Britannia Radio

Monday 2nd February 2009Britain's leading conservative blog Introducing our Statement of Conservatism Read the introduction to the new ConHome page dedicated to drafting A Statement of Conservatism.  The first two draft components of the statement are: Government failure tends to be greater than market failure; Government should be as small as possible but as large as necessary. Today's top ConservativeHome features ToryDiary: Michael Gove seeks Carol Vordeman's help with a Maths problem Andrew Mitchell MP on Platform: George Mitchell's task in Israel and Palestine will be the hardest he has ever faced Seats and Candidates Search for 100 Peers:  Ruth Dudley Edwards Local Government: Protests greet Nick Clegg's visit to Lib Dem-run Northampton WATCH: What will Michelle Obama bring to the role of First Lady? Jonathan Isaby on CentreRight: Why does a few inches of snow bring the country to a standstill? Today's other newslinks Further coverage of David Cameron's call for "moral capitalism" "David Cameron took another decisive step away from the legacy of Margaret Thatcher yesterday by calling for a new kind of ‘responsible capitalism’. The Tory leader said he wanted to update the ‘spirit of enterprise’ built by the former prime minister with a ‘sense of responsibility and a moral framework’." - Daily Mail > Yesterday's ToryDiary: David Cameron distances himself from Thatcherism again Archer and Black could escape Lords ban "Peers already found guilty of serious criminal offences could escape expulsion from the House of Lords because a proposed ban might not be retrospective. Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, admitted that a crackdown on peers in the wake of the "cash for amendments" scandal might not allow the removal of Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare, who was convicted of perjury, and the press baron Lord Black of Crossharbour, who is serving a jail sentence in America for fraud." - Independent Voters turning on Labour as hard times get harder "Voters are turning against Labour as the recession bites, according to the latest "poll of polls" for The Independent... The weighted average of the polls in January shows that the Tories now enjoy a 12-point lead. They are on 43 per cent, Labour on 31 per cent and the Liberal Democrats unchanged on 16 per cent. The figures would give Mr Cameron an overall majority of 62 at a general election." - Independent More strikes loom in row over hiring foreign workers at low wages "Britain is braced for more wildcat strikes after a day of confusion in the Government that failed to resolve the row over foreign workers... Unions want a new EU directive to overturn a ruling by the European Court of Justice in 2007 that made it easier for companies to circumvent pay deals by hiring foreigners on lower wages. They believe that Gordon Brown could be forced to take action after promising “British jobs for British workers” in his 2007 Labour conference speech." - The Times "The peoples of Europe have finally discovered what they signed up to. I do mean "peoples" (plural) because however much political elites may deceive themselves, the populations of the member states of the EU are culturally, historically and economically separate and distinct. And a significant proportion of them are getting very, very angry. What the strikers at the Lindsey oil refinery (and their brother supporters in Nottinghamshire and Kent) have discovered is the real meaning of the fine print in those treaties, and the significance of those European court judgments whose interpretation they left to EU obsessives: it is now illegal – illegal – for the government of an EU country to put the needs and concerns of its own population first." - Janet Daley writing in the Daily Telegraph "The only surprise in the row over Grimsby’s foreign workers is that it took so long to erupt. When jobs are scarce, why should skilled Brits stand idle while hundreds of Italians are imported. For years we have been told what we can and cannot do by unaccountable Brussels directives. Now in hard times, we are no longer prepared to put up with the lunatic attempt to turn the EU into an artificial nation state." - Trevor Kavanagh writing in The Sun > Yesterday's ToryDiary: William Hague - We oppose any changes to EU rules on freedom of movement Andrew Mitchell accuses Government of dithering on auto industry support "On the eve of the West Midlands Auto Industry Summit in Birmingham, Mr Mitchell said the ‘Mandelson Plan’, a £2.3 billion package of aid for the industry, failed to address all of its challenges, and called for the introduction of widespread loan guarantee schemes. Mr