A Long Time in Politics

Cowardly, like a fox

Westmonster has been following all the hub-bub about the Gord's EU Treaty non-signing with a pile of salt on hand, what with all the hyperbole and bombast out there in the ether, just a grain isn't near enough to do the trick. At the risk of sounding like cheerleaders for… read more…

Written by Andrew Levy on 14 Dec 2007 10:00 AM. Permalink

That Was The Week That Was

...and the Tories are back in town!

The story so far: A good week in the polls for Labour after their Conference ratcheted up speculation on a snap election, to the point that everyone just assumed it was going to happen. Gorgeous, brooding Gordon Brown - ably assisted by his brilliant coterie of young advisors - was… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 13 Oct 2007 10:14 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Statesmanship a la mode

Great stuff from Dave yesterday in the Iraq statement. Dave berated the Gord for how he was "dealing with people's lives and the families of our brave servicemen. How dare he play politics with our armed forces? The Conservatives wouldn't do that! Vote for us to support our boys!" Stirringly… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 9 Oct 2007 7:39 AM. Permalink

Ministry for the Margin of Error

Brown blinks first

Well, that's that then. Westmonster has duly cancelled her return ticket to Worksop. Gordon forgot the first rule of bandwagons: if you're going to start one rolling you better be damn sure that you can control the bugger if it looks like it's going to run away with itself.… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 6 Oct 2007 5:15 PM. Permalink

That Was The Week That Was

Exclusive: Cameron is Rasputin's love child

This time last week a YouGov poll for the Telegraph had the comrades maintaining their 11 point lead over the shiny faced boy wonder (pictured here with a cute puppy. Awwww!), whilst the Times Populus poll had him slipping five percentage points in the aftermath of the Gord's address to Conference. He… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 6 Oct 2007 11:30 AM. Permalink

Ministry for the Margin of Error

He will, or won't, by Sunday

Allow Westmonster to set the scene. Polls are showing a big bounce. Newly smoke-free and sterile bunkers are crowding with "key decision makers." Commentators are out of breath. The Papers are out of breath. And this morning Today is leading on Dave mocking Gord over the suggestion that he'll wimp… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 5 Oct 2007 8:42 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

We're the Tories. Perhaps you've heard of us.

Well folks, the Guardian/ICM poll is out, and it shows that the Tories and Labour are neck and neck at 38%. Cameron's ratings are the best they've been since March. Ruh-roh! Excellent analysis, as always, from the UK Polling Report. Alistair Darling on the predicted economic downturn: "this town, is… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 5 Oct 2007 7:44 AM. Permalink

Ministry for Madness

The quacks rush in

Whilst much has been made of Dave delivering his speech with just a couple of jottings as a prompt, we at Westmonster remain unconvinced by some of the subsequent praise heaped on this latter day Disraeli by the chatterati. Firstly, at least one of us at Westmonster has been… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Oct 2007 11:18 AM. Permalink

Live From The Carlton Club

LIVE! Cameron speaks

Westmonster provided live coverage of David Cameron's speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool. The transcript appears below. Westmonster would especially like to note that she called the Jimmy Cliff song more than 3 minutes before it came over the loudspeakers, and wasn't just reporting it had already happened.… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 3 Oct 2007 1:48 PM. There are 2 comments so far. Permalink

Ministry for Madness

As clear as mud

The recent claims and counter claims over the fiscal advisability of the Tory's tax proposals have left Westmonster (who has trouble counting her change with any degree of accuracy) somewhat baffled. Where better, therefore, to go for lucid explanation than the Labour Party website for a simple, concise description of… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 3 Oct 2007 8:12 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Sex and insider gossip - Tory style

Alice Miles in the Times gives a resounding bitchslap to the Tories' plans to "boost marriage." For herself, Westmonster has always been somewhat perplexed that the Conservatives seem to genuinely believe that there are those who - halfway through The Sex - will stop to give serious consideration to… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 3 Oct 2007 7:44 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Hasta la vista, baby

Arnold Schwarzenegger disappointed Conservatives a few months ago when he announced that he couldn't address their Conference in person because he didn't want to be tarred by association with a crappy brand was washing his hair. Nevertheless, he managed to chat to the Tories via video link yesterday, and… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 2 Oct 2007 7:10 AM. Permalink

News from the Carlton Club

Sublime to the ridiculous

Jebus, the Conservative Conference looks like a scaaaary place to be at times. Whiling away the day glued to BBC Parliament has revealed some very weird behaviour. First, what is all this strolling around the stage like Billy Connolly (a rot that now appears to be de rigeur in modern… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 1 Oct 2007 4:26 PM. Permalink

News from the Carlton Club

Let them lead the way

That bloke asking a question in the Childhood in Britain debate did actually say "I believe that children are the future," didn't he?… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 1 Oct 2007 4:20 PM. Permalink

News from the Carlton Club

These boots are made for addressing Conference

And so the annual speculation begins again and is looking like it might reach fever pitch this year. Yup, that's right, folks. Shadow Leader of the House Theresa May has gone mad in the Selfridges shoe department again...or not, in this case. As Iain Dale notes, it's quite a feat (geddit?) to be… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 1 Oct 2007 2:24 PM. Permalink

News from the Carlton Club

Karma Chameleon

Westmonster has long been of the opinion that the talk of an early poll was a cunning plan by the comrades, and one she referred to - somewhat inelegantly - as "the premature ejaculation strategy." The theory behind this was that if Brown spent the summer being enigmatic about the possibility… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 1 Oct 2007 12:34 PM. Permalink

Don't Look Ethel!

Focus grouping internet wrongmos

With Hague's stern warning to Conservative Conference that they better bloody behave themselves or he'll set Widdy on them comes the timely reminder that the Tories might actually pull themselves together to such an extent that even if Gord decides to go for it, victory for the comrades is… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 30 Sep 2007 4:42 PM. Permalink

News from the Carlton Club

Hague hugs Tory Conference

The initial signs augured ill. William Hague, in the warm-up opening slot at the Conservative Party Conference, started with a slightly strangled attempt to demonstrate that the Tories have an electoral presence beyond the Watford Gap Service station. "They said we wouldn't get any seats in the north! What do they… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 30 Sep 2007 11:46 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Dave to Gord: "Go ahead, make my day."

Cameron is all "bring it on Gordon!" this morning, claiming he would welcome an early election. If yesterday's polling is to be believed, this would indicate he's either mad, delusional, a combination of both or in a position where he can't squeal: "for the love of God, no!" which… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 30 Sep 2007 10:07 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

A bad morning in Blackpool

Bad news for the Tories today as they wend their weary way up to Blackpool for their annual Conference: a YouGov poll for the Telegraph shows that Brown is maintaining his 11 point lead over Cameron. Still, as the front page splash was placed next to a picture of… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 29 Sep 2007 11:17 AM. Permalink

Westmonster: “Conservative Party Conference 07”