Tuesday 4th August 2009Britain's leading conservative blog | |
| Today's ConservativeHome features
Jill Kirby on Platform: How to cut the £186 billion benefits bill Seats and Candidates Diary of a PPC: It's another week of campaigning for Nigel Huddleston in Luton South as Esther Rantzen announces her intention to contest the seat Parliament: Paul Goodman explains his decision to quit the House of Commons before it becomes entirely populated by a "taxpayer-dependent political class"
Matt Sinclair on CentreRight: How £38 million of taxpayer-funded lobbying and political campaigning is distorting the public policy process Yesterday's highlights on ConservativeHome Today's other newslinks "David Cameron would consider appointing a Minister for Afghanistan to ensure the issue is given proper priority in a Conservative administration, The Daily Telegraph has learned. The role could be taken by a new appointee possibly a former member of the Armed Forces who would be brought into government by Mr Cameron by making them a peer. William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, yesterday gave the strongest signal yet that he and Mr Cameron were looking at creating a new role by attacking Mr Brown and the confusion that surrounds current ministerial responsibility." - Daily Telegraph Backlash over "Cameron plan to parachute in 30 candidates into safe seats" "David Cameron was facing a backlash from Tory activists last night over attempts to impose 'fresh' candidates in up to 30 plum seats. Eric Pickles, Conservative Party chairman, said he expects 17 Tory MPs to quit in the run-up to the next election in the wake of the expenses scandal... Mr Pickles wants to replace the MPs, which some insiders have dubbed 'bed blockers', with new faces." - Daily Mail > Recent related posts:
"Parliament's Joint Human Rights Committee has called for an independent inquiry into allegations that the British Government was complicit in acts of torturing terror suspects. The cross-party group of MPs and peers examined details of several cases where it was alleged individuals detained as terror suspects were mistreated by Britain's allies abroad. Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: "The Government's failure to answer growing questions about torture and rendition are damaging the good name of this country." He added: "It is particularly disappointing that both the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary refused to give oral evidence to the committee." - Press Association ...and voices concern at British attendance at Ahmadinejad ceremony "Britain sparked controversy yesterday by sending its second most senior diplomat in Tehran to the ceremony at which Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, officially endorsed President Ahmadinejad’s hotly disputed re-election. Iran’s opposition leaders, who say the election was rigged, boycotted the event... William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said: "Under all the circumstances, representation at this event should have been kept at the minimum level possible. Other countries seem to have done that more effectively than the Foreign Office.” - The Times Osborne warning to banks on bonuses "Bank bosses were adamant yesterday that they would continue to pay seven-figure bonuses to workers, describing them as "essential if we want people to work in our industry". They also claimed that high-calibre graduates were starting to think twice about working in the financial services industry because of the growing backlash against bankers... George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, said: "Banks should watch out that they do not misuse taxpayer support – it's designed to facilitate lending, not mega pay deals." - The Independent
"The government has proposed the creation of a new category of “probationary citizen” whose application for a British passport can be sped up or slowed down on the basis of a points system that evaluates their conduct... The Conservative immigration spokesman Damian Green said the proposals were “pure spin”, adding: “This is an act of desperation by a government that ... has let immigration run out of control for more than a decade.” - The Independent Tory peer's expenses to be challenged "The Liberal Democrats will lodge a complaint over allegations relating to the expenses of a Conservative peer. The Sunday Times alleged Lord Taylor of Warwick claimed more than £70,000 based on a "non-existent" main home. The Lib Dem's Treasury spokesman Lord Oakeshott said he would be asking Lords authorities what address Lord Taylor claimed for between 2001 and 2007." - BBC Conservative MP's position on wind turbines questioned "Andrew Turner, the Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, has a history of campaigning against wind farms on the island, despite speaking out against the imminent closure of the island's Vestas turbine factory with the loss of more than 600 jobs, the Guardian has learned. Turner also appears to oppose a new project, proposed by the Danish company, to erect three turbines on the island to support Vestas' new research and development centre on the island." - The Guardian John Lloyd toasts politicians as entertainers "Most people do not know much about most events most of the time. The media bombard them with entertainment and have, in the past two decades or so, made politicians a large part of that. Politicians must enter into the spirit, appearing on the chat shows and demonstrating that they can take a joke." - John Lloyd in the FT The Mirror's non-story of the day: the Leader of the Opposition employs staff shocker "A list of passholders seen by the Mirror reveals Mr Cameron has five correspondence secretaries, two diary secretaries, a personal assistant, two private secretaries, one assistant private secretary and an office secretary." - The Mirror Commons Fees Office chief gets inflation-busting pay rise "The House of Commons has awarded significant pay rises to its senior officials, including some of those who oversaw the MPs' expenses scandal. Annual accounts just released show that the Clerk to the House, Malcolm Jack, received a rise of about 11%, meaning he now earns more than Gordon Brown. Andrew Walker, who ran the Fees Office which administered expenses, received a rise of about 8%." - BBC > Yesterday in Parliament: Commons staff who oversaw discredited expenses system are rewarded with above inflation salary hike Result of Totnes open primary expected at lunchtime today - Michael Crick's blog Wrangling inside St Albans Conservatives over deselection calls - Herts Advertiser Lord Laidlaw escapes injury in helicopter crash - Daily Telegraph
"Mayor of London Boris Johnson fluffed his lines when he filmed his cameo in EastEnders, it emerged yesterday. Show veteran Barbara Windsor said: “Boris said to me, ‘I think I know my lines,’ but we got a little bit of comedy accidentally. “He did something then said, ‘Oh I shouldn’t have done that!’ But I told him to keep it in on the take.” Boris and Barbara, who plays Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell, will appear in a scene together next month." - The Mirror | |
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