David Cameron’s so-called ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ has been rocked by the defection to Ukip of one of its once-stalwart supporters.
In a clear sign of the Tory leadership’s continuing alienation of the party’s grassroots, one of Cabinet minister Francis Maude’s closest aides has joined Nigel Farage’s party.
Councillor Roger Arthur, deputy leader of Tory-controlled Horsham District Council where Maude is the MP, explained his defection by citing the Tories’ obsession with gay marriage and massive spending on international aid.
He said: ‘The Conservative Party has altered out of recognition and no longer represents my views.
‘A lot of traditional supporters have been disappointed at the continuing lack of strong direction.
Many were foot-soldiers, who have been departing in their droves so that some local associations are no longer viable fighting machines.’
And in a killer blow, he added: ‘Ukip is the real Conservative Party.’
Mr Arthur’s defection came only two weeks after Philip Circus, the vice-chairman of Horsham Council and a former parliamentary candidate, accused Mr Cameron of losing touch with the party’s grassroots.
No wonder David Cameron felt it necessary last week to try to placate Tories with traditional views by appointing to the Cabinet Office no-nonsense minister John Hayes (a key member of the Cornerstone Group of Tories which implacably opposes gay marriage, green taxes and the Human Rights legislation). Many fear, though, that the move is far too late. More... EU launches attack on Cameron over planned immigration crackdown 'which risks stoking kneejerk xenophobia' Knives out for Osborne as 'whispering campaign' blames him for Tory poll woes Tories in turmoil over benefit cuts: Austerity programme shambles as Iain Duncan Smith 'admits defeat'... but Work Minister takes on malingerers Poor, benighted Nick Clegg. According to the Lib Dem Voice website, his approval rating is minus 2 per cent. Not that David Cameron can take much comfort from the figure. The BBC1 quiz Pointless gave 100 people 100 seconds to name a Cabinet minister. Clegg was top with 32 per cent compared with 22 per cent for Cameron and Vince Cable, the Lib Dem Business Secretary. No one mentioned George Osborne. According to the Lib Dem Voice website, Deputy PM Nick Clegg has an approval rating of minus 2 per centMy Westminster journalist colleague Simon Hoggart is collecting evidence of political jargon.
Here’s a prize example from Lib Dem pensions minister Steve Webb: ‘People who have contracted out into an occupational pension currently get money off their state pension, which is called a contracted-out deduction. That will remain part of the single-tier proposition. Therefore, somebody who has contracted out would not get the 414. There is no cliff edge. There would be a deduction for contracting out in both cases.’Already with a reputation for wasting taxpayers’ money, I now learn the Department for International Development is ringing up a large mobile phone bill.
Last year it paid £200,000 to Vodafone to cover the bills of 600 mobile users (an average of £333 each). This compares with £212 in the Cabinet Office and £225 in the Business department. What’s wrong with free phone service Skype?
A holy homily? Wrong concern? Archbishop Justin Welby spent a lot of time talking about Cyprus and the euro during Thought For The Day on Good FridayIt was a coup for Radio 4 to secure the new Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to deliver its Thought For The Day on Good Friday. But why did he spend so much time talking about Cyprus and the euro? Wouldn’t listeners have expected him to be more concerned with the traditional Easter issues such as the crucifixion of Christ and the Resurrection?
Ed and the Unions disunitedHave Ed Miliband’s union paymasters started to lose faith in him? I only ask because last week saw the launch of Left-wing protest group The People’s Assembly Against Austerity. It aims to ‘mobilise millions of people against the Con-Dem Government’ and claims that ‘anti-austerity views are barely represented in Parliament’. That is hardly an endorsement of Miliband’s weekly attacks on the Government during Prime Minister’s Questions. Prominent in the new group is Len McCluskey, boss of the trade union Unite, which has given £4 million a year to Labour over the last decade. It seems the unions feel they’re not getting value for money.Few of his South Shields constituents will shed any tears at the departure to New York of their MP David Miliband. Stunned by humiliation from his little brother, last year David spoke in the Commons only eight times and took part in fewer than half of the votes.
Mischievous tongues in Whitehall suggest that if the Government introduces laws to stop residents from other EU countries receiving welfare benefits for more than six months, the rule should be applied to Scots if they vote to leave the UK next year.
