Writing for The Telegraph this morning Iain Dale says that "the hot money" is on Caroline Spelman to replace Francis Maude as Tory Chairman. I have heard the same from two independent sources this week. Editor’s comment: "I sincerely hope that the speculation about Caroline Spelman becoming the new Chairman is wrong. Caroline has many […]
All of the old broadsheet newspapers dedicate leading articles to the Conservative Party this morning and all sense that these are testing times for Project Cameron. The Telegraph leader-writers suggest that a new party chairman would help David Cameron to survive these difficult times. They mention William Hague as a chairman "who would certainly cheer […]
In our last survey we asked members to name one MP they would like to see in this summer’s predicted Shadow Cabinet reshuffle. Your favourite five are: 1. Graham Brady2. Michael Gove3. Patrick Mercer4. Nadine Dorries5. Kenneth Clarke Graham Brady, the former Shadow Europe Minister who recently controversially resigned over the grammar schools debate, topped […]
These were yesterday’s headlines: FACING THE SACK, THE SENIOR TORY WHO SPOKE UP FOR GRAMMARS – Daily MailTORY GRAMMAR SCHOOL REBEL FACES SACK – Daily TelegraphCAMERON READY TO SACK TORY REBEL OVER GRAMMAR SCHOOLS – Guardian And who gave those three newspapers that impression? "SENIOR SOURCES" – Mail "CONSERVATIVE SOURCES" – Telegraph "SENIOR TORIES" – […]
My fellow blogger Iain Dale’s fortnightly Telegraph column appears today. The article contains lots of good advice for David Cameron and includes a few recommendations for a shadow cabinet reshuffle: "One man with huge experience, personal charm and immense ability is David, now Lord, Trimble. He recently joined the Conservative benches in the Lords and […]
"David is strong enough to do anything he wants to do now." That’s the view of one "insider", quoted by Melissa Kite in The Sunday Telegraph. A malicious insider? Ms Kite says that the chief casualty of David Cameron’s strength might be Dr Liam Fox. In January ConservativeHome broke the story that there were tensions […]
Simon McGee, Political Editor of the Yorkshire Post, effectively accuses William Hague of being a part-time Shadow Foreign Secretary in this morning’s edition of the newspaper: "William Hague has earned up to £400,000 from after-dinner speeches since returning to the Conservative front bench as David Cameron’s top lieutenant. Despite assurances that he would slash his […]
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis has made his first statement since Patrick Mercer, one of his frontbench team, had to resign for ill-considered remarks on racism in the army. Mr Davis told ITV1’s Sunday Edition: "Although Patrick’s not a racist, what he said could have been judged as condoning racism. David [Cameron] is quite properly […]
Now outgoing shadow homeland security minister Patrick Mercer has issued the following statement after he had appeared to downplay the significance of racist abuse in the armed forces and had said that some ethnic minority soldiers used the excuse of racism as cover for their inadequacies: "The offence I have obviously caused is deeply regretted. […]
The Telegraph speculates this morning on how David Cameron might reshuffle his shadow cabinet pack later this year. Here are some of Toby Helm’s insidery observations (and ConservativeHome comments): Rising stars Michael Gove and Nick Hurd are tipped for promotion to the shadow cabinet (I’d be delighted to see Michael Gove get a seat at […]
With apologies for the lack of graphics this month, here are the December net satisfaction ratings for the shadow cabinet (as rated by 1,090 Tory members of the ConservativeHome Members’ Panel) – with highest-rated members at the top of the list: David Davis +83% (+82%) William Hague +68% (+72%) Liam Fox +50% (+51%) Lord Strathclyde […]
Just over a year after they were appointed to the shadow cabinet, at least five of David Cameron’s top team are struggling to make an impression on Conservative Party members. Struggling most are the shadow cabinet ministers with the portfolios for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 58% of Tory members are unable to say whether […]
Recommendation 6: George Osborne’s pro-American, Eurosceptic and hawkish views will make him an ideal Foreign Secretary. If Hague can become full-time after his much-anticipated Wilberforce book is finished he’ll be a reassuring Shadow Chancellor opposite Brown’s likely successor, Alistair Darling.
"Lord Strathclyde, Leader of the Opposition, House of Lords, has announced changes to the Conservative front bench team in the House of team for the 2006-7 Parliamentary session. The new appointments are: Baroness Wilcox: Currently spokesman on the Cabinet Office, becomes principal Opposition Spokesman for Trade and Industry Baroness Morris of Bolton (pictured): Currently a […]
The new appointments from the 2005 in-take are: Anne Milton has been appointed Shadow Minister for Tourism in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport team. Greg Clark has been appointed Shadow Minister for Charities, Voluntary Bodies and Social Enterprise in the Department for Communities and Local Government team. Shailesh Vara has been appointed Shadow […]