Andrew Pierce and Toby Helm are obviously helping out with Tory mood music this morning, with a story that Cammers and Boy George are preparing a rethink on spending: David Cameron is prepared to drop his pledge to match Labour's spending increases after the next election to pave the way… read more…

ConservativeHome, as part of its Agenda 2008 programme, has called on the Shadow Chancellor not to renew the opposition's pledge to match the government's spending proposals through 2010/2011. They write: Last September George Osborne signed up to Labour's spending plans until 2010/11. That decision is unpopular amongst Tory members. Our… read more…

Well, it's harsh, to say the least. It seems safe to say that this is one six-month review that won't end in a pay rise. 9. Absolute disaster. "It would be an absolute f*cking disaster if Gordon Brown was Prime Minister" (government minister, reported to be John Hutton). Well I… read more…

Conservative peer - and one half of the teddy teacher defence duo - Baroness Warsi spoke at the Guardian race equality conference today, on the difference between being of the Muslim faith and being a Muslim who buys into a culture of extremism. Full text here.  The media are loving… read more…

ConservativeHome is reporting that Boris Johnson has initiated an early day motion against the BNP in London. We can't find any reference to it anywhere else, but according to the ConservativeHome story it contains the following: We call upon all politicians from all parties to denounce the BNP in London… read more…

BONG! Are the Eyebrows heading for a Northern Rock-shaped iceberg? Alistair Darling defended his role in the bank's ongoing ishoos, as "suitors" (as they are rather quaintly called) line up to shaft vigorously make their arguments for the fair lady's hand. BONG! Still, as Guido reported yesterday, it's not bad… read more…

This morning Willy Hague will be mostly demanding a retrospective referendum on the EU Treaty. Given that previously he'd indicated that he wasn't too keen because even though a couple of months ago Cameron offered a "cast iron guarantee" that there would be a referendum he then appeared to change… read more…

Edifying scenes over at ConservativeHome on this thread which asks: who is Gordon Brown? Well, apparently he's a nasty bottler who saved the Tory Party from electoral embarrassment by not calling an election is frittering away the nation's wealth on our friends north of Hadrian Wall. This paraphrased sentiment was expressed thusly:… read more…

The news that Ruth Kelly has been done for producing a leaflet containing phrases such as "the Labour Party is the greatest" and "give me a G! Give me an O! Give me an R!" and so on and so forth, has prompted a  predictably sanctimonious response from the Mail… read more…

BONG! David Cameron is in discussions with Arnie about being an extra in his his next film, Conan the Barbarian XIV: Hug The Huskies. BONG! At the end of a bad week for Brown, Guido imagines the scene chez Blair. BONG! ConservativeHome on how Lord Ashcroft is like a one-man trade… read more…

BONG! Ben Brogan has nailed his trousers to the mast and come out against there being an election called this autumn, and Dizzy concurs. BONG! Some hi-LAR-ious graphics over at ConservativeHome which involve chickens (present) and guts (lack thereof).… read more…

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…

BONG! In the unlikely event that Westmonster ever gets invited to a photoshoot, the words "PhotoShop me up, baby" will be very much in evidence. Poor James Purnell MP, however has learnt the bitter lesson that such technological wizardry should be left to the professionals. BONG! Shrumgate, in all… read more…

Here we go again: file this one under "boring but important," folks. With the news that the comrades are eleven points ahead (according to a recent YouGov poll) the speculation about an autumn election points more to probability than possibility. It seems to be accepted wisdom that the Gord… read more…