David Cameron says that Brown is weak, tragic and laughable

David Cameron uses an interview for The Sunday Telegraph to launch another strong attack on Gordon Brown.  In January the Tory leader compared the Chancellor to a speak-your-weight machine.  This is what Mr Cameron said for today's interview:

"He's being pushed around by everyone. He's been told he needs to look more modern, so he tells us he likes the Arctic Monkeys. Incredible. He's told he looks too Scottish, so he tells us he likes Gazza's goal against Scotland. Utterly incredible.  He's told you're plotting too much and you look like a schemer, so he says Tony's always going to be my friend. Completely incredible.  If you're pushed around this much before you've even applied for the job what are you going to be like as prime minister.  It just makes me laugh. People tend to think of Gordon Brown as strong but he's just being pushed all over the place.  I think his credibility has been damaged. I've made all sorts of mistakes but I haven't done or said anything that I don't feel 100 per cent comfortable about and I observe what he has been doing and saying and I just find it all totally incredible."

Everything David Cameron says is true, of course, but I can't help feeling that the Tory leader would look more statesmanlike if he allowed the press and a few of the more fierce backbench MPs to go after Gordon Brown.  As ConservativeHome noted at the time, Mr Cameron's non-reaction to Labour's early September madness was exactly right.  This appears at the end of an article in this morning's Sunday Times:

"And what about attacking Labour and Gordon Brown? “We are working on the Napoleonic thinking of ‘never interrupt an enemy while they are making a mistake’,” said one aide."

That tactic of non-interference in Labour's internal affairs is the right one.

Comments

[Jack W]

Cameron has just said on the Beeb that he has moved the Tories to the centre ground where "we need to be".

Tin hats on !!!!!!!

.............................

ICM Poll in the Sunday Mirror :

Lab 35% +3 .. Con 36% NC .. Lib Dem 19% -3 .. Others 10% NC.

In line with recent polls.

[Graham D'Amiral]

Seems a minor and probably temporary labour revival has largely come at the lib dems expense.

I thought cameron gave a very good interview on Andy Marr's show this morning, a strong message to supporters and opponents alike that there is going to be no retreat to the tory comfort zone that has characterised our campaigns in the last two general elections.

[TomTom]

A focus on personal attacks should work wonders...........negative campaigning is obviously the chosen path. Turnout 55% next time around ?

[Paul Kennedy]

And what about attacking Labour and Gordon Brown? “We are working on the Napoleonic thinking of ‘never interrupt an enemy while they are making a mistake’,” said one aide."

That is absolutely correct, however when the smoke has settled and the battle won, the electorate will quite rightly expect a Conservative government to deal with the difficult problems it will face, problems getting more difficult by the day the longer Labour remains in office.

Here are a few to be going on with and no doubt others will add many more:

Public sector deficits, massive and growing;
Energy security and supply;
Personal debt levels, massive and growing;
Reliance on manufactured imports;
Collapsing justice system;
National sovereignty;
Power of the state;
Multiculturalism and a divided society............

[Tapestry]

He's doing very well. Taking on the BBC, Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative Parties all at once. He is a class act, and inspirational. Marr couldn't lay a finger on him after trying non-stop throughout the interview.

Glenyss Kinnock refused his invitation to come to Bournemouth. She couldn't possibly come as she will be in Brussels, she said, but she was obviously not expectiung to be invited and was caught off-balance by the idea! Tories never invited Socialists to Parties in her day!!!!!

[Paul Kennedy]

First I knew about the Kinnock invite, masterstroke.........is she still a socialist. Her continued presence in the EU Parliament indicates just why the EU has all gone so wrong.

[Richard]

Supportive though I am of Cameron I do sense a trace of hypocrisy here. He is, after all, indulging in image politics himself. Still, at least Cameron seems to be deciding his own image.

[Monday Clubber]

"a strong message to supporters and opponents alike that there is going to be no retreat to the tory comfort zone"

Seems he's retreating to a PC "Comfort Zone" instead. The problem is that he'll find it crowded...

...with politicos and media types, that is - not ordinary voters, most of whom are refreshingly non-PC.

The keynote of Cameronism is to adopt every fashionable nostrum on offer, including many that were originally peddled by what we used to call the Loony Left.

This follows from swallowing the "Big Lie" that the public rejected the Tories because the membership were reactionary. They didn't. Most Lab/Lib voters know nothing about the Tory grassroots, and care less.

If there were the odd elector who disliked the Tories because they supposedly had a down on unmarried mothers I think we could put that down to Mr Lilley and his "I've got a little list" speech.

Isn't Lilley now running one of Dave's "Commissions"? Seems nothing changes in The Nasty Party.

