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Disappearing Dave - Why is Cameron always missing?
While the Commons is buzzing with anticaption at todays work, Cameron is in South Africa, presumably looking for more worthy projects deserving of our aid.
Todays Telegraph notes:
// Not for the first time, Mr Cameron is in the wrong place today, giving us the spectacle of a British prime minister at a press conference with a foreign leader answering questions about wholly domestic matters. Today it was Pretoria and questions about Sir Paul Stephenson. Two weeks ago, it was Kabul and questions about Milly Dowler.
Mr Cameron’s discomfort about this is visible. Haunted by his decision in 2007 to visit Rwanda instead of his own flooded constituency, the PM is also all too aware that Ed Miliband is using all the agility of an Opposition leader to set the pace. Hence the sudden shortening of the PM’s Africa trip and the move to extend the Commons session until Wedesday. //
Presumably Milliband will again take centre stage today. Last week many commentators were calling Cameron cowardly for choosing not to appear in the Commons when the heat was on.
Is he being...
deliberately evasion?
Unlucky?
Poorly advised?
Or a combination of all three?
Todays Telegraph notes:
// Not for the first time, Mr Cameron is in the wrong place today, giving us the spectacle of a British prime minister at a press conference with a foreign leader answering questions about wholly domestic matters. Today it was Pretoria and questions about Sir Paul Stephenson. Two weeks ago, it was Kabul and questions about Milly Dowler.
Mr Cameron’s discomfort about this is visible. Haunted by his decision in 2007 to visit Rwanda instead of his own flooded constituency, the PM is also all too aware that Ed Miliband is using all the agility of an Opposition leader to set the pace. Hence the sudden shortening of the PM’s Africa trip and the move to extend the Commons session until Wedesday. //
Presumably Milliband will again take centre stage today. Last week many commentators were calling Cameron cowardly for choosing not to appear in the Commons when the heat was on.
Is he being...
deliberately evasion?
Unlucky?
Poorly advised?
Or a combination of all three?
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Jake’s point is almost spot on but not quite.
PMs do like to tour the globe but they do usually have to deliver something, especially when in Africa. They usually travel with the UK taxpayers’ chequebook in their pocket and, for reasons best known to themselves, usually deliver a cheque (which on this occasion will not quite bounce but will be added to our not inconsiderable overdraft) which will be gratefully trousered by whoever treated him to dinner in the presidential palace the previous evening.
Ichkeria wonders why Mr Cameron needs to be here today. Well he needs to be here as much of the time as possible because he is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He is not a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, nor is he a representative of Oxfam. At the moment the UK faces huge problems. There is a scandal of epidemic proportions which has seen two of the most senior police officers in the land resign and which is threatening to spread to the heart of government. Mr Cameron, like it or not, is linked to that scandal because of his employment of Coulson. As well as this the economy of virtually all of Europe is under siege for reasons too lengthy to go into here. (For those of you who missed it this situation has worsened considerably today with the announcement that Spain now faces an increase in the cost of borrowing). The developments surrounding this issue have been quietly relegated to page 94 of the papers because of the prominence given to the Murdoch fiasco. And where is Mr Cameron whilst all this is going on?
Of course the nation will not come to an end whilst he is away and of course he is hardly incommunicado. But there are pressing matters to deal with before Parliament breaks up for its three month sojourn and there really is no need for the Prime Minister to travel to Africa with our cheque book.
PMs do like to tour the globe but they do usually have to deliver something, especially when in Africa. They usually travel with the UK taxpayers’ chequebook in their pocket and, for reasons best known to themselves, usually deliver a cheque (which on this occasion will not quite bounce but will be added to our not inconsiderable overdraft) which will be gratefully trousered by whoever treated him to dinner in the presidential palace the previous evening.
