I was a Shadow Cabinet Minister after the big election defeat of 1997. A Shadow Cabinet Minister does not draw an additional salary above the MP pay, unlike a Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, select committee chairmen and some other office holders. It is nonetheless an important second job for an MP, and crucial to proper scrutiny and Parliamentary debate of the main government departments. I think we need to hear more from various Shadow Cabinet members, given the actions of the government.
I found it a demanding seven day a week job as is being an MP. I set out to directly  shadow the department I was responsible for. With my team of shadow Ministers and helpers we sought to anticipate the statements, problems and policy announcements of the department. Sometimes we would state in advance what we would do, sometimes we would warn against likely government actions. We aimed to be well briefed by the time the government made a decision or a statement. We also developed our own distinctive alternatives to government actions, identified problems they needed to solve and gave positive advice as well as criticism.
A volunteer  joined the team  and did a great job briefing the press. I generated a daily story or comment or proposal and she talked to  the main newspapers every day  on an individual basis, offering follow up material and direct quotes from me. I did additional weekend briefings on the phone with a ring round every Saturday morning. The press developed confidence in the accuracy and news content of what we were doing, particularly wanting stories about Ministerial mistakes and bad conduct. There was plenty of material. When we shadowed John Prescottâs super Ministry we had all of transport, the Environment, the regions, local government and housing to comment  on which made for an exciting agenda.
The leadership candidates for the Conservatives need to set out this week as Parliament returns what is wrong with this new governmentâs approach and how they would take control of our borders, avoid tax rises, raise productivity and quality in public services, lift the growth rate, restore law and order and uphold freedom of speech.
September 3, 2024
Good morning.
I think the role of the Opposition parties, especially the Official Opposition is a vital one and does not get the credit it deserves, espeically when the party in power has such a large majority. It is vitally important to be able to hold the government to account for both its actions and inactions. This keeps both Ministers on their toes and grounded, as any deviation or failure will be seized upon and punished.
This is the other side of being in opposition – reminding the press and the public that there is a choice at an election and that those currently in opposition are a sound. The problem for the early years of Tory opposition from 1997 – 2010 is that they did not offer much in that way. They either agreed with the government or did not properly hold them to account (eg Iraq v2.0). This can be very damaging. When they did show some opposition (eg Lisbon Treaty) it was clearly fake. It was here that I and I am sure others began to see the Uniparty emerge in British Politics which has signalled the deathnell for our so called democracy.
The problem for the opposition of today is that so many MP’s are tainted with failure. They can hardly call the government out for reckless spending can they ? So it falls to others to make up the shortfall here which, if I were them, I would use to great effect.
Time of course will tell.
September 3, 2024
You are describing what a professional and proficient opposition should do to be considered a competent government in waiting.
Maybe it would work if people trusted them.
Maybe if they stood up for us against the current extremists in government.
But they did not, they went off on hols or washing their clown suits.
I voted Conservative for 50 years and will never vote for that crowd again based on their performance when in power – the lies, the deceptions, the betrayal of this country and people. It doesn’t matter what they say or promise they poisoned the well.
I wonder how many other people have a similar view.
September 3, 2024
In any case it doesn’t matter what the latest leader promises or claims the Conservative Party broad church will ensure a disastrous outcome.
September 3, 2024
@dixie – ‘they poisoned the well.’ yes the Liberal Democrats that run and control the party wish it to be positioned to the Left of Ed Davey, the new centre ground from those that threw away an 80 seat majority. Now looking for continuity with more of the same. Look at the selected candidates for leadership, they all accepted their collective responsibility, they all have supported high tax and borrowing, they have all refused to manage, control expenditure, they have all refused to put serving the Country and their electorate front a centre before personal esteem.
September 3, 2024
Exactly Dixie.
I stopped voting for them when it was clear to me Slimy Cameron was taking them left to New Labour policies. They won elections over the last 14 years by lying and the public worried about Labour ie Miliband/Salmond, then Corbyn. Trecherous May could not beat Corbyn. Remainers ousted Johnson who gave them a 85 seat majority- his govt betrayed the nation to deliver Brexit!
People will now see Labour as anti semitic kow towing to Islamist extremism and Pro Palestinian back bench MPs. Lammy has given our taxes to the UN group who helped Hamas invade Israel on 07/10/23, withdrawn its objection to prosecuting Israel PM and now stopped arms to Israel. At home Stasi bend to the knee to BLM violence, Marxist culture and defund police.
In contrast Labour hammer British people for more taxes to pay the ÂŁ18 billion mass immigration black hole, ÂŁ8 billion for the 1.6 million migrants on welfare and another ÂŁ8 billion to house the illegal economic migrants from France!
September 3, 2024
I agree, though I keep an open mind depending on how the leadership contest goes. This is the opportunity for a new Tory party to be forged. In opposition, a new leader can make her mark (it’s looking like it’s going to be a ‘her’) with a historical change of direction, like MT did in 1975. She didn’t bleat about the electorate being soggy centre-left, she took them with her and she won convincingly 4 years later. Why do you think the same can’t happen again?
