Archive for David Cameron
“How Clegg outmanoeuvred Cameron” – Spectator
Fraser Nelson writes: News that Nick Clegg has brilliantly outmanoeuvred Cameron over the British Bill of Rights will come as no surprise to CoffeeHousers — we told you so last March. The panel was stuffed full of ECHR enthusiasts, balanced by Tories most of whose competence lay in other legal areas. Perhaps Michael Pinto-Duschinsky, the most [...]
Warning to Lords: if you play silly buggers with Lords reform, you’ll lose your say
The last few days has seen seep into the media an idea that has been doing the rounds of pro-Lords reformers in government for a little while. It is an answer to the question of how the Coalition Government could get Lords reform through the Lords itself without the legislation being bogged down in filibustering and [...]
There will be no general election in 2014
Responding to Patrick’s Dunleavy’s contention earlier this week that a break-up of the coalition and a general election can be expected as soon as 2014, Mark Pack argues that David Cameron would actually be too worried about giving Ed Miliband an electoral fillip and an easy entry into Downing Street, which in turn could result in a Tory leadership [...]
What David Cameron used to say about bankers and bonuses
As ever, it’s three things to remember: “What you won’t hear from me is easy cheap lines bashing financiers” (Evening Standard, 28 September 2008), He also thought such talk was a “lurch to the left” (PMQs, House of Commons, 21 February 2007, on calls for curbs to city bonuses), And he said criticising bonuses is [...]
The original text of today’s speech from David Cameron
Due to an unfortunate computer virus prank, David Cameron was forced to give a speech today using the wrong text. The virus had swapped the words “United Kingdom” for “Scotland” and “Europe” for “United Kingdom” along with a couple of other small edits to muddy the waters. Here is the original text of the speech [...]
Guess the person, guess the newspaper
Who said this and in which newspaper? The evidence is that there is a positive link between women in leadership and business performance, so if we fail to unlock the potential of women in the labour market, we’re not only failing those individuals, we’re failing our whole economy. . . . . . . A [...]
The Honours Forfeiture Committee
During the week, David Cameron said that the Honours Forfeiture Committee would be looking into whether or not Sir Fred Goodwin should have his knighthood taken away. When I first heard this, I thought it sounded quite a sensible move. But it looks a bit less impressive when you take a look at who is on [...]
Nick Clegg unites with Lords in battle to alter benefit cuts
So reports tomorrow’s Observer: David Cameron has been lobbied by the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, on the need to rewrite the government’s flagship benefit reform to help children suffering as a result. Clegg proposed a series of changes to the £500-a-week cap, including exempting current claimants, in an attempt to ameliorate some of the [...]
Fixed-term Parliaments: Why David Cameron won’t be calling a snap general election
There used to be an odd omission in the generally accepted electoral ethics of British politics. Let the Prime Minister unilaterally pick who can vote in an election? Absurd. Let the Prime Minister personally appoint all the returning officers? Never. Let the Prime Minister unilaterally relocate polling stations to suit his or her interests? Of [...]
Nick Clegg on why he was absent from the Euro statement
In case you missed it on last night’s news here is Nick Clegg explaining his view on the Euro summit and why he wasn’t in the Commons for David Cameron’s statement: And from the weekend, here are the highlights of Nick Clegg’s interview with Andrew Marr, followed by my own views. BONUS FEATURE: A huge [...]
