Spot the difference


by Guest    
11:30 am - July 17th 2010

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contribution by Cory Hazlehurst

Steve Bell on David Cameron, after seeing him talk to fishermen in Grimsby, May 5th 2010:

[At 0.58] “What he (Cameron) does have is this assured set of poses and presentational devices. They’re very effective, but I’m not sure for how long they will be”.


Martin Kettle’s column in the Guardian, July 8th, 2010.

Cameron, in such a short time, has already become such an asset to his party, to his government and, if one may say this, to his country, too. Good manners should be a necessary not a sufficient condition for advancement in politics…

A certain grace has marked Cameron’s outings on the international stage, too…

The seductions of cliquism and presidentialism to which Blair succumbed are off limits because of the hung parliament. A good thing, too, and Cameron has adapted with an admirably sure touch…

Cameron has played a blinder. He is showing himself as potentially the best all-round prime minister of the modern era. Labour’s hopefuls should learn from him. No doubt about it, Cameron wins this season’s political golden boot.

Well, they seem to have been effective for a couple of months, at least.

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Reader comments


1. Mike Killingworth

And this is worth being posted here… why, exactly?

2. Bob B

“And this is worth being posted here… why, exactly?”

“And this is worth being posted here… why, exactly?”

To remind us all that Blair, with Alastair Campbell as his Communications Director, first shook us up with the politics of presentation. Cameron is now trying to prove that the Conservatives can do it just as well.

Recap: when John Major became PM in 1990, he appointed a Treasury career civil servant as his press scretary – Gus O’Donnell, who is now Cabinet secretary and head of the civil service:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_O'Donnell

Blair broke the mould by appointing Campbell, from outside the civil service, as his press secretary and the Director of Government Communications in Downing Street. It was necessary to pass legislation empowering Campbell to issue instructions to civil servants.

A few of us thought that was a good enough reason for not trusting Blair from the start, an assessment which subsequent events amply justified.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    Spot the difference http://bit.ly/8YV5wr

  2. Chris Stagg

    RT @libcon: Spot the difference http://bit.ly/8YV5wr – cartoonist Steve Bell on characterisation of Cameron

  3. Alison Starr

    RT @libcon: Spot the difference http://bit.ly/8YV5wr

  4. yorkierosie

    RT @libcon: Spot the difference http://bit.ly/8YV5wr

  5. Martin Shovel

    RT @libcon: Spot the difference http://bit.ly/8YV5wr Between David Halibut & a Cameron?!

  6. Cory Hazlehurst

    RT @libcon Spot the difference http://bit.ly/8YV5wr <——that's me!

  7. Alison Charlton

    RT @libcon "Cameron does have is this assured set of poses," Steve Bell with Dave and fishermen in Grimsby: 2 min video http://bit.ly/atYXWW

  8. Therese

    RT @chuzzlit: RT @libcon "Cameron does have is this assured set of poses," Steve Bell with Dave and fishermen in Grimsby: 2 min video http://bit.ly/atYXWW





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