Tory konference -- WTF?

Although he can't quite bring himself to say so, IDS's address is actually a straightforward repudiation of the social consequences of Thatcherism.

The Tory's achilles heel, as Paddy Ashdown once pointed out, is its aged, reactionary membership. They still don't quite get it, applauding heartily at the wrong moments, prefering to get stuck into anti-Euro and Labour bashing themes, but this was an interesting conference. I wouldn't write them off yet.

Oliver Letwin gave a
speech that was far and away the most thoughtful of any Tory on crime I've ever heard. Less 'hang 'em, flogg 'em' and probably more liberal than anything David Blunkett would ever give. They are close to formulating a semi-coherent response to nu-lab (or lifting it from the Lib Dems) ie Blair/Brown's over-centralising tendency works agains improving public services even with lots amount of cash thrown in. They hope with time people will forget that the Tories themselves severely damaged the same services whilst in power, and severly eroded local government.

They're still a long way from power, thank god, and IDS's total lack of charisma will probably ensure his chances of ever becoming PM are remote in the extreme but then again isn't 'charisma' an overrated virtue?

last year: the Tories are defeated by Labour in my home constituency(Dorset South), which less than 20 years ago was won by a quintessential Tory peer (Viscount Cranborne) with a 15,000 majority.

this week: the Tories associate themselves strongly with the current campaign for widespread broadband internet access in rural areas (see yesterday's Guardian Online supplement). They make noises about broadband access for rural businesses, not a priority of theirs two years ago, and they do not officially endorse what is effectively a glorified hunting rally at the conference.

It's an obvious cycle. But I still don't think it will return them to power for a *long* time.

Bump for the imminent arrival of Nu-Tory Week in the UK. I have absolutely no idea how the Tories are going to play this one.

Labour have finally cottoned onto the fact that putting their heads down and going "we are concentrating on running the country" is potentially disastrous and they've finally gone on the attack. The 'novice' jab is the first point I can remember Brown scoring on Cameron in over a year and it's a very good one. It'll stick if Cameron and Osbourne come over as flaky and insubstantial at the conference, and given they've been used to an easy ride and zero scrutiny of their policies, I'm not sure they were planning to be particularly high on substance until a week or so ago.

Not to mention the fact that public faith in both the City and in free-market liberalism has completely evaporated and seven days isn't really long enough to completely rework the central tenet of their party. Cameron might get a proper grilling for the first time in months. Interesting times.

The alternative scenario is that Cameron plays an absolute blinder, of course. I'm not sure he can do that on the economy, because the more American banks crash and burn the less it looks like Brown's fault, regardless of the part his policies actually played.

As his Shadow Home Secretary has already taken the easy way out, expect a lot more of that kind of desperation.

Cameron is playing the zing card, if I hear "Brown has had his boom now he is bust" from one more of this b'stards I swear I'll have to have a lie down. They've obviously all been told to repeat this whenever possible. And Nick Robinson could not get further up Cameron's arse if he tried incidentally.

Their just-announced rail scheme is certainly interesting.

Tories are going to announce plans to bring back school voucher schemes this week, just in case you thought they were good people.

xp
Haven't they just nicked that from the LibDems? From like years ago?

Yes, they have.
Lib Dem plan for fast rail link.

No doubt the Tories will be much cheered by the Far Nutter Right now holding the balance of power in Austria.

The caring sharing Nazis

Ha, I saw this this morning. The headline was something like "Austrians shocked by rise of far right". That's what happens when you vote for them you stoopids.

When you put it that way, it's all so easy!

I don't know tho, whenever I've felt disillusioned with the stasis and sameyness of the mainstream political parites I've never had the urge to run out and vote for the Nazi Party

Austria has two far right parties? What do they not agree on?

Almost everything I think. Except that they both hate foreigners.

One of them is keen on organic farming.

And each other, apparently (xp)

oh well at least they're splitting the vote.

keep reading this as Tron konference

What, is Peter Powell due to speak?

For younger readers, Peter Powell once declared Tron "the greatest film ever made, apart from other ones."

