Peter Hoskin

Saturday

Peter Hoskin

Stopping the rot

From our UK edition

There's an essential interview with David Freud in today's Telegraph.  Freud wrote a review of welfare for the DWP, and many of its reforming proposals are being adopted by the two main parties.  Now, however, Freud wants the policymakers to go further, particularly on incapacity benefit: "When the whole rot started in the 1980s we had 700,000 [people on incapacity benefit].  I suspect that's much closer to the real figure than the [2.6 million people] we've got now... ...If you want a recipe for getting people on to IB, we've got it: you get more money and you don't get hassled.  You can sit there for the rest of your life.

Friday

Peter Hoskin

A Labour poll lead?

From our UK edition

ConservativeHome are reporting on a previously unseen Ipsos-Mori poll which gives Labour a 1 per cent lead.  The full figures are: Labour on 38 percent (up 6 percent from the previous poll); the Conservatives on 37 percent (down 5 percent); and the Lib Dems on 16 per cent (up 1 per cent). It should be stressed that the poll was conducted before Peter Hain's resignation - but the start of the donations scandal; the run on Northern Rock; and the general-election-that-wasn't should all have been fresh in respondents' minds.  I wrote earlier that Gordon Brown "clearly sports a superior brand of Teflon suit" - after these results, his tailor certainly deserves a pay-rise.

Peter Hoskin

Teflon Dave?

From our UK edition

In the latest post on his excellent blog, Benedict Brogan characterises Cameron as "Teflon Dave" - the man to whom no slurs will stick.  Brogan's claim relates to the media's apparent reluctance to report an inconsistency in Cameron's PMQs performance this week.  As Brogan writes: "If IDS had been caught out like this, we would have had a field day. But Dave is on the up. He has the wind in his sails. He's wearing Teflon. Just as no one is troubled by his odd refusal to give a straight answer on the smoking question, so this memory lapse/poor briefing episode (I'm sure it's no more than that) is not finding a willing audience.

Peter Hoskin

The wacky race for transparency

From our UK edition

The three main parties are tripping over each other in the race for transparency over MPs' expenses.  As Fraser reported earlier, David Cameron lead the way by confirming that he'll tell his MPs to formally declare whether they employ any relatives.  Labour and the Lib Dems have subsequently moved to identical positions.  Cameron's actions - and the catch-up politics of the other two parties - will have won him some political capital.  But maybe it's wrong to talk about "winning" in this case, when the reputation of the whole House has been so thoroughly tarnished.

Peter Hoskin

Alastair Campbell vs. the media

From our UK edition

During his time at 10 Downing St, there were few better than Alastair Campbell at sparring with the press.  But now the sparring's become a full-blooded assault.  He writes a forceful piece in the Times on the media's involvement in Britney Spears' downfall: "The question is whether there is any room within media judgements about what is news, and how to pursue it, that allows room for a basic humanity about the condition of the people who are the media commodities. You do not have to be a qualified psychiatrist to see that Spears has serious mental health issues. Does there ever come a point where a judgment forms that says, let's just leave her alone?

Peter Hoskin

Cameron on Thatcher

From our UK edition

 Last night, David Cameron presented Margaret Thatcher with a lifetime achievement award, and he follows it up with an article on the Iron Lady in today's Telegraph. The article begins boldly: “Those who say that the modern Conservative Party is breaking with the legacy of Margaret Thatcher are wrong.” And mixes praise for Thatcher with swipes at Brown: “She tackled inflation through getting control of the money supply, an enormously difficult task which not only makes Gordon Brown's sole monetary decision - to hand over control over interest rates to the Bank of England - look puny in comparison; it made it possible in the first place... ...

Thursday

Peter Hoskin

How soon is too soon?

From our UK edition

"Too soon!" went the outcry when the films United 93 and World Trade Center were released, some 5 years after the events they depicted.  Now - as Peter Bradshaw points out in today's Guardian - filmmakers aren't even waiting for the "dust to settle" on a news-story before moving-in with their cameras.  A production deal has already been inked for a Securitas heist movie, and a Madeline McCann film has been discussed. There are positives and negatives to the approach.  We might welcome the immediate, first-hand qualities of a short time-lag film (for want of a better term).  Or we might prefer the perspective that a delayed film can bring to the table.  But there are other considerations.

Peter Hoskin

Whither should we turn – America or Europe?

From our UK edition

In a speech today, Liam Fox spelt-out what the Lisbon Treaty means for defence alliances.  As he sees it, the treaty would cause greater integration of European security forces, to the detriment of NATO: "The Lisbon Treaty should be viewed as a warning to the British public and Atlanticists across Europe. On a recent trip to Washington I couldn't help but notice some of the isolationist rhetoric coming from that side of the Atlantic. Closer to home we are dealing with forces in Government that are pushing for closer European integration. Both American isolationism and European integration threaten to tear the tried-and-tested NATO alliance apart. Consequently, the defence innovations included in the Lisbon Treaty give the UK two options.

Peter Hoskin

A failure of oversight

From our UK edition

Robert Winnett - the Telegraph journalist who first broke the Derek Conway scandal - is thankfully not retracting his claws just yet.  His latest, essential post over at Three Line Whip attacks the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) which audits MPs' pay and allowances:  "Earlier this month, the latest SSRB tome was published – an 83 page study costing well over £100,000 to complete. It concludes: “We take this opportunity to emphasis that we have received no direct evidence to suggest that there is currently abuse by MPs of the allowances system. We commend the clarity and rigour of the rules and guidance.

