David Cameron is in India this week and will be running a daily blog, which you can read HERE. There'll be a daily videocast as well. In the first one he mentions meeting Suggs from Madness at the airport. I'm trying to think of a Madness related song lyric to make a cheap remark, but the only one I can think of is WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF FUN. Perhaps I'd better leave it there.Seriously, this blog is a good idea, although perhaps a more interesting blogspot template might have been chosen. It's critical that Cameron actually writes, or at least dictates, the pieces himself. People can easily spot when it's written by a spin doctor. Remember Prescott's election blog and Blair's? Fake, fake, fake.
34 comments:
And Cameron knows what, exactly, about India? He has been interested in India for how long? As long as he was interested in Norway and huskies?
He is in India ... why? More good photo ops? Is he going to take off his shirt so they can admire his Brazilian wax job?
Could he stay home and talk about solutions to the dire problem of Britain after nine years of Labour? No. TonyLite. On and off planes. Being condescending and effortlessly charming to the local population. Wait until Dave gets condescended to by an Indian. That, I assure you, will smart for longer than the Brazilian wax job.
This individual is the reason I am not voting Tory this time (unless he's replaced by Davis or Hague before the election).
He's linked to you and ConHome and no-one else so far. Safe seat in the offing?
Verity,
Isn't it a shame Mother Theresa is dead?
Dave could have bagged both her and Mandela for a photo op all in the space of two weeks.
Never mind, no doubt we will see plenty of photos of him cuddling lepers, what I would really enjoy is seeing him sat looking thoughtful at the Taj Mahal, just like Diana.
Verity,
Move on, it is not 1992.
Have you seen the polls?
Put up or shut up
Trade with India is very much biased in India's favour. Professional services such as law and banking are tightly controlled. The UKs principle export of legal and financial services are closed to the Indian markets, whilst Indias principle exports of cheap labour has been left wide open by New Labour. Dave and George must target this imbalance if they are to gain solid credibility in the legal and financial services in the UK.
Verity, you really are ridiculou sometimes. Do you seriously believe the leader of the opposition shopuldn't visit one of the world's most important countries. perhaps he shouldn't visit anywhere in your view? Margaret Thatcher travlled widely when she was leader of the opposition. It's part of the job.
And do I not remember reading that you reside in foreign parts?!
Come off it Iain you will be calling India a "trading partner" next.
It isn't a partnership, they sell us cheap goods and services and undermine our economy, their kin over here leech money from our economy and send it home, wealth that they will use to develop their own home market, just as the chinese are doing and just as we did to the Chinese and Indians in the past.
Indians do not contribue to the wealth of this country they dont export anything all they do is take , a corner shop or a takeaway does not create national wealth.
Cameron is over there for a jolly, and to avoid reality ,he as no ideas other than how to gain power for powers sake, just like that other delusional twat whom he so admires.
Is Dave's trip sponsored by JCB?
I only ask, since JCB gave Tories £1 million donation before last election...
And his first stop in India will be to open a new JCB factory...
Fascinating story in today's Observer about mysterious donations to the Tories...
Get A Grip says, with gnomic simplicty: "Verity,
Move on, it is not 1992.
Have you seen the polls?
Put up or shut up"
And this means exactly what, sweetie? You're obviously not an American because it doesn't make sense in an American context, so you have some little wannabee notion of what "put up or shut up" means. Care to share?
Peter Hitchens, oh God, how could I have forgotten? Of course! The Taj Mahal! "Thoughtful and spiritual and meditating on world peace".
Oh, I'm looking forward to the Taj photo ops. Twilight is my guess for the right mood of spiritual insight.
But posing by the Taj, you cannot lose. And Tony never thought of the Taj. Tony was more Florence of Arabia ... Both Muslim though ...
Iain Dale - thanks for your offensive remark that I am ridiculous. I will not respond.
India will become one of the most important countries in the world within 25 years. India will be a major military and trading power within 25 years.
Dave is an ignoramus, a cheap opportunist, a pr huckster. He knows absolutely nothing in depth.
That you don't recall that I am an expat is hardly my fault. I certainly never made a secret of it and it's been mentioned often enough on your site.
Iain, to echo your comment about me, "you really are ridiculous sometimes".
I don't understand the importance of India? An opposing point of view means your opponent is ignorant, does it? Rather than, perhaps, better informed than you are?
How long did you live in India, Iain? Longer than me?
Peter Hitchens, the Indians have developed wealth in Britain, to everyone's benefit. The Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are an entirely different case. They are the ones who "repatriate" (what a ridiculous term!) funds. The Indians re-invest in Britain, which is why they have so much money and look so great.
No one outside Westminster and Notting Hill can stand Dave, Iain. You'll lose the next election.
Verity - rant-tastic as ever!
The chances are that Cameron is now very well briefed in India. But even if the answer to your question is 'nothing at all', what better way to find something out than by going there!
But give the boy a break. He is making the Tory's electable again. Perhaps you would prefer political and ideological purity over executive power, and another decade in opposition whilst Tony Blair/Gordon Brown completely ruin the country? he might not be evrything you want, but please learn to compramise - he better than the alternative surely.
