Peter Hoskin

Wednesday

Peter Hoskin

Parliament ratifies the Lisbon Treaty

From our UK edition

So that's it then.  The Lisbon Treaty has passed sucessfully through Parliament, despite an 11th-hour Tory effort to delay proceedings.  The UK now joins a merry band of 19 EU countries which have all ratified the document. It's a gross betrayal of the 'No' vote in the Irish referendum.  The noise coming out of Downing Street is that it doesn't want a two-tier Europe, and it will attempt to terminate the Treaty should Ireland - or any of the other 27 countries - drop out of proceedings.  That's better than the "forget the Irish" standpoint that some countries have.  But it's still less than noble.

Peter Hoskin

A referendum, of sorts

From our UK edition

Guido helpfully points out that there's now a counter-petition to the anti-ratification one set up by Richard North and Neil O'Brien on the Downing Street website.  This new petition states: "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Ignore the result of the Irish referendum and ratify the Lisbon Treaty." So - in a roundabout way - the Downing Street website's now offering a vote on whether the Lisbon Treaty should be ratified.  As it is, the 'No's currently lead by 18,590 to 8...

Peter Hoskin

PMQs footage | 18 June 2008

From our UK edition

For those who missed PMQs earlier, here - courtesy of Politics Home - is footage of the Brown and Cameron exchanges.  You can read Fraser's write-up here.

Peter Hoskin

Labour confirm they won’t stand in Haltemprice & Howden

From our UK edition

Labour have confirmed that they won't put forward a candidate for the Haltemprice & Howden by-election.  For Team Davis, this will surely ingrain those worries that I mentioned earlier.  But, depsite that, Davis had already set up the perfect response to the news.  Talking to the BBC earlier, he said: "Gordon Brown ... is my real opponent".  Now he just needs to get this message out as much as possible - particularly before getting embroiled in debate with the irregular collection of candidates who are standing.

Peter Hoskin

Freedland gives Brown a kicking

From our UK edition

Brown's been Prime Minister for a year next week, so you can expect the papers to be stuffed with articles on his premiership so far. Coffee House will be making its own contribution, but it's Jonathan Freedland who gets the ball rolling in this morning's Guardian. And he does so with some venom. The headline tells you all you need to know - “A year in, it's clear: we got Brown wrong. He is simply not up to the job”. But here are some selected quotes anyway: "At its most basic, [Brown] seems to lack the skills of a man who would lead a 21st-century nation. "He came in like an Oxford don, with a study full of files and papers on the floor," laments one minister, who now regrets listening to the Brownites who persuaded him to back their man a year ago.

Peter Hoskin

Davis’ big day

From our UK edition

So, today's the day that David Davis will formally step down as an MP, to begin his campaign against stolen liberties. On balance, I think he and his team will be happy with how it's gone so far. Almost a week after his initial announcement, the Davis gambit is still featuring heavily in the newspapers. And it's certainly struck a chord with the public (see this poll that the Independent released yesterday). But I'm sure a few things will still be worrying Team Davis; foremost among which will probably be the relative lack of heavyweight candidates for him to run against. As Fraser wrote last week, the last thing Davis wants is to look like the crazy ringmaster of a circus election.

Tuesday

Peter Hoskin

The fight against ratification continues

From our UK edition

According to a new YouGov / Open Europe poll: 54% [of respondents] agreed with the statement that "The government should drop the Lisbon Treaty and not try and ratify it". Just 14% agreed that "The government should carry on and ratify the Lisbon Treaty in the UK".That's pretty emphatic, I'd say.  For full results, click here (excel file). And the anti-ratification petition submitted to Downing Street by Neil O'Brien and Richard North continues apace.  At the time of writing, it's picked up some 6,854 signatories.  You can add your name here.

Peter Hoskin

Has Brown done the right thing over pay?

From our UK edition

George Osborne's referred to it as a "gesture" - which is almost certainly true.  But at least the announcement that ministers will give up their pay rise this year is the right kind of gesture.  As Brown said earlier, "MPs should set the example at a time of public sector pay restraint."  Now all he's got to do is convince the rest of the House of this before the 3rd July vote on salaries. But, obviously, there's a toxic background to all of this.  After all the disgraceful expense scandals of recent months, will the public really believe that ministers aren't riding on the gravy train?

Peter Hoskin

A new inflationary peak

From our UK edition

So the latest ONS data puts May's inflation at 3.3 percent - the highest figure since the current measure was introduced in 1997, and higher even than the 3.2 percent that many pessimistic analysts were predicting. Obviously, it's bad news for consumers - if the official inflation figure is this high, you can be sure that the "real" inflation of day-to-day life is cripplingly bad.  But worse is set to come.  As we reported on Trading Floor, the CBI are predicting that inflation will remain above 3 percent for the rest of the year, and may even hit 3.8 percent.  Politically, one thing to look out for is how this affects relations between the Bank and the Treasury.

