Promoted by Alan Mabbutt on behalf of the Conservative Party, both at 30 Millbnk, London, SW1P 4DP

 

1.         Whitehall’s Dark Side(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124094881668064905.html)

Within a month of the G-20 circus leaving

London, British politics is back to business as usual. As the protagonists in “The Godfather” would explain to their victims, “it’s not personal, it’s business.”

Over the Easter weekend, a political blog published a series of emails sent by one of Gordon Brown’s personal advisers, Damian McBride. The emails revealed that No. 10 was planning a campaign of false and scurrilous attacks in the media on the private lives of leading Conservatives and their families.

2.         Gordon Brown in retreat after Gurkha manoeuvres(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6195227.ece)

Gordon Brown was struggling to maintain his authority over Labour MPs last night after suffering a shock Commons defeat on restricting the right of former Gurkhas to settle in

Britain.Twenty-seven Labour MPs voted against the Prime Minister and dozens abstained in favour of a Liberal Democrat motion that would give all Gurkhas who have served in the Armed Forces an equal right of residence. 

 3.         It’s all over for our Prime Minister    (http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-rentoul/john-rentoul-its-all-over-for-our-prime-minister-1676349.html)You know it is over when they laugh like that. Most of the noise in the Chamber of the House of Commons is uncouth and childish; it is also often manufactured, designed to harass and demoralise the other side. But when Gordon Brown headed for the exit after Prime Minister’s Questions, and had to turn round, realising that he was supposed to making a statement about Afghanistan and Pakistan, the laughter from the opposition benches – and from some on the Government side – was genuine. It was because it was genuine that it was so cruel.

4.  Gordon Brown has lost it, say ministers (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/5253590/Gordon-Brown-has-lost-it-say-ministers.html) The Prime Minister was forced to surrender in his battle to reform MPs’ expenses yesterday after backbenchers threatened to defy his authority for the second time in two days.The retreat was announced to avert another humiliating loss in the Commons, only 24 hours after the Government was defeated over the right of Gurkhas to live in Britain.

5.  The curse of Labour rule strikes again (http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/debate/article-1173404/WILLIAM-REES-MOGG-The-curse-Labour-rule-strikes-again.html)

Britain is condemned to a generation of austerity because the Government lost control of the economy. Chancellor Alistair Darling’s Budget speech was a disaster. The figures were grossly optimistic, but they were still terrible.The Budget forecast that debt would rise to £1.4trillion by 2013-14; the borrowing requirement over the next two years will total £348billion and will reach £703billion over five years.

Promoted by Alan Mabbutt on behalf of the Conservative Party, both at 30 Millbank,

London,

SW1P 4DP