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Yes, somehow I don't think (especially with the offer of dinner being a bit uncertain, that's just rude) that David Cameron and his good lady will be indulging "Howling Mad Howlett" any time soon.

You can always trust the Daily Hate, can't you?

Is this crap taken seriously at Westminster? It certainly isn't in the real world.

I wouldn't mind having Howlett round. Sounds like a good bloke. What do they like up there - is it mushy peas?

I've never heard of the other four picks...

R U spendin enuf time readin Tatler?

I don't think I'm Tatler's target demographic, somehow.

(Anyone want to enlighten me on what Tatler's target audience is?)

The wealthy parents of 'the ideal party guests' would be my hunch, Iain.


No, I think it's some of that guacamole...

Well this all very nice indeed, but now feel free to call me an old fashioned voter if you like, but I thought the main priorty of political leaders is to focus seriously on there job in politics? or is this 'who's to be seen with' lark part of the ultra new 'conservatives' modernising agenda even I didn't know about?, where basically you say 'bugger the political nonsense' and just see who's famous dinner table you can park your feet under!, still true to form that old party animal Mr C is in St Tropez and a nightclub tonight alongside 400 chummy friends, waging the battle to show the conservatives are really worth voting for again, well if he was busy elsewhere drumming up some actual policys instead of tripping the light fantastic then maybe old darling Dave might be worth voting for!!!

This is nothing more that superficial image CRAP with a capital 'C' ..now please do excuse me while I go & stick a plastic bag over my head, as this voter just can't take it anymore!

I remember suggesting on this site that politics was, to use the well worn cliche, "show business for ugly people". I got howled down because those that didn't like it thought politics is about being earnest about policies, and fixing problems and being serious with weighty manifestos. There's a place for that, but I don't think that's the majority of day-to-day politics anymore in our 2006 celebrity culture (and there's no point complaining about that either).

The reality is that being earnest is a turn-off for voters you need to turn around in order to win, unless you are in a position to actually deliver (i.e. already be in government).

DC understands that when you are in Opposition you have to dance, because all publicity is good publicity. It's not serious, it's not earnest. It's not very stoic, not very traditionally British, not very respectable. But the problem for the Conservative Party is that the voters it needs to win aren't like that any more, either.

So to get their attention he has to dance. If you want a Conservative government again DC has to do this. I'm afraid we're all going to have to suck it up, people! It's not ideal but it's the game and DC knows it. And I think he is playing it well.

Distasteful to us? Yes. But isn't the goal of a broadly-based, centre-right government in Britain again, worth it?

Might it be worth pointing out that, on this occasion, Cameron hasn't actually done anything (be that positive or otherwise). He can hardly stop magazines naming him in silly lists!

Della Petch - you express succinctly what so many think !

If the world's becoming more international, finance-based and plutocratic the party has to be glamorous at the top. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, excellent.

Will our PR phenomenon prove himself to be a leadership phenomenon? Too many Bromleys and it's all going to end in tears - without even a penalty shoot-out.

'show business for ugly people' reminds me of the reason that alcohol was invented - so that ugly people could get a sh.....are of the action. Politics is obviously also a drug.

There are three stages to a political programme.

1. First comes the big idea, and the values - the statement as to what is important - the defining of success. (Cameron's started with GWB/not GDP and Compassionate Conservatism)

2. As the values encounter real world events, they translate into policies. (Hellooooooooo)

3. Finally the policies need to be presented and sold. (Mmmmmmmmmmm)

People are crying out to hear about stage 2 as they don't see much or any of it, and they want to feel the power surge from stage 3.. But they are not looking at what is available, the pieces of Stage 1 which are starting to appear.

Once you know what someone's values and big idea are, you know what to expect from them later on. Why don't people read Compassionate Conservatism? (Cameron can't be the first good looking politician surely)

Indeed that book has predicted exactly what would be announced in terms of tone of policy and direction. Got through it in a day. Pretty wimpy stuff and doesnt really explain why compassionate conservatism is better than the "other tradition".

Its probably worth having a read through their previous publications for future policy announcements eh Cameron? Just another reason to believe this Party is intellectually redundant.

