To read the ludicrous reporting of the recent events surrounding holiday visits to a yacht in Corfu it is clear that the story has led to a loss of perspective amongst commentators, an unleashing of years of pent up jealousy amongst George Osborne's colleagues and a great deal of unfounded excitement amongst blood thirsty journalists. I think there has been a loss of perspective all round and the dramatic headlines will prove to be very wide of the mark.
I worked with George Osborne - I was a junior flunky receiving my orders for quotes and facts when working in the Conservative Research Department in 2000-2001. I don't claim to know him well but he must be given credit as the best tactician we have; he is an authentic Conservative who has been the driving force behind the turnaround in the Conservative Party's fortunes – sticking with it in good times and bad. Who has made a bigger or more meaningful contribution to the Conservative Party over the past 15 years?
Throughout his career George has had masses of good fortune but his strongest qualities are courage and self belief. His courage - to take on the Special Advisor role for Douglas Hogg when no one else would during the BSE crisis, his shrewd judgment to back a 36 year old William Hague for the leadership in 1997, his nouse in framing the penetrating questions around the scandals of Peter Mandelson's activities in the Hinduja affair and the loan scandal -and again now posing still unanswered questions about Mandelson's contacts with Russian oligarchs, metals and tariffs demonstrate that he is someone with immense tactical insight and political judgment.
Oh yes - he also had the guts to take on the role of Shadow Chancellor in May 2005 and back Cameron to the hilt when success was very uncertain.
So before we start questioning wholesale his judgment let's have the whole story. Are his older colleagues likely to be jealous of him? Yes - I expect so. Is he likely to be perceived as arrogant by many? Of course - most young successful people have that charge laid against him. Is he always right ? No - but who is?
We are all flawed in some way and if I had to make one observation it is that George seems to love the tactics and political work too much when that season of his political life has passed. He does not need to risk soiling himself which such activities - there are plenty of flunkies, like I was, eager to earn their spurs and get to grips with Lord Mandelson's flawed judgment by finding the information and dealing with the media.
In a few months when the causes for the underlying weaknesses in our economy - over-spending, poor spending and massive borrowing become clear, when Brown’s recent interventions are weighed against a decade of his really poor judgment, when Mandelson's poison permeates the Labour party's ranks again and they get rid of him again -we will then have the right perspective on this unfortunate few days of headlines.
I predict George Osborne will emerge stronger, wiser and whatever he takes away from it I am relieved it has happened now and not 6 months into his tenure in Number 11!
