Philip Hammond
Philip Hammond becomes 2nd Cabinet minister to say he would vote to leave EU today
If the Tory leadership had hoped that a few weeks of reconciliation between David Cameron and his backbenchers would lead to a new, serene phase in party management, they couldn’t… Continue reading
33 Comments Ministers burrow under the ring-fences for spending review
Bids for the 2015/16 spending review will land on George Osborne’s desk today from Secretaries of State across Whitehall. Some, like Iain Duncan Smith and Patrick McLoughlin, are signed up… Continue reading
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Nemo me impune lacessit: defending an independent Scotland
Sometimes I wish Conservative cabinet ministers would couch their arguments in favour of the Union in terms of principle, not process or drab accountancy. Philip Hammond, the unimpressive Secretary of… Continue reading
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Vince Cable tells Philip Hammond, cut Trident not welfare
On The Sunday Politics today, Vince Cable told Andrew Neil that he disliked ring fencing particular departments. But he accepted that the NHS and DFID budgets would remain protected for… Continue reading
24 Comments The Tory branch of the National Union of Ministers says cut welfare, not our budgets
Philip Hammond is a cautious and loyal politician. He is not a boat rocker. This is what makes his interviews in the Telegraph and The Sun today so noteworthy. He… Continue reading
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Govt confusion on defence shows how painful the next spending review will be
The government’s position on defence spending is, to put it politely, confused. After the completion of the SDSR and the defence spending settlement, there was an expectation that the military… Continue reading
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Cameron: defence spending is protected. Hammond: no it isn’t
After Cabinet tensions on the matter, David Cameron was trying to reassure those worried about further defence cuts while visiting Algeria. The Telegraph reports a senior government source saying the… Continue reading
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Cabinet row over imprisoned SAS soldier
A lunchtime spat has broken out over Sergeant Danny Nightingale, the SAS serviceman who was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a court martial after pleading guilty to possession… Continue reading
50 Comments Philip Hammond’s Iranian justification for keeping Trident
The Sunday shows have been dominated today by the aftermath of George Entwistle’s resignation. But Phillip Hammond gave a significant and combative interview on the Sunday Politics. Pressed by Andrew… Continue reading
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What today’s Trident announcement is really about
When Nick Harvey was sacked in September’s reshuffle, leaving the Ministry of Defence without a Liberal Democrat minister, anti-nuclear campaigners and the SNP claimed the move put the future of… Continue reading
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Trident: political football, folly, or matter of principle? - Spectator Blogs
Philip Hammond is one of those ministers who seems to be held in greater esteem by those inside the Westminster hamlet than those of us who live beyond its boundaries.… Continue reading
12 Comments Philip Hammond’s tarnished relations with military top brass fly into the open
Talking to diplomatic sources this evening, there’s a depressed recognition that the Taliban and its allies have scored a major victory in forcing Nato to scale back joint patrols with… Continue reading
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George Osborne is staying put but who would the public choose to move on?
George Osborne has told Andrew Marr this morning that the reshuffle is ‘not far away’ and that he is staying put. As we said in this week’s magazine leader, reshuffling… Continue reading
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The pressure is on for David Cameron
Aside from the party conferences, two big set piece events are looming large in Downing Street’s thinking: the coalition’s mid-term review and the autumn statement. Both of these are expected… Continue reading
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The secret seven
David Cameron’s decision to convene an inner Cabinet of seven Tories to advise him is a sensible move. As I say in the Mail on Sunday, calling this group together… Continue reading
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The battle to be the party of the armed forces
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has the unenviable task today of announcing a cull of army units as the force is cut from 102,000 to 82,000. The Army 2020 review, the… Continue reading
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Debt as a threat to national security
Today’s papers carry news that British nuclear submarines are going to be replaced: a strong indication that the government will replace Trident with a like-for-like deterrent in 2016, contrary to… Continue reading
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Hammond speaks out
Generally speaking, Philip Hammond is one of the Cabinet’s quieter members; a sort of human calculator designed to run a department efficiently and with the minimum of fuss. Which is… Continue reading
25 CommentsThe Predictable End of An Old Fighting Song
Years ago, before government began to take its toll I remember reading an interview with young David Cameron published by the Dundee Courier. The paper wanted to know if the… Continue reading
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Labour’s PMQs strategy: the Super-Vulnerable Voter ploy
A sombre and muted PMQs this week. Dame Joan Ruddock raised the issue of benefits and asked David Cameron if he was proud of his new reforms. Tory backbenchers cheered… Continue reading
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