In Prime Minister's Questions today David Cameron advocated setting up a full-scale independent inquiry into continuous leaks to the press about anti-terror operations. The Head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, Peter Clarke, criticised those who leak at a Policy Exchange event last night, and also said that Muslims weren't doing enough to help counter-terrorism:
"The people who do this either do not know or do not care what damage they do. If they do know, then they are beneath contempt; if they do not know, then let me tell them: they compromise investigations; they reveal sources of life saving intelligence; in the worst cases they put lives at risk."
Blair resisted the idea, saying that as far as he was aware the leaks weren't coming from any ministers, civil servants or speciaI advisers - to which Cameron replied: "But if you haven't had a leak inquiry, how on earth can you know?!". In his second round, Cameron called for Treasury loans that help people who lose occupational pensions to make payments. Blair's response was typically crystal clear:
"The problem with a Treasury loan is that, having looked at it, we don't think it's a very suitable or correct way of trying to provide that help because in the end all of this has to be paid back."
Michael Howard called the planned break-up of the Home Office ill-considered, asking Blair to draw a comparison to how well it worked at the time he was Shadow Home Secretary. This just gave him the excuse to list unfavourable crime statistics.
Deputy Editor
Howard's egotistical question backfired spectacularly. Having said that Blair had a big head today!
Posted by: Matthew Kellett | April 25, 2007 at 13:18
We,the Conservative's,had nothing to say at all in the PMQ programme today.We were seen as a silent Opposition led by a toothless David Cameron again.Labour,via Blair may just pull the rug from under our feet in the next few days before these elections.
I am seriously concerned for us and our near future prospects.
Posted by: J.Johns | April 25, 2007 at 13:23
I agree Matthew, Blair seemed particularly arrogant this week.
Posted by: Deputy Editor | April 25, 2007 at 13:27
Of course Blair is more arrogant now,he has been allowed to say and do anything he wanted to,especially of late.Furthermore,he is aware that he has still got zero opposition to face from us.He must actually look forward to PMQ each week.We should be killing him every chance that we get at this stage of his exitting the HoC scene.We must have done a deal with him and the rest of them in HoC the way our party fails to get him pinned down on so many things.Pitiful, and an outright embarrassment.
Posted by: J.Johns | April 25, 2007 at 14:05
No enquiry re leaks, well no surprise there then.
NuLab conducts business by way of leaking, or as they say - giving unattributable advance briefings.
As others have said above, we are not scoring the points against a corrupt and riven administration, that has left its goal open to attack. What on earth will it take for the Cons to actually make NuLab blench in agony?
Posted by: George Hinton | April 25, 2007 at 14:23
Each of those in the party should produce a short and detailed precis addressed to the electorate/Public saying clearly what this Government is doing,what it has done and what Blair is leaving behind for them all.This should be short,truthful and to the pointThe idea that the people are aware of all or most of this stuff will not wash because the truth is that they are mainly unaware of our situation.
Posted by: J.Johns | April 25, 2007 at 14:37
Sorry my first line should have read as follows.
Each of those in Shadow Positions in the party.......
Posted by: J.Johns | April 25, 2007 at 14:42
It seems to me that some member of the shadow cabinet or other calls for an inquiry into something at least once a week, may be more.
How many public inquiries would a new conservative government actually set up?
What would they achieve, apart from a lot of work for lawyers?
How many lawyers are there in the shadow cabinet?
Posted by: The Town Cryer | April 25, 2007 at 15:56
Town Cryer seems worried at the number of lawyers in the shadow cabinet; I very much doubt if the Tories out do New Labour in that department. They always seem to have a superfluity of former human rights, employment, criminal and other publicly funded lawyers to hand not to mention the inevitable law lecturers.
Posted by: Bill | April 25, 2007 at 16:17
Lawyers in Cabinet: 8 out of 23 (altho' you could argue there's slightly more as Blair has invented an odd category of non-Cabinet Minister allowed to attend Cabinet)
Lawyers in Shadow Cabinet: 3 out of 25
Posted by: William Norton | April 25, 2007 at 17:13
Thanks William for confirming that.
Posted by: Bill | April 25, 2007 at 17:22
I put a lot of this country's woes down to the the predominance of lawyers in New Labour.
Posted by: Bill | April 25, 2007 at 17:25
I put a lot of this country's woes down to the the predominance of lawyers
William Shakespeare
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.
(2 Henry VI, 4.2.59), Butcher to Jack Cade
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