Letters From A Tory Daily views on British politics and the Conservative Party from a centre-right thinker who writes letters on his blog to politicians, journalists and many others.

Dear Ken Clarke,
You’ve been a little quieter than usual in recent months as Lord Mandelson, your opposite number, has been strutting his stuff in Downing Street and elsewhere.  Perhaps now is the time to think hard about policy in the run up to conference season, although I suspect that the Minimum Wage is probably not [...]

“Jogging is for people who are not intelligent enough to watch breakfast television”
- Kenneth Clarke, Shadow Business Secretary

“[Alistair Darling] should be slowing down the growth of public spending to the levels he’s admitted he’s going to have to reduce them to the year after. I’m sure Gordon Brown told him, ‘no, no, no more restraint in public spending on top of what we’ve already done this side of an election’. Gordon wants [...]

Dear Ken Clarke,
Much has been made of your pro-EU stance in returning to the Shadow Cabinet.  Expectations are running high in terms of your policies and credibility as our economy continues its march towards new lows every week, if not every day.  Peter Mandelson has already landed himself in trouble with his contentious decision to delay [...]

Dear Ken Clarke,
As I predicted a little while ago, your return to the Shadow Cabinet has pushed Alan Duncan out of the picture.  In the last letter I wrote to Alan Duncan, I explained to him why his performance as Shadow Business Secretary was simply unacceptable as he had done little more than give quotes to newspapers [...]

Dear Alan Duncan,
I fear that this may be the last letter I write to you on this blog.  Such has been your woeful performance as Shadow Business Secretary, your position has becoming extremely vulnerable.  With a reshuffle on the Conservative frontbench now thought to be imminent, the last thing any sensible Shadow Cabinet member would [...]