Monthly Archives: June 2009

For the time being the cyber coup is over. The PM’s spinners took to the airwaves after the Parliamentary Labour Party meeting last night to report his victory. The few plotters that have gone public appeared defeated for the time being. There are veiled threats about the autumn. It is difficult to see they will [...]

People are writing to this site complaining that I have reported the true figures for the European election results. You cannot get away from the fact that the main party established to propose immediate withdrawal from the EU only polled 17% of the votes. We know it has never won a seat and is unlikely [...]

With most of the votes counted, four parties emerge with gains of more than 1% – Greens ( plus 2.5%), BNP (plus 1.4%), Conservatives (plus 1.2%) and English Democrats (plus 1.1%). Two parties have losses of more than 1% – Labour losing 7% and Lib Dems losing 1.1%. UKIP added little to last time. 21 [...]

Did I miss something Caroline Flint said or did? She was on the threshold of the Cabinet, in the important job of Europe Minister. Her goverment’s policy is to join the Euro in due course, to ratify Lisbon and to increase the powers and common purposes of the Union. I never recall her hinting she [...]

Much of the interest of the commentators looking at the European election results in the UK will be directed to the poor showing of Labour, and the implications that has for Gordon Brown. Some saw the election as a chance to express their general displeasure about the government. We will probably see the poorest ever [...]

A constrained PM had to keep many of the old faces. I doubt if we will see an invigorated government suddenly putting right the wrongs of past years, suddenly gripping the agenda and pointing the country in a new direction. The new Home Secretary could cancel the ID computer, saving us loads of money. He [...]

The PM was wise to keep Mr Darling and his accountant tied to the mast, and to keep Mr Miliband close by. It was sensible to promote the potentially dangerous Alan Johnson. Mr Mandelson seems to be calling the shots, and has the Hesletine slot as Deputy PM as reward. He may now be able [...]

Early this morning local BBC phoned and asked me to comment on their live show about the current mess at the top of the government. I was surprised to be asked, but agreed to do so. As soon as I heard their introduction I realised why I had been asked. They asserted that the resignation [...]

People keep asking me who I want as the new PM. They often say “Which potential Labour leader do the Conservatives fear?”, or suggest we are out to keep Gordon Brown for party advantage. Conservatives are united. We want David Cameron as the next PM. Having some interim Labour PM will not make much difference, [...]

On the day of the Brown fightback we learn of the arcane rules of the Labour party which make challenging a Labour PM very difficult. No-one persuaded Mr Purnell, who clearly thinks that if he and others like him keep on walking out, the momentum will become unstoppable. The Chancellor seems to have worked out [...]