The sale of Channel 4 is politicians and civil servants thinking they know more about how to run a business than the people who run it. Very unconservative. Mrs Thatcher, who created it, never made that mistake.
Damian Green
7,282 posts
Damian Green
@DamianGreen
Chair Social Care Foundation. Former MP for Ashford and First Secretary of State.
Joined November 2011
- I’m hugely disappointed that the whole of Kent has been put into Tier 3. Before lockdown we were in Tier 1 so what has lockdown achieved? We need the full analysis made public. #RoadToRecovery
- I hope the Sunday Times story about the BBC is kite-flying. Destroying the BBC wasn’t in our manifesto and would be cultural vandalism. “Vote Tory and close Radio 2”. Really?
- There are times and places where we should be strict with asylum applications. Afghanistan today is the exact opposite. We should take anyone who can make a case.
- The second test is the most unconservative statement I have ever heard from a Conservative politician. Giving the state the explicit power to override every legal constraint is what Putin and Xi do. We absolutely cannot go there.In tomorrow’s @Telegraph , I set out the five tests that the Prime Minister’s emergency legislation must meet to stop the boats. telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/…
- I don’t use Twitter for personal stuff but as an exception I am today celebrating the birth of my first grandchild (a boy) so politics can cope with itself this week!
- This is garbage. Under any previous PM in these circumstances someone senior from No 10 would have been at the SAGE meetings to hear the debate.Remarkable story from The Guardian. Cummings' place on SAGE must considerably lessen the authority of Downing St "guided by the science" line, given we now know, that to some extent at least, that scientific advice has been influenced by well, Downing St. theguardian.com/world/2020/apr…
- The latest example of really bad political journalism. I read in the i that I am co-ordinating rebel efforts against the PM. It’s total garbage, and the journalist writing it has made no attempt to contact me to check it. What happened to basic standards?
- Couldn’t agree more. Everyone who has campaigned against No Deal, from any Party, now can put their vote where their mouth is.We’ve got a great new deal that takes back control — now Parliament should get Brexit done on Saturday so we can move on to other priorities like the cost of living, the NHS, violent crime and our environment #GetBrexitDone #TakeBackControl
- Interesting email from all UK Farmers’ Unions saying they “simply cannot countenance” No Deal. Farmers voted heavily to leave, so it show that Brexit and No Deal are not the same thing.
- Stepping back a little, it seems self evident both that NHS staff deserve the right PPE and that it should be used in the right way. Not the right time for point-scoring.It is quite frankly insulting to imply frontline staff are wasting PPE. There are horrific stories of NHS staff and care workers not having the equipment they need to keep them safe. The Government must act to ensure supplies are delivered. theguardian.com/society/2020/a…
- I voted for the Privilege Committee report because it is full of convincing evidence and, in addition, if the Commons asks a Committee to do a job it should support it even if the results are uncomfortable.
- No Deal would be terrible. So continuing the talks is good news. Nothing much else to say today.
