Gordon Brown on Cameron grief...

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's touching words of condolence to the Cameron family in the House of Commons today, before he cancelled Prime Minister's Questions and normal politics for the day as a mark of respect:

I know that the whole House will want to express our sorrow at the sad death this morning of Ivan Cameron, at the age of just six years old, and our condolences go out to David, to Samantha and to the Cameron family.

I know that in an all-too-brief young life, he brought joy to all those around him. And I know also that for all the days of his life, he was surrounded by his family's love.

Every child is precious and irreplaceable and the death of a child is an unbearable sorrow that no parent should ever have to endure.

Politics can sometimes divide us, but there is a common human bond that unites us in sympathy and compassion at times of trial and in support for each other at times of grief.

Sarah and I have sent our condolences to David and Samantha, and I know that the whole country, our thoughts and our prayers, are with David and Samantha today.

Cameron's Tories caught trying to change history...

This one will go down in history as a classic.

It clearly shows there no depths or lies Cameron's Tories will not sink to...

Rather than admit that he was wrong in his crass attack on the Prime Minister yesterday, Cameron's Tories have been caught red-handed attempting to change a date in history to match his claim!!

The farce demonstrates that Cameron's Tories are more interested in stupid schoolboy stunts than the serious business of running the country and helping people through the global economic crisis.

As ever, the Tory cover-up is always worse than the gaffe itself.

Same old Tories. Or what?

UPDATE: Kerron Cross has an excellent post on how typical it is that Eton educated Cameron thinks that the date an artist died four hundred years ago (or 500 for all I care) was more important for a Leader of the Opposition than asking questions that might actually have some relevance to people's lives in the 21st Century...

Recession can be good for you says Top Tory...

A senior member of David Cameron's Conservative team says "recession can be good for you" as anyone who loses their job will be able to spend more time with their family!

Andrew Lansley's offensive comments, made on an official Conservative Party website, are revealed on the Recess Monkey blog.

As the Monkey says, Lansley has let the cat out of the Tory bag and provided proof if it were ever needed that David Cameron's Conservatives are happy to sit back, do nothing and leave people to sink or swim in the current economic downturn - in contrast to Gordon Brown's action now to help pensioners, families and businesses emerge from the downturn quicker and stronger.

Don't try the link provided by Recess Monkey as it appears that Dave's team have attempted to destroy the evidence by airbrushing out Lansley's entire article from their official website.

At least it's being reported by the London Standard.

Another schoolboy error from Team Cameron.

UPDATE: The Telegraph is reporting that Mr Lansley, who is Cameron's health spokesman, has been forced to apologise for his rather ill-judged remarks...

UPDATE 2: The Guardian points out, it was only a week ago that Conservative Deputy Party Chairman John Maples was forced to apologise after he said that the recession "must be allowed to take its course".

As Work and Pensions Minister James Purnell says, Mr Maples may regret his remarks, but doing nothing is exactly what the Conservatives would do under Cameron/Osborne...

Well, if nothing else, the dividing lines are now crystal clear: Do Something to save jobs and help families, businesses and pensioners with Gordon Brown or Do Nothing under David Cameron.

Discuss!

The wonderful Dennis Skinner hits his target...

Wee Georgie Osborne looked like the naughty boy caught stealing the dinner money as he squirmed throughout today's Prime Minister's Questions.

David Cameron's hapless sidekick faces serious issues over his lack of judgement in talking on a Russian oligarch's yacht in Corfu about potentially illegal donations to the Tory Party.

David Cameron's reference to 'dodgy accountants' brought the House down, as MPs made the unspoken link to 'Corfugate'. But despite the big questions about Mr Osborne's fitness to run the economy (or rather lack of it) splashed all over today's front pages, 'Corfugate' appeared to be the elephant in the room and was not raised for the first 29 and a half minutes of Prime Minister's Questions.

