My latest Daily Telegraph article can be read HERE. I suggest that David Cameron should make William Hague his formal deputy and the Shadow Cabinet's 'big beasts' need to take on a bigger role.
I have also just read Alice Thomson's brilliant deconstruction of Gordon Brown's first 30 days in power in the Telegraph. Read it HERE.
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many express doubts about Osborne. His image is a little elitist. All the others in the Telegraph article seem to want to pull together, and would make a good team.
Hague for deputy?
William Hague was ahead of his time. He was thrust into a totally non-winnable position and had the good grace to step down immediately.
If, in 2007, he was the leader of the Conservative party, Gordon Brown would be quaking in his boots and facing defeat at the next General Election.
I hope that, at some point in the future, we will see William Hague as Prime Minister.
But, in the meantime, positioning him as David Cameron's "Wing Man" seems like a pretty good strategy.
Hague is not highly thought of by many MPs...too keen on fudge, compromise and half way stations.
Blair was mr charming surrounded by big bruising beasts - Campbell, Prescott, Brown, Mandelson, Cherie!. I'm not suggesting Cons do similar but a little strength is required in politics. Hague's got all the skills of communicator and debater and is popular, but a leader he is not. Davis and Fox offer more in the way of determination.
There must be others who could join the inner circle to advantage.
Iain, that is the best analysis of what has to happen within the Conservative party over the next few months.
We have got the strategy right so far and Cameron needed to be the focus for the first 18 months to show that we were changing. Osborne has to stay at the treasury, he was the first shadow in that brief that managed to rattle Brown and I think he should consolidate his position. But a major part of the next stage in the Conservative strategy now Brown is in place must be to provide a rock solid inner shadow cabinet team showing strength and conviction both within the party and to the wider electorate. But more importantly they have to look and sound like a government in waiting.
We now need to spread the load and I think that it has got to be Hague, Davis and Fox who with Cameron and Osborne become that team.
As I said a few days ago DISCIPLINE has got to be the first priority that is addressed, because without it all that policy work will have been in vain.
Cameron has got to trust these men because they can become an indispensable early warning system as well as the best political flak jacket.
But equally they have got to be loyal and committed to that team rather than be seen as the spokesman for some particular group within the party.
Also think that having a wider group of senior politicians rather than spin doctors as the inner circle would undermine accusation or obsession with PR rather than substance.
William Hague was ahead of his time.
Yes...at least a couple of centuries ahead...it would take that long to live down his track record and reputation. Iain is getting satirical in old age and dreaming up absurd notions to make Cameron look good.
Hague goes down like a lead balloon with voters...he has no achievements and is a machine politician just as he was at Magdalen.
Wheel in Michael Gove
I find Cameron to be a bit like the late Princess Diana a great show person but no real substance.
HH..
I wouldn't call Thomson's deconstruction brilliant. It's rather tepid and it sheds no new light on Brown's 30 days. There's nothing new in there. And some of her criticism is nonsense e.g.
"While George Bush used first-name terms, Gordon addressed his counterpart as Mr President. He kept his distance from President Bush, even though only 24 hours earlier he had allowed the US to base part of their new missile defence system on the Yorkshire Moors - something even "the poodle" Mr Blair never dared do."
Having the defence system on the Yorkshire Moors has nothing to do with calling George by his first name, they are completely different matters. Calling him George is a personal touch, showing a respect and friendship of sorts. But the defence system is about what is best for America (not Britain, of course) regardless of whether George is in power or not.
Her argument lacks any real zest and is pretty flat. She is the first to mention Brown's ties, for example.
It could be easily Fisked (though I dislike the term as Robert Fisk is a very good writer) but I'm at work and haven't got hte time.
I think there is a link between this piece on the Shadow Cabinet "big beasts" and your earlier Media Tarts tabulation.
Cameron should have been perfectly able to skip off to Rwanda in the knowledge that the store (on flooding or anything else) was being minded by colleagues.
In the event, the real concern over Rwandagate is that it makes the Conservative Party appear to be a one-man band - "No DC, No Comment".
BaldockBaldrick
I wouldn't call Thomson's deconstruction brilliant. It's rather tepid and it sheds no new light on Brown's 30 days. There's nothing new in there.
You means that we all knew he was actually as much of a callow prancing thespian as Blair grimly obsessed with managing the media. You might have a point but apparently some voters have not yet noticed ,capiche?
Having the defence system on the Yorkshire Moors has nothing to do with calling George by his first name, they are completely different matters.
They are both indicators of out supposedly new relationship with the US ,you sad clown and the York moors defence agreement shows Brown is poodling along as usual whilst pretending he is not by such important measures as “ Frowning “and wearing a suit". More to the point it shows that the contempt for Parliament that characterised .Blair is continued by Brown in that this was supposed to be under the radar . More old news? See above
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It could be easily Fisked (though I dislike the term as Robert Fisk is a very good writer) but I'm at work and haven't got hte time.