But is he on your "And He's A Tory Too, By The Way" list?

No, he's never declared.

Unlike fucking Paul "Another Scouse Traitor" O'Grady.

Some amusement already to be had watching various Tories having to criticise the City bosses

They thrashed Portsmouth 6-0 last week, why are they criticising them?

"Tories say taxpayers shouldn't be picking up the B&B bill"

Quite right - let those so-called asylum seekers sweep the streets and pay for their own board and lodgings.

Our flat in Oxford was rented from Bradford & Bingley and they were total cunts to me after Laura died so ha ha and fuck them, frankly.

Karma to Savour.

i read this as "Tony Kornheiser - WTF?"

still applicable

We are not yet addressing the issues that matter.

classic minorities in the middle action

There must be a bigger jpg of that Tatler spread somewhere.

Oh my god this is so bad for our country as he can not think for himself what is going on will he ever win I don't think so and who should we vote for well again there is no one with common sense or help for this poor country we are not rich as we have sold off assets that belonged to the people not governments like what Mrs Thatcher started and the labour party are still doing as we are now paying more than any European country on gas electric and water. I think everyone should spoil their electoral voting card to give the country a no vote on our politics as no political party are good. We have to change the way our politics is done as all of the political parties have misused money plus every one of them are in debt and should not be allowed to exist as the labour party is in debt over four hundred million and the conservative party debts three hundred and fifty million pounds in debt so how can they exist unless fraud is being committed. We have to be British again England Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland has to end devolution has to stop we need one parliament and people allowed to vote for a person not a whole load of idiots in a political party that cannot do the jobs they are trying for. We took note and big mistakes of trying to run our own businesses under the conservatives and now labour parties as in small companies are better than large ones. Now look at what is happening no one looked into the future when destroying the Unions the health and safety the rights of all workers and even worse the Hospitals children and older people. We all looked for now and fun well it is ending and the rich can run abroad away from their debts then we have to pay. We must get rid of all political parties and start over but must keep the King or queen in some way as the person to stop a misuse of power by any future prim minister. For more read my sun blog.

The pacing of that is perfect.

That's a pretty awesome punchline.

That Trevor Kavanagh really's gone to pot recently.

Oh, because? Why it impossible to recognize it for itself to go correctly? Yes, when bad one? Our country's this never causes me? Don' t therefore believed that and who can our well vote another one? Engraves is this national nobody has there often? Or the aid is poor we are not rich, because our vendemos except belongs to the people's government not? Source that Madame Thatcher? Beginning and work? Still did? We pay more ratios now? Is assorted to all? Continent? Family in electrical body and Shui Zhong. I think must? Destroys it??? Ticket? The card submits the country to vote that? . In ours politics, because the political party is not good. We have the change that our politics the method which does, because all political parties used the money to add on every it in debit side, and they could not reserve the existence? Work? In 42,000,000 debit sides and in party conservative person's debit sides 3100 and 50 in debit side? 1,000,000 pounds as well as can exist, only if deceives to do. We have are that another one? Engraves the British Britain Wales Scotland, and he has completion that to divide power the northern Ireland to have stop that need we to permit? Certain parliaments and the human vote for the person idiot are not the entire loading are impossible to do work a political party which the attempt stops. We adopt the attempt the note to have an effect our suitable business with the huge wrong present? In conservative person and work? Under they are quite assorted in the Small company the great part. He looked that now will be assorted nobody to look at the destruction occurrence in the future? Gathers? Health, and safe all workers? Favorable and correctly the worse hospital's child and the people most aged. We all looked now, and to the very good entertainment it to it is the ending, and rich part, in is far away from us to have payment that its debit side exterior possibly to have an effect then. We must come? And starts by exemption all political parties, but we must? Will retain king or queen/queen serves as for person's some way stops a misoperation being able to possess cautious for future minister. Read me for sun's more blogue.

Oh and David Bailey can go fuck himself and all.

Coming up: TV's Bradley Walsh given baked bean bath by Tory babes.

