Mike Smithson
speculates, on his Political Betting website, on what the future holds for
former conservative chancellor George Osborne.
Apparently 15 years ago, with Blair’s Labour Party at its peak, he asked
Osborne if New Labour could ever be beaten.
Osborne replied by saying: “Labour could be vulnerable if we played the
English card”.
I wonder if sometime in
the future the former chancellor might find it politically advantageous to beat
the drum for English nationhood and call for an English Parliament.
If Paul Nuttall becomes leader of UKIP and
continues to call for an English Parliament could the Conservatives be dragged
along in UKIP’s wake just as it was by Nigel Farage’s campaign for the EU
Referendum and Brexit?
Perhaps if George
Osborne’s political career is one day resurgent we may yet see him leading the calls for the English card to be
played by the Conservatives – they may find themselves in a situation in which
they have no alternative.
Here is Mike
Smithson’s article and a link to the original.
But don't write off George Osborne yet.
For a man
who still looks quite youthful Osborne has been at the top of British politics
for a long time. He was in his mid-30s when the then CON leader, Michael
Howard, made him shadow chancellor. He kept hold of this brief throughout the
coalition years and when the Tories won a majority in May last year.
His
sacking by the incoming May leadership in July marked the end of an era. He’s
now a backbencher. For unlike his close colleague, David Cameron, Osborne
decided to stay around under the new leadership even though he doesn’t have an
official role anymore.
But
Osborne is still a player and my guess is that when the Theresa May leadership
is eventually toppled George will still be there.
I’ve
always had a respect for him after him meeting him for the first tine even
before he was an MP a few months before the 2001 General Election. Tony Blair
was totally at his peak dominating everything. He seemed to be unstoppable.
The
occasion was a college dinner Oxford and I found myself sitting next to the
then PPC for Tatton. How could, I quizzed the aspiring MP, Blair’s New Lab ever
be beaten. He responded with a suggestion that turned out to be highly
prescient – “Labour could be vulnerable if we played the English card”.
He’s
always been the great political strategist. Watch this space.
No comments:
Post a Comment