Star comment: Is David Cameron a man of steel or a mouse?
The game is well and truly afoot for David Cameron.
Senior Tory Tim Yeo is one of the Conservatives’ yesterday men but, as chairman of the Commons energy committee, also packs a punch today.
And he has asked the big question of the Prime Minister.
Writing in a newspaper, Yeo says: “The Prime Minister must ask himself whether he is a man or mouse. Does he want to be another Harold Macmillan, presiding over a dignified slide towards insignificance?
“Or is there somewhere inside his heart – an organ that still remains impenetrable to most Britons – a trace of Thatcher, determined to reverse the direction of our ship?”
Ah, the T-word, that haunting spectre from which Mr Cameron has tried to distance himself as he has tried to shape his party as a right-on, we are all in it together, one nation outfit which can equally attract votes from the posh and the paupers.
Mrs Thatcher created the modern concept of a conviction politician and the trouble for Mr Cameron is that a significant proportion of his colleagues revere her and her legacy.
He is not in the same mould. He is a presentation politician, slick, articulate, clever, who comes up with policy directions quickly and changes direction quickly when the going gets tough.
With the economy still in the doldrums and the eurozone crisis feeding the gloom the cracks are starting to show as that section of his party whose enthusiasm for Mr Cameron was conditional on success and progress become increasingly exasperated.
It is a cliche that a divided party faces punishment come election time and in this respect Mr Cameron is peculiarly disadvantaged, not just through the increasing unrest among his colleagues, but because the Government itself, being a coalition, has a fissure which is liable to widen as the pressure tells.
Mrs Thatcher showed her party and the world what she was made of. Now it is Mr Cameron’s turn to show whether he is a man of metal, or a plastic politician.
Comments for: "Star comment: Is David Cameron a man of steel or a mouse?"
Colin Dodd.
He is a man------of straw.
He sneaked into power through the side door, accompanied by a bunch of no-hopers that hardly anybody voted for, and since then has proved he is a true Tory. Broken promises, forgotten promises, you name it, he's an expert at it.
As for his catch phrase, are we really "all in it together"?
Pensioners having to face severe cuts, the sick, and those who really need help, seeing it disappear, and, to where??
For a start, to India, who have just spent a load of British taxpayers money on a mission to Mars. That will really make everyone in the UK feel better I'm sure.
Then there is another pension claimer, one Tony Blair, whom the taxpayer again is donating over £400,000 per year to, in order to keep his head above water, Such a worthwhile cause, and so deserved.
Those are just 2 examples of the waste of public money that really is not necessary. Recently, a soldier who had his leg blown off,,,guess where,,,had his benefits stopped as he was not disabled enough. I wonder if India and Blair would mind if the government withheld a few bob for that guy out of their allowance.
The lunatics are, without doubt, firmly ensconced on the throne in the asylum.
Huw Peach
Tim Yeo wants David Cameron to make a U-turn on his pledge to oppose Heathrow airport expansion.
Is the Shropshire Star leader writer arguing that a 'man of steel' should ignore public pledges, listen to aviation lobbyists and make a U-turn?
Ken Adams
It would seem Yeo has already made his own U-Turn, he opposed the runway on ecological grounds but now now argues things have changed.
What has changed? has the need to reduce C02 because of Global warming gone away all of a sudden? No! Yeo now says British business is loosing out to China because we do not have direct flights.
Huw Peach
So do you think a 'man of steel' should bend to the will of people whose commitment to the environment is so flimsy, Ken?
And by the way, last time you and I spoke about Heathrow on one of these threads, Ken, you were saying that Arctic melting was not as bad as climate change campaigners were saying.
What do you think of the latest news (on the very day of this debate) that Arctic melting has already broken all records this year?
Ken Adams
That was my point Huw, Yeo is not making sense - is Cameron a mouse or a man - is the wrong question, the question should have been why the chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Committee who earns lots of money championing the green agenda now argues in favour of the runway, why is he now prepared to try to force an issue that goes against the Green principals he espouses.
It makes no sense unless you take Yeo at his word - that lots of money can be made from green policies - if that is his stance then we can ignore anything he has to say, as he is not green because of any commitment to the agenda, but only in it for the money he can make out of it.
Cameron is only greenish because he thinks it will get him votes, he is not a commitment politician and will thus be blown in the direction of what his advisers think is the strongest wind, hence all the U-turns. After the next election he will see how good the advice has been, if he lasts that long.
Ice cap levels change with the years, previously I pointed to a report that said at that time Ice levels at both poles Arctic and Antarctic were the same as (I think it was 30 years ago). But that was then.
Huw Peach
Yes, ice cap levels change with the years.
And this week's record melt in the Arctic, unequivocally demonstrates that the trend of those changes over the last 30 years is downwards.
