Twerking twerp of the year: David Cameron for twerking at an Ibiza-style rave he hosted at Chequers to celebrate his wife Samantha’s 40th birthday – after branding top twerker Miley Cyrus a bad role model for kids.
Twerking twerp of the year: David Cameron for twerking at an Ibiza-style rave he hosted at Chequers to celebrate his wife Samantha’s 40th birthday – after branding top twerker Miley Cyrus a bad role model for kids.
DAVID Wooding gives a quick instant analysis of David Cameron’s keynote speech at the Conservative party conference in Manchester.
By DAVID WOODING in Manchester
DAVID Cameron has been forced to tear up his big speech to the Tory conference amid a backlash over a section urging people to pay off their credit card bills.
The Prime Minister had planned to tell supporters that the only way to end the financial crisis was to get rid of family debts.
But his remarks – briefed out by Number 10 ahead of this afternoon’s address – sparked claims he is out of touch.
Hard-hit families complained that they don’t have the spare cash to pay off the outstanding balances – and using plastic was the only way to buy essentials during hard times.
Experts also warned the economy would shrink even further if people stopped buying by credit card.
This morning Mr Cameron hastily re-wrote the section of the speech referring to the bills – and Number 10 staff hastily put out a “clarification” of the pre-briefed remarks.
Mr Cameron had planned to say: “The only way out of a debt crisis is to deal with your debts. That means households – all of us – paying off the credit card and store card bills.”
In his speech to the Manchester rally at 2.30 this afternoon he will now say: “The only way out of a debt crisis is to deal with your debts. That’s why households are paying down their credit card and store card bills.”
The PM will say he understands voters are living through an “anxious time” of rising bills and job losses and will promise to deliver real leadership for troubled times.
Foreign Secretary William Hague told the BBC it was common sense for people to pay off debts when they could and that the Government would lead the way.
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By DAVID WOODING in Manchester
The North-South divide is wider than at any time since the 1980s – with a huge gap in unemployment levels, school standards and health.
It presents a golden opportunity for David Cameron to succeed in Labour’s traditional heartlands by tackling this age-old problem.
But what can the Tories do for the North? Tonight we will attempt to answer that question at a fringe meeting at the Conservative party conference in Manchester.
I will be joining a panel of fellow Northerners to discuss what action can be taken to bridge the traditional gulf over the next few years.
With the electoral battleground moving further north, we will be asking why the Tories did so badly in the North at the last election and how they can do better next time.
Is it time for the government to have a proper strategy for the poorest counties in the land? And at a time when public services are being cut, what hope is there for a region which relies so heavily on them for work?
The panel includes Manchester MP Graham Brady, YouGov pollster Anthony Wells, Sir Richard Leese, the leader of Manchester City Council and David Skelton, deputy director of Policy Exchange think tank, who are organising the event.
The event kicks off at 5.15pm tonight in the Novotel Centre, 21 Dickinson Street, Manchester.
By DAVID WOODING in Manchester
IT went down a storm last time so who can blame George Osborne for pulling the same trick again.
The Chancellor announced a freeze on council tax for the second year running to help ease the strain on cash-strapped families.
The move will save the average household an estimated total of £144 over the past two years and means bills will not rise before April 2013 at the earliest.
Mr Osborne can’t force councils to peg council tax but he is stumping up an extra £805 million to give to those who limit spending increases to 2.5 per cent.
Labour have scoffed at the move, claiming it will only lead further cuts in services provided by town halls.
But deep down they know this will prove enormously popular with millions of families who struggle to pay what must be the most begrudge bill in their household budget.
Mr Osborne obviously remembers the huge applause he received in the conference hall – and mass acclaim outside – when he announced the current freeze on council bills.
That must have driven him to find the cash to put on a repeat performance at the Tories’ annual rally inManchester. Money will also be offered to Scottish and Welsh administrations to spend as they wish.
Mr Osborne said: “I am doing everything to help you, your family, to help the economy, to get people into work, to keep people in work.
“That is what we are working flat out on. We reject the idea that governments can’t do anything in the face of these global storms. My job is to take the difficult decisions that help families to put food on the table and keep the people in work who bring the bread home. That’s my job.
“We are working flat out, using every tool available to us. We are not standing on the sidelines.”
Follow me on Twitter: @davidwooding