As for going to India, I think it is to open a factory which a major Tory benefactor built out there. And good for him that he is doing so.
But, no doubt he will also get to see some of the amazing potential India has to outperform our economy whilst there, and will press for more equal trade terms. India could be a massive market for the UK!
Perhaps he will also have an opportunity to give the Indian's some stick about their appaling levels of child poverty too, high incidence of feotucide and a number of other social ills which India is famous for!
I am sure he will also have an opportunity to discuss the need for India and Pakistan to continue the normalisation of their relations - and reduce the potential for nuclear war.
He may also get an opportunity to meet with the Dalia Lama and others to discuss the situation in Tibet, or perhaps speak with people of influence about the unrest in Nepal.
And finally, perhaps he will also have some time to see the amazing sights of one of the most amazing countries in the world - and who can blame him!
In other words, Verity, he will be doing what you expect the potential next Prime Minister of the UK to be doing - standing up for the interests of Britain and getting involved in high level diplomatic negotiations.
Get real!!!
He's probably popped over to set up the new call-centre for Central Office.
what a lot of negative vibes this morning. It's mostly jealousy that Dave gets to travel. He needs to see the world if he's going to end up leading the country.
Verity, sweetie, darling hunny.
If you believe in winning the next election, if you believe the Conservative Party will do a better job of running this country then stop taking the p**s.
If you don't then why bother?
'Put up or shut up' is a well known turn of phrase this side of the Atlantic.
I am sure if you ‘Google it’ you will understand its meaning.
I think it's great that Cameron and Osborne are visiting India and Japan. And better still, attempting to communicate directly with people on their experiences.
Unfortunately, Iain, you and Guido have been infected by the computer virus ConHome Curmudgeon. The female strain is particularly virulent, attacking any post metioning the name Cameron.
get a grip - I for one don't believe that this version of the Cons Party will run the country any better. That's the problem. They've shown no sign that they have the faintest idea of what the electorate is concerned about.
NHS? Not a word.
Immigration? Nothing.
Tax? No overall reduction!
Education? Zilch.
EU? The elephant in the room. Procrastinate.
Defence? Silence.
National Security? Incoherent mumblings.
Pensions? Bugger all.
Loss of rights and freedoms? "Erm... we're against ID cards - because they cost too much" was Desperate Dave's contribution at the beginning of the year. Presumably if they were cheap he'd back them.
You may be happy blithely buying a pig in a poke, but I ain't. His (and CP) approach seems to be "It's new! It's wonderful! But don't ask what it is." US tele-evangelism comes to British politics - "Just believe - and send your donations to...."
iain,
I remember there was a blog for the DD campaign, which you worked on. Can you promise that all entries under his name were written or dictated by him?
*chuckle
"fake fake fake"
Verity - I live in the New Forest which is about as rural as a badgers arse, and I have a lot of time for David Cameron, even though I disagree with him on things. I have never lived in Notting Hill, and only rarely go to Westminster! So I am afraid on that point you wrong, and just a little bit ridiculous! But, hey, who isn't?
Oh Jeez! Honestly, the guy has been in post for just under a year. He inhereited a part which was financially bankrupt, at a grass roots level out of touch with most of the people it needs to get voting for them, and obsessed with splitting hairs on Europe!
In 12 months he has (a) given the party a kick up the arse it needed (2) pretty clearly defined what he believes modern Conservatism is about (3) instigated policy reviews which will report shortly (4) started to get on top of the finacnes (5) got the media thinking we might actually be able to govern, (6) turned the polls around and given us a lead over Labour for the first time in 15(?) years.
No, he isn't a ranting Thatcherite. No, he hasn't gone to war with Europhiles, and no, he might look and sound a bit different to what the old guard want out of their perfect leader. But, and sorry to sound a bit like I am borrowing logic from Blair, but the alternative to a David Cameron lead Tory party is not a Tory party lead by a ideologically acceptable ranting old-school right-winger. It is Gordon Brown.
The sooner we all understand that, the better!
You can have 80% of something, or 100% of nothing! You choose.
DC is not all that I want him to be - but no leader is. He is doing a good job, and has acheived lots in a short time. Give him a chance to prove his worth and make his case. Slag him off in his second term as PM, nt in his second year as opposition leader!
awww, you edited it!
why is the column illustrated with an out-of-focus photo of a drunk at a bus station?
emma shares the wealth of her disinformation again. India is NOT feeding all her people to a fairly good standard. Not yet. You don't just say "Poof! Let everybody have food!" and suddenly get full bellies. There are people in India living on less than $1 a day and there are dozens of smallholders committing suicide because of the hopelessness of feeding their families. This is a very, very longterm project.
That said - and it is heartbreaking to say it - but India, a country of 1.2bn (that Dave's going to magically understand in, oh, a couple of days) has made vigourous strides into the 21st Century and, as long as the Gandhis stay clear, is coming up on the inside track as one of the superpowers - probably within 30 years.
Something else that India has going for it is its world class military. They're well-trained, disciplined and dependable - just what we want in a superpower. A most desirable and dependable ally.
