I would hardly be the first person to point out that David Cameron and George Osborne do not really like each other, and have very little in common politically. Osborne calls himself "an economic and social liberal", and he revels in the name of "neocon". Although Cameron has his moments, the first is not a description with which he would be entirely comfortable, and therefore neither is the second.
Indeed, Cameron seems less and less a neocon. He can have underlings um and ah all he likes, but he has announced a timetable, even if it is far too longterm a timetable, for withdrawal from Afghanistan. And just look at his treatment of Liam Fox, encircled in his own Department, set up against a Foreign Office in full High Tory cry, and being taken down both from there and from Number 10, as well as from within.
So, after Fox, Osborne? After all, he will very, very soon be by far the most unpopular man in Britain. And after Osborne, who? When the "free" schools gimmick crashes and burns, then Michael Gove can be moved to Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster or something for a year, and then that will be the end of him.
Any more?
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If you're really arguing that Cameron will take down Osborne and Gove, his two closest Cabinet allies, then you either know nothing about UK politics and the Conservative party (very likely), are making a very contrived satirical joke (unlikely), or are simply delusional (probably the most likely of all)
ReplyDeleteHis closest allies? He doesn't really agree with them about anything - increasingly, he turns out to be hardly an economically and socially liberal neocon at all - and he could do without the competetion.
ReplyDeleteGove was already on the brink this weekend over the splendidly anti-capitalist cap on immigration. He has been talked down from the window ledge this time. But he can't be for ever. And Osborne is about to become the most gigantic liability.