September 3, 2024
I do. As far as I can tell, the only potential Leader who appears to “get it” is Jenrick …. but even if he becomes Leader (unlikely) behind him on the green benches are around 100 LibCONs, so he would never be allowed to stray from the Globalists’ policies.
Badenoch is a Gove protege and, having dutifully trooped off to Davos last autumn to be vetted, upon her return cancelled the plans to scrap 4000 pieces of EU legislation/regulations. So I imagine the membership will be offered a choice of her or Bilderberger Tugendhat.
September 3, 2024
I agree, Donna. I also think the choice will be Badenhoch or Tugendhat. The higher-ups’ preference, I feel, is Tugendhat. He was floated before Truss was elected but wasn’t known well enough. But he is the Damian Green/Theresa May/Philip Hammond type.
September 3, 2024
a tracy
“But he is the……”
If that is the case they will be sunk without a trace.
September 4, 2024
I agree, Alan, but I saw an interview with Ken Clarke yesterday, and they want the Tory Party to back Cameron’s liberal style. They seem to want to chase the right wing to Reform (by the way, people like us are considered far-right by them now).
September 3, 2024
Donna,
With the overwhelming majority of Tory/Uni party MPs being left wing pro EU one nation types who got rid of leaver ministers Raab, Johnson etc one by one. Who in their mind believes this party will have or return to a form of conservatism when it has spent decades getting rid of conservatives within!! Has any changes occurred for selection procedures of MPs? I think the members will be given a choice of two left wing clone Remainers. Like associations given the choice of three clones from CCHQ!!
It is a bit like Lammy saying weapons might be used against international law, he has no evidence they will or could suspend if the law is broken. So Labour find Israel guilty before any incident, trial, investigation! Two Tier standards. Labourâs actions supporting Hamas.p a known terrorist organisation that refuses to release hostages after 11 months captive and murders them rather than giving them back. Disgraceful. It should be no surprise if Israel returns the favour to UK when it seeks help in Middle East.
September 3, 2024
I hope the right people are taking on board the lessons of your experience.
September 3, 2024
Following experience of the last conservative government, I find it ironic that in opposition they only get the opportunity to criticise government for those aspects of governance that they failed miserably to tackle when in power themselves. At the very minimum, any opposition on this basis lacks integrity.
The opposition to the current government will arise from their abject failure and a growing disquiet amongst an electorate, of which around 66% failed to support them. On top of this I feel sure that Nigel will, given the opportunity, tear them to shreds with conviction.
September 3, 2024
Morning Sir John.
If The Conservatives are serious about getting into power again, they need to reconnect with the people by moving away from blu labour and becoming truly Conservative again.
They will be “up against it” though because frankly, people don’t believe politicians will do what they say they’ll do.
A new Conservative government will need to sort out the civil service in much the same way Mrs Thatcher did the unions.
I have noticed that, dispite the new Labour government adopting policies that many a despotic dictator would be proud of, the Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Ministers have been conspicuous by their silence.
September 3, 2024
Yes, your point is almost the most distressing; we have a weak opposition up against a civil service that is clearly politically aligned with the government. (I say almost because Millipeed will probably bankrupt us first). We cannot afford the waste in government spending, and CS and union inefficiency. The opposition parties need to get out their megaphones and start shouting.
September 3, 2024
Oh please, Tory had 14 years to sort out civil service. They announced Maude was going to do it, then Cummins. They built on institutionalised left wing establishment in civil service, public services, military and judiciary. Suggest you look for gold at the end of the rainbow.
September 3, 2024
They can’t ‘move away’ because of the dead weight of all the ‘One Nation’ MPs and a Central Office that selects more of the same as candidates. It would be better if the remaining right wing MPs defected to Reform and the One Nation crew merged with the Lib Dems, so we can have a genuine choice at the next election.
September 3, 2024
@Cliff.. Wokingham – ‘conspicuous by their silence.’ could be it is because they started the trend, deserted the electorate. How can they oppose something they started and support.
September 3, 2024
âWhat is wrong with this new governmentâs approachâ – almost every single thing is wrong, other than relaxation of planning.but then the 14 years of Con-socialist, Net Zero, tax to death lunacy was just the same in essence.
âhow they would take control of our borders, avoid tax rises, raise productivity and quality in public services, lift the growth rate, restore law and order and uphold freedom of speech.â
Labour have no plans to do any of this, they plan the complete reverse. We suffer under Labour now entirely due to the abject failures of Cameron, May, Boris, Truss, Sunak and the dire quality of most essentially fake Tory MPs. Whomever wins the Tory leadership it is hard to see anything much changing given the types of MPs they generally are LibDims essentially. Nearly all are moronically for Net Zero, as are all the candidate for leadership. Most backed the policies of the 14 years of the Tory disaster, backed the lockdowns, the net harm Covid Vaccines, net zero and still pretend the Covide vaccines we safe and effective.
Kemi the only, half decent, choice as leader. She says âit starts with principalsâ sound rather unlikely when did we ever see this from your party? How is abandon ship Lord, Cast Iron, Cameron of Greensill getting on with his principals or âunequivocally safe vaccinesâ Sunak, or Brexit mean no Brexit net zero insanity May?
September 3, 2024
Badenoch is a WEF candidate.
