The commentators 06-10-15...on the ConservativesDavid Cameron shows that it does not take a philosophy to change a country, just the knack of responding dynamically to circumstances. Met with a hung parliament five years ago, he formed a coalition. Flanked by headstrong cabinet colleagues, he lets them work. Discombobulated by the crash, he tore up his economic policy. He was radicalised by events, not books. But he was radicalised
- Janan Ganesh. Financial Times It is not inconceivable that when Cameron comes to leave office, Britain will be negotiating its exit from the EU, the UK will be on the verge of a break-up and his party will be in turmoil. Then again, Mr Cameron has shown time and again that he possesses the quality that Napoleon most liked in his generals: luck. He is going to need it
- Philip Johnston, Daily Telegraph ![]() The last Conservative conference that took place after a surprise election win was in 1992, a gathering that was rowdy in its intense reaction to Britain’s withdrawal from the Exchange Rate Mechanism. This one in Manchester is much more ordered and upbeat. But it is Europe once again that hovers. Managing the party is not the issue for Cameron and Osborne, it is winning the referendum
- Steve Richards, The Independent Just before his speech Osborne looked up towards windows letting in the watery morning light. Soon he’d have to put the best gloss possible on all of this to conference. But who was that on the radio? Oh yes, his opposite number John McDonnell. What was he saying? “This chancellor didn’t fix the roof while the sun was shining"
- Aditya Chakrabortty, The Guardian Conservative party members care a lot about Europe, but most people do not. Although 56 per cent of Tory members would vote to leave, according to YouGov, only 40 per cent of the public agrees. On this issue, the Conservatives are — like Labour — not only looking backwards but turning inwards and away from the voters. It would be so much better to concentrate on #DefeatingPoverty
- Rachel Sylvester, The Times ![]() The new and most influential player in the battle to stop George Osborne reducing the tax credits on which low-income families rely turns out to be … the Sun. In an editorial it warned that a “living wage”, which isn’t really anything of the sort, won’t compensate for cuts in benefit paid to working people and rightly suggested this undermines Osborne’s attempt to portray himself as a blue collar hero
- Gaby Hiinsliff, The Guardian Corbyn needs to get to grips with the mainstream media. Shunning Andrew Marr and the Sun is not a strategy that will lead to electoral success.
But the Press, too, must rethink. If people are offended by Corbyn's singalong choices or dress sense, it is fair that they are reported. If his oratory leaves something to be desired, it is fair that that, too, is commented upon. But let's get this into perspective. Those are side issues; the first job of the Press is to report the news, so when a new leader makes his first important setpiece speech, it would be good if newspapers told us what he said rather than what they thought - Editor's blog: All singing from the wrong hymn sheet Comment Awards, 2015Thursday 17 September, 2015 The Financial Times and The Times again lead the way in this year's ei Comment Awards, with eleven nominations apiece in the shortlists announced today.
Sathnam Sanghera is responsible for four of those Times nominations - featuring in the media commentator, diversity, technology and individual comment piece categories. Freelance Yomi Adegoke who founded Birthday Magazine for black teenage girls, is among four writers shortlisted in two categories - in her case young commentariat and media commentator. George Monbiot of the Guardian completes the media line-up and is also nominated as science commentator and Gillian Tett of the FT is listed in both business and economics. Her colleague Janan Ganesh is shortlisted for political commentator and the big prize - commentariat of the year, where he is up against the two most recent winners David Aaronovitch (also nominated for comment piece of the year) and Caitlin Moran. SubScribe is honoured and surprised to find a place on the individual blogger shortlist, and fully expects to come third behind Barrister Blogger Matthew Scott and Stuart Forster of Go-eat-Do. You can see all the shortlists here. Comment archive, 2015 |
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