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Top Tory calls party activists ‘mad swivel-eyed loons’
Insulting your own side is a dangerous thing to do in politics and in the current circumstances for any prominent Tory to do it is positively incendiary. But one ‘senior… Continue reading
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Hammond on manoeuvres? The other Tory MPs who fancy a crack at the leadership
There’s plenty of speculation in Westminster today that Philip Hammond is busy positioning himself as a future leadership contender. Last night he had some pretty strong words about the Government’s… Continue reading
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EU shopping list tips from Ben Goldsmith, Bill Cash, Nancy Dell’Olio and Matthew Elliott
Ben Goldsmith, Partner at WHEB Partners and signatory to Business for Britain In the private sector, every business must provide regular and accurate accounts. Yet when you try to look into… Continue reading
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Ministers aren’t just preparing for Coalition divorce, they’re organising arguments with their partners too
Reports today that the Conservatives are wargaming end-of-Coalition scenarios in the event of the Lib Dems leaving early won’t come as a surprise, given the bickering over the past few… Continue reading
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What does Cameron actually want back from Brussels?
If you ask what’s the problem with David Cameron’s European strategy, a cacophony of voices strike up. But it seems to me that most of their complaints are tactical when… Continue reading
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The Tory Blame Game
Who is to blame for last night’s Tory uprising on Europe? It’s more entertaining to pin the blame on everyone, rather than one person, and in this case, it’s wrong… Continue reading
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Refusing to bang on about Europe has brought about even more banging on than before
The BBC loves nothing better than a narrative in which Tory anti-European eccentrics split their party, and a bewildered public votes Labour. It is certainly the case that some of… Continue reading
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130 MPs support Queen’s Speech amendment on EU referendum
So 130 MPs have backed the Baron/Bone amendment to the Queen’s Speech. There will be Labour and other parties in this group, but reasonable estimates suggest that 100 Tories went… Continue reading
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Would joint candidates with Ukip really work?
Westminster is on fire with speculation about Tory/Ukip joint candidates after The Spectator’s exclusive this afternoon. But would it really work? CCHQ has already rejected the idea, with a spokesman telling… Continue reading
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Cameron says he’s relaxed about tonight’s Queen’s Speech vote. But is he?
MPs are storming their way through the Queen’s Speech debate this afternoon, with a vote on that troublesome EU referendum bill amendment expected around 7pm. But for all their talk… Continue reading
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PMQs sketch: ‘What a penetrating insight into the affairs of state’
A mood of giggles and mischief descended on PMQs today. David Cameron is in America – attempting to cure insomniacs by explaining Tory Euro-scepticism to them – and his role… Continue reading
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Nadine Dorries: I want to be a joint Tory/Ukip candidate
Nadine Dorries has given an interview to The Spectator this week in which she reveals that she will be holding talks with her constituency association about a joint Tory/Ukip endorsement for… Continue reading
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David Cameron is right to be relaxed about tonight’s EU vote
It simply isn’t correct to claim that the Conservative Party is at odds over a possible vote on legislation paving the way for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the… Continue reading
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Forget the nasty party: this is the Angry Party
Even those who like to specialise in the inner workings of the mind of a Tory backbencher are rather baffled by the twists and turns of the party this week.… Continue reading
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Will the draft EU referendum bill calm Tory tensions?
The last few days have seen the Tory party losing its collective head. Number 10 hopes that the publication of a draft referendum bill will begin to restore order. If… Continue reading
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Not all eurosceptics are asking for more from the leadership
The Tory MPs who are unhappy with Number 10′s offer of a draft EU referendum bill have been making the most noise this morning, but there have been some interesting… Continue reading
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Tory EU turmoil allows Labour and Lib Dems to develop strong message discipline
The dizzy behaviour of the Tory party on Europe is allowing its opponents to develop an incredibly strong message discipline. This is ironic because the Labour party has its own… Continue reading
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Tory leadership publishes draft EU referendum bill in a panic, and fails to convince backbenchers
David Cameron was trying to work out how on earth to deal with the latest Europe row in his party. He heard them demanding legislation in this parliament for a… Continue reading
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How will the Tory leadership deal with MPs wanting a UKIP pact?
Nigel Farage says his party is in talks with a number of Conservative associations about a joint endorsement with UKIP. He told the Daily Politics today that ‘there is no… Continue reading
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David Cameron needs to become a man with a plan
‘I’m a man with a plan,’ David Cameron told the Conservative party conference in 2008. Now the Prime Minister is struggling to give the impression he does have a plan… Continue reading
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