September 3, 2024
I wouldn’t normally be a pedant, but I know you mean principles, not principals but many would say that being quite appropriate for the Tories over many years.
September 3, 2024
LL :
Kemi Badenoch supports Net Zero by 2050.
September 3, 2024
Indeed which means either 1. she is a deluded religious dope on Net Zero or 2. she knows it is mad but thinks she has to go along with this lunacy and she is lying to try to win the leadership. I cannot see any other alternative.
Badenoch studied Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Sussex, completing a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree in 2003. So I assume fairly average A levels, rather like Starmer or even worse but from a worse school. Though her father was a GP and Mother a Prof. of physiology. Even so she like (Ed Miliband) has little excuse for not realising that the invented âclimate emergencyâ is a con trick. So liars & con merchants on the make, or just damn religious fools – must be one or tâother?
How long before climate realism becomes a hate crime and sensible Nobel Prize winners and other sensible, honest & courageous scientists are carted off to jail by Stasi Starmer and his henchmen? Let us hope the climate realist Trump wins and can somehow fight back against this lunacy a bit.
September 3, 2024
Still hanging on to the idea that the university someone attended, and the course they studied, is a useful way of judging them. It is pathetic intellectual snobbery. Many very bright academics are useless at anything other than research.
September 3, 2024
Badenoch is not semi decent. She betrayed Brexit to take back control of our laws. A central premise for leaving the EU and a central reason to get elected and a 85 seat majority!!! She scrapped her own bill that passed through commons to scrap 4,000 EU laws.
Is that what you call decent?
September 3, 2024
Indeed and she is Net Zero deluded or lying – but the others are even worse. This is what I should have said.
September 3, 2024
Is not Opposition suspended for the time being pending selection of a new leader?
Reply Must not be
September 3, 2024
I thought that all opposition was suspended, due to the tory left shadow cabinet being in sink with the labour government ….you couldn’t get a feeler gauge between them
September 3, 2024
Yes the detail is difficult to master without staff support and it takes time to develop a winning, thoughtful counter or a different and better policy that both MPs and the public will relate to and support. Personally I don’t have the patience to deal with many of the idiocies and I admire those who do.
However, surely it is not too difficult, since we now have a virulent socialist government, to mount a strong opposing argument on principle alone.
September 3, 2024
And maybe it could start with Sunak who instead of running away could have shown some backbone. Similarly lacking in his friend Lord Dave.
You have a broken organisation that ignored its membership and thought it knew better than the wider electorate and we now have a bunch if retreads promising things that even a year ago were contrary to what they supported in government.
Word has it that even now candidates are merely clones of the previously failed centrists.
And once you sort that mess you have little/zero ability or personal fortitude in business management to solve the totally organisational wretchedness of the blob.
With other things considered more important read the report of the HM Head of Constabulary about a completely dysfunctional system that you have allowed to function/grow over the last thirteen years.
Failure to invest in prisons, failure to follow through in a Royal Commission promised I. 2019. Because of prison place shortages an early release scheme had to be created but hurried/botched (no surprise) so that many prisoners were freed without support, accommodation/job etc and guess what? They almost immediately reoffended and were needing one of those prison places they had just left.
A broken police funding system dumped on counties to save HMG money linked to council tax, so wealthy forces say Surrey where the crime rates are low get masses of funding compared with impoverished areas and high crime rates.
Cameronâs large cuts to police numbers reduced effective community policing, only now being rectified and so it goes on.
This is a metaphor for your wider administration and frankly makes one want to weep at the utter incompetence and laugh (or cry) at your candidates who now say they can do better.
Reply This is not a Conservative site so why personalise this to me?
September 3, 2024
Apologies, not my aim poor wording.
September 3, 2024
reply to reply…I was able to read ‘you your’ etc being the faux-Conservatives we were burdened with for so long, not your personal part which was mostly traditional Conservative.
September 3, 2024
Seriously? Nothing to do with me, guv? Your were a Conservative MP for 37 years – and your party was in power for 24 of those years. Yes, you made noises but, clearly, not loudly enough. People were hoping and expecting that you would defy the leadership and be the lynchpin around which proper government and sanity could rally. As it was, the likes of May, Johnson and Sunak could regard you as a mild nuisance.
September 3, 2024
Conservative leadership candidate(s?) saying “We have to admit our mistakes!”
Only, they weren’t ‘mistakes’, were they? They were deliberate. They lied, over and over again.
September 3, 2024
The Conservative Party has become too limp to do much that is effective, without sign of even being able to find a proper leader.
September 3, 2024
@Bloke – those that now control the Party, the Liberal Democrats want continuity and continuation of the same. They appear to want to shore up those that lost an 80 seat majority so to keep the UniParty as the only non-choice.
September 3, 2024
Many former supporters have dumped them and now support Reform who have fast-growing membership. So-called ‘Conservatives’ can maintain their continuity as much as they like or are forced to: in permanent opposition
September 3, 2024
We can see the silence from Tory shadow Ministers. It’s called betrayal and moral cowardice
The Tories must now decide who they stand with. Is it racist Labour and their newly created enemies or is it with the tens of millions who have built this nation dating back hundreds of years
My father was down the pit at 15 years old. My mother was cleaning up crap in hospitals at 16 years. Don’t talk to me about white privileged. The Tories have one job, to expose the cancer and poison of Marxism that seeks nothing less than the total destruction of a nation, its people and its culture
September 3, 2024
The harder and sooner labour push the better.