You don't think DBail was being "oooh-oo, Tory blokes! come out and get your PICTURE TAKENNNN!!! In nice clothesey wothsey! That'll impress the working CLASSES for youuuuuu..."

Nope. He took the thirty pieces of silver and must pay the price of hang.

Fair enough.

I knew someone who once worked for him, assistant focus puller or somesuch. Apparently, temper wise, make GRamsay seem like placid pete.

Verified. But if you're Amazing and Legendary the masochists of the fashion world tolerate all.

I've heard similar things about Cameron, when he's not in the vicinity of a camera.

Think Blair is unique among high-ranking modern politicians not to have had a raging temper.

Meanwhile over in Newport:

http://bp2.blogger.com/_h7CJteTPowo/RzXOLWwyXcI/AAAAAAAACq4/vNG1p3QiCIc/s1600-h/1937315518_095022b1ed_m.jpg

Osborne says he'll freeze council tax for two years.

Mandelson strikes me as too suave to do his pieces like Prescott or someone. I imagine he had other ways of expressing anger.

Who does Eric Pickles remind me of in that Tatler pic?
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00599/SNN2906B-380_599611a.jpg

Oh, yes...
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00599/SNN2906B-380_599611a.jpg

I mean...
http://goodwilljester.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/sontaran.jpg

Or perhaps...
http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/mason/Humpty1.gif

he looks like a badly drawn cock-end on whom someone has plonked a pair of specs.

which, funnily enough ...

Conservative politicians are generally uglier, aren't they?

yes. on the inside and the outside.

Oh, and you think they aren't still in love with MThatcher, these not sensibles?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7643110.stm

Lady Thatcher is the greatest Tory hero of all time, according to a straw poll of party activists and MPs.

The former prime minister beat Sir Winston Churchill by 97 votes to 53 in a vote at a conference fringe meeting.

A survey of Tory MPs was much closer, with Lady Thatcher on 48 votes - one more than Churchill. Eight Tory MPs voted for current leader David Cameron.

Mr Cameron did not take part but reportedly said he would have picked Robert Peel as he was a reformer.

I would have picked John Peel as he was a DJ.

John Peel wasn't a Tory.

Any chance we could actually get back to talking about the Tory Conference instead of stupid comic strip zings?

and neither am i (xsentence)

The funny thing is, while all this 'bank failing' stuff is happening, GBrown is looking more like the person doing what is necessary, whereas for all the "Brown should have seen this coming/we are the safe pair of hands' rhetoric, it does look like the boost of 'confidence' that the Tories should be emanating while conference is on, um, isn't happening.

Any chance we could actually get back to talking about the Tory Conference instead of stupid comic strip zings?

Ooohhhhhh, get you.

But if you insist.

It's all about populism with this Grieve fellow...
Tories 'to help have-a-go heroes'

This is the kind of meaningless rhetoric which makes me want resort to comic strip zings, frankly.

The Conservatives want to make it easier for the public to stop anti-social behaviour and crime by reducing the risk that "have-a-go heroes" will find themselves being prosecuted.

Mr Grieve's comments come after banker Frank McGarahan died following an attack in Norwich.

Hmm, can you see the (fatal) flaw in this rhetoric?

The Conservatives want to make it easier for the public to stop anti-social behaviour and crime because the police want an easy life

There, sorted.

The Conservatives want to make it easier for the public to stop anti-social behaviour and crime because Paul Dacre still isn't really sure about Cameron and this will guarantee a big Daily Mail splash

And screw Grieve for bringing up the case of Jordan Lyon. Using a dead child to make a cheap point really makes him "lower than vermin".

Which Gordon Brown with his stillborn child has never done.

Results 1 - 10 of about 3,230 for "tony blair" "james bulger".

When has Brown used his stillborn child for political point making?

The fatal flaw to me is a millionaire standing in a bikey taxi rank in Norwich at closing time. Couldn't he afford a chauffeur?

OK, that's not funny..

Any chance we could actually get back to talking about the Tory Conference instead of stupid comic strip zings?

