Thursday Open Thread

I apologise for the lack of posting. I'm afraid my brain is so addled with cold that writing a blogpost about anything is the last thing on my mind at the moment.

That's unlikely to change for the rest of the day. Very sorry. So please use this thread to discuss the news of the day, especially the publication of MPs' expenses, if you can term it 'publication'. If ever the Telegraph's justification for publishing the ful details was doubted, today has proved they were right to publish what they did.

Now, where's the Lemsip...

PMQs Review: Mr Ten Per Cent

PMQs was dominated today by public spending, something I suspect will be repeated a lot between now and the election. David Cameron tried to pin down the Prime Minister on the fact that Labour's spending plans post 2011 involve real cuts. Brown, of course, admitted no such thing and maintained that spending would continue to rise in both cash and real terms. Brown hit back quoting Andrew Lansley's 10% line. Cameron pressed and pressed and Brown got angrier and angrier, no doubt because he has been found out. Every commentator agrees with Cameron's line and knows that Brown isn't telling the truth on this. Cameron finished by telling the Prime Minister that his line of argument is exactly why people don't trust him. Labour MPs barracked him heavily to which Cameron replied: "They shout for half an hour on a Wednesday and spend the rest of the week trying to get rid of him." He said he thought people were calling Brown Mr Ten Per Cent because it reflected his opinion poll rating.

Nick Clegg asked two innocuous questions about banking regulation which Brown swiped away fairly easily. Why didn't he mention Trident?

All in all, this PMQs shed more heat than light - no change there then. It's almost impossible for Cameron to debate an issue with Brown because he is a) unwilling ever to answer a straight question and b) all he does is shout slogans.

Brown 5
Cameron 6
Clegg 3

Labour Cabinet Ministers Are Frit

A source tells me that BBC's Question Time programme has asked all 22 Cabinet Ministers if they would appear on the programme this week. Every single one refused. So we will be treated to the views of Lord Falconer instead.

Frit.

Trident Replacement Should Wait for Defence Review

Yesterday's change of heart by Nick Clegg on the renewal of Trident is a further example of LibDem flakiness on the subject of defence. Clegg believes that Trident should not be replaced because it cannot be afforded. I too have my doubts about whether it should replaced but my reasons are nothing to do with cost, but all to do with military need. Surely these judgements should always be arrived at after weighing up the country's strategic defence requirements, rather than just based on cost?

What we urgently need is a strategic defence review which looks ahead twenty years. Only after that debate has been had can we make an informed decision on a replacement for Trident.

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

1. Kerron Cross is offering his translation services to retiring MPs.
2. Party Political Animal wonders whether Tesco is trousering the VAT cut.
3. Right Student has a list of Iranian Twitterers.
4. Paul Richards on LabourList writes a memo to the new Press supremo at Number 10.
5. Keith Marsden on how Gordon Brown helped cause the financial crisis.
6. Mark Reckons has a Blair/Brown counterfactual.
7. Conservative History Blog on a meeting on why Winston Churchill lost Dundee in 1922.
8. FT Westminster Blog asks: can anyone stop Bercow?
9. Nick Assinder reports on a press gallery lunch with Eric Pickles.
10. Nick Bryant on Peter Costello, the best PM Australian never had.
11. Labour Blogger Mars Hill declares for Sir Patrick Cormack.
12. FleetStreetBlues thinks the Times was right to expose Night Jack.

A Question The Times Must Answer

Having just read the vomit inducing article on The Times website which names the Night Jack blogger (and no, I'm not going to link to it), I am aghast that they seem to be using some sort of public interest defence - almost as if they are performing a public service by unmasking him. Their reasoning seems to be that doing things anonymously is a bad thing.

OK, it's a point of view, and in some circumstances I can agree with them. So the next time I read in one of their political column "A source close to Gordon Brown", can we expect them to name the source? No, thought not. Hypocrites.