September 3, 2024
We certainly need a coherent, committed opposition that has a clear sense of direction. That is not obviously present with the current crop of Conservative MPs. If they adopted your ideas they might stand a chance of recovery but I suspect that many may not actually believe in them. Plus they have lost the trust of many past supporters. As things stand I prefer Reform’s direction of travel and it’s rejection of all things net zero
September 3, 2024
The Official Opposition doesn’t oppose most of the policies of the Government since they originate in Globalist Institutions the Not-a-Conservative-Party also supports.
AT BEST they will propose minor tweaks to the policies and/or a slightly lower timescale for their implementation. Just as Labour did when the Not-a-Conservative-Party was dancing to the tune of the WEF.
In March this year, Jenrick acknowledged “the problem.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/22/liberal-elites-put-their-reputation-ahead-of-our-interests/
The only genuine Opposition we are likely to get will be from the 5 Reform MPs.
September 3, 2024
The Pro Gaza five led by Corbyn Will influence TwoTier Keir especially as some of his key figures nearly lost their seat to Muslim candidates where Rayner and Phillips were pleading to vote for them, read Guido article on it.
September 3, 2024
I think we shall find that the Opposition to this ‘20% Government’ will be the People.
While strenuous efforts may appear to suppress the undercurrent of unpopularity, as matters become more focussed, this dynamic will broaden and cause increasingly wide striations, leading to mass movement of invested savings and assets. What perhaps now is a trickle, as more and more become affected, it will likely become an unstoppable flood.
September 3, 2024
The intention of Labour is not to make the country a happy place. It doesn’t care about any of that.
September 3, 2024
Sir John has captured exactly what needs to be addressed: âcontrol of our borders, avoid tax rises, raise productivity and quality in public services, lift the growth rate, restore law and order and uphold freedom of speech.â This is what the country needs and expects from the Conservative Party. The people have different requirements for the Conservative Party than the Labour Party and this list is a Conservative list (which the Labour Party would never address). If the new leader focuses on these issues the Conservative Party will win in 2029.
September 3, 2024
But the “conservatives” need to do much more than that, our cultural institutions have been suborned by the woke-left along with our education establishments, universities, museums, you name it. Under the current regime they will be damaged further. These elements of our society must protected, regenerated and conserved.
September 3, 2024
@Paul Freedman – a simpler version would be to have some one capable of management to control expenditure, only fund what the ‘Country’ can afford i.e what it has coming in from real growth. Balance the books by act and deed and not from contriving to dip into the pockets of those that are pushing it forward.
The leadership candidates, along with those that marshal and control them don’t wish for traditional Conservative values to surface, they wish to remain Liberal Democrats wearing faux Tory hats. Traditional Conservatives have had no hand in selecting the candidates, just as it seems they had no hand in selecting a Conservative to stand in elections – That’s why the Country can expect the death of the Conservative Party
September 3, 2024
I too am concerned about what appears to be an invisible hand operating behind the scenes controlling outcomes. It has been a very deficient invisible hand too as it has failed to win any meaningful majority at all since it grasped control of the Conservative Party around 2005. The exception of course is Boris Johnson who was initially prevented from becoming leader in 2016 and also again in 2022 (despite securing enough parliamentary support). There clearly is a force at work behind the scenes and it has a lot to answer for as we could have won big in 2010, 2015, 2017 too although a smaller victory in 2024 if that force had never been present.
That said, however, there are reasons to be optimistic despite it. 1) it is beatable – Boris did it 2) the Conservative party cannot ever win a GE unless it appeals to its traditional Conservative voters (eg Reform UK voters) – it is destiny therefore the Conservative party will have to realign with its traditional values and standards 3) I think Robert Jenrick might be the leader we are looking for and if he gets through to the final round real Conservatives (ie party members) will have the final vote to elect him if they favour him (and I think they will). A real Conservative party will then be restored which will be very appealing going forward.
So, despite the current headwinds there are still reasons to be optimistic in my opinion.
reply Interesting analysis. Have you read Nadineâs The Plot?
September 3, 2024
Thank you. I haven’t read it but I am aware of it and it sounds very interesting. I think it will be on my Christmas reading list!
September 3, 2024
Who will listen? You did nothing whilst in power. Nobody is listening now. They will be talking to an empty room. Your party has made itself irrelevant.
September 3, 2024
It may have been a good idea to have a new leader of the opposition (Conservatives) in place by yesterday. That hasn’t happened and apparently won’t happen for some time yet.
The Starmer lead Government is showing it’s incompetence already. Talking of further smoking bans, yet ignoring out of control immigration (no gangs smashed yet)
This lot are ripe for ripping up. Get your fingers out and get on with it.
September 3, 2024
Regarding the election for a new Conservative leader, “leader” is exactly what is needed and none of the candidates fit the bill. The party doesn’t need change, as the membership are in general quite sound. It needs someone who can set the direction clearly and take people with him (or her of course).