― It's 10.00 and I'm Huw Edwards. I don't write this stuff. (Marcello Carlin), Tuesday, 30 September 2008 08:29 (28 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Two what extent were the tories seen as a safe pair of hands for the early 90s recession and will this work for GB?

It won't work

All he has to do is print pictures of Cameron's fat face

Wasn't meant to be funny.

You know, there are some places you don't go.

If you're a Goth it's probably not wise to walk through a bikey park full of pissed kids in Bury at midnight.

If you're a thrusting Thatcherkid it's ill advised to be strolling through Kensal Rise at quarter to twelve of a weekday evening.

It's called COMMON SENSE.

But why shouldn't they do X, Y or Z? - AGREED!

But since there are no actual POLICE on the streets to STOP ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND CRIME when they're needed we have to assume a certain sense of street wisdom.

And since the Tories wish us, the PUBLIC, to do this job because taxes to pay for public services are less important than hedge fund managers keeping their free enterprising bonuses by fucking up other banks and trusts - and if you saw the C4 documentary last night on the unsavoury members of Cameron's "Leader's Group" you'd see what I meant; I find it difficult to stomach Osborne's assertion that the "cupboard is bare" when Lord Ashcroft's pocket money alone would be enough to refuel them weekly - we will no doubt have to continue in this state of self-vigilance.

OK, clarified.

Cameron's instructed the Tories to look as frugal as possible less they be seen to be having a massive great party at the time when the world economy is collapsing.

but they've all sold their shares and waiting until they can buy them back for 1/10th of the price!

LOCK-IN!!(or lock-out!)

Cameron's instructed the Tories to look as frugal as possible less they be seen to be having a massive great party at the time when the world economy is collapsing.

Unlike last month when the economy was hunky dory and he was on holiday in Turkey on a £21,000 a week yacht.

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/aug2008/3/7/F0C3F12A-BD60-8CBF-C35E5A653C09492D.jpg

Ned, we know this is all bullshit, we know the Tories are generally full of shit and would be a lousy government. The point of this thread is that this week will be the acid test of whether they can fully convince the country otherwise, not an opportunity for people to go "grrr Tories bad, Labour good" at every opportunity.

When have I said that on this thread?

Apart from the tories bad bit.

Not sure if it is the acid test as all of the coverage is getting buried in HOLY SHITBALLS WE'RE ALL DOOMED.

My guess is the timing of these conferences, and the overshadowing of the Tory one, will probably see the Tory's lead slip to around 13/14 in the polls, which'd give them a majority of... 40 seats?

This is a good thing. Cameron and Osborne look very insignificant. (xp)

Well, if the crisis is steered in a fairly effective manner (compared to the US), this could be Gordon Brown's Falklands.

Yeah that's true, no one will remember anything other than Cameron's speech and it's going to have to be fucking good. The problem is they suddenly look very young and green amid HOLY FUCK WE'RE ALL DOOMED and all the US stuff is overshadowing Brown's role in ruining the UK economy.

(xpost - there's also the issue that for a lot of the country it's no longer embarrassing to admit voting Tory, and a bit embarrassing to admit voting Labour. So a significant drop in a Tory poll lead, if it happens, is a big deal).

Anyone see that Tonight programme on "Stealth Tax" last night? We paid more tax under Thatcher than under any other government! Britain is only middle of the league table of tax paying nations! Abolishing the five most unpopular stealth taxes would put 7p on the basic rate of income tax! They should really have had NRQ on to put the opposing case though.

xp
I wonder if this is why Cameron is now offering to 'help' Brown? Trying to show himself as a 'proper' politician hanging out with the Big Boys? Seems like a risky policy.

Also with the programme on Channel 4 about Tory funding, am I sensing a bit of a media backlash?

It's not a backlash per se, the media has to pretend (make sure?) that electoral races are as close as possible. Hence all of the "Can Hillary Clinton turn it around?" stories when it would have involved her winning every single remaining vote to be the Dem candidate, or the papers ignoring the 99 polls that correctly predicted the London Mayoral election results to focus on the one that had Boris/Ken neck and neck.

Trying to show himself as a 'proper' politician hanging out with the Big Boys?

