. Rather than setting out what policy wonks call a “progressive vision”, it dwells all too acrimoniously on Margaret Thatcher, and tries to lay the blame for poor social mobility at her feet. As I see it, there are three immediate problems with this approach: 1) This is the same Margaret Thatcher that Brown stood with on the steps of No.10 last year. He seemed happy enough to be seen with her then - so why the harsh treatment now? It's nothing more than hypocrisy – and unkindness – on a grand scale. And I doubt the public will be forgiving of our current Prime Minister.

Saturday

Peter Hoskin

Burnham’s letter defuses the Chakrabarti row

From our UK edition

As Paul Waugh’s reporting over at his essential blog, it seems like the row between Shami Chakrabarti and Andy Burnham is at an end – and all because of a smartly-worded letter that the culture minister sent yesterday. In it, he expresses some regret for his previous statement, and outlines his actions in terms of civil liberty and freedom of speech: "I do not accept that I have in any way 'debased my office of state'. Indeed, I think it is in the interests of democracy to preserve the liberty of politicians to speak about current issues and public figures in expressive language that is all part of the cut and thrust of political debate…" How could the director of a liberty group reject this appeal? And, indeed, Chakrabarti has accepted Burnham’s explanation.

Friday

Peter Hoskin

Brown delays ratification of the Lisbon Treaty

From our UK edition

At the suggestion of Lord Justice Richards, Gordon Brown has confirmed he'll delay ratification of the Lisbon Treaty until after the result of Stuart Wheeler's court case against the Government.  We should hear the verdict next week and, according to Brown, that "fits in with [the Government's] timetable." However, Wheeler has since confirmed that he'll most likely appeal should the High Court rule in the Government's favour.  In theory, that should mean further delay for Brown & Co.  Watch this space. P.S. An explanation for those puzzled by all the "UK ratifies Lisbon Treaty" headlines now Brown's said he'll delay ratification.  The bill to implement the Lisbon Treaty has passed successfully through the UK's traditional ratification process - i.e.

Peter Hoskin

Peter Oborne: We have a duty to protect Zimbabwe

From our UK edition

With the EU having just threatened further sanctions against Zimbabwe, I'd recommend you read Peter Oborne's powerful article in this week's magazine.  In it, he describes the terrible civil strife experienced under Robert Mugabe, and suggests that the UN, in particular, has failed to act accordingly.  Here's the bottom line: "Zimbabwe is a perfect test case for the new United Nations doctrine of ‘responsibility to protect’. There should be peacekeepers, international monitors, a roar of urgent condemnation. The United Nations, led by its feeble Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has made its choice. It has gone down the path of collaboration with Robert Mugabe’s illegal government as it launches war on its own people.

Peter Hoskin

The disgruntled speak out

From our UK edition

Over at Comment Central, Danny Finkelstein's posted a couple of no-holds-barred quotations from Labour MPs: "Our Leader is utterly useless. If you asked him which of the two doors from this room he was going to exit from he would be incapable of choosing. And if someone else chose the door for him he wouldn't be able to make his way there." And, "The one good thing about global warming is that as the waters rise, Hazel Blears will drown first." Of course, it's no surprise that certain Labour MPs aren't happy with the party leadership.  Nonetheless, it's telling that they're expressing this in quite such blunt terms.  As Finkelstein says, it has all the hallmarks of a party in terminal "meltdown".

Peter Hoskin

Things are hotting-up in Henley

From our UK edition

After David Davis' resignation, Henley was under threat of becoming the forgotten by-election.  But things are hotting up there today, with David Cameron threatening to sue the Lib Dems over some of their campaign methods. Cameron claims the Lib Dems have misrepresented the Tory candidate John Howell's views on a local hospital.  And then there's the Lib Dem magazine which has positioned a photo of Boris such that it looks like a picture byline, above an article endorsing the Lib Dem candidate (see this image at Conservative Home). Boris has already lodged a complaint.  And the Tories are demanding apologies and retractions from the Lib Dems.  If they don't get them, then to the courts it will be.

Peter Hoskin

Ed Balls’ salvo against grammar schools

From our UK edition

Although he hasn't quite stepped out and declared that he hates all existing grammar schools, Ed Balls' latest speech contains the strongest clue yet that that's how he feels. Here's the relevant passage: “I accept that selection is a local decision for parents and local authorities. But I do not accept that children in secondary moderns should be left to fall behind. Overall, secondary moderns are around twice as likely to be below the 30 per cent benchmark than the average school. I’ve heard first-hand how some of the young people starting in these schools feel on day one that they have already failed.” So, in other words, grammar schools are to blame for secondary modern pupils feeling bad about themselves and not performing as well as they could do.

Thursday

Peter Hoskin

Just say ‘No’

From our UK edition

The news coming out of the EU summit in Brussels is less than encouraging. Apparently, the various representatives are preparing themselves for months and months of negotiation over the Lisbon Treaty. And that includes the Irish. Their Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, had this to say: “It is necessary for Ireland to have time now to analyze last week's vote and explore options … It is far too early yet for anyone to put forward proposals.” True, there are few absolutes in politics. But the Irish ‘No’ result should be one of them. It could take the Irish Government all of a second to repeat this declaration to the other EU leaders.

Peter Hoskin

Hard Times

From our UK edition

In the wake of Alistair Darling and Mervyn King's speeches at Mansion House last night, most of the papers are majoring on the sorry state of our economy. Both Darling and King indicated that this is the worst shape it's been in for around 15 years, and warned that there's worse to come. For the gloom-inclined, we've pulled out some of their main points over on Trading Floor. And whilst we're on the subject of the economy, Anatole Kaletsky's article on inflation in this morning's Times is essential reading. In it, he expresses doubts over Gordon Brown's ability to handle inflationary pressures in the right way: “The second genuine reason to worry about the inflation figures is the challenge they pose to the Government.

Peter Hoskin

Kelvin MacKenzie: I won’t contest Haltemprice & Howden

From our UK edition

Kelvin MacKenzie confirms in his Sun column today that he won't stand in the Haltemprice & Howden by-election: "...the clincher for me was the money. Clearly The Sun couldn’t put up the cash — so I was going to have to rustle up a maximum of £100,000 to conduct my campaign as candidate for the Red Mist Party... ...Right now, with a divorce behind me and a couple of poor investments — I’m sure the C5 will catch on one day — a hundred grand looks more attractive in my wallet than being spent on the good folk of East Riding. And, more importantly, there is the issue of my personal health. All the papers are carrying a story that says people in the North have a 20 per cent higher chance of dying from cancer than those in the South.