When I wrote about Tim Yeo last week, I had no idea what the Sunday Times were about to unveil. The least Mr Yeo could do was stand down from his select committee. What I don’t understand is the lack of intervention by the Whips’ Office or Number Ten. Yeo can deny everything all he likes, but video doesn’t lie. There will be many consequences from this scandal, not just for Tim Yeo personally, but for Parliament in general. Can there really be anyone who can argue that Select Committee chairmen shouldn’t relinquish all outside interests, just as ministers have to? These are now paid offices. What I found most outrageous about the affair was the Mail on Sunday revelation that Yeo had written to Ed Davey complaining that Lord Deben (John Gummer to you and me) had outside interested which conflicted with his role as chair of the Committee on Climate Change. Yeo had some brass neck to do that given his long list of consultancies and directorships in the field of renewable energy. But then he always has had a brass neck, hasn’t he? Complaining about long haul flights, while at the same time flying to all four corners of the earth to play golf. Some people are beyond help. Or parody.
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It is safe to say that Brian Coleman is a larger than life character. He has for some time been the best known Conservative politician in North London – and the most argumentative. Last week he was expelled from the Conservative Party, having in May been found guilty of assault. Never knowingly uncontroversial, Coleman had served for many years on the GLA and Barnet council, recently as mayor. Last Thursday I saw on my Twitter feed that BBC Radio London had announced he was a guest on their Drivetime show. ‘Not for long’, I thought, as I texted Brian and asked him if he’d like to come on my LBC show instead – the lure being an audience several times the size of BBC London, despite them having a budget and resources at least 8 times the size of ours. Sure enough, the bait worked. The BBC were less than gruntled, but all’s fair in love and radio. I expected Coleman to show at least a little contrition. Did he feel he’s let down the Conservative Party and its activists? No. Did he owe them an apology? No. If the word ‘bouncebackability’ (Ok, OK, I know it’s not really a word) applies to anyone, it certainly applies to Brian Coleman. He intends to stand as an Independent in next year’s Barnet council elections, standing on ‘real’ Conservative values. There’s little doubt he will get masses of publicity and although he probably won’t win, it’s likely he will carve into the Conservative vote enabling someone else to. Mr Coleman’s ability to have an impact should never be ‘misunderestimated’.
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Why is the BBC so reluctant to discuss the real reason behind the protests in Turkey? The ostensible reason is the development of a green space, but it goes far deeper than that. The whole background to the protests is that a huge chunk of the Turkish population is extremely concerned by the attempts of the Erdogan government to proceed with the gradual islamification of Turkey. Those who wish Turkey to remain a country with a primarily western outlook are horrified by the raft of measures brought in over the past few years designed to passify islamists, and are now raising their voice in opposition. But this is barely being reported by the BBC. Why?
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It was interesting on Tuesday that Michael Gove sent out Liz Truss to sell his GCSE reforms to the media. The Trussette was furious at Nick Clegg’s intervention on childcare and needed to show her face in the TV and radio studios to rebuild her battered reputation, and rebuild it she most certainly did. She had a good story to tell and she told it well. Gove is rumoured to be rather remote from his ministerial team and is a very hands-off Secretary of State who ploughs his own furrow and leaves others to plough theirs. But in this case he spotted a colleague who needed a bit of support and gave it. His GCSE reforms have been welcomed by some very unusual sources – Diane Abbott and The Guardian being two. They seek to reintroduce some much needed rigour, and although the teaching unions have been spluttering (did we expect anything else?) I suspect they are reforms which Labour wouldn’t seek to reverse should they win the next election. Michael Gove may have made a few balls-ups along the way, but he’s proving to be the most radical Education Secretary for a generation. I hope he is left in the post to complete the job.
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One MP I think ought to be considered for promotion in the reshuffle is Jessica Lee, elected in 2010 for Erewash. She is currently Dominic Grieve’s PPS. She probably won’t thank me for saying this, but I first got to know Jessica 15 year ago when she worked for me at Politico’s, in the coffee bar. She makes a mean sandwich! Jessica is intelligent, savvy and sassy, and although her profile is not as high as the likes of some of her contemporaries, it ought to be. Of all the 2010 intake who appear on my radio show she is one of the best performers. She’s able to present the Conservative case with humour and without being rattled. She is clearly a loyalist but comes across as a human being rather than a political robot. The Conservatives need to use voices like Jessica is they are to appeal outside the metropolitan elite.
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So, the Express’s Patrick O’Flynn had made the jump from commentary to political activism and is intending to stand in the European elections for UKIP. Patrick is a nice guy and is quite a catch for Nigel Farage, but I wonder what guarantees he has been given by the UKIP leader. When pseudo-celebrities join political parties they usually expect immediate preferment and then become rather hacked off when it is not forthcoming. They also incur the wrath of party activists who tend to express their jealousy rather openly. Remember Adam Rickitt? Watch your back, Patrick.
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As some readers know, I run Biteback Publishing. In September we are publishing Damian McBride’s book POWER TRIP. Already people are talking of it as the political book of the year. I’d like to think it will be, but we’d better wait until the manuscript is actually delivered before we get carried away! Those who read Damian’s blog will know what a brilliant writer he is. People find it ironic I should be publishing the book considering that I was one of those who Damian and Derek Draper tried to smear all those years ago. Anyway, on Tuesday those breakfasting at London’s Corinthia Hotel would have seen the bizarre sight of Damian and I having breakfast with Michael Ashcroft. The good Lord owns 75% of my company and I thought he and Damian might get on rather well. And so it proved. I just sat back and listened to these two titans of political strategy chew the political cud. If the book proves to be half as fascinating as that particular conversation, it will be a very good read indeed.
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I am somewhat mystified by Peter Oborne’s renewed attack on Lord Ashcroft. Apparently the good Lord has an agenda against David Cameron. The evidence cited is the odd mischievous tweet. I am a great admirer of Peter Oborne. I think he is one of our best polemicists. But surely even he must realise that his own support for the Prime Minister appears to depend on which day of the week it is. One day Cameron can do no wrong, the next he is the biggest blunderer in Christendom. Oborne is to Cameron what Polly Toynbee was to Gordon Brown – a fair weather friend.
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Listen to Ed Miliband and his answer to most things is to tax or regulate them. I don’t know why I should be surprised. It’s the knee jerk reaction of every real leftie I know. I exclude Blairites from this admittedly gross generalisation, but it is a generalisation which has several grains of truth in it. Take the housing crisis, for example. The solution to a lack of housing is simple. Build more, and provide building companies with the incentives to do so. Where there is too much demand, increase the supply. It’s pretty basic economics. But what is Miliband’s answer? Not to address the root of the problem, but fiddle around the edges by making ridiculous suggestions about rent controls and regulating landlords. This country has a big enough problem in encouraging the private rental sector without putting further barriers to growth in its way.
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