It's mostly because attempting to play political Punch & Judy when people's savings and pensions are at risk would be electoral suicide. And because they probably secretly agree on the best way forward anyway.

It's the old "X-Factor" thing, tell them it's close otherwise people will not bother voting if they think their choice will win easily...

But Punch & Judy is what Cameron is best at

Breaking news

Cameron: "We in the Conservative Party believe money isn't everything..."
Everyone in the audience (frantically): "Wait, we do?"

Doing a McCain, putting politics aside for the good of the country or trying to regain the news initiative?

Speech ends. Standing ovation for David Cameron.

Shockah.

Oh please. It's spin; he just wants to make sure he has a seat at any table going.

We do remember that Darling interview from a few weeks back where he said meltdown issues were worst in 60 years, crisis impending etc? 20/20 hindsight will identify Darling as pretty honest in the face of all this doom.

Also with the programme on Channel 4 about Tory funding, am I sensing a bit of a media backlash?

probably not from the BBC

I'm sorry to not take all this as seriously as I should but really...
Upbeat music pre-David Cameron's surprise economic statement includes Girls Aloud 's 'Call The Shots' & Take That's 'Shine'.

Doing a McCain, putting politics aside for the good of the country or trying to regain the news initiative?

Bit of both I think, Cameron wants to win the election but he also doesn't want to inherit a complete and utter basket case. Even David Cameron would nationalise a High Street bank faced with the alternative of seeing hundreds of thousands of voters lose their savings. They are only pretending to disagree.

(I think we're generally clutching at straws here really and the Tories will win with a sizeable majority once the financial pain really starts to hit).

Nationalise or otherwise bail out, I mean.

Well, quite. The 'disagreement' seems to be on the level of "I'd have used a black biro"

... but Gordon Brown used up all the ink so I'll have to use a pencil instead

I wonder if this is why Cameron is now offering to 'help' Brown? Trying to show himself as a 'proper' politician hanging out with the Big Boys? Seems like a risky policy.

He's going for the bipartisan "country before politics" thing that worked so well for McCain last week...

Good opportunity for Brown to give it "Thanks son but we're a bit busy sorting the economy here, maybe you can help your Mum with the washing up instead?"

I wish he would say that, but he won't

No, I'm with the Senate on this one.

We the banks are sorry but we fucked about with your money and now we want more of your money to make up for it - FUCK OFF

Live by the free market, you die by the free market. Go and ask Lord Ashcroft for a loan. I understand from that C4 documentary last night that he's got a few spare millions squirrelled away (mostly in Belize).

http://www.recessmonkey.com/wp-content/uploads/cameron_demon_eyes1.gif

Right so Cameron's made his speech, ideally we need a big US bank to collapse or a bail-out to be approved in the next six hours, right?

"Gordon Brown talks about his economic experience. The problem is, we have actually experienced his experience."

That's clear enough, then.

"The risk is not in making a change. The risk is sticking with what you've got and expecting a different result."

"When we all fight in those European elections next June we will fight to promise to hold that referendum on the European constitution that Labour promised and have not delivered."

That last sentence is gibberish.

Fight who, exactly?

that meddling Eurocrat Antoine De Caunes

"In these difficult times we promise no new dawns, no overnight transformations. I'm a man with a plan, not a miracle cure."

Cameron's Misstra-Know-It-All status officially confirmed.

"...a declaration of war against those parts of the education establishment who still cling to the cruelty of the 'all must win prizes' philosophy..."

really wish i'd gone to one of those schools, there are loads and loads of them apparently

Cameron should STFU about education policy, something he is patently ill-qualified to pontificate upon.

Apparently it was an admin error: he meant to say "the cruelty of the Pets Win Prizes philosophy." Dale Winton unavailable for comment.

Danny Baker available to stand in at a moment's notice...

the cruelty of the 'all must win prizes' philosophy

The kindest cruelty of all time!

It reads like a speech for the Have Your Say crowd really.