Peter Hoskin

The revolution will be televised

From our UK edition

With Fraser heralding the BoJo revolution, here's the footage of Boris attacking Brown for "inadvertently" misleading the House (you'll have to sit through an advert first):.

Peter Hoskin

Taxed-and-spent into a corner

From our UK edition

In today's Times, Peter Riddell looks ahead to the Budget in March.  He hits the fiscal nail on its rusty head: "The economic outlook for the next few years is worse than for some time and Mr Darling has no freedom for manoeuvre on taxes and spending. Not only is there no room for preelection giveaways, but spending plans are insufficient to achieve existing goals on health, education and reducing child poverty. The Government blames international factors, notably the sub-prime banking crisis in the US. At the same time, ministers highlight low levels of inflation and of interest rates compared with the early 1990s. Both points are true up to a point but, as the [IFS] Green Budget shows, the deteriorating fiscal position is largely home grown.

Wednesday

Peter Hoskin

Why isn’t Brown acting?

From our UK edition

As Andrew stressed earlier, the European response to the credit crunch has been anaemic (How anaemic? Check out the footage below of Gordon Brown and his EU compatriots agreeing the "way forward for [the] global economy").  By contrast, the Americans have been the very model of proactivity - introducing sharp interest cuts and proposing massive tax relief programmes.   What's holding the British Government back?  I suspect it's a combination of economic and political motivations. Economically, there's the argument that America's experiencing things worse, so Britain doesn't need to act quite as decisively.

Peter Hoskin

Tories getting tougher on crime

From our UK edition

David Cameron's interviewed in today's Sun, and he outlines new Tory plans to increase the stop-and-search capabilities of policemen: "We are never going to deal with [violent crime] unless we free the police to do far more stopping and far more searching. I am quite clear the current rules have to go. In the British police service there were problems with racism, there were problems with attitude. That needed to change. I think it has now been changed. That change is a good thing. But it’s now time to recognise that it is now possible for the police to carry out more stop and searches without being accused of racism. We will carry out a review to see how we would do it and would implement it very rapidly under a Conservative government.

Tuesday

Peter Hoskin

Bomb plots & snail mail

From our UK edition

I've been tipped off to the following Press Association story, and figured it would make for a perfect end-of-the-working-day respite from MPs and their expenses.  Do make sure to read to the last paragraph - that's where the punch-line is, so to speak: Man jailed for Tesco blackmail plot Press Association Monday January 28, 2008 12:48 PM A former tax inspector has been jailed for six years for a £1 million blackmail plot against supermarket chain Tesco. Philip McHugh, of Milton Avenue, Clitheroe, Lancashire, sent 76 letters threatening to bomb Tesco stores across Britain last summer. The 52-year-old also threatened to contaminate Tesco products if they refused to comply with his demand for money.

Peter Hoskin

Directing your attention elsewhere

From our UK edition

Please head here to read Martin Vander Weyer's website exclusive article on the extraordinary £274 million losses recently incurred by Mitchell & Butlers (that's Mitchell & Butlers the former brewers). Martin's scathing analysis is unmissable. And you may have noticed that we've had a couple of America-related posts on Coffee House today.  They're on issues - the State of the Union address and the Florida primary - which should be particularly interesting for CoffeeHousers. However, for even more great coverage of American politics, I'd urge you to check out the Spectator's new Americano blog.

Peter Hoskin

Conway “reported” to the police

From our UK edition

In the headline to my earlier post on the Conway scandal, I wrote: "Conway row to escalate" - and my how it's escalating.  The latest news is that a Lib Dem candidate has reported Conway to the Metropolitan Police.  If this leads anywhere, then David Cameron will certainly live to rue the statement that the Tories issued last night: “Derek Conway has apologised fully on the floor of the House of Commons and the Whip has not been withdrawn. The appropriate punishment is being administered" Many feel that Cameron's actions have been "decisively wrong" on this matter, although Nick Robinson notes that there are "small procedural reasons" and "one very big political reason" for why Conway's not in more trouble.

Peter Hoskin

Conway row to escalate, as Tory poll lead shrinks

From our UK edition

Following yesterday's initial revelations, it's since emerged that Derek Conway employed another of his sons using taxpayers' money.  The news is like manna to the Government, and has spurred the Labour MP John Mann to call for another formal investigation into Conway's actions. All this is backgrounded by another poll showing decreased Tory leads.  Today's Independent / ComRes poll places Labour on 30 percent (unchanged since last month); the Conservatives on 38 percent (down 3); and the Lib Dems on 17 percent (up 1).  Significantly, this was conducted after Peter Hain's resignation. I speculated yesterday that the Tories might not be offering enough of a change agenda.

Monday

Peter Hoskin

Driving change

From our UK edition

After ten days behind the counter here at CoffeeHouse, I have at last had my inaugural kicking – for my earlier piece on the Conservatives and their current “negative politics”. So it is with a rather sadomasochistic spirit that I enter the fray again.   Numerous commentators are slating the Tories for failing to capitalise on Brown’s misery in the polls. Why this failure? I see a link between the Tories' rather lowly showing and their engaging in some more bluntly adversarial politics (of the name-calling variety) over the past few weeks. Exhibit A would be Cameron calling Brown “that strange man in Downing Street”. Quite right, you may say, politics is a brutal business.

Peter Hoskin

Disclosing expenses

From our UK edition

Just a very brief post to say: you should check out Robert Winnet's important post on MPs' expenses over at Three Line Whip.   There's clearly something very wrong with the system when, as Winnet puts it: "[Derek Conway] hired his son - a full time university student - as a researcher, who received about £50,000 in taxpayer-funded salary, pension and bonuses without any evidence of any work actually being carried out.