[Tapestry]

Many are attacking what they imagine Cameron to be. This week provides an opportunity for people such as Monday Clubber (main emphasis on Clubber in caveman sense)to listen carefully and decide if they are right in their armchair analyses.

Cameron is original so people find him hard to read. He wrong foots experienced interviewers like Carr, and dodges Glenys Kinnock's bullets with ease. He describes Gorodn Brown and Blair to perfection. The media who are against him will have to start showing respect at least. Monday Clubbers are going to be left behind by the Cameron chariot. Let's hope they catch up later on. It's generational for the msot part. The old lot can't follow the new ways.

[Alison Anne Smith]

The Sunday AM interview was excellent. I just hope Cameron can keep CCHQ from ruining all his good work !

[Richard]

I have just been having a chuckle at the Daily Mail's article on the Blair-Brown relationship in the review section. It's pretty damning of Brown and sickeningly sycophantic towards our dear leader. It is supposedly written by an insider. I actually wondered whether or not it was a spoof. It also occurred to me that the piece might actually have been written by Blair himself!

[Paul Kennedy]

"The old lot can't follow the new ways." 10.31

Could you clarify who "the old lot" are please.

[ToMTom]

I have just been having a chuckle at the Daily Mail's article on the Blair-Brown relationship

You'd have been better employed reading about the British troops in Afghanistan and how the encircled French Special Forces were gutted alive by the Taliban and how Britain issues 200 rounds per para to combat soldiers..............my we must be a hard-up country

[Julian Williams]

I can only cry when I read Cameron's personalised attacks on Brown. Brown is a sitting duck for heavy attacks on his stewardship of the economy. But Cameron, never the statesman, chooses to tell us he will win elections by laughing at Brown for his personal weaknesses. Is he really such a nice man?

Now we know he laughs at Brown because he is weak Cameron opens up the charm offensive with a weblog where we can see him and his pretty children. I suppose he thinks politics is another version of big brother?

Is this really the way we want to conduct political debate? Do we really want this crass twit to be in charge off our country?

[Richard]

"You'd have been better employed reading about the British troops in Afghanistan"

I did. But that isn't relevant to this thread.

[Tapestry]

The 'old lot' are anyone who feels offended by the term.

[Paul Kennedy]

12:28 thanks for that clarification Tapestry, what with the introduction of Age Legislation today, I think we needed that clarity. ;)

I also thought for one moment you were refering to many in the higher echelons of the party who have been there for years and still there, including many who embraced Thatcherism, referred to our party as the nasty party, were involved in the writing of election manifestos in 1997, 2001 & 2005 etc etc. ;) :D

[disillusioned activist]

'Weak tragic laughable'....after that appalling webcam effort, I thought Cameron was referring to himself.

When by the way is he going to teach is offspring that it is rude to interrupt?

[disillusioned activist]

"Do we really want this crass twit to be in charge of our country?"

NO NO NO!!

[EdR]

Cameron has been pretty restrained on the whole when it comes to taking potshots at the sitting duck that is Gordon Brown. He can be excused a few freebies today.

[Julian Williams]

Reputations that take years to build up are lost is a day, a leader of a party is measured by his lows as much a his highs. Today, of all days, the nation's eyes are watching to find out what sort of man Cameron really is.

For the last year he has put himself up as being kind, generous and compassionate, but his words about Brown were unkind, ungenerous and uncompassionate. So what are we to believe, which is the real Cameron?

He could have been ruthless about Brown's reputation as a chancellor, but he choose to conduct a ruthless personalised attack. What does this tell us about the man who is making the attack?

[Cardinal Pirelli]

Note to labour/ukip/libdem trolls -

Don't use names such as 'disillusioned activist', it's far too obvious that you're trying too hard.

[Monday Clubber]

"This week provides an opportunity for people such as Monday Clubber (main emphasis on Clubber in caveman sense)to listen carefully and decide if they are right in their armchair analyses."

Well excuse me, Tapestry, but unless you are enthroned in the WC, or possibly seated on a cocktail bar stool next to the Celestial Dave himself I fail to see how your analysis is any less armchair-based that anything others may offer.

Perhaps you would explain?

[Og]

Dave is good at dissing his opponents (no matter that it is at odds with his wish to end "Punch and Judy politics").

But he is all at sea when asked to describe the clear water between Conservatives and Labour. Partly this is because he won't know what his policies are for some months or years yet; partly, because he has been foolish enough to rule out a few things that didn't need ruling out (grammar schools most notably, incomprehensible approach to taxation); but mostly, because he wants to position the party on the centre ground, an area so heavily populated by Blairism, LibDemmery and who knows, Brownism as well, that there is barely room to breathe.