Ichkeria wonders why Mr Cameron needs to be here today. Well he needs to be here as much of the time as possible because he is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He is not a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, nor is he a representative of Oxfam. At the moment the UK faces huge problems. There is a scandal of epidemic proportions which has seen two of the most senior police officers in the land resign and which is threatening to spread to the heart of government. Mr Cameron, like it or not, is linked to that scandal because of his employment of Coulson. As well as this the economy of virtually all of Europe is under siege for reasons too lengthy to go into here. (For those of you who missed it this situation has worsened considerably today with the announcement that Spain now faces an increase in the cost of borrowing). The developments surrounding this issue have been quietly relegated to page 94 of the papers because of the prominence given to the Murdoch fiasco. And where is Mr Cameron whilst all this is going on?
Of course the nation will not come to an end whilst he is away and of course he is hardly incommunicado. But there are pressing matters to deal with before Parliament breaks up for its three month sojourn and there really is no need for the Prime Minister to travel to Africa with our cheque book.
Cameron doesn't need to be here? Why?
And it's not as if the scandal will have died down by the time he gets back.
And I speak as someone who is a political opponent.
He was falling over himself to get back from the Palace to be in the Commons for the vote last week on BSkyB (which in the end never took place). He probably wishes he WAS there actually.
And it's not as if the scandal will have died down by the time he gets back.
And I speak as someone who is a political opponent.
He was falling over himself to get back from the Palace to be in the Commons for the vote last week on BSkyB (which in the end never took place). He probably wishes he WAS there actually.
"Jake’s point is almost spot on but not quite."
No it isn't - its a flippant remark, typical of the cynicism we seem to have towards politicians....
"PMs do like to tour the globe but they do usually have to deliver something, especially when in Africa. They usually travel with the UK taxpayers’ chequebook in their pocket and, for reasons best known to themselves, usually deliver a cheque ..."
...and so is that.
" At the moment the UK faces huge problems. There is a scandal of epidemic proportions which has seen two of the most senior police officers in the land resign and which is threatening to spread to the heart of government. Mr Cameron, like it or not, is linked to that scandal because of his employment of Coulson. As well as this the economy of virtually all of Europe is under siege for reasons too lengthy to go into here. (For those of you who missed it this situation has worsened considerably today with the announcement that Spain now faces an increase in the cost of borrowing). The developments surrounding this issue have been quietly relegated to page 94 of the papers because of the prominence given to the Murdoch fiasco. And where is Mr Cameron whilst all this is going on?"
Well you've just said it's a "scandal of epic proportions" (which I hardly think it is although it is certainly getting us all excited) so are you surprised minor issues like the economy of Europe are getting relegated to P94 or wherever? It isn't the PM who's doing that it's the papers, largely because there's nothing guaranteed to get the press excited more than a story about itself.
No it isn't - its a flippant remark, typical of the cynicism we seem to have towards politicians....
"PMs do like to tour the globe but they do usually have to deliver something, especially when in Africa. They usually travel with the UK taxpayers’ chequebook in their pocket and, for reasons best known to themselves, usually deliver a cheque ..."
...and so is that.
" At the moment the UK faces huge problems. There is a scandal of epidemic proportions which has seen two of the most senior police officers in the land resign and which is threatening to spread to the heart of government. Mr Cameron, like it or not, is linked to that scandal because of his employment of Coulson. As well as this the economy of virtually all of Europe is under siege for reasons too lengthy to go into here. (For those of you who missed it this situation has worsened considerably today with the announcement that Spain now faces an increase in the cost of borrowing). The developments surrounding this issue have been quietly relegated to page 94 of the papers because of the prominence given to the Murdoch fiasco. And where is Mr Cameron whilst all this is going on?"
Well you've just said it's a "scandal of epic proportions" (which I hardly think it is although it is certainly getting us all excited) so are you surprised minor issues like the economy of Europe are getting relegated to P94 or wherever? It isn't the PM who's doing that it's the papers, largely because there's nothing guaranteed to get the press excited more than a story about itself.
Much as I'm addicted to flippant remarks it's not really.
PM's are very aware of their public image - you don't get elected without it these days and getting filmed running around the world shaking hands with other world leaders tends to raise your approval ratings at home.
This isn't just a story about journalists writing about themselves - It stopped being that when it cost the jobs of two of the Met's most senior officers.
What's got everybody most excited is that people are resigning and we don't know the details why.
Obviously a lot of people have been taking bribes of "lavish hospitality" if not envelopes stuffed with twenties.