Oh come on .Its only a public sector job isn`t it . If you spent all day Fisking there are hundreds of thousands of other loafers sitting around with nothing to do except waste taxes to take up the “slack”. Just a wild stab in the dark but very few people with real jobs support the Labour Party.
(Wonder if thats zesty enough for him.? )
Havent all of your 'suggestions' been completely ignored so far...? ;)
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Agree with everything Chatterbox says . Great post.
In DC`s first period as leader he was well ahead of the Party and it seemed right to try and capitalise on that .There may have been a little self absorption as after the fact of the Bouncy New Brown there was no re-thinking to disastrous effect at Ealing and over the Rwanda error . Now they have time rearrange the furniture and a higher profile shadow cabinet is a must.
The Conservative Party has one message that tends too become diffuse whereas the Labour Party with their usual dishonesty occupy every point on the spectrum through many voices. . Cameron’s ‘nice’ brand aimed at the Liberal voters in swing seats is right to persist with but others can attack Browns record on immigration , crime and the delivery of just about every policy New labour have come up with . We need not just a Willie but some street fighting partisans lobbing Molotov cocktails at a degree of separation from the Leader.
Above all Brown has to re- associated with past . I would suggest a rule that no MP will ever refer to Brown without referring to Blair . This would have the great advantage of truth .Brown is not new .He is an old Scottish socialist who has taxed spent and cocked up in classic Labour style for the last ten years . The current bout of amnesia will not last long and he knows it.
Lets hope we have the time .
Tapestry sums it up. We should be hearing Osborne lambasting Brown and Co over the inevitable increased home insurance. Once again `the prudent folks` will be paying again
William Hague for deputy is a brilliant idea, and as the next Leader, even better. He's now got the gravitas to lead the country and to make the Tories serious contenders.
William Hague was ahead of his time. He was thrust into a totally non-winnable position and had the good grace to step down immediately.
If, in 2007, he was the leader of the Conservative party, Gordon Brown would be quaking in his boots and facing defeat at the next General Election.
I hope that, at some point in the future, we will see William Hague as Prime Minister.
But, in the meantime, positioning him as David Cameron's "Wing Man" seems like a pretty good strategy.
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William Hague for deputy is a brilliant idea, and as the next Leader, even better. He's now got the gravitas to lead the country and to make the Tories serious contenders.
I couldn't agree more with these sentiments and Herr Dale's article.
Hague is my MP, and generally very well thought around here as a constituency MP. I can't imagine Hague buggering off to africa if Northallerton or Richmond was in the same state as some towns in Cameron's constituency were and then spouting some cobblers about 'there is no local anymore' when asked to justify it. If Cameron is MP to the whole world now then the whole world can pay his bloody salary.he sounds more and more like Blair every day.
I enjoyed your article in the Dt and agree with Tapestry, lakeland and indeed to a point chatterbox.
I would urge you to suggest that the tories move away from this love of youth!!! and for Cameron to declare he is going to utilise and galvanise a party of all the talents of all the ages. I would love to see Ken Clarke take on the boy Darling and Hague must take Milliband to the cleaners.. I would bring back Anne Widdecombe (she is highly respected in the country...away from the westminster village and the places where the Tories must do well to win an election) I would place her against the young Benn who was so weak and almost broken by the floods.
There is so much experience and political nous in the Tories waiting to be used. USE THEM
Have you spoken to David Davis since you suggested he could become the Prescott of Cameron's Government? Can I be there when you do? Perhaps you could sell tickets.
Pedant Alert - Michael Ancram was deputy leader of the Conservative party 2001 - 2005.
William Hague is the most over-rated politican of his generation, he was a terrible leader. Yes, he's a clever guy and good on HIGNFY but that does not a leader make.
Cameron believes in ending centralisation, challenging EU power, and localising choice. Hague believes in the sense in overarching international organisations - the UN, the EU etc. Hague and Cameron are not singing from the same hymn sheet. It would not be a marriage made in heaven.
Here are Hague's views written for for the Telegraph in November.......http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/11/26/do2605.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/11/26/ixopinion.html
Iain Dale is either blissfully ignorant of the divide in views towards the EU between Hague and Cameron, or he thinks they don't matter. As he never mentions the subject, it is hard to tell which it is.
Really a top blogger should not be blind to this topic, although progressing within the Conservative Party does require an ability to raise the telescope to the wrong eye on occasions.
Hague should not be deputy.
Tapestry, normally you speak a lot of sense, but a cursory search of my blog will prove your assertion that I never talk abour Europe to be rubbish.
Also, you are quite wrong in your views on Cameron and Hague's views on Europe. They sing from the same hymn sheet
Thank you for clarifying your views, Iain. Yours is the first comment ever received accusing me of talking sense. Normally I get told I'm with the lizards.
The link I provided shows (I believe) Hague's having a different emphasis to Cameron on the EU. As Cameron's views are expreseed more with winks and nudges it is hard to be too sure, but I think there is a pattern emerging. It will be interesting to observe any more clues that may come to light.
I am gald that cameron and hague are working well together, however, but I hope the Cameron view on the EU predominates.
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