tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post6653436404815309878..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: My Analysis of the Tory ReshuffleIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-78659267097293825542009-01-19T18:21:00.000+00:002009-01-19T18:21:00.000+00:00"thus burying the welfare reform agenda? (or putti..."thus burying the welfare reform agenda? (or putting "fixing the broken society" on the backburner,"<BR/><BR/>err... no again.<BR/><BR/>Everything is on the backburner right now. Lets get real, in 12 months what is left of the economy will not be able to support a rickety set of steps for Chris Hoy to climb to light the Olympic Flame.<BR/><BR/>In 12 months - or whenever the Tories get back in - welfare , benefits - call it what you will - will be clearly seen as being ripe for cutting. Along with the civil service (whose snouts were so deep in the trough they never saw this coming) and local government, who mostly do nothing anyway (and I'm not talking about teachers and nurses here).<BR/><BR/>Socialists think this is an excuse to communise us all. Tories should UNITE and see that this is an opportunity to 'set the people free'.<BR/><BR/>word verification 'trappers', oh hum.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-42867747007444234542009-01-19T18:03:00.000+00:002009-01-19T18:03:00.000+00:00He's done a good job on this reshuffle, although I...He's done a good job on this reshuffle, although I would agree with Letters from a Tory on Theresa Villiers.Andrew Allisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00001512586556659809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-62560791021411291562009-01-19T17:49:00.000+00:002009-01-19T17:49:00.000+00:00Just listening to Ken Clarke on R5(Labour)Live! I ...Just listening to Ken Clarke on R5(Labour)Live! <BR/><BR/>I forgot how good he is at ripping a hole in just about anybody stupid enough to challenge him!<BR/><BR/>Strike 1) Didn't support VAT cut, go read Hansard, and the original Times interview!<BR/><BR/>Strike 2) Didn't vote for VAT Cut, try Hansard again!<BR/><BR/>Strike 3) Government shows contempt for parliament by not having a minister in the Commons!<BR/><BR/>Strike 4) Nobody with a brain thinks that the Euro is an option. The exchange rate was wrong at the start, and it's wrong now. It is not on the agenda either economically or politically. Only good for late night debate between friends over a drink.<BR/><BR/>Take that! I'm off for a cigar & pint of real ale!Tony_Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14729030784452630545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-87152788982919474702009-01-19T17:48:00.000+00:002009-01-19T17:48:00.000+00:00Is part of the deal by which Clarke was promoted t...Is part of the deal by which Clarke was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet that Grayling would be moved, thus burying the welfare reform agenda? (or putting "fixing the broken society" on the backburner, as James Forsyth has suggested)Armchair Sceptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06700172701458170654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-58055731776603755712009-01-19T17:36:00.000+00:002009-01-19T17:36:00.000+00:00yak40 - why do you think the Tories haven't won a ...yak40 - why do you think the Tories haven't won a general election in over a decade? Think about it.<BR/><BR/>New politics are needed for the 21st century - no going back to the 80s. Gotta look forward not backwards...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-19536055485467903102009-01-19T17:33:00.000+00:002009-01-19T17:33:00.000+00:00Is there anyone in the Tories with a braincell? Br...Is there anyone in the Tories with a braincell? Brown has destroyed Britain and I don't see many solutions in the Tory Party apart from the fact 'they are not Brown'. It may work after all Obama was 'anybody but Hillary'.Theo Sparkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04377625689882223233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-52599936172300700192009-01-19T17:31:00.000+00:002009-01-19T17:31:00.000+00:00right wing extremists like Redwood and Davis.Eric ...<I>right wing extremists like Redwood and Davis.<BR/><BR/>Eric Pickles still needs an extremist make over.</I><BR/><BR/><I><B>Extremists ?</B></I><BR/><BR/>Davis, Pickles ... how far left has the UK turned to label these guys extremists ? <BR/><BR/>Amazing & how utterly depressing if true.Yak40https://www.blogger.com/profile/10391635243252561168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-60171526474753163582009-01-19T17:05:00.000+00:002009-01-19T17:05:00.000+00:00Ken Clarke is cool. He's a strong character who wi...Ken Clarke is cool. He's a strong character who will be a great help to DC. I'm glad DC is brushing aside the sycophants and the right wing extremists like Redwood and Davis.<BR/><BR/>Eric Pickles still needs an extremist make over.<BR/><BR/>:)<BR/><BR/>Looks do matter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-45432124023194046292009-01-19T16:56:00.000+00:002009-01-19T16:56:00.000+00:00"Truth is, Ken's return is an admission by the par..."Truth is, Ken's return is an admission by the party that bringing back Mandelson has worked, and has forced DC into a response."<BR/><BR/>Err ... No. Quite the opposite. Bringing back Mandelson makes bringing back Ken quite respectable.