Mitchell, Shadow Minister for Birmingham, said: “The automotive industry is vital to many people’s livelihoods in the West Midlands and to the UK economy as a whole. The fear is that the clock is ticking for the car industry and action is needed now. The Conservative Party has been calling for help for small, medium and large businesses since November last year and the delay so far from the Government have already resulted in job losses and problems for the industry. Whilst any support from Government is welcome it is clear that there are still a number of concerns about their proposed scheme." - Birmingham Post David Davis: Old-style management would help to restore trust in the financial system "Not so long ago, our high street banks were places that depositors could put their money for a safe, if unglamorous return. Bank managers were often mocked for their dullness – it was not for nothing that Captain Mainwaring in the comedy series Dad's Army was a bank manager. Yet these decent, ordinary people delivered a rock solid support for the community in their lending and saving systems. This we gave up for a fraction more interest on our deposit accounts. Because while the self-proclaimed "masters of the universe" in the City made millions, their activities delivered no more to ordinary people ­than maybe half of one per cent." - David Davis writing in the Daily Telegraph William Rees-Mogg: Cameron starts to show true Tory colours "It is at least the rational expectation that Labour will lose power, after 13 years in office, and that Mr Cameron will become the next prime minister. He has handled the leadership with considerable skill. One has to go back a surprisingly long way to find a Conservative Leader of the Opposition who has done the job as well." - WIlliam Rees-Mogg writing in The Times Bruce Anderson: David Cameron needs this next year to prepare to deal with economic austerity "Mr Cameron is excellent at good news, hope and social uplift. He is much less assured when it comes to the sombre tones of economic austerity. Mr Cameron himself does not expect much in the way of a honeymoon period. Worried voters will want early proof that the Government is steering the right direction. The Tories will have over a year to wait before coming to power. They will need every month of it." - Bruce Anderson writing in The Independent Wen Jiabao's visit to London continues "The Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, will hold talks today with Gordon Brown aimed at establishing a common position for dealing with the world economic crisis... He held preliminary discussions with Brown on Saturday, had talks with David Cameron, and celebrated the Chinese new year with the London Chinese community yesterday. After meeting the prime minister and holding a joint press conference, Wen will deliver a speech at Cambridge University this afternoon." - The Guardian > Yesterday's ToryDiary on David Cameron's meeting with Wen Jiabao Boris to scrap new green taxes on White Van Man - The Sun Selfish adults "damage childhood" - BBC £18 billion scandal as Whitehall's IT plans spin out of control - Times Number of UK long-term jobless set to soar - FT British Guantanamo inmate to be returned to UK as hunger strike brings him "close to death" - Daily Mail Teachers at worst schools "put best pupils off university" - Guardian SNP and Labour set for crunch Budget talks - Scotsman Welsh Government to put Welsh language on equal footing with English - BBC Obituary of Lord Lane of Horsell, 1925-2009 - Daily Telegraph And finally... Lindsay Duncan on playing Margaret Thatcher "The actress Lindsay Duncan will capture the "pain" and "vulnerability" in a new BBC drama charting the last days of Margaret Thatcher... The BAFTA nominated actress said: "It is very easy to think of her as that infamous Spitting Image character so I've stayed away from that in my portrayal of her. I think the interesting thing about this film is that it will just make us think again about her. No one can be confined simply to a box marked "monster" or "saint", appealing though these simplifications are. People are much more complex than that." - Daily Telegraph Tim Montgomerie: The Conservatives must argue against protectionism Timothy Kirkhope MEP publishes expenses of the Tory delegation in Brussels Robert Halfon: When Hamas controls London streets Shane Frith: Reclaiming the "Progressive" mantle for the Right Mark Wallace: The Golden Goodbye culture in local government must stop Our main sites Homepage. ToryDiary. Seats and candidates. Local government. Parliament. Platform. CentreRight. International. PlayPolitical videos.

http://www.conservativehome.com