September 3, 2024
How about opposing Labour’s, anti semetic, pro Palastinian terrorist, newly announced policy on supplying arms to Israel. Despite all Starmer’s talk of changing Labour , it now appears that Lammy has been keeping this piece of anti semetism in cool storage until he could dress it up as something it isn’t.
It may well find favour in the FCO as they have a history of pro arab anti Israel sentiments. Be assured, it will do nothing for the integrity of the UK except amongst terrorists.
September 3, 2024
I suppose the main problem the Conservative Leader of the Opposition and his Shadow Ministers have is that they actually agree with most of Labour’s policies (higher taxes, smoking bans, Net Zero, etc. etc.).
September 3, 2024
We all know that the only opposition to this government is the Reform Party. The three main parties are all in lockstep with Net Zero, mass immigration and wokism. You canât oppose policies you agree with which is why we have had silence from them since the election. All three are intent on destroying this country. At least Europe and the USA seem to be waking up to the dangers the Western world faces. This is a dangerous time as war is often the choice of dictators to save their skins.
September 3, 2024
Good morning Sir John
I cant help myself, sarcasm is the only appropriate response with today’s Parliament.
Why should today’s crop of opposition Ministers even be given the time of day, let alone money, there is no opposition, there is no opposition on the horizon. We live in the age of the UniParty, each a complexion of the same, they are all focused on tax collection and borrowing that is how we have finished up with the largest tax take and borrowing in 70 years according to the Government mouthpiece the BBC. Not a single MP, Minister, opposition or Ruler is even remotely interested in control costs and expenditure, the Country, they all refuse to manage anything other than contriving a bigger tax take and more borrowing to feed their personal ideological agendas.
None of them, not one is even interested in serving the Country and managing – hence the word we all use to describe them is the UniParty.
We used to have a Conservative party, that supported the greater majority of the UK. A party the grew the Country by causing it to earn. Now we have a CCHQ, 1922 Committee ensuring and contriving that the Conservative Party will no longer exists, the have offered up those that squandered an 80 seat majority, that think the centre ground is somewhere left of Ed Davey. In doing so they have denied they failed, they have denied they lost more of the electorate than any previous incarnation. The object is continuity and reinforcing the UniParty to keep Starmer as the Countries Ruler.
September 3, 2024
Had the Tories just done what they were told and used their majority as ruthlessly as Labour have started to use theirs.
September 3, 2024
@K – and those same individuals that were as it seems appointed by the CCHQ and the 1922 Committee now want you to forget their failings, and offer everything they just failed on. But as is it with the others they will lie to get elected, it is now the done thing to renege on promises and duty. Its the done thing to ignore those that lend you power and pay your wages so as you can burnish your personal self-esteem and stick to the orders handed down by the Socialist WEF
September 3, 2024
But do today’s Conservative MPs have the work ethic needed to be an effective opposition?
I note that the candidates for leadership have yet to invite members to give input on why the last five years were such a disaster. Not listening to members, let alone the public, was one of the reasons they lost so badly.
September 3, 2024
âThe leadership candidates for the Conservatives need to set outâŠâŠâŠ.how they would take control of our borders, avoid tax rises, raise productivity and quality in public services, lift the growth rate, restore law and order and uphold freedom of speech.â
And the cancellation of Net Zero, the âsolutionâ to the Marxist lie that increased levels of CO2, whether natural or anthropogenic, have caused a climate catastrophe through additional warming. The science shows that although CO2 is just 0.04% of the atmosphere it has already produced 99% of all the greenhouse gas warming possible as defined by its IR bands and the planets IR Planck distribution curve. So additional CO2 can only cause an additional 1% of warming, a phenomenon known as IR saturation. The Royal Society admit to IR saturation for CO2âs main IR absorption band but fail to quantify any increase for the minor bands. The IPCC WG1 (âThe Scienceâ) state that a doubling of CO2 (which will take 170 years at the current rate) will cause a mere 1.2 degrees C of warming (P95 footnote). Happer & Wijngaarden calculate 0.7 degrees C. Table 12.12 in the IPCC WG1 report shows there to be no signals for climate change other than some mild warming leading to some loss of ice and snow as would be expected as we are still coming out of an ice age which ended just 11,000 years ago.
September 3, 2024
The Labour Party has its own plank distribution curve with Milli on his own band in the centre. He wouldn’t understand what Happer and Wijngaarden are on about if he studied it for a year.
September 3, 2024
Stred :
Oh I think Ed Miliband knows very well that CAGW is a lie and that Net Zero will cause impoverishment and social disruption even if he doesnât fully understand the science. He will know about Happer & Wijngaarden and IR saturation from Jeremy Corbynâs brother, Piers, who has a first class BSc degree in physics and an MSc in astrophysics and who is not an anthropogenic CAGW believer.
September 4, 2024
+1
Net Zero is the way the UN intends to impose what will basically be global communism. The people who run these globalist organisations believe the only reason socialism/communism failed is because it wasn’t applied everywhere.
September 3, 2024
Unfortunately the current Conservative Party does not wish to oppose the Marxistsâ main policies of mass, uncontrolled immigration and Net Zero, both designed to impoverish the country and cause the collapse of a harmonious, well ordered and prosperous nation.