We just don't know how far it went.
The other question is why the original investigation halted - that's the one thing.
Did you know that the Police officer who lead the original investigation that said it was just a rogue journalist resigned and got a job as a columnist for News International?
http://www.guardian.c...d-news-world-evidence
And you think this is just journalists talking about themselves?
PM's are very aware of their public image - you don't get elected without it these days and getting filmed running around the world shaking hands with other world leaders tends to raise your approval ratings at home.
This isn't just a story about journalists writing about themselves - It stopped being that when it cost the jobs of two of the Met's most senior officers.
What's got everybody most excited is that people are resigning and we don't know the details why.
Obviously a lot of people have been taking bribes of "lavish hospitality" if not envelopes stuffed with twenties.
We just don't know how far it went.
The other question is why the original investigation halted - that's the one thing.
Did you know that the Police officer who lead the original investigation that said it was just a rogue journalist resigned and got a job as a columnist for News International?
http://www.guardian.c...d-news-world-evidence
And you think this is just journalists talking about themselves?
Perhaps you would like TB back in office to smooth things over, heaven almighty, do you never think that this so called crisis, is a relatively small storm in a teacup, with what is really going on here. The guy can't do anything right in your eyes, if he stays here, and Africa goes to hell in a handcart, then he is doing nothing, if he goes to Africa, for whatever purpose, then he should be here holding everyone's hand.
Although my metaphorical description of Mr Cameron and our chequebook may have been light hearted, my remark was not meant to be flippant, ichkeria, and politicians can hardly complain that the electorate views them cynically when they say one thing in opposition and do the complete opposite when in government.
Scarcely a day passes without there being an announcement (on page one) that Mr Cameron has pledged ££squilliuons for this country in “aid” or ££squillions for that country for “development”. All jolly fine and laudable. But people in the UK (who provide these funds) are being told that their police force has to be cut, their armed forces have to be cut, their schools cannot be repaired, their justice system has to suffer cuts, care for the elderly cannot be sustained and their taxes have to increase into the bargain.
I have seen aid provided to the usual suspect nations year after year, decade after decade. Nothing “develops” in those countries – in fact many of them are regressing at an alarming rate. Most people accept that the country is in financial ruin and tough decisions have to be taken to restore some stability. But those same people do not take too kindly to seeing their hard-earned poured down somebody else’s drain.
Scarcely a day passes without there being an announcement (on page one) that Mr Cameron has pledged ££squilliuons for this country in “aid” or ££squillions for that country for “development”. All jolly fine and laudable. But people in the UK (who provide these funds) are being told that their police force has to be cut, their armed forces have to be cut, their schools cannot be repaired, their justice system has to suffer cuts, care for the elderly cannot be sustained and their taxes have to increase into the bargain.
I have seen aid provided to the usual suspect nations year after year, decade after decade. Nothing “develops” in those countries – in fact many of them are regressing at an alarming rate. Most people accept that the country is in financial ruin and tough decisions have to be taken to restore some stability. But those same people do not take too kindly to seeing their hard-earned poured down somebody else’s drain.
I can't see what all the fuss is about. A few press hacks resort to dirty tricks (nothing new there) and suddenly it it is Armageddon minus 3! The only connection Cameron has to this sordid business is that he employed a person implicated in the former in another capacity. One has to assume that Cameron was unaware of the connection and possible repercussions at the time. Whilst I agree that our PMs should not be swanning the globe ad lib and doling out our largesse, and should preferably concern themselves more with home affairs (that is why he has a Foreign Secretary), yet the reason he should be here is not because of Murdoch. Calls for the PM's resignation are nothing short of ludicrous. Has the NOTW finally achieved its aim, to dominate the headlines and dictate the future of government in this country?
It'll be all over by Christmas, Cameron will still be PM, former NOTW readers will have found a new rag to titillate them and the whole thing will be forgotten.
It'll be all over by Christmas, Cameron will still be PM, former NOTW readers will have found a new rag to titillate them and the whole thing will be forgotten.
"The other thing as pointed out by the BBC is if he hadn't gone he might as well have hired out all of Picadilly circus and illuminated it with a giant sign saying "Government in Crisis""
Quite right.
