Saving the Dunfermline (And Gordon's Face)

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Saving the Dunfermline (And Gordon's Face)

Iain Dale 6:56 PM

You could hardly think of a more embarrassing thing for Gordon Brown on the eve of the G20 than for his local building society to go under. But that's what has happened to the Dunfermline Building Society. From the BBC report HERE, it seems clear that the regulators, yet again, had taken their collective eyes off the ball. Yet more evidence that a single regulator is what is needed? And it's called the Bank of England.

Inevitably, the government is going to sink more money into rescuing the Dunfermline Building Society, and thereby saving Gordon Brown's face.

The worry thing is this. If it's the Dunfermline today, which one might next, because you can bet your bottom dollar it won't be the last.

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Stuart Wheeler Deserves to be Expelled

Iain Dale 5:22 PM

The News of the World is reporting that Stuart Wheeler has written a cheque for £100,000 to UKIP. ConservativeHomeis reporting this as a defection. It is not. Wheeler says he will vote Tory in the local elections and in the General Election. All he's actually doing is what he said he would do in September last year, as I reported HERE.

But the man is a menace. He needs a regular fix of publicity, as I said HERE. Wheeler is a walking advertisement for the benefits of state funding of political parties (to which I am opposed). He delights in popping up on the Today programme and spreading his unique brand of political mischief. he can't help himself. The media lap it up and revel in describing him as a major Tory donor, on the basis that nearly a decade ago he gave the party £5 million.

Tim Montgomerie describes it all as "disappointing news". I do not. It was inevitable, but the Party should now act to ensure he does no more damage in the future.

Stuart Wheeler could not complain if he was now expelled from the Party. He has, after all, committed an act of gross disloyalty - and it's not a first offence. You can't have people like him recommending people to vote for another party on 4 June, and then proceed to welcome him back on the 5th. If I now wrote a blogpost urging Tories to vote UKIP, do you have any doubt that I would be expelled? And I'd deserve to be.

Stuart Wheeler has had his three strikes. Now he should be kicked out.

Obama to Meet Cameron

Iain Dale 3:01 PM

Remember that preposterous New Statesman article last week, penned by a Washingtonleader of the Alastair Campbell fan club student, which made the assertion that the Conservative Party was considered a joke in Washington?

When we discuss the Conservatives’ policies here in Washington, DC, we are often reduced to laughter.

Well, she's got her comeuppance now. The Tories are considered such a "joke" that President Obama has requested to meet David Cameron during his visit to Britain next week. Toby Harnden has the details.