Originally published @ 12:38 am, Mon 6th Sep 2010
The reputation of individual Conservatives has come to the fore this week.
Tony Blair’s book apparently suggests that the emphasis we put on Tory sleaze in the nineties was a bit unfair http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1570724/Tony-Blair-Im-sorry-for-sleaze-attacks.html , and certainly Alistair Campbell was very clear that we should do nothing but accept William Hague’s statement this week http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog/2010/09/02/torybashing-in-abeyance-best-wishes-to-william-and-ffion-hague/ . Didn’t stop an Observer journalist launching a long critique on the style and substance of Hague and his statement. But Alistair is right. We can’t be joining in with something that looks like a personal vendetta (seemingly from bloggers of the right) and any link to his fitness for Foreign Secretary just seems tenuous and contrived.
As for calling for an inquiry into phone tapping by the then News of the World editor, the Labour leadership candidates (on the Sky news debate) were unanimous – it was needed. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/05/mps-seek-phone-hacking-investigation
One website reported – “All five Labour leadership candidates have called for an investigation, whilst the education secretary Michael Gove has accused Labour of "recycling allegations".”
Well, I wonder who picked out Michael Gove to lead a defence? He should be the first target for challenge over his character and reputation. He rushed through legislation for new types of academies only for only 32 to be formed this month in response to his haste. In June, he said there had been an expression of interest from over a thousand schools when it turns out there had only been 153. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/news/2010/09/02/reality-check-115875-22530644/
There are only 16 “free schools” to be launched.
All this on top of the chaos of his cancelling of many Building for Schools projects, (actually prompting a defection to Labour - http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2010/09/04/gove-made-me-ashamed-to-be-a-conservative-says-senior-tory-councillor-as-she-joins-labour/ ) it’s Michael Gove that deserves the strongest criticism for his reputation and conduct.
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