Just when Cameron and wee Georgie thought they had survived the session, the wonderful Dennis Skinner was called by Mr Speaker to ask the final question:

The former Derbyshire miner and so-called 'Beast of Bolsover' - seen here with yours truly on the campaign trail a couple of years ago - rose. And in his unique passionate style, order paper waving in hand, eyes focused sharply on Mr Osborne, Dennis asked:

"Will the Prime Minister promise that whatever he has to do to solve the nation's finances, he will never ever resort to boarding the luxury yacht of a Russian oligarch to ask for money...?"

House erupts. Even bigger squirms from Georgie...and this time the man sitting next to him - Tory Leader David Cameron who has publicly backed the boy Georgie over the Russian oligarch affair.

Gordon Brown replied: "This is a serious issue and I trust it will be properly investigated by the authorities..."

Quality Dennis. Top Quality.

Bizarre stunt exposes Tory splits and Cameron's weak leadership...

Today's bizarre stunt by David Davis in forcing a needless - and costly - parliamentary by-election after losing the democratic vote shows David Cameron and the Tories in disarray...

As the BBC's political editor suggests Cameron has lost the plot, it's worth reflecting on what The Sun says today following last night's Commons vote on locking up suspected terrorists for a maximum 42 days without charge:

GORDON Brown is entitled to considerable satisfaction after his victory in last night’s terror vote.

He stood up for the fight against extremism in the face of deeply hostile criticism and predictions of disaster — not least from his own party.

The same cannot be said for the Opposition who seemed more concerned about narrow self-interest than the national interest.
We expect nothing less from the Lib-Dems. But we might have hoped for better from Conservatives who aim one day to be in charge of protecting Britain from attack.

The move to detain terror suspects for 42 days without charge is backed by police and security chiefs.

It is supported by seven out of ten voters, instinctively by many of David Cameron’s own Tory MPs and — as The Sun revealed yesterday — by his grassroots voters.
Yet they were all whipped into the Opposition lobby, apparently for opposition’s sake.

Some demeaned themselves by shabbily jeering Ulster MPs who supported the PM, knowing more than most about fighting terror.

Yes, it was a narrow government margin: just nine votes.

But that was enough to give police and security services the tools they need to test complex evidence against dangerous extremists.

We must hope we will NEVER need to detain a suspect for 42 days.

But Gordon Brown rightly argued that now is the time to act — in a period of calm debate, not in the wake of a national catastrophe.

It would have been deeply irresponsible to wait until Britain was in deadly peril before realising 28 days was not long enough.

The Commons struggle was a major victory for the PM after a torrid six months. He passed it with credit.

Now he has a precious breathing space — and the opportunity to prove to the country he has the vision and the energy as Prime Minister.

BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson says:

David Cameron has lost control of his strategy. This was not his decision. He wasn't asked for his agreement.

In other words, he's lost the plot.

And while senior Tories admit they knew hadn't a clue about the intentions of the man who challenged David Cameron for the leadership of the Conservative Party a couple of years ago, LibDem Leader Nick Clegg had been informed.

All of which leaves a big question about David Cameron's leadership...


UPDATE: The Three Line Whip blog published this morning at the Daily Telegraph website puts the rest of the day's events in some kind of perspective....

Dennis Skinner on the case...

Dennis Skinner was on top form at Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, highlighting donations to help run the offices of the Tory Shadow Cabinet.

The veteran Labour MP for Bolsover (I refuse to call him a Beast!) pointed out Her Majesty's Opposition receives £4.7 million a year in public money to run their offices. But he reminded MPs that a Government enquiry had caught the Tories receiving extra donations.

As Dennis put it, in the way only Dennis could, the Tories had been caught claiming benefits from the state while making money on the side!

Dennis didn't mention that some of the 'cash on the side' came from
vested interests.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown confirmed that the Tories received £4.7 million a year to run their Shadow Cabinet offices and suggested that it might be time to question whether it was money well spent!

