political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Friday, May 09, 2008
Telegraph Column: Boris is Serious About London
My Telegraph column today is HERE. It's all about Boris, his first week, his first 100 days and what it all means for David Cameron and the Conservative Party.
It's a good article, Iain, and though I wasn't entirely convinced he had the experience, I'm more than willing to give him a chance, and I like the approach he's taken to his first week. Businesslike, sensible, and measured.
All I would say is that you remark there has been no triumphalism. If you mean from the Party or the Campaign, I would agree, but 'on the streets' there has been a recurrence of something I thought died out in the 80's - the RahRah Tory Boys.
It feels so dated, but there has been an explosion in the expensively-educated City boys (neither is a bad thing normally, just a demographic note) being decidedly more bullish and triumphalist politically than I have seen them since 1992, or even before. I wouldn't begrudge anyone their week of elation at seeing new political leadership, but I think if anything were to derail BoJo and Cameron, it would be the swagger that has returned to the Gordon Gecko-wanabee circuit.
The Masters of the Universe passed as tolerable human beings when not belonging to the side weilding power meant they were rather more muted. Should they feel that both money and power are on their side, I think there is a danger the Conservative Party is damaged by association with their antics. I wouldn't defend this, or say its fair, and I have no measure to stop it, but this I know. There were plenty of new Conservatives outside City Hall last Friday, who voted for Boris having previously been for Ken, and the worry on their faces as to what they had done when the rah-rah Tory Boys pulled out the champers was the most telling moment of the night for me.
Anyway, good article, just wanted to add my tuppence-worth. Well done on election night, by the way.
Iain, what are your thoughts on progressive politics? These 2 articles were literally next to each other on my epolitix bulletin. Seems there is some confusion!!
"Writing in the Independent, David Cameron claims the Conservatives are the "true progressives" of British politics. "If you care about poverty, if you care about inequality, if you care about the environment - forget about the Labour Party," he writes. "It has forgotten about you. If you count yourself a progressive, a true progressive, only we can achieve real change."
Shadow education secretary Michael Gove uses an interview in the Guardian to say that children have been let down by progressive education policies. "If you come from a poorer household where you don't have your own bedroom, where the only printed material is the Daily Star, then school is the only place you learn, and progressive methods let you down," he said.
I note that Brown's Blog Watchers, paid by us, are very active. The more they write the more I realise just what a real shambles this government has become.
Not conserned about the real world, just concerned about their little bubble - which has been well and truly pricked! The Sun YouGov poll today must has cheered our beloved leader BROON this morning.
I wonder how many telephones he has broken today?
More people in work is the Brown mantra. Yes he has certainly given more jobs to mindless morons watching what is written on political blogs.
What does that do for the country? They might as well be unemployed, they are most certainly not gainfully employed.
I hope cameron promises a complete AUDIT of all government departments and spending! That will see the end of these stupid non jobs.
I also hope they will identify the amount of waste on Non Jobs, especially within the NHS. I mean Smoking Cessation Officials! the list is both endless and I am amazed they have not copied the Monty Python Sketch. Ministry of Silly walks! Now that would create even more non jobs.
5 comments:
Probably tell us how he's closed down thelondonpaper and sacked the Trot at TfL?
It's a good article, Iain, and though I wasn't entirely convinced he had the experience, I'm more than willing to give him a chance, and I like the approach he's taken to his first week. Businesslike, sensible, and measured.
All I would say is that you remark there has been no triumphalism. If you mean from the Party or the Campaign, I would agree, but 'on the streets' there has been a recurrence of something I thought died out in the 80's - the RahRah Tory Boys.
It feels so dated, but there has been an explosion in the expensively-educated City boys (neither is a bad thing normally, just a demographic note) being decidedly more bullish and triumphalist politically than I have seen them since 1992, or even before. I wouldn't begrudge anyone their week of elation at seeing new political leadership, but I think if anything were to derail BoJo and Cameron, it would be the swagger that has returned to the Gordon Gecko-wanabee circuit.
The Masters of the Universe passed as tolerable human beings when not belonging to the side weilding power meant they were rather more muted. Should they feel that both money and power are on their side, I think there is a danger the Conservative Party is damaged by association with their antics. I wouldn't defend this, or say its fair, and I have no measure to stop it, but this I know. There were plenty of new Conservatives outside City Hall last Friday, who voted for Boris having previously been for Ken, and the worry on their faces as to what they had done when the rah-rah Tory Boys pulled out the champers was the most telling moment of the night for me.
Anyway, good article, just wanted to add my tuppence-worth. Well done on election night, by the way.
Iain, what are your thoughts on progressive politics? These 2 articles were literally next to each other on my epolitix bulletin. Seems there is some confusion!!
"Writing in the Independent, David Cameron claims the Conservatives are the "true progressives" of British politics. "If you care about poverty, if you care about inequality, if you care about the environment - forget about the Labour Party," he writes. "It has forgotten about you. If you count yourself a progressive, a true progressive, only we can achieve real change."
Shadow education secretary Michael Gove uses an interview in the Guardian to say that children have been let down by progressive education policies. "If you come from a poorer household where you don't have your own bedroom, where the only printed material is the Daily Star, then school is the only place you learn, and progressive methods let you down," he said.
I note that Brown's Blog Watchers, paid by us, are very active. The more they write the more I realise just what a real shambles this government has become.
Not conserned about the real world, just concerned about their little bubble - which has been well and truly pricked! The Sun YouGov poll today must has cheered our beloved leader BROON this morning.
I wonder how many telephones he has broken today?
More people in work is the Brown mantra. Yes he has certainly given more jobs to mindless morons watching what is written on political blogs.
What does that do for the country? They might as well be unemployed, they are most certainly not gainfully employed.
I hope cameron promises a complete AUDIT of all government departments and spending! That will see the end of these stupid non jobs.
I also hope they will identify the amount of waste on Non Jobs, especially within the NHS. I mean Smoking Cessation Officials! the list is both endless and I am amazed they have not copied the Monty Python Sketch. Ministry of Silly walks! Now that would create even more non jobs.
Nice piece.
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