"Steady the Buffs" but get those sabres drawn ready for the cut and thrust

I have been known to write comments on other people's blogs when the opinion polls have swung against the Conservatives to the effect that we need to hold our nerve and wait until we can see the whites of the enemy's eyes. It seems to me that the time has arrived for 'General' Cameron to order his forces to launch a full-scale attack.

I say this because it appears, according to the Press Association, that there are some rather naive folk who are so shallow and mis-informed that they would be willing to vote Labour if they thought the economy was recovering before Brown calls the next general election.

PA reports that: "The ICM poll for The Guardian suggests 8% of voters currently planning to vote Conservative or Liberal Democrat would consider backing Labour if the economy turned a corner. While the Tories are still 12 points clear, such a swing could be enough to return Labour as the largest party in the House of Commons."

We are now into the total-war phase of this campaign. It is the time to start slashing with those sabres and cut down all the lies, half-truths and spin that has characterised Labour for the last 12 years. And now is the time to implement the real strategy that will show the waverers that they are backing the wrong army.

Can we trust this man? Yes we can.....!

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Mandelson is an alien life form!

The One Show In town?

I was pleasantly impressed by David Cameron's appearance on the BBC's "One Show" last night and thought his willingness to agree that Gordon Brown's favourite recipe was very tasty was very magnaminous of him!

(You will need to fast forward to about 28 minutes or so before you see him pretending to die!)

Good for the Conservatives? I think so.

Labour MPs frightened by David Cameron

Tom Harris, my favourite Labour MP blogger, has stuck his neck out again. This time he is agitated by David Cameron's promise that the number of MPs sitting in the House of Commons would be cut by at least 10% - around 60 seats would disappear.

But dear old Tom Harris, sitting on an 11,000 majority for Glasgow South is not happy. "This kind of promise - like the one made by his predecessor, Michael Howard, before the 2005 election – is lazy and cynical. Also popular, which is why he made it."

Well Tom, we have to ask you what's lazy about looking at the current system and deciding it needs changing? Not just because it has an inbuilt bias for the Labour Party. (That would be cynical - and Labour doesn't do cynical, does it? My arse!)

No, the real reason is that the HoC has been packed with a raft of journeymen (and journeywomen - don't want to offend Harriet!) since 1997 who would better placed to be local councillors and union representatives for the increasing numbers of people in the state sector.

It's time for change. If this country is going survive the Brown-induced recession we need less central government and more people who are capable of dealing with local issues.

Just think how much more efficient the economy would be if half of the current Labour MPs returned to their old jobs after the next general election. I'm sure this would be a very popular change for most of the electorate.

It's Official: It's PC To Vote Conservative!

At last the electorate seem to realise that a Conservative government is the most likely outcome of the next general election - at least according to THIS on the Political Betting blog. " These numbers from the five major polling firms are going to move up and down but the overall picture is the same - the Tories are in the 40s and Labour are in the 20s - which suggests a substantial Tory majority after the next election." (Mike Smithson, the editor of the blog, is even buying Conservative seats again after a bit of a wobble last week!)

How far this is because people are fed up with Labour or because they are inspired by the alternative vision being offered by Cameron's Conservatives remains to be seen. Certainly, David Cameron's speech in Glasgow East earlier in the week on the need for individuals to take personal responsibility for their lives is not being treated with the usual general derision in the media. In fact, the reaction is quite the opposite and he is being praised for his courage in going against the years of Labour spin and political correctness.

All this bodes well but there are those members of the commentariat that still like to see Brown and his woeful government as having a snowball in hell's chance of retaining office. Matthew D'Ancona in the Sunday Telegraph , for example, reckons that Gordon Brown is still up for it. To be fair he does ask "...Can this battered, bloodied, remarkable man come back from the lip of the abyss?....".

My response was - "The simple answer, Matthew, is no. I do wonder at times if you really know as much as you think you do about the inner-workings of the Labour inner-circle. You think that Brown is a "remarkable man"? If that means he became the un-elected Prime Minister of the country because he was so brilliant then you are sadly mistaken. He has already shown he does not have the skills, ability and experience to deal with the demands of such a high office. The only remarkable thing about Gordon Brown is that he is an obvious loser - always has been, always will be."

That's telling yoo, Jimmy!

Lord Tebbitt Gives Cameron A Job Reference

Lord Tebbitt has today given his full support to Boris Johnson's bid to become London mayor, especially his stance on the expansion of cycling in the capital. Speaking from his office behind the bike sheds at Westminster he said: " It's important to encourage young people to get off their arses and go and look for a job. That's what my father did and that's what all these feckless youths need to do now."

Boris Johnson welcomed this strong support from the former airline pilot but pointed out all job applicants who follow his advice should ensure that they comply with the law. He called for "zero tolerance" of cyclists who break the rules. He said: "I am a militant cyclist myself and I love cycling and I want more people to cycle in London, but part of the deal has got to be that if we are going to expand cycling in London ... we cyclists have got to obey the laws of the road." Mr Johnson is known to oppose a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

In the meantime, David Cameron - who has recently applied for the job of Prime Minister - has been accused of reckless cycling and failing to go left at a bollard. The Daily Mirror reported that he always went to the right. If only!