The econo-centric frontbench

The Daily Mail's Political Editor Ben Brogan wonders if the Tory frontbench is working hard enough.  He has pulled together a list of the outside economic interests of the shadow cabinet.  I'm generally of the view that our parliamentarians are better equipped to understand the world if they have a diverse understanding of business, law, education and so on but there must come a point when the scale of interests stop the frontbench from being as effective as is necessary.  I do not know if we have reached that point but it is clear that Oliver Letwin's encouragement of the rest of Britain to be more socio-centric has not yet reached his econo-centric colleagues.

Comments

[JimJam]

And yet DC gets all the stick on here.

These part timers should put a bit more effort into winning the next GE - there will be plenty of time to earn hard cash if they continue trundling along half hearted.

[Andrew Woodman]

Even those who are full time are having no impact. Hunhe has been plastered over the media commenting on the floods. Where's our Enviornment spokesman?

[Anon]

It's amazing. You have actually written that it's OK for others, but not for the DC Shadow Cabinet.

The ones I know work damn hard and are doing so to win us the next election, which is more than I can say for some of the bloggers on this site.

ConHome isn't even bothering to try and hide its critisicm of the DC leadership now, is it?

Naively I thought we were all on the same side .....

[Ned]

"our parliamentarians are better equipped to understand the world if they have a diverse understanding of business, law, education and so on"

If they have that experience when they start the job, great. But as MPs they have unparalleled opportunities to 'understand the world' -- the idea that they have to do another job at the same time is just self-serving BS.

[Chris Palmer]

'ConHome isn't even bothering to try and hide its criticism of the DC leadership now, is it?

Naively I thought we were all on the same side .....' - Anon

Criticism where criticism is due I think. Why try to hide from failings when they should be faced up to?

And what side do you think you are on, Anon? Winning at any cost, or furthering conservative policies that might benefit Britain and the British people? If you think that ConservativeHome should purposefully hide its at times rather meagre criticisms of the party leadership, then I suspect you are of the former.

The MPs and Shadow Cabinet damn well ought to be working hard - they get paid enough to do so. I don't remember there being any obligatory requirement for bloggers and party members to spend time campaigning. In fact, the last time I checked, I even paid a subscription and fees for conferences and events for the privilege of going out and campaigning for the party.

I don't spend my Saturday's canvassing just so that Dave and his mates can enjoy the trappings of office. I do it in the vain hope that conservative policies that I agree with may one day be implemented - the possibility of which seems increasingly slim with each passing day.

[Goldie]

Ben Brogan is right. From now on, DC should require that every front bencher give up all outside interests until after the next general election.

It's really a crucial election for the Tories. If we lose again, we might as well pack our bags and all become non-executive directors somewhere.

The whole team should be 110% committed to the task at hand.

[HF]

Brogan writes "I make it that 13 out of 29 listed are part-timers (it was eight when I checked back in November). By that I mean that they are not 100 per cent committed to the task at hand."

Part timers include Maude (CCHQ debacles), Hague (failure to build in the North, nodded through the grammar school fiasco), Fox (ineffective on defense issues), Shapps (good ideas but failed to run ES by election properly), Willetts (grammar schools etc) Letwin (numerous policy failures, awful presentation).

These part timers are just not being serious about their roles in our party. Why does it all have to fall on Cameron's shoulders?

We need full time professionals. We have a massive hurdle with the media which requires us to put in more (not less) effort than Labour.

[HF]

I see and hear Lib Dem Hune on the radio and tv but not Ainsworth.

Where's our Environment spokesperson? Rwanda?

"Has spoken in 19 debates in the last year — average amongst MPs." theyworkforyou..

How can a shadow spokesperson be an average performer?

[Deputy Editor]

What "others" are you referring to, anon? I think we've been pretty consistent on this.

[Right wingery]

I don't see it as a problem that our shadow cabinet members should take these outside interests at all. Indeed we should be emphasising that at least our people have the brains to operate outside of the job-for-life world of being an MP in a safe seat to those who wish to criticise.

Usually those antagonists are thick Labour and Lib Dem urchins who's only experience of life outside politics is working for the local branch of their trade union.

[HF]

I see Ainsworth is now speaking in parliament, attacking the Govt with all the "savagery of a dead sheep".

Is this part of the promised summer campaign of attacking the Govt?

People have died in these floods.
:-(

[HF]

I see Ainsworth is now speaking in parliament, attacking the Govt with all the "savagery of a dead sheep".

Is this part of the promised summer campaign of attacking the Govt?