PM Sunak called the GE early to make sure it was before the Rwanda plan could be tested safe in the knowledge that the following administration would cancel it. Net Zero by 2050 is still a Conservative policy. The Conservative âOppositionâ is no more use than chocolate teapot and cannot become a real opposition until those MPs who were parachuted into the safe seats by CCHQ are removed. This may never happen and any opposition to Government will need to come from elsewhere.
September 3, 2024
Agreed. We have to think in terms of Opposition to the Globalist Establishment, not the Government. That’s what Reform represents.
September 3, 2024
An overriding objective of a shadow Cabinet should be to win the next General Election. Badenoch does not think so as she said it is unlikely that the Conservatives would be in power before the 2030s. She fails to understand that it is the Leader’s job to make it likely to win the next General Election, especially so now because if the Conservatives don’t set out a credible, platform for winning the next election other parties such as the Liberal Democrats and Reform will overtake them and send them into permanent oblivion and irrelevance.
Badenoch also said the Conservatives talked right but governed left – there is indeed no greater example of that than Badenoch herself who couldn’t or wouldn’t arrange to get rid of the vast majority of EU regulations which wouldn’t even have been difficult to do had she really wanted to do it, given the vast size of the civil service or the scope for contracting the drafting out to some of the many thousands of solicitors, barristers and academic lawyers that exist in the country.
September 3, 2024
I am hoping that Reform MP read this site because they have no experience of a real Parliament and have no idea of the demands of the job of even an MP much less a Shadow or Government Minister. Even I am stunned by the unfaltering lifetime dedication and quality of outcome we have had from JR. It is even more staggering to note that we have not ALL been on blended knee begging him to sort out our precious governing machinery from Nr 10.
I was actually sick most of yesterday. I caught an interview with Starmer while in a car – no means of escape. He was at a school and was asked extensively about the negotiations with his children regarding their desire to own an Alsatian. Apparently after long negotiations, even longer than the telling, it was settled that they would get a kitten. Then there was long detail about his new bomb proof front door and the question of cat-flips.
No questions about the ÂŁ47 billion black hole (ÂŁ22 billion that the âOBR did not know aboutâ plus the ÂŁ25 billion pay increases doled out by this shower in their first hours on the front bench).
Iâm afraid not only do we no longer have properly run Departments or Shadow Departments but we also have a brain dead journalistic sector. It was like being in kindergarten, patronising language and a sweetie to placate the electorate.
They really hold us in contempt.
September 3, 2024
I was feeling a similar way, Lynn, so as I read through the comments, I wasn’t surprised to read that you made a comment similar to the one I was going to make.
Reform should work hard to persuade JR to train them if they want to be taken seriously and not screw up. I’m not a fan of Farage, but I like the cut of James McMurdock’s gib, and Rupert Lowe is also someone to take seriously and, with some guidance, could be very effective.
September 3, 2024
JR and others had a chance to rid the Tory party of one nation types led by Treacherous May before the 2019 election. No broad church rot, get rid of them and replace with conservatives. They could and should have reset the dial to ensure Johnsonâs feet were held to the fire, set the direction of policy travel without any inch to deviate. Johnson could have been used as a focal point spoke person with substance of party/Govt. and policy set for him. After the disaster treacherous May why wouldnât they?
Reply I did support the moves to replace Mrs May which we did achieve after some delay owing to original lack of support.
September 3, 2024
Good for you. The cull of her cohorts should have been ruthless after what she and her followers did. The momentum for change back to conservatism should have been driven home. Sadly it was not. It allowed May and her cohorts to get rid of leavers!! Hence a tiny few left with 3/4 left wing pro EU one nation types.
September 3, 2024
Isn’t that going to be hard for prospective candidates?
Most Tory MPs in the last government simply followed and supported what the government wanted, which most of the time was heavily supported by labour. The basic fact is that labour are pursuing Tory policies but with a vengeance.
Could we believe any tory leadership candidate who told us they were going to propose totally different policies to what they followed in the last parliament?
September 3, 2024
What is the Conservative’s response to the serious threat of hypersonic missiles (with or without nuclear warheads) and deadly drone clusters?
I’m optimistic science can provide a solution and at a reasonable price (and which will help drive the economy) and that we will have to work with other friendly countries to create this technology. We simply don’t have a choice. What happens if rogue countries around the world get hold of hypersonic missiles? Iran. Muslim extremists. North Korea. And China and Russia (if they really have them). And others.
September 3, 2024
Who is the shadow defence minister? I don’t think I’ve read any response to anything from them for two months.
September 3, 2024
theconversation.com 15/04/2022 âHow hypersonic missiles work and the unique threats they pose – an aerospace engineer explainsâ.
theconversation.com 24/05/2023 âChinaâs hypersonic missiles threaten US power in the Pacificâ.
UK should certainly build its own, somewhere near Cambridge ⊠what dâyou think?
September 3, 2024
“US power”,what is that?
The Houthis have this week scored direct hits on two tankers in the Red sea area.There are two US carrier groups in the region,including CSG3,said to be the most powerful in the US navy-actually they appear to be powerless.
September 3, 2024
Thanks for your reply.
