We need a tank, not a sports car
IT'S that time of year. Leaves falling, nights drawing in-and cold, blind panic in Tory headquarters.
Tomorrow is about unveiling their economic masterplan. Today is about deciding what on earth it is.
And if you're not convinced by the end of the Tory party conference in Birmingham this week, David Cameron is in trouble.
The Tories have had a year to prepare for this conference. But the world turned on its axis a couple of weeks ago.
In America, George W Bush has turned into the largest nationaliser since Lenin, with plans to buy up bad debt. In Britain, taxpayers have found themselves bailing out bankers. Bradford & Bingley may follow Northern Rock
All of a sudden, voters are asking: 'what would the Tories do differently?' And no one has the faintest idea. By "no one" I include a good chunk of the Shadow Cabinet. There's a big vacuum where a policy should be.
The latest plan is an "office for budget responsibility" which would make sure Tory ministers don't spend too much.
Good to know that Cameron wouldn't even trust his own government. But still, HE needs to be the watchdog.
Cameron is facing a far greater test if he wants to rebut Gordon Brown's charge that this is "no time for a novice".
Hard questions need answered, like: would we be better off under the Tories? Would David Cameron take away less of your money?
Cam's original plan was a solid but dull conference-and not to be seen enjoying himself too much.
Now Britain is looking over an economic cliff, he has to raise his game. To prove to us that he's a PM in waiting.
They need to do more than sing "Gordon is a Moron"-pretty much their main refrain for the last year or so, effective though it has been.
American presidential hopeful John McCain wants to FREEZE government spending. You can disagree, but at least it's a policy.
So what would Cameron do? How would he make us better off? This is what we need to hear from him this week.
Can he imagine what it's like for the millions worried about keeping their job, their car or their house? Can he help? Also Cameron's team are young. Their advisers are even younger. Can the novices really cut it?
Now and again you hear the cigar-chomping Ken Clarke on the radio and think: that's what a Tory heavyweight sounds like.
For years the Tories have been in awe of Brown. Unable to break free of his big-government, big-spending ideas. It's not rocket science. As Thatcher said, anyone who has run a household budget can run a government.
Cameron can cut taxes, or not. Spend more, or less. In other words: offer us a choice, or more of the same.
And if you hear waffling phrases like "over the cycle" then watch out. It's politician-speak for "you're shafted".
Great leaders have radical plans, and make them simple. We'll see this week if Cameron is in this league.
He has these next four days to persuade us our futures are safer with him. If not, then Clunking Fist Brown may regain ground.
Some time ago, a focus group was asked to compare leaders to vehicles. Brown was a tank, Cameron was a sports car.
When the economy is doing fine, you want to take the sports car out for a spin. In an economic war, you want a tank. And you certainly don't want to be in a soft-top when the financial sky is falling in.
Now, yet again, the risk is that the Tories look vacuous.
It's shocking that, three years on, Cameron still has to get across to the public what he'd do.
And that they're rushing around trying to put together a policy for tomorrow-rather than having one ready.
I can tell you how great their schools policy is. But I'd feel better if I didn't have to explain it to Tory MPs too.
Just a few weeks ago, the Tories were joking that they could reduce their conference to half an hour in the Dog & Duck.
The Tories are so, so lucky that Labour has decided to lay on a distraction by disembowelling itself on live television.
A few months ago, Cam summed up his message as "vote blue and get rid of this useless Prime Minister". Great, but then what? For three years, Cameron has had the luxury of not having being asked this question.
Now, after months avoiding scrutiny, the public want hard answers.
IN David Cameron's interview with this newspaper on Page 2, he claims the Royal Bank of Scotland paid £4 billion of tax last year. Wrong: the Bank says it just paid £2 billion. And this from the man now chastising Gordon Brown for having no grip of figures. Obviously preparing for Government already . . .
VOTING HAZARD
NOW that Britain will be the first country in Europe to have graphic pictures of diseased lungs on cigarettes, will the principle be rolled out?
Here's some thoughts.
Voting slips - picture of an MP buying a John Lewis plasma screen
Council tax bill - picture of two girls being paid to spy on litter louts.
Tax return - picture of a black hole, with your hard-earned flowing into it.