PM slams Boris on bus blunder...UPDATED

Gordon Brown has added to the pressure on Boris Johnson to withdraw his £100 million-a-year bus blunder which I posted on earlier.

At Prime Minister's Questions a few minutes ago, Gordon Brown said:

Bus usage in London is now at its highest level since 1965, there are more people using buses in London than in any time in forty years.

This would be put at risk by proposals that would cost £100 million if applied by the Conservative Party, that would mean bus fares would rise. It would discourage ordinary people from using the bus service.

We are determined to maintain bus ridership in London, and we are determined to maintain bus services in London.

This follows demands from Transport Minister and London MP Jim Fitzpatrick for the Tories to officially withdraw Boris Johnson's botched Transport Manifesto after his £100 million a year gaffe was exposed.

Before the Prime Minister spoke Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Transport, said Boris Johnson's bus policy was in tatters. She said:

Boris Johnson's got it wrong and it's time for him to come clean to Londoners.

Boris again avoided commenting on his £100 million gaffe a few minutes later when he asked a question.

Instead, he helpfully provided Gordon Brown with the opportunity to praise Ken Livingstone on delivering 10,000 more police to get crime down.

Gordon Brown said:

There are more police in London than ever as a result of a Labour Mayor.

The PM also highlighted Boris's previous demand for cuts on police spending in London.

UPDATE: Guardian writer Dave Hill digs deeper...

Chameleon Cameron flip-flops on mortgages...

Warm words today from David Cameron on mortgages have a distinctly hollow ring. They also demonstrate he hasn't given up his love of flip-flops.

With Dave's economic record, it's a bit rich hearing him demand measures to protect people with mortgages.

Myself and millions of other mortgage holders remember the disaster last time he was allowed anywhere near the Treasury...

On Black Wednesday, Dave was at the heart of the Treasury, as Special Advisor to the bungling Tory Chancellor who disastrously announced interest rate increases of five-per-cent in a single day.

By contrast, thanks to Gordon Brown's delivery of a stable economy, for the past decade we have enjoyed interest rates that Tory Chancellors can only dream of: a third of what they were in the dark Tory days of boom'n'bust. And these days, when changes are necessary, they are usually a difference of just a quarter of one per cent - not FIVE per cent in one day.

Despite Tory scare-mongering predictions of economic collapse round the corner, interest rates are still under six per cent - not the 15-per-cent Black Wednesday rates. And remember, the last change was down, not up!

Meanwhile, David Cameron, the man who wants to run Britain still can't add up. The unexplained £6 billion black hole in his latest tax and spend promises and unfunded tax cuts would risk a disastrous return the dark days of boom'n'bust.

And the flip-flops?

Today, Cameron called for extra measures to protect people taking out mortgages.

Yet just a few months ago he heaped praise on a report by his Conservative Party Economic Policy Commission which recommended scrapping every regulation protecting people taking out mortgages.

What David Cameron called a great report in August said this on Page 59:

We see no need to continue to regulate the provision of mortgage finance, as it is the lending institutions rather than the client taking the risk.

In October, Georgie Osborne told the Tory Party Conference that the report by John Redwood was a blueprint to cut government regulation, planning restriction and red tape.

So Dave, is it less regulation or more...?

Flip-flop, flip-flop.

UPDATE: I see today's FT agrees with me and headlines Dave's latest u-turn....no comment!

Support our local heroes...

With Gordon Brown visiting British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, our local paper has launched a special appeal to make sure local service personnel are not forgotten this Christmas.

The Stamford Mercury devoted its front page to an appeal for people here in south Lincolnshire to support British troops.

With Wittering and Luffenham military bases close by, many families locally will be watching today's news from Afghanistan of some of the fiercest fighting to date with more than a passing interest.

And don't forget the part-time professionals from my old TA unit on London Road, Peterborough who have been serving Queen and Country in both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Did Treasury 'mole' leak Labour's inheritance tax plan to Tories...?