People have died in these floods.
:-(

[Jack Stone]

Totally right Anon. This site is as Mrs Thatcher once said the enemy within.The trouble with those who contribute to this site is they are against everything and for nothing but the sad fact is that they are so stupied they can`t see that they will get most of what there against if they keep trying to destroy the partys best hope of victory.

[Andrew Woodman]

Jack stop being ridiculous. I get as fed up with the usual suspects as I'm sure you do, but what you advocate would be sheer propoganda and the end to debate. Is that what you really want?

Agree with HF. We really need an effective Envoirnment spokesman. We've lost all our green agenda momentum to the point where Brown is being seen as Mr Green.

[CCTV]

This site is as Mrs Thatcher once said the enemy within.

Thatcher never commented on this site - and using phrases like the enemy within are very dangerous Jack Stone because many people today would consider that comment a potential breach of the Public Order Act 1986 Section 5....we know the enemy within blows up public transport and plants car bombs......to associate this site and reasoned debate with Al-Qaeda terrorism is typical of your deranged mindset and anti-democratic credentials. It is people like you who should be under GCHQ and Menwith Hill observation Jack not ordinary voters expressing democratic opinions

[TaxCutter]

If you want to beat as good a political machine as New Labour you have to match New Labour's 100% commitment.

[Edison Smith]

Peter Ainsworth was on Channel 4 this evening talking about the floods.

He seems to going for a Georgian wig hairstyle.

[TomTom]

Naively I thought we were all on the same side .....

Posted by: Anon | July 24, 2007 at 13:12

Naive you are...after all it is Conservatives who are continually under attack from the Central Office clique...it is Conservatives who are called delusional and it is conservatives who are shunted off the ballot paper in Ealing to have a personalised political label like Alex Salmond in Scotland.......

It is surely the cuckoo busy throwing other eggs out of the nest.....you are truly naive....no wonder you are Anon

[david]

I've always noticed that when politicians talk about learning about the, 'real world' it always involves, sitting in a boardroom, eating lots of big dinners,lots and lots of junkets etc. You never hear of a politician who says' I'm learning about the real world by working as a hospital porter, or in a sewage farm etc' funny that!

[Frustrated Nick]

@Taxcutter- spot on.

As I have said many times elsewhere on this site, and to Tory MPs to their faces- where is the passion, fire-in-the-belly, and basic anger ??? It is non existent.Far too many of our Parliamentary Party give the impression that politics gets in the way of the day job. Have a look in Hansard every day- the sheer number of our guys who declare an interest when they can be bothered to get up to speak in a debate.

A few recent examples which prove we are NOT SERIOUS, or fit for Government.

1.The Staffordshire South's hopeless dilly dallying with the truly appalling, totally apolitical Patrick Cormack is one small symptom of where we are going wrong as a party. Just look in Hansard again at what ministers like Hoon and Straw say about Cormack- they love him ! Why? Because he is useless, and represents no threat whatsoever. Do Staffordshire South's Association want a political ACTIVIST to represent them, or a clergyman ? Hopeless.

2.Ten years into a Labour Govt, isn't it amazing that a Labour Prime Minister can stand at the despatch box, as he did today, and taunt Cameron with the words of one of our many complacent, well over-the-top, part time Members- the one for Rushcliffe in this case. He only pops back from selling fags to thr 3rd world in time to commit another pro-Europe gaffe every couple of weeks. Hopeless.

3.As for Letwin, he would be better off spending more of his time with his merchant bank. Every time he appears on TV he costs us thousands of votes. He had clearly had a hard day in the boardroom when recently making a pigs ear of our social inclusion plans on Newsnight. Hopeless.

4. Theresa Villiers achieved the impossible this week- she almost managed to make Ruth Kelly appear statesmanlike over the Rail Strategy announcement. I would invite any contributor to this site to watch her Commons performance, read her speech, and then ask if this lady is a potential Secretary Of State for Transport. Hopeless.

We are just not serious enough. Our Top Team are just not passionate enough. Until that changes, and we have already wasted 10 years- we have no chance.

Bring back some professionalism, and Michael Howard.

[Political thought]

No one seems to want to comment on the outrageous and totally irresponsible actions of Gordon Brown when he appoints ministers to his cabinet irrespective of whether or not they have the ability to do the work that is expected of them.
Even worse is when he appoints un-elected individuals to the House of Lords and then makes them a Secretary of State without their having any electoral responsibllity or being held directly

It seems to be totally illogical to many of us and is bordering on being criminal especially when their actions have such drastic effects on individual daily life.