Peter Hoskin

Richards outlines the Westminster argument

From our UK edition

Even if you don't agree with his conclusions, Steve Richards is always worth reading. His article in today's Independent is a case in point. It largely lambasts the actions of David Davis, but – in doing so – it provides by far the best account of what Richards calls “the unfashionable 'Westminster Village' wing of the argument”. It's an account that Team Davis can't afford to ignore, as it identifies most of the questions that they'll have to answer in the run up to this by-election.

Monday

Peter Hoskin

Davis to keep shtum during PMQs

From our UK edition

Three Line Whip are reporting that we won't hear a rousing speech or probing question from David Davis during Wednesday's PMQs.  It looks like that champagne will be staying firmly in the the Coffee House cellar, then...

Peter Hoskin

Anti-waste campaigner to stand against Davis

From our UK edition

The Guardian's reporting that Kelvin MacKenzie probably won't run in the Haltemprice & Howden by-election after all.  Perhaps a sign that Murdoch and Co. don't want to pick a fight with the Tories?  But Leo McKinstry has just contacted Coffee House to confirm that another candidate will be standing against Davis - one David Craig, the author of a book about Government waste.  Accordingly, Craig will be running on an anti-waste platform.  Here's his message for voters: 1. The 42 days issue is not important to most ordinary people as we are unlikely to be affected by it 2.

Peter Hoskin

David Davis states his case

From our UK edition

Over at Conservative Home, David Davis sets out his reasons for resigning as an MP.  He also provides details of the website he's launching tomorrow, and of how people can help out with his campaign.  Well worth a read.

Peter Hoskin

Are British children seeing too little of their parents?

From our UK edition

For those who haven't read it yet, I'd recommend Rachel Johnson's article in the latest issue of the magazine. Her thesis is neatly contained in this paragraph: "If you add up all the nine-to-five jobs, the extra me-time and us-time and evenings out for the stressed parents trying to keep their marriages alive (two nights’ babysitting is usually thrown into the au pair deal), on top of school and the private extra lessons for the children, well — it becomes all too clear that some children hardly intersect with their parents at all. And the frightening fact is that we won’t really know what effect all this is having until these children are grown up and becoming parents themselves." It seems like a ripe topic for some Monday afternoon debate.

Peter Hoskin

Reducing the cost of living should be the Tories’ priority

From our UK edition

Hm. I'm not sure about Cameron's 'green' speech today. Not because I have anything hugely against the green agenda per se. But I am concerned about how the current Government's environmental taxes have trickled downwards and hit the public hard in the pocket. Of course, Cameron says that he is too. Although this passage, in particular, could create the opposite impression: "I understand that right now the cost of living is the number one concern for Britain's families. And I understand, with that backdrop, why people might think fighting climate change seems a costly diversion. But those who say we've got to choose either the environment or the economy, who say, 'look, we can't tackle climate change.

Peter Hoskin

Will the Government help David Davis?

From our UK edition

On Saturday, James asked CoffeeHousers to suggest how David Davis can keep his campaign in the news. He's doing alright so far – most of the major Monday columnists have penned Davis-themed articles this morning. But I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be Government blunders which ultimately keep the former shadow home secretary in the headlines. Take today's papers, for instance. What news on the Home Secretary? Well, she's been summoned before the Commons Home Affairs Committee to explain not one – but two – embarrassing document-loss scandals that have come to light during the past week. These appearances – and any similar blunders in future – can only lend Davis' message extra piquancy.

Sunday

Peter Hoskin

Has Brown realised that the Lisbon Treaty is dead?

From our UK edition

So far, the Government have acted as pig-headed as we expected them to over the Irish referendum result. Rather than seeing it as a sign that the public may have very real concerns about the Lisbon Treaty, Brown and Co. have merely used the opportunity to get even cosier with their EU counterparts. However, there are signs this morning that the Government may be wavering in some way. The Sunday Times reports: “No.10 admits EU treaty is finished”. And, on Marr this morning, David Miliband said: “There can be no question of bulldozing, bamboozling or ignoring the Irish vote ... But the rules are clear, if all 27 states do not pass the treaty then it does not pass into law. But it is right we take our own decision.

Friday

Peter Hoskin

Could Brown offer a referendum?

From our UK edition

Here - thanks to Politics Home - is what Cameron has to say on the No camp's victory in the Irish referendum: “The Treaty is now dead ... It would be the height of arrogance for Gordon Brown to press ahead with the Treaty – if this is not dead, then we need a referendum in this country so we can put the final nail in the coffin.” He's right, of course.  It would be the height of arrogance for Brown to press ahead with the Treaty.  And we do need a referendum in this country, as we always have done.  I suspect we'll get the worst of all possible outcomes though - Brown will trudge onwards with this dead document.  And we'll be denied the say we both deserve and expect.

Peter Hoskin

Put your questions to David Davis

From our UK edition

The man of the moment - David Davis - has kindly agreed to a Q&A session with Coffee House.  So, post your questions for him in the comments sections below.  And, in a week-or-so's time, we'll pick out the best ten and put them to the former shadow home secretary.  He'll get back to us all a few days later.  And the commenters whose questions are chosen will all win Coffee House t-shirts and copies of the special 180th Anniversary issue of The Spectator. Time to get posting...