Treasury documents released to the Daily Telegraph tonight prove that Labour was planning to cut inheritance tax months before the Tories announced it as their idea.

The Tories claimed that Labour's budget announcement last month which cut inheritance tax was an ideal 'stolen' from the Tories.

In the Commons, David Cameron challenged Gordon Brown to look me in the eye and say there were plans to cut inheitance tax before the Tory announcement.

But Treasury documents from as early as last January show how the plans to cut inheritance tax were developed and completely vindicate the Prime Minister.

The papers have been released under the Freedom of Information Act (itself delivered by Labour!!)

Meanwhile, Channel Four News reports that a senior Tory has admitted that they have a 'mole' deep inside the Treasury.

So if anyone's guilty of 'theft', it's the Tories!

Will David Cameron look Gordon Brown in the eye and apologise...?

No. Didn't think so.

Welcome aboard the Tory's fave airline...?

Today's Guardian expose speaks volumes about the difference between Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Weighing up the recycling options...

A recycling rebel and regular commenter to this blog is celebrating this weekend following reports that the Government has dropped 'pay to throw' proposals.

Brynley Heaven removed the chips implanted in the twin bins rolled out earlier this year and posted them back to SKDC, so they couldn't measure the amount of rubbish.

Earlier reports suggested that the Government was about to give local councils the power to charge residents for the amount of rubbish dumped in their bin.

But now it has been claimed that Gordon Brown has scuppered the plan - though the Government says the idea is still being considered.

In any case, the story provided the Bourne Local with a front-page splash yesterday.

Watch this space...!

Gordon was right: Cameron did mislead the House...

Gordon Brown was in the firing line on Wednesday when he accused David Cameron of misleading MPs...but now the evidence shows the PM was absolutely right...

New blogger Hopi Sen has a revealing post today. I doubt that you'll see much on this story in the redtops, or elsewhere.

Isn't the blogosphere wonderful...!

Cameron's hollow demand for an EU referendum...

David Cameron's hollow demands for a referendum on the EU treaty hit the buffers - at his own press conference.

The Tory Leader exposed his own hypocrisy by repeatedly refusing to say whether he would hold a referendum on the amending treaty if he ever became Prime Minister.

Wednesday's Torygraph says Cameron's referendum fight questioned.

And The Times goes further, saying:

David Cameron risked inflaming his party yesterday when he tacitly admitted that it would be too difficult to hold a referendum on the EU reform treaty once it comes into force.

The Tory leader is under pressure from MPs and activists to pledge to give the British people a vote on the treaty even if it has been ratified by all 27 EU member states. So far more than 40 Tory MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for a referendum “before or after ratification”.

Inside The Times, Peter Riddell talks of

Cameron's contortions about whether he will promise a referendum on the EU treaty at the next election. He talks of all sorts of uncertainties, when it is clear that there will be no referendum.

Cameron is clearly anxious to keep the Euro-sceptics on board by not ruling out a referendum if he were ever to become PM.

But his dilemma demonstrates once again that the Tory Party he attempts to lead is as divided as ever over Europe.

And of course, every member of current Tory front bench who was also there during the Maastrict votes actually voted against a referendum then!!

It was the Tories of course who signed away powers from Westminster to Brussels under Maastrict.

Unlike Maastrict, before signing the current treaty, Gordon Brown insisted on winning red line opt-outs to protect Britain's interests.

Now, where did I put that pot and kettle...

Hold the Front Page: Prime Minister wears socks: Shock: Horror

Channel Four News have just devoted a whole package to what the Prime Minister wears on his feet. The main evening news programme dragged some city slicker stuffed shirt - in garish pink- striped - and plonked him in front of Parliament to say that Mr Brown's wife Sarah probably advises our Prime Minister what to wear.

So I Googled Prime Minister Socks (as you do) and found Pandora in today's Indy exclusively breaking the news? that Gordon Brown has recently purchased 14 pairs of new socks.

Clearly, nothing more important happening in the world today...