<BR/>Lord Rio has not saved the banks, is not saving business and is not helping Browns poll ratings. <BR/>It was thought a clever idea at the time but when will people learn? <BR/>ALL Browns clever ideas have turned out disastrous (remember BoE 'independence' was actually BoE neutering).<BR/><BR/>So thanks to Brown, bringing back a figure who has great resonance with a great swathe of the 'non-political' electorate can proceed without a hitch.<BR/><BR/>I like David Davis (and I agree with his analysis) but he walked out and created a real problem for the opposition. Are we really saying that people can just swan in and out of the shadow cabinet at will?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-33621528140819637982009-01-19T15:54:00.000+00:002009-01-19T15:54:00.000+00:00I agree, bring back David Davis, to counter some o...I agree, bring back David Davis, to counter some of the more recent Labour spin and hypocrisy. It would also be another nail in the coffin of those pathetic "Bullingdon Boys" taunts.<BR/><BR/>Labour are on the run, let's keep them running.yellowbellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12343868465109472378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-29975825172588452792009-01-19T15:30:00.000+00:002009-01-19T15:30:00.000+00:00So will the Shadows now treat their posts as full ...So will the Shadows now treat their posts as <I><B>full time</B></I> jobs ?Yak40https://www.blogger.com/profile/10391635243252561168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-59185196547072643992009-01-19T15:22:00.000+00:002009-01-19T15:22:00.000+00:00Iain, you said "Eric Pickles, always the Party Mem...Iain, you said "Eric Pickles, always the Party Members' choice for Party Chairman has got his wish. He needs to hit the ground running and clearly define the role".<BR/><BR/>I heard him on the World at One and he was excellent! If he carries on like the Tories have a winner!strapworldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18228784526399929300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-58119272113350807572009-01-19T15:16:00.000+00:002009-01-19T15:16:00.000+00:00Firstly Iain, just returned from shopping but I he...Firstly Iain, just returned from shopping but I heard you on Radio 5 Live and I would like to congratulate you. The fellow from the Bruges Group reminded me of the worst side of Ukip. One narrow view- which they have failed to further over the past five years!-<BR/>Well done.<BR/><BR/>As a eurosceptic, after that rant by that idiot, The Bruges Group has lost a contributor!<BR/><BR/>I would also like to congratulate Cameron. But, without giving a front line job to John Redwood, and maintaining the utterly useless Spellman I cannot. <BR/><BR/>But the reshuffle has a positive look, especially Chris Grayling in Home Affairs.<BR/><BR/>I would loved to have seen David Davis and Malcolm Raffkind within the top team though.strapworldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18228784526399929300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-36048755598978036672009-01-19T15:12:00.000+00:002009-01-19T15:12:00.000+00:00There seems to have been a move away from the "Tof...There seems to have been a move away from the "Toff" epithet.<BR/><BR/>Did you know, that both Ken Clarke and Ed Balls went to the same school.<BR/><BR/>The difference is, Ken went when it was a direst grant school and Balls went when it was fee paying.<BR/><BR/>Under Labour direct grants were abolished. If Ken had been born a little later he would not have benefitted from a first rate education, since he could not have afforded what Balls' parents could afford.<BR/><BR/>Ironic isn't it?Wrinkled Weaselhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05291551539649118631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-9634815916866364032009-01-19T15:05:00.001+00:002009-01-19T15:05:00.001+00:00Pickles' role is twofold - to gee up the troops an...Pickles' role is twofold - to gee up the troops and get on the media at every available opportunity.<BR/><BR/>He did that in spades on World at One today, for sure!<BR/>Well this footsoldier, anyway!!Oldrightiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03192587284458430556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-67528598986143583432009-01-19T15:05:00.000+00:002009-01-19T15:05:00.000+00:00Peter Ainsworth rightly lost his job because he wa...Peter Ainsworth rightly lost his job because he was useless, uninteresting, uninspiring and lacked any policy initiatives.<BR/><BR/>Theresa Villiers rightly lost her job because.... oh, wait a minute, she didn't. Why the hell not? She's just as unimpressive as Peter.Letters From A Toryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14612766550608940053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-21716854547084572282009-01-19T14:53:00.000+00:002009-01-19T14:53:00.000+00:00Oh because you're a big expert Jailhouse Lawyer. W...Oh because you're a big expert Jailhouse Lawyer. What exactly are you at expert at? Axe swinging?Lady Finchleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695379463537122656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-40576500754123814482009-01-19T14:43:00.000+00:002009-01-19T14:43:00.000+00:00Who's going to be shadow Attorney, Iain? The Torie...Who's going to be shadow Attorney, Iain? The Tories are creating the impression that they're not taking this role seriously by leaving it not properly filled for so many months, which is odd because I reckon the job would be a vital one if the Tories get in - arriving at a clear, sustainable legal view of, say, how to repeal the Human Rights Act, or what the existing EU treaties allow, would be vital, and I think serious work should be done now. Have I missed something?Carl Gardner, Head of Legalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11623620299558039098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-40201702042366278442009-01-19T14:33:00.000+00:002009-01-19T14:33:00.000+00:00Caroline Spelman's return to the local government ...Caroline Spelman's return to the local government brief might seem odd, as she has been there before, from 2004 to 2007.