India already applies for more techology patents than any other country in the world save the US and Germany. That is staggering. They have opened up ownership of the press and now UP and a couple of other major international players have a stake in India's media. I think the WSJ owns a stake. (If memory serves, they can buy up to 40% of a media company - this also includes film companies and companies making commercials.) The loosening of controls on private companies is very cheering indeed.
Adrian Yelland says from on high: "Perhaps he will also have an opportunity to give the Indian's some stick about their appaling levels of child poverty too, high incidence of feotucide and a number of other social ills which India is famous for!"
1. You honestly think the Indian government is going to take "some stick" from some unknown politician - or even a foreign prime minister? How very, very little you know.
2. Is the incidence of foeticide higher in India higher than the incidence of foeticide through abortion in Britain? I very much doubt it. Maybe he could give the slags on the British estates some stick, a little closer to home?
3. " I am sure he will also have an opportunity to discuss the need for India and Pakistan to continue the normalisation of their relations - and reduce the potential for nuclear war." This is so impertinent it takes the breath away. India and Pakistan, two nuclear powers who know each other very well indeed, are going to listen to a lecture from an uninformed ignoramus? (And no, you can't brief Dave or anyone else on a vast, diverse country with a 5,000 year history and all the political, social, religious and caste strands. Even long term ambassadors tread carefully.)
Consider this, both India and Pakistan have had nuclear weapons for around 25 years (off the top of my head). They seem to have handled themselves well without the thoughts of Dave.
4. "He may also get an opportunity to meet with the Dalia Lama and others to discuss the situation in Tibet, or perhaps speak with people of influence about the unrest in Nepal." Christ! He's going to be a busy little bugger, isn't he? Solving the problems of the entire sub-Continent? And who is the Dalia Lama? Sounds like something out of Raymond Chandler.
The Dalai Lama has absolutely no political influence with anyone. If Dave wants to discuss Tibet, he will have to read up on that other giant - or have a 10-minute briefing on - China. I'll save him the time. The Chinese will tell him: "There is nothing to discuss. Tibet is a part of China. We have just built a multi-squillion dollar skybridge across the Himalayas to Tibet. Prease be so kind as to buggel off."
bt - D'accord.
and you've edited it back again?
I haven't edited anything. We have been tickering with the whole blog layout today which may have caused it - as your mate JS will confirm!
smart move by DC - he really does need to get up to speed with one of the emerging superpowers of the 21st century.
the ties between Britain and India go way back - so its only natural for DC to go over and say hello.
i like his style - rather than getting bogged down in detail , he's going for the bigger picture. which is EXACTLY what you want from a leader.
And the blog is a smart move too.
compare DC's relatively optimistic approach to the dour, sullness of Gordon Brown..
What happened to my post? I addressed several issues raised by other bloggers from the point of view of someone who is actually familiar with the country.
Verity, I think we have to ask - what the heck do you have against "Emma F"?? She makes pretty good points, you then proceed to attack her in the most vitriolic terms, and then repeat what she says line by line agreeing with it!! Could it be that she is, oh my goodness, a _woman_? How dare a Tory blog be infected by the views of a mere female eh? I think I speak for many when I say that we are heartily sick of hearing from you Verity. A period away from this blog would be good for the party, good for us, and I suspect, good for you.
Far be it from me to defend verity - he does very well for himself. But his general - and specific - points concerning Dave's vacuous politics together with BT's succinct summary of Dave's "policies" are, frankly, irrefutable. Anyone - repeat anyone - now leading the Tory party would have a poll lead. This is nothing to do with Dave: it's down to the electorate finally realising what a bunch of sh*ts are in power and the electorate's desperation to remove them. What I would say is that anyone but Dave would have a far larger lead in the polls.
Dave's party, BTW, will not get my vote in the next general election. I left the Conservatives (after 30 years) when M Howard decided to support ID cards and, despite the avalanche of letters from my local party inviting me back, as a fairly typical member of the Tory "core" - sorry extreme right wing (I do, after all, believe in less tax, grammar schools, freedom under the law etc - certainly not expanded public services [Letwin quoted in the FT today that shadow cabinet would "almost certainly" commit to "growth of public services"]) - voting for Dave is the same as voting for Blair with Green knobs on.
I imagine it's the rainy sesson in Mexico aand Verity's got sod all else to do at present
anonymous 11:29- I don't have anything against Emma F. But she writes facile rubbish, which is irritating.
If you didn't wade through it because it was rather long, skim through my post of 2:56 yesterday. I answered all the facile assumptions made by people who know nothing about India.
If you are heartily sick of me Anonymong 11:29, you can avoid me by ceasing to tune in.
umbongo - agreed. That their poll lead is so slender while every senior Labourite is busy sharpening his axe is an indictment of Dave, not an endorsement.
verity watcher - They don't have a rainy season in the breathtaking mountains of the Sierra Madre or Sangre de Christo or all the deserts of Mexico. It's not tiny, like Britain. It's vast, with big cities, some of them ancient, in all kinds of terrain and a population of over 100m.
Verity
I'd be interested to hear your views, as a resident, on the outcome of the Mexican presidential election
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