Phi Wire Hand Picked Politics - Live

  • Guido Fawkes | "Loongate" is the political equivalent of the "Ratner Moment". Gerald Ratner moc...

    • source icon
    • 12:02
    • Guido Fawkes

  • Paul Waugh | Sayeeda Warsi was 'Tory co-chairman' w/ Andrew Feldman. Now @grantshapps + Feldm...

    • source icon
    • 11:43
    • Paul Waugh

  • Alex Belardinelli | Reassured to see that it only took til 9.42 this morning for a @Swiveleyedloons ...

    • source icon
    • 11:21
    • Alex Belardinelli

  • Alex Massie | The swivel-eyed loons in the Conservative party are revolting. And they are righ...

    • source icon
    • 10:58
    • Spectator

  • WHO RUNS UK? PM weak, shrill, despised by his MPs who are bullied by loons and M...

    • source icon
    • 10:19
    • Paul Flynn Mp

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

PoliticsHome. All Todays Politics In One Place

Story Tracker

Select Story:

Major whip slams Osbo

Major whip slams Osbo
A former Tory chief whip has lashed out at George Osborne and David Cameron, saying they are "tacticians" without a strategic vision for the Government.

Lord Ryder, who served as chief whip in John Major's government, accused the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of being "obsessed" with 24 hour news at the expense of the bigger picture.

Responding to claims that Mr Osborne spends too much time focused on political strategy, he said: "He's not a strategist at all, he's a tactician. Both he and Mr Cameron are tacticians and this government lacks a strategist...

"He and Mr Cameron seem to be obsessed with the management of 24 hour news, they're news editors, if you like, news managers, not strategists."

There was better news for Mr Osborne earlier when the head of the OECD gave his backing to the Coalition's austerity measures.

Yesterday's announcement that the UK economy had contracted by 0.7% in Q2 put the pressure on Mr Osborne and led the former Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Lord Oakeshott to joke that he was "doing surprisingly well for a Chancellor on work experience".

But OECD General Secretary José Ángel Gurría defended the Chancellor, saying he should stay the course and was "sowing the seeds of what will be the elements for recovery" and "you have to have credible public finances before you start moving on the growth".

Lord Oakeshott called for Business Secretary Vince Cable to be considered for the role. Mr Cable told the media that while he would "probably" be a good fit for the position, the Chancellor was doing a good job:

"I’m not pushing for the job. We’re part of a team; we have a collectively agreed policy, and I’m delivering on my bit of it, which centres particularly on the area of industrial strategy, and I’m not proposing a radically different approach. I would be building on what George Osborne has already achieved."

Related News

Green Box: Major whip slams OsboClick to open

+ Expand all - Collapse all

Recommended External Links

Full access for £22 a month...

PoliticsHome PRO Find out more

Related PRO Content

Free Trial

On air

OECD General Secretary: Osborne needs to stay the course

26/07/2012 on BBC Radio 4

On air

Vince Cable: Struggling economy is once in a century phenomenon

26/07/2012 on Today, BBC Radio 4

Press Release

Rachel Reeves: It would be unwise for Osborne to take false comfort from the head of the OECD

26/07/2012

On air

Lord Ryder: Osborne and Cameron are tacticians, not strategists

26/07/2012 on The World at One, BBC Radio 4

On air

Lord Lamont: Lord Oakeshott should put a sock in it

26/07/2012 on The World at One, BBC Radio 4

On air

Lord Sassoon: Osborne is a full-time Chancellor

26/07/2012 on PM, BBC Radio 4

On air

Sir Martin Sorrell: Very confident Olympics will make economic contribution

26/07/2012 on Channel 4 News

Latest PRO Content

Free Trial

On Air

Summaries and transcripts from TV and radio

Simon Danczuk: Major failings over child grooming cases

2 hours ago on Week in Westminster, BBC Radio 4

Nicola Blackwood: Authorities did not take grooming claims seriously

2 hours ago on Week in Westminster, BBC Radio 4

John Baron: Cameron does listen, but you have to apply a little bit of pressure

2 hours ago on Week in Westminster, BBC Radio 4

See all On Air

Commons Reports

Ed Miliband a 'wishy washy wally' on Europe

16/05/2013

Transcript

Keith Joseph Memorial Lecture - Michael Gove on Keith Joseph and Cameron's Conservatism

16/05/2013

See all Transcripts

Press Releases

Church of England: Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill

5 hours ago

See all Press Releases

Lobby Briefings

Downing Street plays down Hammond comments

17/05/2013

See all Lobby Briefings