The 'spendaholic' and 'we will make unpopular decisions' stuff is the most significant - first time we've seen Cameron make spending cuts into a virtue so explicitly, and he's done it by rolling it into this 'era of easy credit and freewheeling spending is over' stuff everyone's been hearing so much about. Predictable, but it will work.

"Experience is the excuse of the incumbent over the ages."

I'm sure it means something.

Our Dave will most definitely be getting my vote no matter what he says or what anti-conservative spin the media put on it.

[speaking_my_mind]

Recommended by 80 people

Our Dave: "I plan to lock up all the Jews that have got us in this financial mess"

Quipped Daniel Finkelstein: "that's it pal, I'm away back to Labour."

That was probably the most plausible and reasonable speech I think I have heard from a Tory at a Tory party conference. Remember, we have heard some desperate stuff from that quarter over many years - the bar is low.

I was not revolted by all of the speech. Some of it made sense to me, on the face of it, or sounded like a fair request for a chance / change etc of the same kind Blair had to make. It is all undermined for me by not liking the look, or indeed sound, of Cameron, and the fact that he is in the Conservative Party.

I didn't really like his grabbing of the military issue early on - he must have gone big on it after Brown recently ignored it.

I hated his 'four ways to complain but no way for Mr Woods' wife to die with dignity' emotive applause line. That is not a healthy way to talk about the NHS. I don't believe him when he says that the Tories would save or improve the NHS. It doesn't sound plausible at all.

'This health and safety, human rights culture has infected all aspects of our lives' -- that is a crass and dangerous way to talk about 'human rights', a concept which most people in fact favour.

I felt that it seemed like a momentous speech, it felt like a moment, the government-in-waiting act persuaded me that it was going to happen. On his own terms, he certainly didn't blow it.

BBC are treating their lefty liberal supporters with CONTEMPT by continuing to provide platform for bizarro right wing net yobs in HYS. Close HYS until after the next election, suggest ban TV licence.

Well, of course he didn't "blow it", they never do.

Did he impress people in the way Neil Kinnock's did one time? No.

Did that speech actually make any difference to Kinnock's election result? Nope.

Received wisdom is that Kinnock's speech went a long way towards blowing it in 1992.

If my licence money's subsidising George Lamb then I second licence ban.

It wasn't so much Kinnock's speech as Kinnock shaking his head like a peed-on Easterhouse football and yelling "Al-RIGHT!"

It is all undermined for me by not liking the look, or indeed sound, of Cameron

What don't you like about how he looks or sounds?

x-post!

That was actually a speech at the Sheffield rally just prior to the election, when his rather crazed cries of "well alright!!!" made people think he believed Labour already had it in the bag.

Yeah, that was the big "no-one will ever do this again" rally.

Cameron looks a lot better than Brown does. Not that it matters to me, but it does matter to the electorate I think.

None of us actually know anyone whose vote would really be affected by how someone looks and sounds.

But yes there are surely millions of them out there.

I don't like Cameron's fat face and I don't like his voice. But these are perhaps superficial things to say.

George Lamb is indeed terrible - well said.

Lamb may be a lot of things, but Tory conference material he is not.

a crass and dangerous way to talk about 'human rights', a concept which most people in fact favour

I think this is a questionable assumption, and I don't think any senior Government minister will rush to the defence of human rights, because they question that assumption too.

I felt that it seemed like a momentous speech, it felt like a moment, the government-in-waiting act persuaded me that it was going to happen. On his own terms, he certainly didn't blow it.

Bollocks. I thought the speech was mediocre at best; it was all over the place politically, unfocussed, vague and platitudinous. Even the performance - which is usually his strong point - was unremarkable.

Cameron's been totally wrong-footed by the financial crisis and I reckon he tore up huge chunks of his speech in the last week as a result. It's quite difficult to present yourself credibly as an alternative government when the structural pillar your entire party rests on is responsible for wrecking the global economy.

Any indication on the general reaction?

It wasn't exactly received like the Kings of Leon, this morning, was it?

Even tho I personally think Brown's crack about Cameron's 'lack of experience' was lame, it seems to have riled Cameron - oooooooooooh, touchy touchy! The best riposte he could come up with in the speech was comparing himself to Thatcher; yet Thatcher had been a cabinet minister for four years; Leader of the Opposition for four years and was in her mid-50s when she became PM - and she wasn't some fat faced Toryboy twat.

