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Category: Tories

Will “Clarke’s golden legacy” now become centre stage?

Will “Clarke’s golden legacy” now become centre stage?

Is Ken tasked with “bursting the Brown bubble”? I was very taken by a comment from a ConHome contributor, Jono, that the real reason why Clarke has been brought back is not to handle Mandelson – but to challenge Brown. This was picked up by ChritstinaD. Jono writes “..There is one pillar of the whole, painstakingly constructed edifice of the Brown myth that has always been vulnerable and that is the role of Ken Clarke in creating what was sustainable…

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So our 6/4 shot is coming back

So our 6/4 shot is coming back

Has Cameron done the right thing? If BBC News has got this right and the story above is correct then Ken Clarke is about to return to the Shadow Cabinet and the first PB betting call of 2009 has come good. I’ve got a fair bit on at 6/4 and I hope others have too. The big question is how this is going to play politically and whether Cameron’s gamble is going to pay off. Clearly the leader needed a…

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What’s this going to do to Brown’s confidence?

What’s this going to do to Brown’s confidence?

Could Populus mark a change in the media narrative? There are two critical things about a poll – the actual voting intention numbers themselves and how it is reported in the media. It might be recalled that the final YouGov poll of 2008 showing C42-L35-LD14, numbers that are not that much different from today’s Populus poll in the Times, was barely covered by the paper that had spent a substantial sum on the survey. For at the time the media…

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Would Clarke’s return be Cameron’s “Clause 4 Moment”?

Would Clarke’s return be Cameron’s “Clause 4 Moment”?

But are the Tory “Arthur Scargills” lining up against? From where I sit it is a statement of the blindingly obvious that Cameron’s chances of securing a majority at the general election would be greatly enhanced if his line-up of shadow ministers included the former Tory Chancellor and long-time political bruiser, Ken Clarke. Jackie Ashley has it right in her Monday Guardian column when she writes “…everyone seems to want Ken Clarke.. back. But by almost everyone I mean commentators,…

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Will this be the year for the Nottingham High boys?

Will this be the year for the Nottingham High boys?

Is the school providing the 2009 betting movers? After the last thread on Ken Clarke’s possible return to a front-bench position it’s quite striking to note how many of the potential 2009 political betting “movers” were all educated at the same school – Nottingham High. Yesterday I put £50 on another ex-pupil, Ed Balls, at 16/1 in Ladbroke’s Chancellor on New Year’s Eve 2009 market. Clearly Darling looks set to stay the course but in the current economic storm then…

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Has Cameron gone too far on the Clarke speculation?

Has Cameron gone too far on the Clarke speculation?

Would not appointing him now seem like a defeat? As the Daily Mail is reporting this morning David Cameron “..did not rule out an audacious move to appoint Mr Clarke to the Shadow Cabinet when asked about the possibility for the first time yesterday.” Certainly the speculation about a return of the 68 year old ex-Chancellor has been allowed to continue for more than a week and if it doesn’t happen then it could appear as though the leader has…

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Which is the best bet here?

Which is the best bet here?

Could one of the three main leaders be out in 2009? In the panel are the prices in the Ladbrokes leader markets for 2009. The question is whether there is any value in any of them? Is Brown going to survive and if so is the 4/11 you can get a good bet? I’m not wholly sure because if the polls went sharply against him then would the party be so forgiving again? Could there be a forceful challenge or…

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Can you be opposition leader for too long?

Can you be opposition leader for too long?

Is he in danger of ending up like Kinnock? A couple of weeks ago, on December 6th, David Cameron celebrated his third year as leader of the Conservative party and leader of the opposition. It’s been quite a roller-coaster for him though his main achievement, even on current declining ratings for the Tories, has been to take the party through what appeared to be a concrete ceiling of support at 33%. But is the gloss starting to wear off a…

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