Wednesday 22nd July 2009Britain's leading conservative blog | |
| Today's top ConservativeHome features
Seats and candidates: Local government leaders in the likely next intake of Conservative MPs Chris Slocock on Platform: Politicians struggling to find solutions in the current financial crisis must realise that we in business face such challenges on a routine basis Local government: The number of empty shops trebles in a year Tim Montgomerie on CentreRight: What is your nomination for lowest Labour moment?
William Hague sets out Tory foreign policy Hague promises to restore Foreign Office to heart of Government decision-making - Telegraph "Britain must accept a less interventionist role in the world and review defence spending to address extreme pressure on budgets, Conservative foreign affairs spokesman William Hague said on Tuesday." - Reuters "William Hague's speech will be carefully scrutinised, but without their hatred of Europe, it is not clear what the Tories believe in." - Martin Kettle in The Guardian "After the speech, a senior diplomat from a European Union nation said he was dismayed by the tone Mr Hague had adopted towards the EU. “I wouldn’t say there were any surprises in this speech,” said the official. “But if this is really how they view things, then there is going to be a very difficult relationship between Britain and the EU if the Conservatives win.”" - FT > Yesterday's ToryDiary: Hague MkII writes a more cautious Conservative foreign policy Today's other newslinks Andy Coulson successfully answers MPs' questions about his time as Editor of News of the World "Mr Coulson said claims that the practice of phone hacking had been widespread in his newsroom were untrue. "During that time I neither condoned the use of phone hacking and nor do I have any recollection of instances when phone hacking took place," he said." - Independent "The Conservative Party’s director of communications has been told by police that his voicemail messages were intercepted while he was editor of the News of the World." - Times | FT "[MPs] tried without success to discombobulate Mr Coulson. It was like watching a prep school bowler try to remove the off-stump of Sir Vivian Richards." - Quentin Letts in the Daily Mail The Guardian's Steve Bell is much less impressed by Andy Coulson; see his cartoon. > ITN and Sky video reports on Andy Coulson's testimony Speak up, Cameron, and tell us what the Tories truly stand for - Bernard Ingham in the Yorkshire Post The Parliamentary Standards Bill was passed yesterday - The BBC's guide to its content Darling, Harman, Mandelson and Straw will each stand in for PM during his summer break - Times
"Mandelson, the first secretary of state, attends 35 of the 43 committees and subcommittees, in contrast to the 23 attended by foreign secretary David Miliband." - Guardian Next year, the Government will spend more than £4 for every £3 the Exchequer receives - Max Hastings in the Daily Mail Lord Malloch-Brown admits to Afghanistan helicopter shortage - Telegraph The Labour Party receives £4.6m VAT windfall - FT Nick Clegg jettisons "flagship pledges to scrap university tuition fees, provide free personal care for the elderly, and bring in a higher basic state pension."
| |
Posts
