Dave, a rabbit and a hat
If a week is a long time in politics, then the last few days must have seemed like a veritable ice age for Gordon Brown, especially facing the hell of today. Two weeks ago there was consternation or at least growing acceptance amongst Tory MPs that GB would call an election, and that he would win. Truly dreadful speeches at the Labour Party conference failed to dent this sense of apprehension. Would he/ wouldn’t he, with all the possible reasons, was the focus of endless discussions amongst my fellow MPs.
David Cameron bravely challenged the Prime Minister to call an election, despite the unpropitious outlook. When he spoke at Blackpool, it was beyond a stunning tour de force. There is simply nobody in British politics capable of a speech like that. The Prime Minister, with John Major so tellingly intervening, had done himself no favours by his dreadfully scripted visit to Iraq. Tory MPs will now have a powerful will to win, and they scent blood, and it isn’t the blood of an Englishman either.
There were other Blackpool speeches that showed up the terrible performances at the Labour party conference. However it was George Osborne’s speech on tax which set the tone for a public re-assessment of the Conservative party and brought out the most ludicrous contradictory and unprofessional responses from Labour.
There will be high and low moments for both parties until the next General Election – the Liberal Democrats are now embarrassingly irrelevant – but for Gordon, those glad confident mornings of late will never be quite the same again. For the second time in due course it will be an engaging and articulate Oxbridge product who will be removing his Prime Ministerial crown.