Entries from January 2009 ↓

Iain doing his usual to Labour (labour spin etc) but pitching in heavily for David Davis AND Ken Clarke in David Cameron’s juddering reshuffle. I wonder what Dominic Grieve thinks of that?

There is no doubt in my mind that ConservativeHome reflects Conservative Party grass roots. And they want David Davis back. Let us see whether Iain’s campaign is a success.

JP: Why won’t David Cameron let you make these announcements publicly?

GO: Well I…was there today, I’ve been involved in all these things…

JP: Yeah, you were listening, he was speaking?

GO: Well he is the leader of my party.

JP: OK. There’s a problem isn’t there? Something has happened since you had your unfortunate difficulties on a yacht and since then you have made one public speech about the economy, which is the role of the shadow chancellor, and he’s made nine?

GO: Well first of all I just completely reject, I don’t know where you’ve got that from.

JP: By totting up the number of speeches that have been made.

GO: Jeremy everyday, indeed today if you open the London Evening Standard there is an article by me which actually came out before David Cameron gave his speech, I was on the World At One, I have just done before doing this a whole stream of interviews on not only the BBC but believe it or not some other news organisations…

JP: You’re like the man who walks behind the horse with the bucket?

GO: Well…

JP: All these media interviews afterwards, the actual announcement of policy is made by the party leader. Why not by the shadow chancellor?

GO: Well I have to say this is the most meaningless line of questioning I have ever heard from you. The shadow chancellor and the party leader in this party, the Conservative Party, unlike what we saw with the Labour opposition ten years ago work incredibly closely together.

JP: George Osborne thank you.

Polly Toynbee, November 2006: If Cameron can climb on my caravan, anything is possible

Polly Toynbee, January 2009: It might sound appealing, but this is populist poison