Britannist

The following are the very latest comments I've noted down from television and radio about David Cameron, the anti-UKIP and pro-EU leader of the Conservative Party (most recent comment first):

Anthony Howard, the Times newspaper columnist, said on “The Worst Job in British Politics – leader of the opposition” on BBC 2 Television at 0015 hours on 3.10.2006 “David Cameron risks alienating his core vote. There will be rumbles on the right of the Conservative Party before he gets in as Prime Minister, if he does at all.”

Lance Price, who used to work in Blair’s team in Downing Street, said at 0014 hours on 3.10.2006 on “The Worst Job in British Politics – leader of the opposition” on BBC 2 Television “Cameron is doing his best to replicate Blair and go for the centre ground and to reach out to Liberal ‘Democrat’ voters with his ‘dramatic change’ speeches.”

Martin Rowson, Guardian newspaper cartoonist, said at 0014 hours on 3.10.2006 on “The Worst Job in British Politics – leader of the opposition” on BBC 2 Television “Cameron wants to be loved with his ‘I’ll be your friend’ attitude. He is a PR man. He’s ‘doing’ a Blair. It won’t work. People are sick of Blair. When people are sick of Blair, the Conservative Party says “I know – let’s have a Blair as our leader, too.” It won’t work.”

Lord Bell, the former PR assistant to Lady Thatcher (when she was Conservative Prime Minister) said on 3.10.2006 at 0011 hours on “The Worst job in British Politics – leader of the opposition” on BBC 2 Television “The phrase ‘Are you thinking what we’re thinking’ (used by the Conservative Party for its failed 2005 General Election campaign in which David Cameron was the co-ordinator) was a huge mistake because the answer is, of course, no.” Comment on Lord Bell’s remark: Any political party would get a No to such a question – especially in the way it was phrased. The job of a political party is not to ask the electorate questions – but to answer them (i.e. to solve problems).

Alistair Campbell, the former PR assistant to the Blair Labour regime, said at 11.26 pm on 2.10.2006 in “The Worst Job in British Politics – leader of the opposition” on BBC 2 Television “Cameron is having the longest media honeymoon of anyone I can think of. But if you don’t have depth it will unravel. And I fancy that Cameron will unravel in the campaign at the next General Election because he does not have depth.”

Oliver Letwin, when asked by Martha Kearney about a remark by George Osbourne MP (the Shadow – Conservative opposition Chancellor who allegedly made a joke on 1.10.2006 about Labour Chancellor Gordon Brown being autistic) said (on BBC 2 Television Newsnight at 10.55 pm on 2.10.2006)“This was never intended to cause any offence. The Prime Minister joked about us (the Conservatives) at his (Labour) conference (in Manchester) last week.” When he was elected as Conservative leader in December 2005, David Cameron said ‘Punch and Judy politics’ should be rejected – but straight after the Labour Conference of September 2006, he criticised Labour Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Jeremy Paxman, presenter, asked on BBC 2 Television Newsnight at 10.31 pm on 2.10.2006 (on the first full day of the Conservative Party 2006 annual conference) “If it’s all so sunny for David Cameron – why is he not doing better in the (opinion) polls?” * David Cameron said “Let the sunshine in” during his first speech as leader to the annual conference of the Conservative Party on 1.10.2006. The Sunday Mirror published a poll on 1.10.2006 putting the Conservatives on 36% and Labour on 35%. Critics of David Cameron say he should be doing much better in view of a very difficult period for the governing Labour Party.

Huw Edwards, the newsreader and presenter, asked David Cameron, the Conservative leader (on the first full day of the 2006 annual conference of the Conservative Party in Bournemouth) on 2.10.2006 at 10.11 pm on BBC 1 Television “How can a single mother see what a wealthy man like you has to offer her?” He replied “She has responsibilities too.”

