Daily Archives: July 17, 2011

Jim Pickard David Cameron heads for South Africa with Bob Diamond and business delegation

July 17, 2011 11:59 pm by Jim Pickard

David Cameron faced a tricky decision last week ahead of a long-planned trip to sub-Saharan Africa, his first as prime minister. This was originally drawn up as a two-pronged journey which would focus both on trade (with a delegation of business types) but also on aid – with a chance for the prime minister to justify his controversial plan to lift aid spending to 0.7 per cent of GDP.

But Cameron and his aides realised that he would be open to criticism if he spent the best part of a week on a different continent while the phone hacking scandal rumbles on in the UK – and as the eurozone crisis escalates in southern Europe.

So what to do? Cancel or delay the trip to focus on the domestic crises? Or cut the trip in half to focus on either trade or aid? And if the latter, which should be the priority? Read more

Posted in David Cameron |

Jim Pickard When Miliband’s new mega-donor poured praise on David Cameron

July 17, 2011 10:26 am by Jim Pickard

Andrew Rosenfeld, who is giving Labour at least £1m in several instalments, is putting much of the money towards winning over voters in marginal constituencies. That is apt as the property tycoon is no stranger to the concept of swing voters – given his own switch from Labour to the Tories and back again.

Last summer Rosenfeld, former chief executive of Minerva, was quoted in the Sunday Times saying that David Cameron was “the man for the job – no doubt about it“.

Labour had “run out of time“, he mused. “People have had enough. We are tired of the whole Labour message.” In fact David Cameron was “the only person who has the real capability of governing.” Read more

Posted in David Cameron, Ed Miliband |