Blogger Ralph Musgrave in comments to John Redwood’s posting “Finding our National Identity” claims that John Redwood and the rest of the Conservatives have been moving towards the BNP. This is my response. A sure sign of extremism is to point to superficial similarities, over the substantive ones. In this case the use of a word [...]
All posts in category Conservative Party
John Redwood and the BNP
Posted by manicbeancounter on February 6, 2011
http://manicbeancounter.com/2011/02/06/john-redwood-and-the-bnp/
Cameron gets the message on the Legacy of Labour
David Cameron yesterday started blaming the current deficit problems on the last Labour Government. Benedict Brogan on his Telegraph Blog quotes Cameron “I think people understand by now that the debt crisis is the legacy of the last government. But exactly the same applies to the action we will need to take to deal with it. [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on June 8, 2010
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/06/08/cameron-gets-the-message-on-the-legacy-of-labour/
UKIP did not lose the Tories the Election
The notion that UKIP lost the election for the Conservatives is erroneous. This claim originated by Richard North on EU Referendum, and repeated by Conservative Home (with figures), John Redwood and Cranmer. UKIP cater for a niche of voters who would otherwise (mostly) vote Conservative. However, a mainstream party cannot cater for all tastes. If the Tories became [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 9, 2010
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/05/09/ukip-did-not-lose-the-tories-the-election/
Cutting the Deficit – The PR aspect for the Tories.
There is growing recognition that the job of cutting the deficit will destroy the electoral prospects of those carrying out the task for a generation. Capitalists at work, have (very much tongue in cheek) suggested that a war might be needed to save the next government, much as the Falklands boosted the Tories and helped [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 2, 2010
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/05/02/cutting-the-deficit-the-pr-aspect-for-the-tories/
Conservative bloody battle imagery is self-defeating
Centre-Right’s ”Labour is down, and its throat is exposed. Finish it.” imagery is quite wrong – it will just drive people away from politics altogether, Much like Foot’s “Thatcher-Tebbitism speech”. In the final days it is worth emphasising the negatives of the Labour Party and after the election bringing people into a positive image of the [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 1, 2010
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/05/01/conservative-bloody-battle-imagery-is-self-defeating/
Education – A small innovation or extra costs?
There have been claims today that the Gove school plan is flawed as school budgets will suffer. (See BBC & ASI Blog). The comments are put out by those who cannot see the twin advantages of such a policy – Of raising standards and raising productivity. Like in Sweden, it will serve to provide better value for [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on April 26, 2010
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/04/26/education-a-small-innovation-or-extra-costs/
Ken Clarke is right on the IMF
Ken Clarke is correct to state that there is a risk of the UK having to call in the IMF if there is a hung parliament. The reason is simple. The Budget Forecast was that the National debt would reach £1400bn in 2014. This will be around 85% of GDP. For this to be a [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on April 21, 2010
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/04/21/ken-clarke-is-right-on-the-imf/
Will Labour be kicked out by voters in the marginals?
Mike Smithson of politicalbetting.com has posted the results of IPSOS-MORI analysis, which shows the swing to the Tories is greater in the LAB-CON marginals than in the country as a whole. Unlike Smithson, I do not find this surprising. It is not due to an anti-Labour bias (though I confess, indeed proclaim this), but due [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on February 3, 2010
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/02/03/will-labour-be-kicked-out-by-voters-in-the-marginals/
Stephanomics shows anti-Tory Bias
Stephanie Flanders, on her BBC blog Stephanomics, can often provide thoughtful comments on the UK economy. Yesterday’s blog, “Cameron’s Nixon Moment” is anything but. “Nixon famously denied he was a crook. At the weekend David Cameron denied he was a recovery-wrecker, confronting directly the argument that faster deficit reduction would jeopardise growth.” Whatever the rights [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on February 2, 2010
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/02/02/stephanomics-shows-anti-tory-bias/
Labour Down to 120 seats in 2010?
Could Labour really be reduced to 120 seat’s at the next general election? Not impossible, but would hand the Conservatives a poison chalice Jackie Ashley claims in the Guardian. “Some Labour people may think I’m sounding too gloomy, but those who have been privy to recent private polling are a lot more than gloomy. This suggests that [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on November 9, 2009
http://manicbeancounter.com/2009/11/09/labour-down-to-120-seats-in-2010/
