Is Simon Heffer paid according to the number of rude words he can use against David Cameron in a single column?

It's probably the angriest article he has written since dumping all over Boris Johnson.  Here are some extracts from Simon Heffer's critique of David Cameron's Davos speech, already online -

"I understate my case to say that it is one of the most shallow, ignorant and vacuous speeches by a supposedly serious politician that I have ever read."

"It is a typical, all-things-to-all-men, Cameron speech."

""People are angry with capitalism," he says, showing again that what drives him is not an attachment to principle but an obsession with focus groups."

""Markets are a means to an end, not an end in themselves," he says, in one of the clichés that pepper this speech and reveal the collection of small minds that were at work on it ("the stakes are high" and "the devil is in the details" are two more depressing examples)."

"The Davos speech terrifies for what it says about the Tories' approach to the government in which they may quite soon find themselves. Yet it is also meaningless, for the obtuse and infantile understanding Mr Cameron and his friends appear to have of the operation of capitalism would soon be corrected by global realities."

"Sovietising capitalism out of existence, as Mr Cameron proposes, is nowhere near the answer. Until he works out what the answer might be, he would do us all, but especially himself, a great favour by resuming his period of embarrassed silence."

So long as traditional capitalism has defenders as personally offensive as Simon Heffer - and it does need defenders - it really is in poor shape.

Tim Montgomerie

Comments

[Sally Roberts]

"What shall we do with Simon Heffer?

Does anyone know a good veal recipe?"

Absolutely, Super Blue! You'd have to do him in a slow cooker though as he's probably rather tough.

[Sally Roberts]

Dontmakemelaugh - I have to point out a factual inaccuracy here! Richard Ryder was Chief Whip at the time of Maastricht (1992). David Davis was indeed in the Whips Office at the time but he was not the Chief or even his Deputy.

[Edward Huxley]

Sad to see intelligent people indulging in cheap sneers about somebody`s name. They wouldn`t do it if he praised their beloved leader. And one of them hides behind a nom de plume.

[Simon Denis]

Heffer harrumphs but his words contain a warning - that the Tories will have hard, pro-capitalist work to do and should not box themselves in with sentimental cant, of which "Red Toryism" is a prime example. Mr C has, I fear, been shooting himself in the foot again. Doesn't it always happen when that twit Hilton is around? Oops - rude again. When that intellectually challenged person, Mr Steve(n) Hilton is around.

[Super Blue]

Edward,

Sorry you don't appreciate subtle humour. After all my nom de plume says so much more than my real name would on here, especially as some "real names" are actually contrived!