However, this is what you said about the Arctic when we last discussed Heathrow ( http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2009/01/20/everyone-will-pay-for-airport/ -see your contributions at time references, February 19, 2009 09:32, February 19, 2009 11:16 and February 19, 2009 12:28 ).
During this discussion you were completely in denial and seemed utterly indifferent to the implications of a melting Arctic for humanity. Do you stand by what you said, Ken?
And if, as you then said, the''ice has recovered to levels not seen since 1979' then how is it remotely possible that Shell and Gazprom are moving into the melting waters of the Arctic with their drills?
I think the real 'men of steel' this week were the Greenpeace activists, who know that climate change is a major threat, getting thrown into the icy waters of the Arctic in their attempts to stop Shell and Gazprom's plans.
As the evidence hardens about climate change, it is clear that only a mouse would give in to climate denialists, fake greens and aviation lobbyists.
The real men of steel are showing that we need a different energy future, and I think their vision is going to win.
Ken Adams
Huw we have been over this ground so many times before, I am sorry and with all due respect to your obvious sincerity, there is just to much money sloshing about in the politically led Global Warming industry for anyone to take anything at face value. Again you make my point it is the inconstancies in their positions which show that they do not believe in the green agenda and are only in it for the money or the votes.
Huw Peach
Yes, we have been over this ground many times before.
However, the ground you are standing on is melting before our very eyes, Ken.
If, as you said, the 'ice has recovered to levels not seen since 1979', then how come the oil companies are moving into the Arctic?
If, as you falsely stated, Arctic ice is recovering then how did a Canadian sailor called Nicolas Peissel manage to cross the northern-most route of the Northwestern Passage just today? (Source: Vancouver Sun, September 1st, 'Ship's historic crossing signals extent of Arctic melt')
People tried in vain to do this for centuries, but now this bit of the Arctic is ice-free. How do you explain this, Ken?
What would a 'man of steel' do with this unequivocal evidence that the denialist case is, at best, built on thin ice, at worst, complete nonsense?
Take the fossil fuel money and run a denialist campaign for President like Mitt Romney?
Or listen to 'men of steel' like Marc Peissel and stick to election promises?
Ken Adams
Huw you seem more interested in re-staging old arcane battles than talking about why a powerful, influential, leading member of the green lobby in government, should suddenly U-turn on the Heathrow runway. Interesting priorities!
Huw Peach
That's because there is nothing arcane about exposing the misrepresentations of climate change deniers.
I urge other people, who care about our future, to challenge them more often: and as publicly as possible.
Last week's record Arctic melt is the canary in the coal-mine, and should be a wake-up call for humanity.
However, the vast majority of our media clearly have other priorities.
Look at the way that this issue has been framed by the editorial writer.
If we had a newspaper, which was interested in a sustainable future, then it would be highlighting the irony of 'green' Yeo calling for Cameron to 'be a man' and expand Heathrow in a year of record melts in Greenland and the Arctic.
A man of conviction sticks to electoral promises; mice give into the lobbyists.
ph7
At least he stands up for his manifesto and the one part of the coalition agreement not yet broken. Remember Mr Yeo, you were elected on the Conservative Manifesto which ruled out a third runway.
Why not use capacity outside the South East instead of piling more pressure on the capital. You may actually win some votes by promoting the regions and not just the South East.
green guru
I hate to be a boring ecologist but genetics will prove beyond doubt he is a human being of the male variety and not a mouse. I wish he were more mouse like in some ways.
I dont support airport expansion of any sort because of the Co2 emissions. We must look more to invest in high speed rail to displace internal flights and better link to the continent via the chunnel and high speed hydrofoil services. Most of all though we must reduce demand for travel, holiday in the UK, use skype for meetings and allow people to buy local food, locally made materials etc.
PS where is the "most commented" link from the home page?
Roger
Should he keep his promises or not? Some he does and some he does not
Should he be prepared to say we got it wrong and we will change? He should but he does not.
Should he sack his incompetent Chancellor or be loyal to an old friend?
Should he back Ministers when they wrong? Some he does some he does not.
Is he a man or mouse? Neither, he is inconsistent, and therefore unreliable.
His University Professor said of a Cameron speech on Human Rights
"Professor Bogdanor, himself a Liberal Democrat, said, "I think he is very confused. I've read his speech and it's filled with contradictions. There are one or two good things in it but one glimpses them, as it were, through a mist of misunderstanding"."
I could not put it better, it says it all.
Mrs Thatcher created the modern concept of Presidential/Dictatorial Prime Ministers who fail to understand when they are wrong but are extremely difficult to get rid of because they suppress all internal opposition. See also all prime minister since her.