UPDATE: NightJack has, rather unbelievably, written an article for The Times HERE.

Night Jack Blogger to be Unmasked

The BBC is reporting that Mr Justice Eady has rejected the case of a blogger to protect his anonymity. The Times wants to name the serving police officer, arguing that it is in the public interest to do so. The High Court has sided with the newspaper.

The consequences of this decision may be far reaching, and not just for Nightjack himself. The Orwell Prize winning blogger will no doubt face disciplinary action, and may even lose his job once his employers find out his identity - assuming they don't already know who he is.

But this ruling may also have implications for blog commenters who publish their comments anonymously. In theory, ISPs might in future be under an obligation to reveal their identities if required to do so as part of a legal case.

UPDATE: Hopi Sen has a stormer of a post on this subject. He's angry.

Politicians Must Have Sense of Humour Bypass

David Cameron seems to be copping a bit of flak for his "Where are you papers" comment. Dear oh dear. It's clear that politicians are no longer allowed to use humour to make a point. People should concentrate on what he was alluding to. That being stopped on the street and asked to produce your papers is the mark of a totalitarian state, and it's unBritish. And that's why a Conservative government will abolish ID cards.

Bercow Polarises Opinion

Well, the battle for Speaker is hotting up. And it is John Bercow who is the subject of controversy yet again. Nadine Dorries threatens to try to unseat him after the election, while Jonathan Isaby blogs as to why he should be given the job.

Interestingly Ann Widdecombe's stock seems to be rising. I'm told she did well yesterday at the hustings and a number of Labour MPs seem to be thinking that an interim Speaker might be no bad thing.

Harman Letters Equates Tories to the BNP

I just got this email from a blog reader...

I am a Conservative Party member who reads your blog several times per day, but I was briefly a member of the Labour Party. I have just received this email from Labour trying to entice me back in. Aside from showing how desperate they are that they keep bombarding me with letters, emails etc. asking me to rejoin because I don't want the nasty old Tories to get back in power, they have now reached a new low with the sentence "You can't ride the fence when the Tories and BNP are gaining power". You may have seen it already, but I thought it was such a sick statement that I felt I had to draw your attention to it.
Kind regards

HJ

And here's the email from Harriet Harman

Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:40:53 +0100
To: @hotmail.co.uk
From: info@email-new.labour.org.uk
Subject: Something special is starting to happen

Dear Mr XXXXX,

We were all dismayed by the recent election results but because of the dismal backdrop something special is starting to happen. Since the election results came out, there has been an exceptional increase in the number of people joining the party. Hundreds are joining for the first time but many are, like you, former members. I wanted to share with you their reasons – and ask you to rejoin today.

Brendan from Durham said he joined because:
“You can’t ride the fence when the Tories and BNP are gaining power.”

Please rejoin us in this fight - https://secure2.labour.org.uk/join/join/xxxx

Silke from Guildford said:
“I have re-joined because the Tories will ruin this country.”

Please rejoin us in this fight - https://secure2.labour.org.uk/join/xxx

Kevin from London said:
“As a former member about a decade ago I wish to rejoin to help fight the next General Election and beyond.”

We have now seen how the Tories plan to cut our public services. David Cameron’s health spokesman Andrew Lansley stated that the Tories would make 10 per cent spending cuts in the vast majority of government departments.

Gordon Brown has said:
"We have a proud record of targeted investment and prioritising the interests of hard working families across the country. And while our party will stand by people through this downturn, David Cameron's Conservatives would walk on by. And in contrast to our strong record of investment in public services, David Cameron is committed to cuts of 10 per cent."

Please rejoin us in this fight - https://secure2.labour.org.uk/xxx


Best wishes,

Harriet

Note that people are being asked to rejoin three times. If the BNP line doesn't get them, then maybe the threat of cuts will. And note that there's not a single positive reason to rejoin - it's all attacking the Tories.But it's the BNP line that will enrage right minded people.

