By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. LibDem bloggers Stephen Tall and Mark Pack, and Mike Smithson of Political Betting, raised some solid objections to the Coalition breaking up some six months before the 2015 general election – which I recommended on this site earlier this week. (Mike suggested that I should see "This House", the […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. David Cameron gave Conservative MPs "a very strong indication" at the recent Parliamentary Party meeting that he wants to introduce legislation before 2015 for his planned EU referendum after the next election. Or so the Spectator's Isabel Hardman reported recently. But the Prime Minister knows as well as anyone […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. The intention had always been that, at some point mid-Parliament, these committees would "go live" – in other words, start receiving submissions about what should be in the next manifesto. Next, those committees will consider what they've received. And finally, they will draw up manifesto recommendations, which will be […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. George Osborne has fewer allies than he once did, and even fewer friends. Ed Balls wants to destroy him, and the feeling is mutual. Many Conservative backbenchers detest him. They see him as a political flyweight and strategic incompetent who messed up last year's budget and constantly meddles in matters […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter David Cameron could have ended his talks with Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, and refused to put his proposals to a vote in the Commons at all. If he had done so, however, Labour and the Liberal Democrats would have moved amendments seeking statutory regulation of the press to […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Yesterday's meeting of the Conservative Parliamentary Party has already been well covered. James Kirkup has described how backbench MPs told Cabinet Ministers to row in behind Cameron. James Forsyth has reported how one MP in a marginal seat – James Morris – told his colleagues to stop making difficulty […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. Liam Fox and George Osborne have been united for years by a mutual love of America, excellent links with the Republicans, and neo-conservative foreign policy instincts – not to mention a shared sense of humour. After Fox left the Cabinet, word got around that the two were enjoying regular […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Under the stark headline "George Osborne’s only plan is to pray for recovery", The Spectator has published a preview of Fraser Nelson's cover piece for this week's edition. He writes: "The plan he set out three years ago had the Olympics marked down as a turning point — assuming […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. As soon as Nick Clegg announced last summer, in the wake of the collapse of Lords reform, that the Liberal Democrats would about-turn on the boundary review, I wrote that his prospects of winning a majority in 2015 were vanishing, that he would now hope to re-form the Coalition […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. All free votes are free votes, but some are less free than others. Today's same-sex marriage bill vote will help to prove the point. The programme motion will be whipped. So, as Philip Cowley and Mark Stuart point out this morning, will some votes be at committee and report. […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. The Sunday Times reports behind its paywall that: "An increasing number of backbenchers are privately discussing the possibility of attempting to unseat the prime minister before the poll in 2015 if the party continues to trail in the polls. For the first time, discussions about ousting Cameron before 2015 […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter I like and respect both Michael Gove and Tim Loughton. So I can scarcely believe what's happened between them – whether before the last reshuffle or after it. Earlier this week, Loughton compared Gove, the Education Secretary, to "Young Mr Grace", the store owner in Are You Being Served? "Most […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. There is a rush of interest in the boundary review. The Mail on Sunday reported yesterday that David Cameron is gearing up for another push. The Times reports today behind its paywall that William Macrea, the DUP MP, won't vote for it. The party may disagree with my view […]