<BR/><BR/>Phew, I thought the demotion was because of something else.<BR/><BR/>To be quite honest, who will miss some of these people, completely unknown outside of the Westmister villageGuthrumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17499979740864497256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-32560284245378712009-01-19T14:20:00.000+00:002009-01-19T14:20:00.000+00:00Lola, if you have to ask, then there is no point t...Lola, if you have to ask, then there is no point telling you.<BR/><BR/>Welcome back, Ken Clarke. <BR/>And goodbye, Hyacinth (since he "walks behind the horse with a bucket", he is Hyacinth Bucket), to be followed rapidly by David Cameron.<BR/><BR/>Clarke himself will not become Leader. But someone (David Davis?) who could reasonably claim to be a serious politician will. And that would be quite a change.<BR/><BR/>Clarke is outside the Tory mainstream on Europe? How, exactly? The Tories are the party of the Treaty of Rome, the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty, eighteen consecutive annual votes to approve the Common Agricultural Policy (with only the tiniest handful of rebels, towards the very hand), eighteen consecutive annual votes to approve the Common Fisheries Policy (likewise), the withdrawal of the whip from an infinitesimal number of MPs who had merely abstained on increased British funding of the EU, the deselection of a Maastricht rebel and of no other MP ever on the European issue, the fake call for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty rather than for its simple rejection by Parliament, and the refusal to promise to campaign for a No vote in the extremely unlikely event of any such referendum.<BR/><BR/>Even the vague promise to revisit the CFP, an old Major hand like Michael Howard’s nod to Euroscepticism, has been ditched by Cameron, Michael Heseltine’s mini-me. The Tories have not left the European People’s Party, and they never will.<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, this is a golden opportunity to amend the Standing Orders of both Houses so as to require that Ministers appear to answer questions in either House as required, rather than only in that of which they are members.<BR/><BR/>The Tories could embarrass the Government (and do the right thing) by putting down such an amendment. What is stopping them?David Lindsayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06839882674758833524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-707839431086652342009-01-19T14:06:00.000+00:002009-01-19T14:06:00.000+00:00Nick Herbert sacked? I am not surprised. His stint...Nick Herbert sacked? I am not surprised. His stint at shadow justice secretary has shown him up for the blithering idiot that he is.jailhouselawyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03795278184797990706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-74440911459825740972009-01-19T14:03:00.000+00:002009-01-19T14:03:00.000+00:00DD whilst leaving for honorable reasons left a mes...DD whilst leaving for honorable reasons left a mess in his wake which Cameron had to clear up. <BR/>You can't be seen to allow this sort of behaviour and then invite the person responsible back in at the next available opportunity.<BR/>His return may still come but he deserves to serve out his time on the back benches for a while yet.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11820784315090854432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-56750432573140499082009-01-19T14:00:00.000+00:002009-01-19T14:00:00.000+00:00Frankly any Tory that criticises any element of th...Frankly any Tory that criticises any element of this reshuffle has a death wish and should shuffle off to their twilight in Hastings.<BR/><BR/>McShane is being amusingly roughed up on CiF.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-43466558040101678132009-01-19T13:54:00.001+00:002009-01-19T13:54:00.001+00:00As Lola said...As Lola said...Jabba the Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08378736389976858775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-3653405553990730832009-01-19T13:54:00.000+00:002009-01-19T13:54:00.000+00:00For Gods Sake someone bury Barry Legge somewhere n...For Gods Sake someone bury Barry Legge somewhere near Australia.<BR/><BR/>Well done Iain for appearing, and at least showing that there is a sensible side to Conservative politicians.<BR/><BR/>A short messsage to Mr Legge. When a presenter on a channel hardly known for its Pro Conservative views asks you if your political opponents (that is this Labour Government) will be rubbing their hands together at your statement, surely you have the sense to SHUT UP.<BR/><BR/>NUMBER ONE PRIORITY - GET RID OF LABOUR AND BROWN. If you cant see that and sign up for it then there are not words strong enough for this blog that will express my disgust at your selfishness.Jose for PMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082252559039981940noreply@blogger.com