Friday, 10 August 2007

The Poliblogs 10th August 2007

Five great political honeymoons

Honeymoons are hilarious.

Political honeymoons I mean.

The smallest, often banal, act is portrayed as an example of great statesmanship. Gordon Brown was right to return from his holiday, because the current atmosphere guaranteed that it would be portrayed as strong leadership. But it's hardly the first time a leader has enjoyed such a breathing space.

Here are five great honeymoons:

Daniel Finkelstein

Tory MEP calls for debate on boycotting the Beijing Olympics

Conservative MEP Edward McMillan-Scott has urged Gordon Brown to lead a Europe-wide debate as to whether the 2008 Olympics should be boycotted in protest at the communist dictatorship's record on human rights.

Conservative Home

Peter Luff on David Cameron and the Future of the Conservative Party

After our third successive general election defeat in 2005, the Conservative Party was faced with an important decision. Did we want to be a serious political party aspiring to government, or turn into a pressure group representing the views of a minority of the electorate, but remaining permanently in opposition?

Mid Worcestershire Conservatives

ID Cards or Hospitals - Take your pick.

Five firms are going to be selected to provide the computer equipment and deal with the issuing of the proposed ID Cards. For one thing this scheme is going to cost £5.3bn and I think I would prefer to see my local hospital not shut down to save money. The thing about my hospital (Haslar) is it is also the last military hospital in this country and I'm not too sure, but with our servicemen and women being flown home with horrific injuries, I think It could be quite handy. Oh and by the way, the buses that used to run from my town to the hospital that we now have to use have been scrapped to - yes you guessed it - save money.

Daily Referendum

How long can Brown have it both ways on relations with the US?

Gerard Baker has a great column in The Times this morning about how Gordon Brown is trying to play it both ways on relations with America. Baker dubs it the bat’s piss strategy, in memory of the Monty Python sketch of that name. But as Baker notes there will come a time when Brown will have to choose between playing to the domestic gallery and the strategic relationship with Washington. Indeed, it is a mistake to think that whoever succeeds Bush will adopt a foreign policy that the likes of Mark Malloch Brown will approve of.

Coffee House

Huge Lead for SNP in latest poll

Brilliant opinion poll news for the SNP as it goes on full 'election alert' for an October snap general election. A poll for the Daily Mail conducted by Scottish Opinion, gives the SNP 48% to Labour's 32%, and 40% of voters saying they are favourable towards an SNP government compared to 13% who are not. Bring on the election, Gordo!

Tartan Hero

Most Amusing

I do like predictions like this:

Here is the climate forecast for the next decade; although global warming will be held in check for a few years, it will come roaring back to send the mercury rising before 2014.

Time Worstall

Discredited global warming model rolled out again

The discredited model used by the group of UN “scientists” that resulted in the climate change report that is being used by governments - especially our own - as an excuse to intoruce “green” taxes, has been used again by the same group of scientists to predict climate change over the next 10 years.

Wonko’s World

Politicians and their holidays

Nicolas Sarkozy’s holiday in America is a first for a sitting French president. It’s certainly the first time that a sitting French President has holidayed in the US. A few years ago American conservatives were boycotting ‘French fries’ in protest at Jacques Chirac’s anti-Americanism. Restaurants in southern states chose to serve ‘freedom fries’ instead. How long before French fries are the potato of choice for all admirers of the horse-riding, jogging Monsieur Sarkozy?

Conservative Home

The point of history

As results week approaches, along with the inevitable cries of dumbing down, I've noticed an occasional trope in the media with regard to the discussion of history. It's on display today in the Guardian in a rather good article analysing what A-level results mean (essentially, they are now an enabling qualification rather than the elite-determining test that they once were - of course more people are passing them, that's the point.)

Conservative Party History

MP must choose Heaven or Hell

This joke is currently spreading around the Internet there - and it does have a moral, there is a sting in the tail that I thought you would enjoy:

Ellee Seymour

The Dry Season

Sarah Foster discusses the silly news that evolves when no real new news is occurring.

18 Doughty Street

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