How about a section where readers can post and comment on policy ideas for the Party, Mr Montgomerie?

Criticising someone else for being stupid or uncreative rather than suggesting ideas is itself stupid and uncreative.

I'm with Cllr Iain Lindley on this one. Who on earth are picks 2-5? I have not heard of any of them before.

As someone who is only days short of hitting the grim horror of becoming 32, am I somewhere within the target audience of this magazine?

Tom Hollander is a pretty good actor,I haven't heard of the others either.Was it a particularly slow newsday Tim?

Tone says: How dare these arrivistes Camerons get invited to the Top Tatler Parties. I'm the party king with my lovely ladee wife. New Party! New Labour! Here's Tone's Top Ten Party MustHaves:

1) Sir Cliff of Richard. Thassrightsir! We're All Goin Ona Summa Holiday, No More Bills To Pay Cos We're Staying Free With Yoooo..

2) Sir Noel of Oddmonds. Sir Noel's a must-have at any house party! With his cosmic twittering he's a hit with the ladeez (with Cherie anyway).

3) Sir Peter of Riddell. Britain's Top Columnist will wow us with an after dinner speech - subject - "why everyone's wrong about Tone and why he's the bestest eva" - with Hip Hop accompaniment from Moss Def and breakdancing by the Lord Mogg Mogadons. Keep it real man!

4) Officer Dibble from Top Cat. Taking the place of Sir Ian Blair -- too hot to handle! and Cherry can't be doing with gunfights of an evening -- Officer Dibble will make any newlab gathering swell as he explains how his 2d approach to chasing stray cats was the inspiration for the Met's highly effective crackdown on street crime.

5) That's enough of Tone's Top Guests - ed.

Graeme, you should not expect Officer Dibble to be mixing in such exalted company.As I'm sure you are well aware he has his hands full dealing with the lowlifes that inhabit that alley including TC,Benny and Choo Choo. He is after all a 'proper' policeman.

I can't imagine Officer Dibble arresting someone for wearing a "Bollocks To Blair" T-shirt, which is probably as close as we can get to defining a 'proper' policeman in these "Sir" Ian Blair dark days.

Now there is one name who will never appear at a dinner party in the Geoff household...

Perhaps that might have made for a more interesting survey - "Top 10 People I Would Rather Gnaw My Own Arm Off Than Sit Next To At A Dinner Party"...

Come to that William, why dont people read Conservative Revival edited by Chris Philp. I bought it from I. Dale, and it really worth a read.

And you call yourself a serious political blog? The Conservatives, God bless them, forced an emergency debate in the Commons yesterday on the situation in Afghanistan. Liam Fox and his team, did tolerably well, and put the government under some pressure.

If you can't even be bothered to report this kind of activity on you blog, and devote your space to trivia, then you can hardly be surpised if people switch off and you become a minority interest for political nerds.

In many senses, your Blog typifies exactly what is wrong with the Conservative Party - totally self-obsessed and detached from reality.

t the top of its list of most wanted party guests

Is Tatler featuring those wife-swapping parties again ?

No wonder STIs are increasing so fast

So then Mr C has to dance to the 'image' factor does he? ..what total nonsense!, how sad it is I hear a political party of such strong backround assuming voters like me will settle for such shallow tactics of a bit of glitz and glamour, in the hope they can part me from my vote! ..well think again conservatives because you got NO CHANCE!, if I need the shallowness of image presentation I may just as well go and vote in another labour government for all those needs!, honestly when will your party wake up & learn that for voters like me real politics is much more than this trash!

Ive just trackled down Hansard, Richard North. Its good stuff, particularly by IDS. The problem though is that the Conservatives agree with Labour that we should stay there and the debate is about resources which obviously we need a lot more of. While its news, and its very welcome that the Defence team (which was pretty well supported, with IDS, Soames and Winterton) is fighting hard, its not very newsworthy.

I see Bob Neill took the Oath yesterday just after that debate. Best wishes to him in his duties to Bromley and Chislehurst.

"...its not very newsworthy."

Front page and page 2 of The Telegraph... odd sense of new values you have.

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