And if, after reading this, you are so angry that you'd like to put your money where your vote is and join the Conservatives, click HERE.

People Don't Trust Labour on the Economy

The Guardian has a new ICM poll out tonight showing some positive signs for the Conservatives on public attitudes to their economic policy, especially public spending.

Even Labour's once impregnable lead as the party most likely to protect public services is now narrow. While 48% of voters think Labour will protect services, 46% also think the Tories will do the same.

Labour still has a positive score on the issue of 1 point, meaning slightly more people think the party will protect services than harm them. But the Tory deficit is only 3 points, suggesting Labour warnings about the impact of Tory rule are no longer hitting home.

That is also the only issue where Labour still has the edge. On the battleground issue of controlling public debt, the Conservatives lead strongly. Only 23% think Labour is likely to cut borrowing, and 72% think it will not – a negative score of -49 points. For the Tories, 51% think the party will cut borrowing and only 43% think it will not – a positive lead of 8 points.

Other findings suggest public confidence in Labour has collapsed since similar questions were asked in October 2002. Asked whether they think the Conservatives will take the right decisions in government, 48% think they will and 45% say not – a net positive score of 3 points. For Labour, 33% think it will take the right decisions, and 62% say not – a net deficit of -29 points. The political picture has reversed since 2002, when the Tory deficit on this measure was -25 and Labour's was only -1.

The failed cabinet rebellion against Brown has hit perceptions of party unity hard. While more people think the Tories are united than think they are not – a net positive score of 21 points – Labour's negative score is a huge -61. That means only 18% of all voters think Labour is united, against 79% who say it is not. In 2002, people were far more likely to see the Tories than Labour as a split party.

Asked whether they think the three main parties are likely to clean up the political system, 46% think the Conservatives will, 47% think the Liberal Democrats will, but only 31% say this of Labour.

The prime minister's recent announcement of constitutional reform plans has not won public backing. Labour's deficit on the issue is -33, against just -3 for the Tories.

Asked whether they think the Conservatives are in tune with ordinary voters, 46% say yes. Only 32% say the same thing about Labour.

The headline figures are better for Labour though. Labour 28% (+6), Cons 39% (-1) and LibDems 18% (-7).

Brown: Can't Change, Won't Change

When Gordon Brown announced at the PLP meeting last week that he would change his ways, I emitted a hollow laugh. Like most Labour MPs I don't believe the man is capable of changing the habits of a lifetime. And so it has proved over the last seven days. We had the announcement on electoral reform and the House of Lords - a short termist announcement with little forethought which was designed to put create problems for the Tories. No change there then. We then had all the rubbish over the weekend about spending cuts. No change there then, although it is good to see elements of the media seeing through this. And today we had the Prime Minister announcing the Iraq Inqury, which will sit in private, not report until after the election and looks like a complete establishment stitch up. No change there then.

Further proof, if it were needed, that we have a Prime Minister who "Can't Change, Won't Change".

Iraq Inquiry: That's the Way (Not) To Do It

So the Iraq inquiry will be held in private and not report until after the next general election. Way to go, Prime Minister! Just what the country was demanding. Not.

I am also slightly mystified as to why its remit is only to cover events from July 2001. Surely events prior to that are relevant too?

Field Withdraws From Speaker Race

With only 15 minutes to go before the Hansard Society hustings commence, Frank Field has withdrawn from the race to be next Speaker of the House of Commons, recognising that support in his own party was limited. It'll be interesting to see if his lead is followed by others over the next few days.

The hustings are being broadcast live, although I have my doubts as to whether I will be able to get a feed here in the US. Perhaps someone might post the link.

I'm flying home tonight so normal service will be resumed on this blog in the next 24 hours.

Interviewing Lady Thatcher

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Lady Thatcher for the website Business & Politics. We had intended to do it on College Green, but as luck would have it, it was pouring with rain, so those nice people at Sky News let us use their studio. They know not what they did...