UKC

Whatever you think about the fandango of tax credits, do you think George has dented his chances of taking over from Call me Dave?

Looks like a poor judgement call that he's taking the rap for alone.

No wonder he looked miserable at PMQ's

In reply to Babika:

One can only hope. Although he does have a kind of Gordon Brown-style unelectable weirdness about him, which may put enough people off voting Tory to curb the worst of their excesses.

In reply to Babika:

Whole situation smacks of over-confidence, doesn't it? 5-and-a-bit years of pointing up, calling it 'down' and getting away with it have clearly made Cameron and Osborne think they can get away with whatever tricks they choose to play on the electorate. Shame the opposition are a bit toothless still.

In reply to Babika:
Depends what Labour do, if things stay like they are now he's a shoo-in.

If I had to choose I think I'd pick Osbourne over Bojo.

In reply to Babika:

No doubt this is a setback but, barring a meltdown by Cameron, it's a long time (3.5 to 4 years?) until the leadership battle reaches its climax, and Osborne is almost universally regarded as the most skilled politician in Westminster. Which is not to say he would make the best prime minister. He lacks the charisma and empathy of the natural leader, rather as Brown did.

In reply to BnB:



I never get this perception myself. He just seems a slippery character who has surrounded himself with bigger brains in HMT to brief him well. But what do I know - I don't move in Portcullis circles....

In reply to Babika:

Of those that I know outside of Westminster that who have worked with him have a similar opinion to yours.

In reply to MonkeyPuzzle:


I agree. I make a point of listening to the chancellor's budgets live (I know - I am odd). I am not sure if it was the Lib Dem influence but I found myself agreeing with much of what he generally said in the last 5 years. However, he definitely seems to be losing the plot right now. I wonder if Dave has ticked him off.

In reply to Babika:

Isn't that good leadership though? To hire people better than yourself. Unlike most bad leaders that promote mediocrity to make themselves look better.

In reply to BnB:
>[...] Osborne is almost universally regarded as the most skilled politician in Westminster. Which is not to say he would make the best prime minister. He lacks the charisma and empathy of the natural leader, rather as Brown did.

You could say he's a natural number 2.

In reply to Babika:

David Willets and John Redwood were universally admired for their brains but not for their management skills or instincts. Why should being merely rather bright (which Osborne certainly is) be an impediment to success?

I don't like Osborne as a person nor favour him over the obvious alternatives but he strikes me as having very sound political instincts (which you could see as an indictment in itself!). But he hasn't got it right this time on tax credits.

In the last term the government talked tougher than they acted and he'd do well to temper the rhetoric with a light touch at the helm again.

In reply to BnB:


Cameron has empathy? He's looking more an more like the ring-leader of a bunch of posh bullies, being questioned by the teacher and obstinately sticking to his story even though it's a proven lie.

In reply to Trevers:


That's certainly how he came across at PMQs today. The strange thing is that he seems genuinely irritated by such old fashioned ideas as telling the truth and giving straight answers, almost as if there's something a bit trendy and modern about being dishonest, as long as it pushes us ever more surely towards the Tory Valhalla of reduced welfare and taxes and increased social division (which of course is very beneficial to most Tories). When he talks about 'what is best for the country' what he really means is, what is best for the Tory party. Which is just how he's got himself into such a mess over Europe - knowing now that he will go down in history as one of the worst Prime Ministers ever if we vote in the referendum to leave Europe. That mess is all of his own making: what happens when you put party interest and political narrow-mindedness before country. As for the concept of doing what's best for Europe or the western world, such an idea is clearly totally beyond him.

In reply to Andy Hardy:



Sums up my opinion of him quite politely.

In reply to ByEek:

Completely agree with this post - you can't win as a politician can you. Hire smart people to give you advice in a really important role and get criticised! Mental.

To the OP - he (the Conservatives?) have got it wrong with tax credits. It's saying something when one of Thatcher's chancellors is saying that you haven't thought this through but I don't think it's terminal. I reckon Osborne will take over, currently the farce that is the opposition have very little chance of winning so it looks like we'll have a Tory government for another 10 years or so. On another note, I hope the electorate realise the folly of destroying the Lib Dems, many other developed economies manage to cope with coalition governments and it worked well during the condem first term. So strangely and depressingly British that we then tore it apart.

In reply to Trevers:


It is a fair summary, it is not pmqs, it is DJs (dear Jeremys). More like the old school 1960s corduroy jacketed art teacher questioning the head master why x and y has had to happen in the 21st century.

In reply to Trevers:

Where did I say Cameron has empathy? He has better social skills than Osborne certainly, but you're reading too much into my post.

In reply to Edradour:


I read it the other way, this is the first tentative steps towards it all unraveling for the Tories as they become obsessed with themselves and even more out of touch. The tension over issues like tax credits will start pulling them apart over the successor to Cameron and it will only get worse as living standards fail to improve for the masses and housing costs blow up in their faces.

It doesn't matter how "bad" Jeremy Corbyn is (and that will only make them complacent), the Tories will be unelectable by 2020.

In reply to petellis:


Quite. Their facade has slipped once. So long as people remember come election time, 2020 may be very interesting indeed.

Now if only someone could take them to task on the big lie, about the country living within its means and austerity resulting in a growing economy which is benefiting everyone.

In reply to BnB:


Sorry, assumption make an ass of me!

In reply to Babika:

Bet he has blown the leader on more than one occaision ; )

In reply to Babika:

Look this is all standard fare. The next 12 months are going to be about hammering the f*ck out of the state and screwing the poor over. Then things will ease off so that the electorate can forget in time for 2020.

In reply to Trevers:

No probs