Minggu, 06 Mei 2012

David Cameron: Some flickers of hope for a wounded PM

David Cameron: Some flickers of hope for a wounded PM

PUBLISHED: 21:06 EST, 5 May 2012 | UPDATED: 06:13 EST, 6 May 2012

The turnout may have been low but the message is resoundingly clear.

The voters are losing patience with Mr Cameron  and his Government.

The ‘omnishambles Budget’, the rows over Lords reform and Jeremy Hunt’s dealings with BSkyB have led to a growing discontent and prompted dangerous questions about competence and their ability to govern. 

In a Survation poll, 44 per cent of respondents believe that David Cameron has better leadership qualities than Boris Johnson

In a Survation poll, 44 per cent of respondents believe that David Cameron has better leadership qualities than Boris Johnson

That is not all. If the Prime Minister has been weakened by last Thursday’s rebuke from the heartlands, it is nothing compared with the uproar within his own party.

The low chatter of Tory angst has turned into a tide of protest, with backbenchers openly rebelling while the Cabinet looks distinctly queasy.

The Conservative member for Wellingborough, Peter Bone, has publicly declared this to be ‘the beginning of the end of the Coalition’ while Mid Bedfordshire Tory MP Nadine Dorries has suggested that Mr Cameron may be toppled as leader by Christmas. And the worst is yet to come.

 

This week, the Prime Minister’s former spin doctor, Andy Coulson, will reveal potentially devastating evidence to the Leveson Inquiry, as will his friend and neighbour, Rebekah Brooks.

Nevertheless, there are some flickers of hope. Despite confirmation of a double-dip recession, the Tories are still seen as better custodians of the economy than Labour.

In an article for this newspaper, the Chancellor, George Osborne, acknowledges the country’s worries over jobs  and paying the bills, yet he also lays out a cogent plan for economic recovery.

Meanwhile, in a Survation poll, 44 per cent of respondents believe that David Cameron has better leadership qualities than Boris Johnson, the man tipped to become the next leader of the Conservative Party.

Now is the time for the Prime Minister to show that leadership. Losing patience is one thing, losing confidence is quite another.

Lies that cost us all

Last Wednesday, after a campaign by The Mail on Sunday, the Transport Secretary, Justine Greening, outlined measures to crack down on false whiplash claims that average an astonishing 1,500 a day.

A day later we contacted Legend Claims, a claims management company that refers cases to no-win, no-fee law firms for which it receives a payment.

A reporter told their saleswoman he would like to make a claim following an accident, even though he had not suffered any injury and was feeling no pain.

Her response? ‘You might as well, because at the end of the day, you might as well.’

She then recommended he lie to his  doctor to ensure his claim would go through.

The behaviour of these corrupt middlemen affects us all, adding £90 to every single car insurance policy and proving the need for new safeguards more than ever.  

Mrs Bercow's duty

Sally Bercow will receive a £2,000 fee as a guest speaker

Sally Bercow will receive a £2,000 fee as a guest speaker

Next month, the Speaker’s wife, Sally Bercow, will visit Barbados.

As a guest speaker at a three-day conference organised by the Institute of Travel and Tourism, her flights and accommodation at a five-star hotel will be paid for and she will also receive a £2,000 fee.

By coincidence, her hosts recently held a party at the Speaker’s official residence in the Palace of Westminster.

It was their second invitation to the grace-and-favour apartment in 12 months.

Perhaps this is nothing more than unfortunate timing, but like Caesar’s wife, Mrs Bercow must be above suspicion.

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

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Cameron's problems revolve around the perception that he is out of touch with ordinary folk, and are compounded by the much more damaging FACT that he is inextricably linked to the sleaze of News International. It is against this that his efforts in managing the deficit will be judged. People will not accept being told what they need to do by people for whom they have ZERO respect. How much stronger might Cameron look today if he had ordered an immediate and totally independent inquiry into the Hunt affair? This is not based on any witch-hunt but simply on the facts that something was obviously wrong in the DMCS bordering on the criminal. To leave this to Leveson was an awful lack of judgement, or the decision of a scared man - which is where I started.

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If boris was leader....it would be for the better...what are the backbenchers waiting for.

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Cameron a victim of his own consequences.

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In the face of such an apathetic public, there is much to be said for the idea of a "Benevolent Dictatorship," whereby such a government could concentrate on the thing which are essential, rather than "nice" to have? Just think - a halt on immigration, a stop to all the tax-fiddling corruption of all those, "let's find the lowest tax-base country" Companies, a "proper" education system which turns out literate and work-ready pupils, A Police Force, not a PC "Service," and which pays attention to majority interests and not every saddo with a grievance, A great slashing of the Benefit Culture, A NHS service for OUR citizens only - the list goes on. All this, and more could be attended to if weak governments weren't constantly side-tracked be the hordes of State supported breast- beaters, wailing on the sidelines! Singapore would be an interesting model to consider ? The model we've got is now too corrupted to make our country "good!" again - and our politicos are u/s too!

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The huge deficit was never going to be removed in two or three years. It will take two governments to achieve that. And cuts don't create votes. It could always have been taken for granted the Conservatives can't win in 2015. One has to hope that in the short time available to them they can set us on course for recovery. The frightening prospect is of Labour regaining control and throwing it all away again. Their vote-winning strategy is to spend all the money available to buy votes. Then we are all in the soup again.We haven't yet learnt that our pockets are much smaller than our aspirations.

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Camerons' problems are totally self inflicted.....He's a wet, pink ,europhile excuse of a Tory leader....He needs removing ASAP...However none of the preent bunch of MPs has the balls to do the deed...

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I do not believe we are all in it together when pensioners retiring after us will be £470 a month batter off - I wasn't impressed with who might be having for supper had you forgotten that little tit bit?

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camerons mask has slipped,an incompetent liar who has had media protection since becoming pm,the worst pm in living history.

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As Mr Cameron is discovering to his cost, once a Prime Minister trips, he never fully regains his balance. Just ask John Major or Gordon Brown if you can find him.

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Flickers of hope? Clutching desperately clutching at straws more like. I like positive thinking but..... is anyone else getting a little tired of the 'tough' decisions and 'difficult' times answer to every question. It may be true but when you then make the 'tough' decision of lords reform your centrepiece ypo make a mockery of that statement. Actions not words

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