The Guardian (for what it's worth) painted it as Thatcherite and populist, with a large strain of Tebbitism (people these days aren't polite, have a go heroes etc.) no indication it was any kind of a barnstorming performance.

As far as soundbites go, "no time for a novice" beats "I am a man with a plan" hands down. One is an effective swipe undermining both internal and external rivals, the other one sounds like something a plumber would say.

Also Seamus Milne broadly OTM here.

One odd thing he said in the speech, he'd said something similar beforehand:

"Many bankers in the City were quite simply irresponsible. They paid themselves vast rewards when it was all going well and the minute it went wrong, they came running to us to bail them out. There will be a day of reckoning but today is not that day."

Day of reckoning? With the Almighty? Or does he mean some of the chaps and going to take these frightful banker coves back to quarters and roast them in front of the fire like muffins, hurrah!

trans:

well and the minute it went wrong, they came running to us to bail them out. Here you go, then, chaps....

You people are being optimistic.

I think on Cameron's own terms it was an excellent performance. It felt to me like it had a lot more in it than Brown's.

The Guardian has spun it as poor, but I don't think the rest of the press will.

Oh, I'm sure Cameron thought he was ace, fab and skill...

Ch4 news interviewed 5 or 6 floating voters in Reading after the conference and they all said they'd vote Tory after seeing Cameron's speech. Mind you they all seemed fairly anti-Labour anyway.

The Times and the Sun are probably the most accurate barometer of how this speech has really gone down. God, I don't believe I just said that. Still, I think the Pinefox is right and we are being too optimistic. What's that old trope about "oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them"? The last couple of weeks has obscured the fact that a lot of the country now really fucking hate Brown and Labour and it will take more than the impending collapse of the entire global financial system to change that.

Think the day of reckoning thing is a combination of "we don't want anyone thinking these bankers are our best mates even though they are", "we secretly would prefer to just let the banks go bust" with maybe a smattering of "this will play well with Xtians".

It felt to me like it had a lot more in it than Brown's.

What did it have in it? I haven't seen what the Times and Sun have said about it, but it didn't seem like too many people outwith the Tory Party conference were that impressed by it.

Like I said, as the leader of the biggest Anyone But Gordon Brown Party, Cameron could have advocated invading France tomorrow and the public would still consider him the Prime Minister in waiting.

Cameron's party political broadcast last night was also heavy on "this is what we're not" and light on the rather more crucial issue of "this is what we are."

how does it compare with an equivalent Blair speech from 12 years ago?

when Camron was talking about the Health & Safety Epidemic or whatever he said "students can't even take part in a student exchange program without their families being subject to a criminal record inspection" or similar - wait, whaaaa? what a weird thing to pick out as evidence of bureaucracy gone mad (it's weird either way tho)

Then again Gordon turned up at ITV's heartwarming Pride Of Britain ceremony last night and Cameron did not HAS DODGY DAVE SHOT HIMSELF IN CHARITY FOOT?

Like I said, as the leader of the biggest Anyone But Gordon Brown Party, Cameron could have advocated invading France tomorrow and the public would still consider him the Prime Minister in waiting.

Absolutely. The actual speech was shoddy stuff - and that's by his own standards.

Our children can't even go and stay with a complete stranger in another country without Brown's state leviathan checking up on whether they're a paedophile or a murderer.

quite.

Yes, that was another odd one, it was full of thrown-together-at-the-last-minute nonsense like that

I disliked a lot of Cameron's attacks on health & safety - I think health and safety are great things. I enjoyed his comment on spelling etc, though, culminating in '... You're fired'. That was his best moment.

That was a not a bad gag

No nanny state treating its citizens like children under the Tories, no sir.

The constant harping on about "marriage" as if it is a good thing in and of itself is frankly worrying.

Thatcher's "return to Victorian values" stuff all over again, innit.

Especially if you're married to Michael Gove (xp).