We all know of course why Gordon needs so many socks - he keeps working them off!

Game up for the Mingers...?

Could Ming Campbell be the first casualty of Gordon Brown's decision not to hold an early general election...Could have been a Contender thinks so.

LibDems were gagging to get the general election behind them so they could move ahead, sack Ming and hand Nick Clegg the poisoned chalice.

Wee Georgie gets his sums wrong...

Georgie Osborne's mum may think he's in cubs: but actually he's in Blackpool swotting up on his Ladybird Book of Sums.

In a desperate measure to save David Cameron's Tories, wee Georgie told a massive £3.5 BILLION porkie today.

He pledged that if the Tories win the next general election - whenever it comes - they would raise the inheritance tax threshold to £1 million.

Georgie claimed he'd make up the £3.5 billion a year shortfall to the Treasury caused by this proposal with plans on residence and domicile.

But within hours, a £2.9 billion BLACK HOLE has been exposed in his uncosted plan, clearly demonstrating why Britain could not afford to risk to our stable, strong economy by putting Cameron and Osborne in charge.

They couldn't be trusted as bankers on a monopoly board, let alone the nation's finances.

Alistair Darling, the real Chancellor of the Exchequer says:

"Initial costings by the Treasury show that George Osborne's proposal would raise a maximum of £650m, leaving at least £2.9 billion short. So George Osborne cannot afford the promises he is making. He cannot afford to cut inheritance tax.

"Their sums simply do not add up. There is a gaping black hole at the heart of their tax and spending plans. Today's commitments come on top of £3 billion in tax credit changes, which Mr Osborne admitted today might not be fundable in the next parliament, as well as their commitments on stamp duty and business taxes."

Wake up Georgie, it's time for school...

Tory 'fightback' begins with Golden Silence...

Tories in Blackpool discovered that silence is golden on the opening day of their make or break Conference as the sound was cut off to the main hall for at least 20 minutes.

The silence descended just as the opening speakers attempted to rally despondent delegates with talk of a great week ahead for Conservative fortunes and how the Great Tory Tory fightback had begun...

Then the mikes were apparently switched off, and delegates started moaning that they couldn't hear.

According to Michael White of The Guardian, one hack from a Tory paper suggested the delegates turn up their hearing aides...

One (Labour) MP quipped that the Golden Moments of Silence provided the most sense anyone has heard from the Tories for years...!

Wasn't it the hapless IDS, one of David Cameron's many predessessors over the past few years, who told a previous Tory Conference that he was about to turn up the volume (shortly before losing his job as Tory Leader...)

Seems the current leadership has managed to turn the volume OFF...!

More good news for Gordon

More evidence that Labour is enjoying a double-digit lead over David Cameron's Tories.

A Populus survey for The Times published today confirms what we all knew: Gordon Brown blows David Cameron away when it comes to leadership ability. The Prime Minister rates almost twice as highly on the percentage of people who has what it takes to be a good PM:

Brown 59. Cameron 30.

Populus also asked who cares most about the problems faced by ordinary people?

Brown 60. Cameron 45.

Three months into Gordon Brown's Premiership, it is clear that people now realise he has the strength and vision needed to lead Britain.

As The Times says today, as Tories gather in Blackpool, their Conference is make or break.

Torygraph delivers the good news...

The Conservatives are now trailing Labour by 11 points, a new Daily Telegraph poll shows, leaving David Cameron on the brink of a landslide defeat if an early election is called.

The Tory leader faces a crucial party conference as the survey shows that Gordon Brown's lead almost doubled in the past week.

Intro and graphic from Saturday's Daily Telegraph

With a queue of prominent Tories queuing up to handbag their leader in Blackpool this week, Cameron's Conservatives might just implode this week.

But don't write them off just yet. Endless speculation this weekend about the possibility of a snap November General Election, coupled with Gordon Brown and Labour ten points ahead in the polls might be grim enough news for some Tories to actually back their Leader.

An interesting week ahead...