In the past the debate was about nuclear weapons (which I supported / support). But now the debate is moving into (or this is an additional debate) hypersonic missiles (with or without nuclear warheads) and cluster drones.
I don’t know what the solution is. But MPs have got to discuss this. It’s a potentially a huge problem (that personally I believe can be fixed by science – although not easy at all. Perhaps a greater task than building the first nuclear bomb).
‘Cambridge’. Why not (part of helping to create the world’s second Silicon Valley there, perhaps)?
I was reading something similar about 2nd link you posted. But have been looking at the first link in more detail.
September 3, 2024
Hypersonics donât need nukes or cluster munitions.
September 3, 2024
I think Parliament / Ministry for Defence / Conservatives should be looking at this:
‘Hypersonic Missile Defense: Issues for Congres’ (The United States Congress) – June 24 – 2024.
September 3, 2024
Perhaps they should overcome their Russophobia instead?
September 3, 2024
Canât manage it – the USA canât manage it either. They are hoping to have one in 5 years. Did you not know?
But Ursula, who does not know what Hypersonic is, still believes we can beat Russia if we have the WILL! đ€
September 3, 2024
Off Topic.
Home Office Minister Jess Phillips appeared to make a stunning confession about being given preferential treatment during a recent A&E visit etc ed
I am not posting this as it appears to be a long quote probablyb from GB News without attribution, and the story is out there. this site is for thoughtful commentary and discussion, not for repeating well known news stories brought to our attention by others.
September 3, 2024
You are more informed than me SORRY. I had only just become aware via GB news and thought as today is about Ministers it had some relevance. Your blog your choice.
September 3, 2024
Having crossed the floor to have a cosy chat with Starmer and Rayner upon losing the electricity and closing his term as PM Sunak and the so called shadow opposition were making helpful suggestions about banking or other unimportant points this week. Not one Conservative or Liberal MP challenged Starmer about his hijacking of the law to arrest and imprison working class protestors who classhed with police after the latest murders and hush management. The imprisonment of people who repeated social media comments with the prefix ‘if this is true’ has put the UK to shame with Americans shocked that this could happen in the country which gave democracy and fair law to the world. The cancellation of the belated free speech bill to give opposition a chance in universities was a disgraceful move and put of the Orwellian handbook. The further dumbing down of educational standards could have been taken from the Scottish National disaster. The suggestion of 20mph limits such as the Welsh government tried to introduce was a warning of what is to come. And the rushing to end using our own North Sea resources while tripling expensive wind and solar generation using false costing by the minister with the ability of a 7 year old brainwashed child is gpi6to be a disaster. The fines on car production is about to cause the ceasing of production of ICE cars and vans in order to only sell electric cars that are unpopular.
How many more disastrous Labour policies are going to be passed over because they were Conservative policies in the pipeline?
September 3, 2024
Sorry about the predictive text alterations which my phone makes when not visible.
Election not electricity was one.
September 3, 2024
you could be right, Westmister might well lose electricity like the rest of us.
September 3, 2024
“The leadership candidates for the Conservatives need to set out this week as Parliament returns what is wrong with this new governmentâs approach.”
They won’t do much of that ! The policies they all followed in office were broadly the same as those now being implemented by Labour ! It’s largely why they lost the election.
How can any of the candidates for leader make a meaningful contribution on alternative policies ?
September 3, 2024
So, a shadow minister’s role is like that of an unpaid intern. If you like, a long audition/interview to see how effective they are. How many are discarded by new leaders if they achieve power? I wonder how many of the old-guard will have to take up these roles?
Those looking to be leaders need to concentrate their pitches on positive messaging about conservatism and how it differs from the new socialist government and how they will be any different. We saw Hunt freeze the income tax threshold, increase dividend taxes, increase corporation tax, and freeze iHT thresholds, so we thought we’d got Tories, but we didn’t, so how can we trust anyone from the old cabinet leaders?
September 3, 2024
351 illegal economic /criminals arrived in the UK yesterday from the safe country of France âŠit just doesnât stop
September 3, 2024
And today at least 12 people including a woman and six children failed from arriving to the UK from the safe country of France. I hope this made you feel better, glen.
September 3, 2024
Well it saved the British taxpayer 12 x ÂŁ250,000. That goes some way to âplug the black holeâ. Does that make you feel better Hefner? Or will nothing but the numbers who die of hyperthermia this winter, which seems to be gearing up to be a cold one, brighten your day?
September 4, 2024
Hypothermia!
September 4, 2024
A pedantic comment as usual from you hefner
PS
Your original post was in very poor taste taking sarcasm to a new low.
Even for you.
September 3, 2024
Let’s just set up a ferry service, abolish passports (except for getting out of the country) and have done with it.
If a woman can have a penis then everyone is British.
Share everything you have with whoever turns up, Hefner. Oh. Forgot. Labour is going to do exactly that for you. What do you think the taxes are for ?
September 4, 2024
Yes, that’s the risk they deliberately took. They are responsible, not us. I’m glad the remaining criminal migrants were returned to France. Which is what should happen to the rest of them.
September 4, 2024
Why is it too difficult for France to stop Dinghyâs travelling along roads to the seaside?