He's an odd fellow, that Michael Gove

He's basically Rick Moranis with a Telegraph column, isn't he?

Anyone remember that terrible C4 show he did with David Baddiel and Tracey Macleod back in the early nineties?

Is he Scottish?

Anyone remember that terrible C4 show he did with David Baddiel and Tracey Macleod back in the early nineties?

― It's 10.00 and I'm Huw Edwards. I don't write this stuff. (Marcello Carlin), Thursday, 2 October 2008 11:59 (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

"A Stab In The Dark", the first TV writing Lee and Herring ever did.

It was all downhill from there.

The Sun has Dave as Bob The Builder - can he fix it? etc but seems more concerned with Gary Glitter.

What everyone says is right, he could have just about read out a list of Dave's Top Things He Hates About NuLabour and it would have been well received, but it really wasn't a great speech, as Tom says 'unfocused' seems pretty accurate. But then that wasn't what it was about, hit those targets (Europe, the police, Our Boys, scroungers, difficult times), make a joke, kiss the wife, get off the stage, job done.

Ch4 news interviewed 5 or 6 floating voters in Reading after the conference and they all said they'd vote Tory after seeing Cameron's speech. Mind you they all seemed fairly anti-Labour anyway.

― I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UP TO (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 2 October 2008 10:16 (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Are you sure this wasn't just The Cooper Temple Clause?

The Sun really hasn't worked out which horse it wants to back yet, has it? Possibly this is due to Rebekah Wade being mates with Brown but still.

Rupert Murdoch: "Rebekah who?"

Don't think Murdoch knows which horse to back either.

That must tell you something about Cameron and the Tories

Murdoch is pretty much senile at this point so not really

terrible photo of Geldof talking to Thatcher in yesterday's london paper

The Sun's editorial was pretty unequivical.
This speech could have been lifted straight from a Sun editorial — from backing Our Boys on the front-line to mending Britain’s broken society.

But still they want more...
And he’s right. The Tory Party has come a long way under his leadership. There is much still to be done.

But with this nail-hammering performance, he showed he is more than qualified to give it a try.

But with this nail-hammering performance

Uh, wha'?

Ned please tell me they really did capitalise Our Boys

Of course they did.

Anyway back to the serious issues. Is it wrong that I have kept thinking "would smash Samantha Cameron" over the course of this week?

But with this nail-hammering performance

Uh, wha'?

― Tom D says "...get them fuckin' up here, ya fuckin' walloper!" (Tom D.), Thursday, 2 October 2008 12:03 (14 minutes ago) Bookmark

Whilst delivering his speech, Cameron knocked together a set of shelves.

You're just mirroring David Cameron now.

xpost TIMING!

xp
Oh, they did.
I think the nail-hammering is a reference to this...
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00603/01-BOB-280_603808a.jpg

Hammering nails into the coffins of Gordon Brown, New Labour and Health & Safety officials everywhere

Whilst delivering his speech, Cameron knocked together a set of shelves.

That's the kind of private sector efficiency so lacking in Brown's Britain.

That's actually the only bit of Harry And Paul I find funny, the builders routine.

(i.e. the ones building a mansion/prison/hospital in 20 seconds and not taking any payment)

Maybe I missed the full context of Cameron's spelling society hilarity, but the way I heard it last night it was some irrelevant ignorant playing-to-the-Hyacinth-Bucket-fanclub misquoted booshit. Or was there a funny bit I missed?

At one point he was telling people in the balcony not to jump off at the thought of Gordon Brown being Prime Minister forever.

(i.e. the ones building a mansion/prison/hospital in 20 seconds and not taking any payment)

Certainly not the OTHER builders sketch. Two in one show, that's VFM!

x-post lol suicide

Where was So Called So Brave David Cameron in Derby city centre on Saturday then?

Kicking some bloke to death in Norwich?

In bed with Samantha, who he also wakes up with in the morning <------ this was another of his funnies

Of course the Tory way would be to kick you to death whilst explaining how your skull just wasn't competitive enough and you needed to lose the excess fat round your ribcage.