This article has 4 comments
So this rotten to the core government have bowed to the EU and the anti-smoking crusaders again, we are now to be regaled with the EUs official lung collection directive. Do these cretins not realise that their shock tactics lost their momentum when it finally dawned on people that ASH and their collaborators with their smoke & mirrors campaign lied about the harmful effects of SHS.
It doesn't matter that this country has been destroyed by Labour. It keeps being said that this is a nanny government, not true, it's a communist one with Stasi enforcers, surveillance cameras on every street corner watching our every move, and we politicans like Harpicperson Harmen, who wants everyone to be equal as long as her ilk are more equal than the rest of us.
Britain will not be the first country in Europe to have the macabre images, Belguim has had them for some time, and like every shock tactic, once seen they're forgotten, this is just the anti-crusaders having to justify their existence to carry on collecting their government funding and pharmaceutical grants.
I hear that a new Directive from Brussels is to be introduced, under health & safety regulations it entails branding everyone with 'Life is a Risk & Will shortly be Banned'. Policticans, celebrities, the rich and health gestapo are exempt.
Get this lot of charlatans out now, and while we're about it get out of the EU, fast.
By Lucy. Posted September 29 2008 at 4:15 PM.
Regards the Cert 18 X-Rated photos on ciggy packs it's just another Labour extremist nanny pumping out their ever more shrill hysteria on behalf of the shadowy minority groups these Socialist dictators work for.
Forget 10-12m smokers (and renage on their manifesto pledge to boot) and "listening to voters views. You can't get a word in when the dishonest corridors of Westminster are where dossiers are fabricated, junk (climate) science is hoaxed, medical frauds about the (non) dangers of passive smoke are dreamt up and policy is made. Without reference to people, a policy without mandate from the people and without any consultation.
This is democracy in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Britain. 1,600 new laws a year to micro manage your every waking moment. Nannyism and extremism. Rule by minority groups to opress, tax and criminalise the majority. 1984 is no longer a book. It's the State of the country after 15yrs of Socialism and lies. Lies they plaster on ciggy packs (none of the images are accurate or can be medically proven).
Doesn't matter. This is propoganda. Labour propoganda doesn't have to be accurate. In fact there's 15 images available from the unelected Marxist cabal at the EU. Another issue Labour lied their criminal way into without any public consultation or democratic vote. What a sorry bunch of rotten spivs Parliament has become. Just gets sadder by the day.
By Johnny Boy. Posted September 28 2008 at 11:27 PM.
i agree with most of what sarah wrote ealier today
we do need change ,the country is been run like a circus and the people in charge are clowns.
example - kill someone with a car or rob , mug or anyother minor crime you get a small fine or a slapped wrist
dont pay your tv liecence or put your bins out to early you get a big fine ,criminal record threat of prison.
and all you here from these people is blame the parent , blame him or her
well how about blame all MP'S too
it seems all they want to do is get the best expence packages for them selves and tax the working people to death
the government do care about people just seems to be the wrong ones
By pete bradford. Posted September 28 2008 at 12:36 PM.
I respect Frazer's views but from my own perspective it is not just about the economy. It is about UNfairness, hypocracy, broken Britain, sleaze and SPITEFULNESS. This is a jealous and spiteful Government. I am an ordinary voter but I don't feel envy because someone went to Public School or comes from a wealthy background.
Brown & Co must not get another term in Government because our broken society will not just be broken, but virtually impossible to mend. I blame the Tories for ruling out Ken Clarke as their next leader - he didn't even get to the second round and I was one who voted for Cameron out of the 3 in the running. I can understand why the public haven't fully warmed to him but honestly, who is there in this Cabinet that one can respect - Smith, a joke, Mililband, an embarrassment, Balls/Cooper, arrogant, Straw - talks a good talk but incompetent, Darling - say no more, though you have to feel sorry for him and lastly Mrs Tru-Woman Harman - terrifying thought that she could become the Leader! In my opinion this Cabinet is absolutely appalling, so for me, I really don't think the Tories could do a worse job. At least they do have intelligent people in the Shadow Cabinet. Blair and Brown will surely go down as the worst leaders of this country and it really is time for change. Just sorry that Ken Clarke wasn't at the helm to take this once great country forward.
By Sarah. Posted September 28 2008 at 7:22 AM.