Saturday, January 26, 2008

Shadow Cabinet Media Tarts List: December

Each month Julian Nicholson and I compile a list of the best media performers in the Shadow Cabinet using mentions on Lexis Nexis as the index. Sayeeda Warsi and Grant Shapps were the biggest climbers, due to Warsi's trip to Sudan and Shapps's sleepout on Christmas Eve. Caroline Spelman and Theresa May both drop a massive eleven places.

December Media Tarts
1 - David Cameron 1480
2 +18 Sayeeda Warsi 184
3 +1 William Hague 132
4 -2 George Osborne 125
5 -2 David Davis 107
6 - Chris Grayling 106
7 -2 Michael Gove 68
8 +6 Grant Shapps 48
9 -1 Liam Fox 46
10 +1 Nick Herbert 44
11= +4 Theresa Villiers 39
11= +8 Francis Maude 39
13= -3 Andrew Lansley 37
13= -1 Eric Pickles 37
15 +5 Philip Hammond 29
16 - Andrew Mitchell 27
17 -4 Alan Duncan 26
18 -11 Caroline Spelman 21
19 -3 David Mundell 20
20 -11 Theresa May 16
21 -5 Peter Ainsworth 14
22 - Jeremy Hunt 12
23 +1 Dame Pauline Neville-Jones 11
24= -1 David Willetts 9
24= +2 Cheryl Gillan 9
26 -2 Oliver Letwin 6
27 - Patrick McLoughlin 4
28 - David Lidington 3
29 -1 Lord Strathclyde 0
30 - Owen Paterson 0
31 - Baroness Anelay of St Johns 0

Liberal Democrats
- Nick Clegg 562
- Chris Huhne 422

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

i've just done a search on lexis nexis for november on sayeeda warsi and she's no where near that high. I think the time period used is a bit wonky too because some of the other figures are a bit high as well.

Anonymous said...

Iain - Heading December not November

Also Email link for you seems just to go to Googgle!

Anonymous said...

How come David Cameron'd doing all the work? Isn't it time Hague, Osborne, Davis etc pulled their fingers out?

Brown and co are on the ropes, a few more punches will finish them off particularly as their pyramid selling scheme of a near-bankrupt economy begins to look increasingly threadbare.

Anonymous said...

Francis Maude, not Grant Shapps, was the 2nd highest climber. Why was that?

Yak40 said...

Sio when are we going to hear VIGOUROUS opposition from Her Majesty's loyal Opposition ? It's not that there's nothing to say.
Try the EU nonsense, Labour proposing to reduce the Constitution debate to just twelve days for a start. Then there's the Speaker refusing motions to open up debate last week.

The betrayal started by self-admitted liar Grocer Heath is well in progress and no one appears anxious to stop it.

Roger Thornhill said...

Who gives a stuff about Quisling Nick Clegg?

He is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Anonymous said...

I'd hardly describe Owen Paterson as low-profile over the last month. Were it not for his intervention, announcing he would oppose any early merger of the Northern Ireland Office with the Scottish and Welsh offices, Brown would have gone ahead with the idea now. He knew Paterson would have turned it into a major issue, so cooled on the idea.

In addition, he has proved to be the single biggest block to Labour's desire to devolve policing power to the Northern Ireland executive. His strong opposition has been pivotal in preventing it going ahead.

If anything, he has been one of the most effective media performers in recent weeks. Future leadership material?

Anonymous said...

Check out Redwood's recent blog entry, how he tried to get on Today, World at One and PM to discuss Northern Rock, but BBC wouldn't have him.

Only this afternoon, there was yet more Vince Cable, but no Tory spokesman - was it because they didn't try to get on, or weren't allowed on?

And there have been many times when I know that a Tory MP has broken a story, been used by the MSM, and then been referred to as a Tory 'spokesman', no name given.

Anonymous said...

Is this more interesting than train spotting?

Anonymous said...

Iain see Ann Widdecombes replacement tried to stand for Labour 2 years ago, any comments.

Serves 'em right, they could have had you!!

Anonymous said...

she did say she only joined the party in 2006....
I wonder how many leaflets she has put through doors, how many coffee mornings she has attended and how many doors she has knocked on....

Anonymous said...

"Iain see Ann Widdecombes replacement tried to stand for Labour 2 years ago, any comments."

So they rejected a famous, eloquent, politically astute international commentator and highly articulate publisher/achiever with a huge following for a socialist ethnic?

Count me out of the Conservative Party. One more nail in their coffin.

That's why Iain, a highly probably successful candidate, was rejected at the first interview. They'd already decided on pond life. My condolences on the loss of democracy to the voters of Maidestone.

I hope the Conservatives go to hell, because there is not one person in the entire party, other than David Davis and Iain Dale, who understands conservatism. (John Redwood,also yes.)

I thought I would never, in this lifetime, hate anything more than sleazoid, hissy ground slitherer Tony Blair, but I hate Cameron more.

Tapestry said...

Media frequency might for some be an indication of lack of management ability, and vice versa.

We know from Labour's years that media brilliance is easily combined with stunning managerial incompetence. (Obviously that description wouldn't apply to Iain Dale - a rare case of media brilliance combined with managerial excellence) but media-savvy politicians are hardly this season's top pick.

Couldn't you make an index combining media prominence with management skill? We need a few top media operators, but below those or alongside, or above even, we need a lot more management competence....John Redwood, Owen Paterson, Theresa May, for example spring to mind.

Anonymous said...

Is it a list?