British Prime Minister David Cameron is under pressure to reassert his authority over a Conservative Party reeling after a week which saw the resignation of a senior minister and claims of incompetence and elitism at the heart of his government.
After one of the most bruising weeks for the Tories since it took power in a coalition in 2010, the Conservatives have slipped further behind their Labour rivals, polls showed on Sunday. The next election is due in 2015.
Cameron will try to regain the initiative on Monday with a speech setting out a tougher stance on crime after a series of policy missteps, U-turns and embarrassments since an unpopular budget in March.
Veteran Conservative member of the House of Lords Norman Tebbit, one of former PM Margaret Thatcher's closest allies, attacked what he called this dog of a government.
The abiding sin of the government is not that some ministers are rich, but that it seems unable to manage its affairs competently he told The Observer newspaper.
Education Secretary Michael Gove dismissed headlines talking of Meltdown and a Catastrophic Week as the passing froth of political life that affects all leaders, including ex-Labour prime minister Tony Blair, who won three elections.
I remember reading about Tony Blair's worst week ever. No matter how many of these worst weeks he had, no matter how many apparently tough headlines there were, he came surging through with landslide majorities because the fundamental policy decisions...mattered more than the reporting of personality issues, he told Sky News.
Voters are more interested in the improving economy and falling hospital waiting lists, he added. Figures on Thursday are likely to show Britain has emerged from recession.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesTWIMC
Oct 22nd, 2012 - 08:19 am 0Veteran Tories call PM Cameron’s government incompetent and elitist”
Cameron & Co. call veteran Tories Plebs”..........
This has always been a problem with the Tories, the thing is that there's no real alternative to them at the moment so change has to come from within the party. I can't see that happening any time soon, though, which is a shame as they really aren't as bad as many people would paint them to be.
Oct 22nd, 2012 - 09:27 am 02 Boovis
Oct 22nd, 2012 - 01:02 pm 0Yes they are!! labour were and are a bunch of half-witted incompetence. when they had finished f**king up this country, they handed over the reins to Came-moron and his little b*tch Nick Clegg so that they could have a go at running this country even further into the ground!!!
Oh please!! we have already had one veretan tory minister calling the POLICE plebs...... Me thinks that if they hold the police in such high regard, what do they really think of us Ordinary people. I can't wait for another cash for questions scandal or another Ministers and prositutes scandal or another expenses scandal......
Oh the list goes on and on!!!!
I think Norman Tebbit said it all when he called them “this dog of a government”.....and he is Conservative!!!
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