This becomes an exercise in choosing the least worst of the big tax and spend parties. Whilst, for me, the Conservatives under Cameron ARE the least worst, it corrupts the party and enhaces the liberal-left consensus that will ultimately stifle Britain.

The implosion of Labour has offered an enormous opportunity to return conservative philosophy to power and to stop the ratchet effect of socialism. Pity we can't embrace the opportunity with confidence that the base principles which made us conservatives in the first place, are principles worth basing our next manifesto on.

[malcolm]

I would agree with you that personal attacks should be either left to others or better still no personal attacks at all. Surely it would be better if Cameron just attacked what Brown has done rather than the man himself. Anyone can see what an odd person Brown is just by listening to his interviews!

[TomTom]

"You'd have been better employed reading about the British troops in Afghanistan"

I did. But that isn't relevant to this thread.

Posted by: Richard | October 01, 2006 at 12:03

Oh but it is. it most certainly is !

The Secretary of State for Defence was Chief Secretary to The Treasury when the MoD Budget for Afghanistan was agreed. The necessity for the MoD to implement defence cuts even as troops are in combat suggests ammunition might be being limited so as not to deplete stocks, that flying hours and RAF spares might be in short supply; and in a real country people would note that Lloyd George made his career in WWI and Harry Truman his is WWII by chasing down the reasons soldiers in the front-line did not have the munitions they needed.........

That is why a thread about Gordon Brown is just the place to raise such issues rather than personal attacks and ad hominem remarks

[James Maskell]

My God, this webcameron really does blow. He talks about webcameron being about showing the country what the Consewrvative Party believes, and yet the name itself indicates this is not what the website is for. Its pretty egotistical. Whats wrong with the Conservative Party website?

[Chad]

It's not all style over substance James.

The conservatives site has just released a story to show that Cameron has broken his silence on a key issue; no not the potential loss of our veto over criminal justice, but (I kid you not - check the link) that he is good at DIY.

[Mr Speaker]

Order! Order!

This thread isn't about David Cameron's video blog nor is it about stories released on the Conservative site.

Do try to stay on topic please.

[James Maskell]

As Al Pacino famously says "Well, I am over-f***ing-whelmed". Cult of the individual is bad. Is detracts from policy which I think the key voters will look at as the swing item. Presentation whilst important cannot beat substance.

[James Maskell]

Actually Mick, it is on topic. This is about how Cameron and Brown are being presented, so a discussion on the way Cameron presents himself ties into this thread.

[Monday Clubber]

"Dave is good at dissing his opponents (no matter that it is at odds with his wish to end "Punch and Judy politics")"

That was the first promise he broke, well before he sold his Eurosceptic supporters down the river on EPP.

Chad; didn't I read you had a bet on that?

[Monday Clubber]

"but (I kid you not - check the link) that he is good at DIY."

I've heard that boast before.

It usually comes from households where shelves fall off walls and floors collapse underfoot.

Be very, very frightened :(

[Cardinal Pirelli]

Thread hijacked once more. Oh well, it keeps them off the streets.

One thing that has been shown is the people who are not attending conference and whose claims of centrality are, to say the least, spurious. My job, unfortunately, stops me from being an active member (or indeed being involved in political activity) and I could never get the time off anyway.

[Monday Clubber]

"My job, unfortunately, stops me from being an active member (or indeed being involved in political activity)"

Oh I don't know, Cardinal.

I hear there's a big market in RC Liberation Theology these days.

Why not go to South America or somewhere and start a red revolution?

Or is that a bit too right-wing for you?

[Chad]

"Chad; didn't I read you had a bet on that?"

Yes, I won £100 off Tim. But the money and promised photo of Tim handing the cheque over to the TPA are yet to materialise unfortunately.

>>Back on topic<<
The problem with Cameron's attack is not that it is not accurate, as it is, imho, but it is just that you could easily reword it as Gordon Brown says that Cameron is weak, tragic and laughable and it would be equally as accurate.

[Cardinal Pirelli]

My real job not the one in my screen name!

I also don't think I need listen to someone who thinks that the Conservative party is too left wing!

Aren't you watching the speech?

[Monday Clubber]

"My real job not the one in my screen name!"

Oh sorry. My mistake. As you have so cleverly and perceptively realised, I foolishly assumed that you really were a high-ranking member of the College of Cardinals, notwithstanding the corrosive doubts of Mrs Speight.

Silly me.

Well CP, I was for years a "politically restricted" Civil Servant, but that didn't stop me going to the conference or getting time off for it year after year.

No stamina, these Cameroons.

[Cardinal Pirelli]

"No stamina, these Cameroons."

No, just aware of my duties. 'Social Responsibility' don't you know?!