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Insider Research
Understanding the heart of Westminster
Monday 15th June 2009 | 15:17
Lansley should be thanked by Cameron
Andrew Lansley – whose unexpectedly specific comments on spending last week have sparked a fierce partisan row over fiscal policy – has done David Cameron a favour and should be thanked for his efforts.
That’s the opinion of the PoliticsHome Phi100 panel, who were consulted about the recent debate in a survey yesterday.
The panel of political experts and insiders – which includes MPs and peers from across the political spectrum, as well as leading commentators, party strategists, and policy experts – reckon that the outspoken Shadow Health Secretary deserves a pat on the back from his leader by a margin of fifty to thirty two.
That view is held across the political spectrum, with left leaning panellists backing Lansley especially strongly.
"Andrew Lansley should be thanked by Cameron, not threatened with the sack, for sparking a row which seems to have gone the Tories' way and could be crucial for the election." Do you agree?
A non-aligned media panellist argued that: ‘Lansley was trying to treat the voters as intelligent people.’
A number of other panellists, though, were at pains to point out the accidental nature of Lansley’s comments.
A think tank head commented: ‘it would have been tactically more astute to have done it in a planned way.’
A right-leaning parliamentarian agreed, saying: ‘whichever way you look at it, Lansley still surprised Cameron, which isn't a good thing to recommend’.
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Grumpy Old Man
Cameron is beginning to worry me. First we had the Mercer affair, where a good man was sacked for telling the truth about human relations in the Army. Now we have Andrew Lansley castigated for articulating what everybody knows has to happen, namely a reduction in public spending as a percentage of GDP.
What is it with all career politicians that they have such an ambivalent relationship with reality? Interpreting facts to give an advantage is what politics is all about. Hiding or ignoring inconvenient truths and then shooting the messenger is classic incompetence theory stuff.
When the electorate has finally woken up to it's responsibilities in a liberal democracy, and the Tories have been pushing themselves as the Party of open government, such actions are going to raise eyebrows. Cameron is actually signalling more of the same and is treating us like fools - exactly what Labour have been doing for the last 12 years.
Wayne
Well done Mr Lansley,
Lets get the debate out into the open before the GE campaign start, hopefully it will stop Brown harping on about tory cuts, which are plain and obvious for the electorate to see !! Its about time someone was honest and bold !