Like I say, i am no fan of the man at all, but we shouldn't lose sight of who are the real villains here - the PM (I suspect) is not chief among them.
Quite right.
Like I say, i am no fan of the man at all, but we shouldn't lose sight of who are the real villains here - the PM (I suspect) is not chief among them.
You don’t see what all the fuss is about, Plautus. Let me give you a (very brief) outline which might help.
We have seen the best selling newspaper in the land indulging in the wholesale illegal interception of telephone calls in order to gain information for exclusive stories. Firstly the targets were thought to be just a few celebs. No real sweat there, most people see them as fair game. Then it transpired that the targets were far more widespread and probably included a young girl who was murdered by a nutcase (leading her family to believe she might still be alive), the parents of two young girls who were murdered by a paedophile, the families of servicemen killed on active service and relatives of victims of London’s July 7th bombings.
Following a police investigation in 2006 a senior editor at the paper was jailed for four months for his part in intercepting the telephones of royal aides. In 2009 The Guardian newspaper raised allegations that the practice was more widespread than initially believed but Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates decided after just eight hours consideration that no further police action was necessary. A few weeks after this Neil Wallace, once deputy editor at the NotW was hired by the Met Police as a PR advisor. Coincidentally Mr Wallace’s 27 year old daughter was also hired by the Met.
There are allegations that the Police were complicit in supplying information to the NotW to enable them to undertake their phone hacking. The Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and DAC John Yates have both resigned – although both insist they have done nothing wrong. Sir Paul was said to have enjoyed a lengthy stay at a health spa courtesy of News International.
Mr Cameron gets sucked in because he hired former NotW editor Andy Coulson. Mr Coulson was editor when the first police investigation took place. He quit his Downing Street post in January. Yesterday Sean Hoare, former News of the World journalist who made phone-hacking allegations against the paper, was found dead.
So you have senior politicians and senior police officers implicated in widespread law breaking where vulnerable victims were the targets. These illegal activities were allegedly perpetrated by News International, an organisation which for the last twenty years or more has exercised enormous influence over politicians in the UK. Senior employees who worked in that organisation whilst the hacking went on are later employed in influencial positions in both 10 Downing Street Scotland Yard.
Now do you see what the fuss is about?
We have seen the best selling newspaper in the land indulging in the wholesale illegal interception of telephone calls in order to gain information for exclusive stories. Firstly the targets were thought to be just a few celebs. No real sweat there, most people see them as fair game. Then it transpired that the targets were far more widespread and probably included a young girl who was murdered by a nutcase (leading her family to believe she might still be alive), the parents of two young girls who were murdered by a paedophile, the families of servicemen killed on active service and relatives of victims of London’s July 7th bombings.
Following a police investigation in 2006 a senior editor at the paper was jailed for four months for his part in intercepting the telephones of royal aides. In 2009 The Guardian newspaper raised allegations that the practice was more widespread than initially believed but Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates decided after just eight hours consideration that no further police action was necessary. A few weeks after this Neil Wallace, once deputy editor at the NotW was hired by the Met Police as a PR advisor. Coincidentally Mr Wallace’s 27 year old daughter was also hired by the Met.
There are allegations that the Police were complicit in supplying information to the NotW to enable them to undertake their phone hacking. The Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and DAC John Yates have both resigned – although both insist they have done nothing wrong. Sir Paul was said to have enjoyed a lengthy stay at a health spa courtesy of News International.
Mr Cameron gets sucked in because he hired former NotW editor Andy Coulson. Mr Coulson was editor when the first police investigation took place. He quit his Downing Street post in January. Yesterday Sean Hoare, former News of the World journalist who made phone-hacking allegations against the paper, was found dead.
So you have senior politicians and senior police officers implicated in widespread law breaking where vulnerable victims were the targets. These illegal activities were allegedly perpetrated by News International, an organisation which for the last twenty years or more has exercised enormous influence over politicians in the UK. Senior employees who worked in that organisation whilst the hacking went on are later employed in influencial positions in both 10 Downing Street Scotland Yard.
Now do you see what the fuss is about?
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