Sunday 30th March 2008

11.30am ToryDiary: Who is winning the left v right battles?

ToryDiary: Tory consultation paper proposes ending the BBC monopoly

Owen Paterson MP on Platform describes a Week In His Life As Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary

Nile Gardiner on CentreRight: Des Browne appeases the Taliban

ConservativeHome continues to ask for more information about the gerrymandered MEP selection process.  Although difficult to confirm, we have already been told that Vicky Ford and Marina Yannakoudakis were given higher rankings by CCHQ than men who received more votes than them.

PlayPolitical: CNN report on Hillary Clinton's refusal to quit the race for the Democratic nomination

TWO MUST READ ARTICLES IN TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS:

(1) Government minister Ivan Lewis sets out manifesto for Labour recovery...

• "Policies on crime and poverty ahead of global warming.
• Ten years in prison for people carrying guns and knives.
• Foreign criminals to be deported immediately.
• A government that fights for people's rights if they are ripped off.
• Equal rights for white men at work"

Read the full article in the News of the World.

(2) Michael Portillo warns of big trouble ahead for MPs when their expenses are revealed...

"The House of Commons is headed for catastrophe. When the details of members’ expense claims are published, as they are bound to be under freedom of information laws, the public will be appalled. They will see that MPs help themselves to allowances as thinly disguised bonuses."

Read the full article in The Sunday Times.

Michael Gove condemns Labour's approval of sale of 19 schools' playing fields last year

"It is ironic that the government is selling off school playing fields on the eve of a campaign to get children to lead more active lives. The planning rules need to be changed to make it easier to set up schools and use them for education and recreation. At the moment, the government's whole approach doesn't protect what we have, or allow for expansion where it's needed." - Quoted in The Observer

Nick Herbert pledges to stop releasing terrorists early - Observer

John Rentoul: Labour is winning all of the big arguments

"Labour has won the intellectual argument on education, in that the Tories no longer want to go back to selection. It has won the argument about poverty, because the Tories want to abolish child poverty too, instead of dismissing it as a utopian dream. And the argument about tax cuts versus public spending has been resolved in Labour's favour." - Independent on Sunday

Alan Johnson to announce 'voucher system' for patients with acute medical conditions - Sunday Telegraph

Positive reaction from The Sunday Telegraph's leader writers: "Mr Johnson's plan to give patients the power to choose which hospital will treat them has the potential to end that dismal situation for good. But it will do so only if patients are properly informed. We hope and expect the Government to provide all of the necessary information."

"The Army's most hard-pressed fighting units are losing more than 1,000 troops a year through drug abuse and desertion"

"Patrick Mercer, the Tory MP and a former infantry commander, said: "Only one in 10 who walk into an Army recruiting office actually make it into the infantry.  They are a highly valuable resource and to lose this number when they are facing the brunt of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan is a terribly serious blow to the Army."" - Sunday Telegraph

Infighting within 10 Downing Street intensifies - The Sunday Times

Christian charity funds twelve interns for MPs including Caroline Spelman - The Independent on Sunday

Mark Thatcher, the son of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, has married again in a secret ceremony in Gibraltar - Reuters

On this day in 1978 the Tories recruited Saatchi & Saatchi to be their advertisers - BBC

"Widespread" evidence of illegal immigrants working in care homes - Sky

Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary...

Comments

[Patsy Sergeant]

According to Alex Salmond on Marr, Gordon Brown has been in Scotland the last couple of days, rallying his supporters and making speeches.

Well, of course he has, that is his number one priority, procuring votes - Labour votes, both for himself and for the Labour party. This is still his number one occupation!

[Paul D]

I'm sure Mr Portillo will, given his interest in MPs' expenses, be happy to see these revelations applied retrospectively, and tell us all exactly how much HE claimed during his stints as an MP

I won't hold my breath

[James Maskell]

Quite, Paul D.

Well done to CH for pushing to uncover the disgraceful manner in which the Conservatives have managed the MEP selection. Its been clear from the very start how meritocracy has been thrown out of the window since Cameron came to power.

Whenever the Conservatives talk about people earning upon merit, I hope someone is there to throw these incidents back in their stuck up faces. It disgusts me everytime and it should disgust everyone else and the Party membership and Associations should not stand for it. Meritocracy cannot work in tandem with equality.