September 4, 2024
GC: That’s total 2427 / 42 overloaded boats in the last 8 days 27/8 to 03/9 inclusive ( another 317 / 5 boats having arrived 03/9 ) That’s a great many hotel rooms or other facilities, whereabouts unknown, needed. And how many ‘just in case / contingency’ rooms are being paid for daily at present.
September 3, 2024
What about the Ruling Ministers? With just 20% of electoral support.
From today’s MsM. UK energy bill payers will be forced to pay at least ÂŁ357 per household extra to fund Ed Milibands ÂŁ10bn pipe dream of subsidizing foreign government and taxpayers. Where is the election promise of ÂŁ300 savings per household? Seems like a leaf out of the faux Tories play-book, turn promises into lies.
All so he (Ed Miliband) and his Labour friends can cause the maximum pain for the UK Citizen and UK Industry, already amongst the Worldâs highest for energy prices, pushing up costs exponentially and exporting UK jobs by the cart load. Their paymasters the Unions are getting stabbed in the back.
Labour the friend of the foreign governments, the enemy of the UK Worker. There are no savings, just additional costs to satisfy 100% personal ideology and ego.
As their is only a UniParty their is no opposition to this madness. Shouldn’t all Ministers and maybe MP’s pay actually have an element/proportion of pay based on the success of the Country. The ruler of the Country has made himself the exception, his own pension pot is ring fenced by act of parliament from attacks by the sitting government (him self for the moment) another 2 Tier Kier moment
September 3, 2024
From Guido – if we needed more reminding – ‘Miliband went further This isnât something to boast about, especially since the expansion will saddle energy bill payers with a ÂŁ10 billion cost. Consumers will end up paying foreign companies ÂŁ82 per MWh in government subsidies to build these solar and wind farms.’ Not the Government paying though, people haven’t learnt governments don’t have money, just access to peoples wallets enforced by Law.
Paying those outside the UK for something we could supply ourselves means that money is removed from the UK economy, that leaves a ‘black-hole’ to be refilled by the UK taxpayer – just ÂŁ10billion on one commodity!
Money removed from the UK is money taken from the economy, money that is not running around funding our existence.
September 3, 2024
To be fair on this Government (awful as it is) all of the problems, economic, growth, law and order, transport, Net Zero, roads and super-mass immigration and woke took place under the previous administration.
They can point the finger at any shadow minister and mock.
It as though a left wing putsch took place under the cover of covid. We came out of it a changed country and the white working and middle classes had been made second class citizens in their own country. This long before Labour arrived.
September 4, 2024
Agree, K. SARS-Cov2 was the excuse to road-test a lot of the current authoritarian state-knows-best actions against the public that are now being implemented without that excuse. A tame media saying what the government wanted was vital to the lockdown regime, and that’s what we’ve got now. No mainstream media opposition to energy policy, pro-Ukraine war policy and the policy of silence on excess deaths. No mainstream media opposition to the censorship of alternative media: of course not, because their rivals are being disciplined into consent.
September 4, 2024
That’s exactly what happened. It was used (and if you subscribe to the “conspiracy theories” planned) to advance The Great Reset.
No sooner had the destruction started than Johnson, Bush, Trudeau, the EU etc started repeating the brainwashing WEF mantra “Build Back Better.”
September 3, 2024
John you keep referring to the Conservatives.You also talk about the many posts you have worked hard in.It seems that your political divorce is causing you more stress than you actually realise.Things in this country will never be the same again or even similar What you are actually doing is recounting your life aloud.Its hard!
September 3, 2024
I am in mourning. I feel like a fish out of water. I no longer live âat homeâ. I donât understand the law, I donât understand the police, I donât know where best to invest, I donât know how to help my people.
I had thought that it would be âafter me – the floodâ. But I think I was wrong.
None of that is John Redwoodâs fault. He went above and beyond.
September 3, 2024
Nice to see our kind host on GBN tonight.
September 3, 2024
SirJ, a good, solid & honest performance tonight on GBNews âŠIf only you were a candidate in the Tory leadership race
September 3, 2024
+1 the MPs would never allow the members to choose him. The PCP is rancid, and doomed.
September 3, 2024
Expecting robust Opposition to turn up and defend the country should have already occurred. The thought of a full time, unpaid 7 day week on top of being an MP in opposition without the support after the recent General election must rule out 99% of Conservative MPs.
The Reform party are denied a fair voice by the FPTP and Parliament so it will be a continuation of the long running Punch and Judy show going through the motions and Labour maxing out their contracts hidden agenda unspoken before the election. They can’t believe their luck!
September 3, 2024
Errata – not contracts but power.
September 4, 2024
Re the small boat crossings, repeatedly there are drownings of these illegal unfortunates.
Why don’t we following sound Health and Safety [Risk Assessment] Regulations and using those Laws… to PUSH THEM BACK (to protect them) as they start out on their most dangerous crossings… Les Bleus can hardly object to this as clearly they are negligent in not stopping them leaving, despite our ÂŁ500m!!
For legal migrants, just cap it by quotas, like every other country.
Your old lot were at fault here too Sir J, shameful. Conspiracy theorists may claim we want young men migrants in preparation for conscription, should we end up in any future wars?