Saturday, March 13, 2010
The future of the Tory Shadow Chancellor
Interesting article in today's Times regarding the relationship between the Conservative Leader and his Shadow Chancellor. Curiously, considering the election is so close, David Cameron seems to be hinting that George Osborne might not be his first choice for Chancellor if he becomes Prime Minister:
In an interview with Sir Trevor McDonald to be broadcast tomorrow, Mr Cameron acknowledges that although the pair are friends, “we recognise that there are tensions in any political relationship”.
Asked if he could dismiss Mr Osborne, the Tory leader says: “Yes, and we’ve had that conversation. He is a good friend but we’ve had that conversation a number of times over the past four years.”
He added: “To be fair to George, he said if ever you want to move me to another job it is your decision and it is your right. Also, it was his decision and drive to bring back Ken Clarke, an ex-Chancellor. George is a big man. He understands politics is about big decisions and he wanted to bring Ken back, the last Chancellor to bring us out of a recession, and I thought, ‘Great’.”
One of the problems facing the Tories in this election is the credibility of their Shadow Chancellor. People consistently rate him as a lightweight, whilst Osborne has failed to impress with his judgement on the British economy. Is Cameron preparing the ground to tackle that problem with a last minute reshuffle?
In an interview with Sir Trevor McDonald to be broadcast tomorrow, Mr Cameron acknowledges that although the pair are friends, “we recognise that there are tensions in any political relationship”.
Asked if he could dismiss Mr Osborne, the Tory leader says: “Yes, and we’ve had that conversation. He is a good friend but we’ve had that conversation a number of times over the past four years.”
He added: “To be fair to George, he said if ever you want to move me to another job it is your decision and it is your right. Also, it was his decision and drive to bring back Ken Clarke, an ex-Chancellor. George is a big man. He understands politics is about big decisions and he wanted to bring Ken back, the last Chancellor to bring us out of a recession, and I thought, ‘Great’.”
One of the problems facing the Tories in this election is the credibility of their Shadow Chancellor. People consistently rate him as a lightweight, whilst Osborne has failed to impress with his judgement on the British economy. Is Cameron preparing the ground to tackle that problem with a last minute reshuffle?