[Mark Hudson]

Editor(s), as a former Conservative and now UKIPer, I suppose I am not really supposed to comment here. However, this site is not only an excelent success story, but I must congratulate you on going wherever you feel right without favour. The MEP selection process is just appalling. You restore a little of my faith in the hollow shell that is the Party that I supported for 20 years.

[Patsy Sergeant]

For once I agree with every single word that Rod Liddle has written in his 'Comment' column today.

the particular comment I agree so strongly with is entitled - 'We indulge yobs - and murdered Sphie pays the price.'

He indicts everybody in the district, including the 'urban wasteland' that passses for a 'park'. Park wardens, the council said were too expensive - apparently. The police and local council 'were not sufficiently concerned to do anything' - they probably didn't know where to start!

To the mother of one of the killers sitting in the police interview room, laughing and joking with her son, utterly devoid of contrition - too thick to possess a conscience or a sense of right or wrong, apparently!

I think that last paragraph says it all at the present time, because all the while THOSE parents or single parents (as they usually are), are the sole or main influence on young children, particularly males, the anarchy in some areas of society is only going to spread.

All this confounded government can think of doing is to throw money at 'agencies' in these areas, boast about it, and then go back to worrying about getting re-elected - their number one priority!

It is an extremely serious situation but this government hasn't got a clue. Socialism, is an ideology, hot on theory, but extremely cold on pragmatism and coping with tough everyday problems. At least the conservatives have demonstrated some awareness of the seriousness of the problem in the comprehensive Report of Ian Duncan Smith, but there will be an enormous job to be done, when they are in a position to have any effect.

Conversely if this government gets in after the next election with any sort of workable majority, I am afraid that it will be a continuance of the last ten years. The result will be that citizens - getting increasingly frustrated will start taking the law into their own hands, (being cynical, if that happens, I am sure that this government or its successor, would find enough places in prison for those citizens - but not the villians.)

[Dave B]

Just seen a TV advert reminding me that buying smuggled cigarettes is a crime.

[Jack Stone]

Mark. I am not at all surprised that you support this site. This site is run and populated largely by the UKIP fifth column in the party.
Unfortunetly not all the loney tunes have left yet!

[Dontmakemelaugh]

Unfortunetly not all the loney tunes have left yet!

Posted by: Jack Stone | 30 March 2008 at 16:42

Jack Stoned speaks for us all. But, being polite we will not ask the obvious question.

[michael mcgough]

Columnist in Ireland is calling for an election as a government mired by the corruption trial of it's leader Ahern limps on.Every day a NO vote in the referendum on June 12 looks more likely

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/
go-to-the-country-again-bertie-1332187.html

[Dontmakemelaugh]

Interesting report in today's Telegraph and headlined:

Brown has lost touch, warns Labour minister.

"Fairness means equal treatment and opportunities for women and ethnic minorities in the workplace, not skilled white men denied career opportunities in the name of equality."

Mr Lewis urged Mr Brown to put policies on crime and poverty ahead of those of global warming. He said that the public also wanted people caught carrying guns and knives to be imprisoned for ten years.
Mr Lewis is the most high-profile minister to speak out amid growing evidence that Labour is losing the support of the so-called "Essex man" - a crucial group of floating voters whose conversion to Tony Blair helped elect the current Government.

This group of C1 and C2 working class people live in the south and Midlands and are growing increasingly concerned about the sharp rise in the cost of living. Issues such as immigration are also important". (Well who would have thunk it)

Labour is getting worried and is talking about change (but going to the Right, Dave and not Left). quoting: "white men" denied opportunities; losing support of Essex man; 10 years imprisonment for carrying a gun or knives; increasing concern about immigration.
The sort of policies that you could read in the BNP manifesto, Dave.

Well Dave, come the next election you could be fighting it out for the Essex man vote (appealing to Lib/dims for votes will be old hat). You could well be seen to the Left of Labour.
Time to give Maude and Co the big heave ho Dave (sorry Jack) and cancel the next meeting advocating lengthening paternity leave again. Time to move back to the toxic zone - detox has had its day. In particular I like the reference to the global warming hysterical junk mail being placed on the back burner after the policies that really matter.

Labour could reinvent itself and become a real threat Dave. The loss of perks and expenses concentrates the mind. This Mr Lewis is dangerous, voters could get to like him.