2030 GMT
London
Saturday
02 January 2010
Editor © Muhammad Haque
KHOODEELAAR! TOLD YOU SO!
In less than a few hours since we published the dissection of UK CON D Cameron’s 'campaign' as being worse than anything seen before he confirms the worst of our suspicions: he is NOT about sorting out the economy but is bent on exacerbating it by getting into an even zealous war mode!
David Cameron offers Labour and Lib Dems seats in 'war cabinet'
David Cameron has attempted to steal a march on Labour and the Liberal Democrats by announcing plans for a cross-party "war cabinet" to take charge of operations in Afghanistan.
By Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor
Published: 8:00PM GMT 02 Jan 2010
Conservative party leader David Cameron speaks at the Oxford School of Drama studios in Woodstock, Oxfordshire Photo: PA
In a speech billed as the launch of his party's general election campaign, the Conservative leader said his message was one of "unity" rather than of the political "dividing lines".
He said he would invite the leaders of the other two main parties to attend key sessions of his planned new national security council if the Tories won power.
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His speech on Saturday, attacked by Labour as "all spin and no substance", came as Sir John Major, the former prime minister, criticised Tony Blair over the way the war in Iraq had been presented.
Sir John told Radio 4's Today programme he had reluctantly backed the war because he believed Mr Blair's claims about weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
However, the Chilcot Inquiry had suggested there were doubts about WMD even before the 2003 invasion – leaving Saddam Hussein's status as a "bad man" the only reason for toppling him.
"The argument that someone is a bad man is an inadequate argument for war and certainly an inadequate and unacceptable argument for regime change," Sir John added.
Tory sources said Mr Cameron's national security council would include key cabinet ministers and defence chiefs. The Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders would not attend every meeting but would be invited "regularly", they added.
A key part of Mr Cameron's strategy for the election, which must be held by early June, is to paint the Tories as forward-looking and united, in contrast with what he sees as Mr Brown's divided Labour Party.
He spoke of the need for "tough decisions" but in a generally upbeat address stressed Britain had a "bright economic future".
Mr Cameron added: "If we win this year's election, Britain will be under new economic management. We will send out the loudest signal that this country is back open for business and ready for investment."
He insisted that a Conservative administration would "redistribute power from the political elite to the man and woman in the street", with the "most radical decentralisation of power this country has seen for generations".
The Conservative leader pledged new action to tackle the scandal of MPs' expenses, claiming: "Government will enter a new era of transparency.
"And a strong, unbroken line of democratic accountability will be restored between the people and those that make the decisions that affect their lives.
"Over the past four years, we have always tried to work with other parties rather than looking for political dividing lines where none exist.
"We backed Tony Blair's school reforms and renewing Trident even though on both occasions we could have inflicted a damaging defeat on the Government.
"And we worked with the Liberal Democrats to get justice for the Gurkhas."
For Labour, Ben Bradshaw, the Culture Secretary, said: "The next election will be a big choice about the change we want for Britain.
"Labour offers change for the mainstream middle. Helping families to keep their homes and jobs during the downturn, investing in education and apprenticeships, and helping people to get on – not just get by.
"It is clear that 2010 will be a year of sound bites not substance from David Cameron, but no amount of expensive and slick PR can disguise the fact that the Conservatives would scrap your right to see a cancer specialist within two weeks and target tax cuts on the wealthiest few."
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London
Saturday
02 January 2010
Editor © Muhammad Haque
KHOODEELAAR! TOLD YOU SO!
In less than a few hours since we published the dissection of UK CON D Cameron’s 'campaign' as being worse than anything seen before he confirms the worst of our suspicions: he is NOT about sorting out the economy but is bent on exacerbating it by getting into an even zealous war mode!
David Cameron offers Labour and Lib Dems seats in 'war cabinet'
David Cameron has attempted to steal a march on Labour and the Liberal Democrats by announcing plans for a cross-party "war cabinet" to take charge of operations in Afghanistan.
By Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor
Published: 8:00PM GMT 02 Jan 2010
Conservative party leader David Cameron speaks at the Oxford School of Drama studios in Woodstock, Oxfordshire Photo: PA
In a speech billed as the launch of his party's general election campaign, the Conservative leader said his message was one of "unity" rather than of the political "dividing lines".
He said he would invite the leaders of the other two main parties to attend key sessions of his planned new national security council if the Tories won power.
Related Articles
Cameron promises 'fairer, safer, green country'
Local elections: Labour suffers humiliating defeat
Bedford council local election 2009
Isle of Wight council local election 2009
Somerset county council local election 2009
Bristol city council local election 2009"When a nation is at war it needs to come together and to pull together," Mr Cameron told an audience in Oxfordshire.
His speech on Saturday, attacked by Labour as "all spin and no substance", came as Sir John Major, the former prime minister, criticised Tony Blair over the way the war in Iraq had been presented.
Sir John told Radio 4's Today programme he had reluctantly backed the war because he believed Mr Blair's claims about weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
However, the Chilcot Inquiry had suggested there were doubts about WMD even before the 2003 invasion – leaving Saddam Hussein's status as a "bad man" the only reason for toppling him.
"The argument that someone is a bad man is an inadequate argument for war and certainly an inadequate and unacceptable argument for regime change," Sir John added.
Tory sources said Mr Cameron's national security council would include key cabinet ministers and defence chiefs. The Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders would not attend every meeting but would be invited "regularly", they added.
A key part of Mr Cameron's strategy for the election, which must be held by early June, is to paint the Tories as forward-looking and united, in contrast with what he sees as Mr Brown's divided Labour Party.
He spoke of the need for "tough decisions" but in a generally upbeat address stressed Britain had a "bright economic future".
Mr Cameron added: "If we win this year's election, Britain will be under new economic management. We will send out the loudest signal that this country is back open for business and ready for investment."
He insisted that a Conservative administration would "redistribute power from the political elite to the man and woman in the street", with the "most radical decentralisation of power this country has seen for generations".
The Conservative leader pledged new action to tackle the scandal of MPs' expenses, claiming: "Government will enter a new era of transparency.
"And a strong, unbroken line of democratic accountability will be restored between the people and those that make the decisions that affect their lives.
"Over the past four years, we have always tried to work with other parties rather than looking for political dividing lines where none exist.
"We backed Tony Blair's school reforms and renewing Trident even though on both occasions we could have inflicted a damaging defeat on the Government.
"And we worked with the Liberal Democrats to get justice for the Gurkhas."
For Labour, Ben Bradshaw, the Culture Secretary, said: "The next election will be a big choice about the change we want for Britain.
"Labour offers change for the mainstream middle. Helping families to keep their homes and jobs during the downturn, investing in education and apprenticeships, and helping people to get on – not just get by.
"It is clear that 2010 will be a year of sound bites not substance from David Cameron, but no amount of expensive and slick PR can disguise the fact that the Conservatives would scrap your right to see a cancer specialist within two weeks and target tax cuts on the wealthiest few."
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