Monday, October 06, 2008

Greg Clark Promoted in Tory Reshuffle

I'm delighted to learn that Greg Clark, my MP in Tunbridge Wells, has just been promoted to the Shadow Cabinet to take on Ed Miliband. Greg Barker and Charles Hendry will be Clark's junior spokesmen, while Nick Hurd replaces Clark on the charities brief.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, may be it!

14 comments:

Newmania said...

(Whilst at Cambridge,) he was a member of David Owen 's SDP, and an executive member of its student wing, Social Democrat Youth and Students (SDYS)I can never understand how someone can change so much politically. ...and then he admires Polly Toynbee?

Wetter than a haddock`s bathing suit by the look of it .

Anonymous said...

well at least its not that twisted rat Kenneth Clarke who's been promoted

Anonymous said...

PhD in economics.
A life before Politics, the Boston Consulting Group, top international business strategy firm.
Then
Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for Trade & Industry – 1996 to 1997.
BBC’s Controller, Commercial Policy.

Can't find a hint of loony green about this guy, just a strong track record - maybe there is hope.

Anonymous said...

I have no problem with someone being on the left of the Tory Party. But I have big problems with all those who believe in man made global warming.

Right now the last thing we need to worry about is CO2.

I can also understand the Tories being overwhelmingly reluctant to be divisive over the current crisis. But this can only go on for so long.

I see nothing that was said today by Darling that will in anyway help. But nothing he will say will help since its all their fault and they refuse to admit that.

At some stage the paralysis in economic management will cause an implosion, one disaster too far for any shred of respect for Brown, and there will come a point when support and for the sake of the nation by the Tories must end.

DanielClarke said...

Oh my god, Gordon Brown brings in a political heavyweight like Mandy and the best Cameron can do is Greg who? Dear oh dear, it does not look as though the Tories have enough available talent to govern the country. Even Iain Dale was suggesting a couple of weeks ago that the only way the Tories could fill the Chancellorship was by bringing the nearly 70 year old Ken Clarke out of his O.A.P home.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Daniel Clarke, what does Mandy have to do with anything? Greg Clark has been brought in to shadow Ed Miliband. Try to keep up.

DanielClarke said...

Excuse me Raven? I was merely making the point that Gordon Brown has talented and experienced heavyweights at his disposal whilst David Cameron has to resort to non - entities like Greg Clark. Ed Miliband has been very impressive in his first year or so in the cabinet and I'm sure he will be a success at tackling the challenges he faces as Energy Secretary. You would have thought that given the positive press that Ed Miliband gets and given the importance of energy and climate change as issues, Cameron would have wanted a serious figure to shadow him. The fact that no such figure has been appointed, suggests a lack of talent on the Tory benches.
I accept that these new people probably have a lot of good qualities, but even Tories have to admit that the likes of Greg Clark, Theresa May and Andrew Lansley would have got nowhere near Mrs Thatcher's shadow cabinet in 1979. Also, most members of the public could name Gordon Brown, Robin Cook, John Prescott and several other members of Blair's shadow cabinet in 1997, but I doubt the same could be said of Cameron's shadow cabinet today. This is because Blair's shadow cabinet of 1997 was made up of people prepared for office with serious things to say. Apart from George Osborne, the only shadow cabinet member who makes an impact is Michael Gove. People may know of William Hague, but few take him seriously and given his calamity prone period as leader, I doubt he would last more than a few months as Foreign Secretary before becoming a national laughing stock. Until the Tories sort out their huge talent and experience deficit, they are not anywhere near ready for government.

Anonymous said...

Daniel Clark you'd better learn to astroturf a lot better than this if you expect to become anything beyond a 'prospective' parliamentary candidate. (You twat).

"Until the Tories sort out their huge talent and experience deficit, they are not anywhere near ready for government."

I hereby notify you that you will shortly be receiving a letter from my solicitor regarding my sides, which have both split...

Tell me when the Labour party is ready for government please! :D

Zorro.

Anonymous said...

Daniel, your party loyalty is staggering. Your complete denial of any real talent in the shadow cabinet suggests that you will underestimate them. Sure, there are weaknesses, but man for man the shadow cabinet is more talented than the actual cabinet. I just hope this almost delusional loyalty in 'great' secretaries of state like Balls, Blears, Smith and the vastly overrated Milibands helps you to an election defeat in 2010.

DanielClarke said...

Cheers Raven, I had forgotten to mention Hazel Blears and Ed Balls. Crikey when you think about it we're even better than I previously suggested. By the way, do you really think it is appropriate to make someone who has called the French "cheese eating surrender monkeys" Foreign Secretary?

Iain Dale said...

Daniel, I didn't realise Cameron was about to make George W Bush Foreign Secretary.

DanielClarke said...

Lol Iain

DanielClarke said...

Thanks anonymous for calling me a twat, it is nice to know I have wound you up enough to be insulting.