Sir Bernard Ingham, former press secretary to Mrs. (now Lady) Thatcher when she was Conservative Prime Minister, said at 02.14 am on Dateline London on BBC News 24 Television on 2.10.2006 "I haven't a clue what David Cameron stands for. What I do know of his views I don't like. He's gone barmy over this green business. He thinks you can run a country like the UK on renewable energy (i.e. ugly wind turbine eyesores). Scientists will tell you this is bonkers. This is proof of the insubstantial nature of the (Conservative) opposition. He (Cameron) is right not to announce all main policies too early, but he should let us know what direction he's going in. From what I've seen of it, I don't like it. And quite a lot of the Conservative Party don't like it. I'm suspicious of all this 'touchy-feely' business. And I don't like the new Conservative tree logo."

Mike Mendoza, the eurosceptic radio presenter on TalkSport, said at 1.10 am on 2.10.2006 (of David Cameron’s speech on 1.10.2006 to the 2006 annual conference of the Conservative Party) “They (the Conservatives) are not a proper opposition anyway. They lost the last General Election and the way they’re going (under Cameron) they’re going to lose the next one. The only policy commitment he made in his speech I did agree with – the pledge to get rid of ID cards. That is a big vote-winner.”

Amanda Platell, the columnist and former assistant to the former Conservative leader, William Hague MP, said at 1.47 pm on 1.10.2006 on the ‘Politics Show’ on BBC 1 Television “Zak Goldsmith (the environmental campaigner who was related to the Late Sir James Goldsmith), who I am sure is incredibly well-intentioned plays to the Labour Party charge that the Conservatives are all about spin and celebrity and not substance and accountability.” * Zak Goldsmith is an ally of David Cameron.

Andrew Marr, presenter, asked David Cameron on ‘Sunday AM’ at 9.04 am on 1.10.2006 on BBC 1 Television “Are you really a Conservative?” David Cameron replied “Yes, absolutely.” Comment on Mr. Marr’s question: This must be the first time a party political leader has been asked so directly if he is genuinely what he says he is. No one would have needed to ask Lady Thatcher if she was a Conservative or if Clement Attlee was a true Labour man.

John Craig, reporter, said on Sky Television News at 6 am on 1.1.2006 (the first day of the 2006 annual conference of the Conservative Party) “David Cameron is facing charges of being all style and no substance.”

Britannist

Here's the latest batch of comments I've made a note of from those 'not satisfied' with pro-EU and anti-UKIP David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party:

Michael Fallon, the Conservative MP for Sevenoaks in Kent, said on 3.10.2006 at 7.35 pm on Channel Four Televison News “We have to keep in mind our natural supporters. UKIP continues to poll.” * Mr. Fallon was backing calls for the Conservative (Cameron) leadership to campaign for lower taxes (the reverse of what it is actually doing).

Dr. Richard North, the anti-EU campaigner and former UKIP member, said on 3.10.2006 “(Quote) We're not banging on about Europe in this Party… we're talking about things that people really care about…" (End of quote) So spoke the Green Moron (Cameron) this morning during an extended interview on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. I don't think little Dave has quite got the hang of this "democracy thingie". Perhaps we ought to explain. It's like this Dave: you tell us to **** off now and then we have elections – that's when we tell you to **** off. Have you noticed, incidentally, that when Camoron speaks in public, after virtually every sentence he closes his mouth and sucks in his lips, lowering his eyelids at the same time (pictured). There is probably something deeply significant about that, but I'll leave it to the professionals to do the psychoanalysis.”

Tim Montgomerie, editor of Conservative Home said on 2.10.2006 (according to Peter Riddell in the Times edition of 3.10.2006) “Project Cameron is in danger of becoming almost as unbalanced as Michael Howard’s approach at the last election, in believing that the party has a choice between new issues such as the environment and old ones such as immigration. This is a false choice: that strict immigration controls are compatible with fighting global warming, and lower taxes with social justice."

Richard Littlejohn, columnist, wrote in the Daily Mail edition of 3.10.2006 “If all a Cameron government would offer is a bit of tinkering around the margins, voters might just decide to stick with the devil they know."

Edward Leigh, the eurosceptic Conservative MP and Chairman of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, told a fringe meeting on 3.10.2006 at the 2006 annual conference of the Conservative Party “at least 100 of Mr. Cameron's 198 MPs want an early commitment to lower taxes. We must make the case for robust Conservatism and respond to people’s anxieties over immigration, crime and europe. Otherwise it will become a recruiting agent for UKIP.”