Gold leaf cake - a slice of what's on Tory menu
The Conservatives campaign seems amazingly flush with funds. My colleagues tell me that at their press conference this afternoon to rebut Labour's manifesto, their cakes had gold leaf on them. Not real gold leaf, surely?
Though I am told the tea was "a bit weak".
Last week at the Michael Caine event they served up an amazing breakfast, including smoked salmon bagels,听yoghurt and fruit, smoothies, sausage sandwiches, and everything else you could ever dream of. All put on by a professional catering company.鈥
And Labour today? Nothing, so far as I could see, apart a few bottles of water.
The lavish refreshments at Conservative events are a sign that the party has more a lot money than it needs to keep within the national legal spending limit of around 拢19m.
According to one Conservative source the party already has 拢5m more than it needs, and every day the party is raising many thousands of pounds more.
Indeed, by 6 May the Conservatives may have enough spare cash to be able to fight a whole new campaign, while the Liberal Democrats and Labour will probably be teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
When Labour said today that this would be a "word-of-mouth" campaign, I thought: "Yeah, that's what publishers say when they haven't got any money to promote my books."
This disparity could have big implications if there's a hung parliament. David Cameron will quite cheerfully be able to threaten: "OK, let's have another election."
Labour and the Lib Dems, in contrast, will want to do everything to avoid one.
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I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 12th Apr 2010, nick soar wrote:On the celebrity front, I wondered, Michael, if you think the Doctor Who alliance of actors and directors promoting Labour, trumps the Tory's use of Michael Caine? Pertew, Tennant and Moffatt signing up to 'modernising Labour' versus Caine's conservatives?
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Comment number 2.
At 12th Apr 2010, Konnolsky wrote:Michael, we have not had much to laugh about in Smolensk butcher鈥檚 shop this last few days 鈥 and our thoughts is go out to Poland peoples who lose President in plane crash 鈥 but this is feeble level of Tory spend is raise smile. When local boss Big Oleg, oligarch and protections racketeer, is campaign for preferred candidates in last year local council elections, we is receive commissions to bake goat liver pies cover in gold plate 鈥 and that is only start! Electors who promise vote for Oleg candidates is given 500 roubles each, carton of cigarettes, crate of vodka, promise of free protections for one month, and DVD of 鈥淒racula: Dead and Loving it鈥 with Leslie Neilson. (I know last is strange, but Oleg is find is unopened consignment at back of his warehouse, left over from late Yeltsin years.)
So, is further evidence of inferiority of Western polities to managed democracy of Putin Russia. Our politicians spend more on us, we feel better value by them, and more likely vote.
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Comment number 3.
At 12th Apr 2010, jauntycyclist wrote:elections are not about money but polices. if the polices are rubbish it doesn't matter how much tarting up you do.
non have provided a nation building plan. all we get are sound bites that suggests nebulous philosophy.
given the internet they could easily post such a plan if they had one.
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Comment number 4.
At 12th Apr 2010, dennisjunior1 wrote:Michael:
Regarding the "gold" leaf on the cake; It was a sugary substance that bakery uses...And, thanks for bringing up the importance of food!
(Dennis Junior)
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Comment number 5.
At 12th Apr 2010, cping500 wrote:Gold leaf regularly appears on my curries in the local curry house! but the real issue is that politics has now become the plaything of the Ashcroft money bags and Cameroon public relations (which is his specialism). So you get what THEY pay for. and you will like it because of the way it has been packaged, and the mood music. Its like Tesco food, bland for the masses or so over flavoured that you can't tell what it is, but since you shelled out good money, or your soul for the Cameroon brand it must be good. No regrets no!! No " It's not my fault: I didn't vote for Dave@ badges
Smoked Salmon is so last century anyway. Gravlax Swedish style is on message for the new school breakfasts from Michael Gove: and for an up to date Scottish breakfast, Kedgeree with hot smoked salmon from (cooperative?) Waitrose, to be prepared in the by the community cadres before an early lawn mowing of the local park before by the unpaid 'pressed' volunteers of the new localism of Mao Zhe Cameroon. They will then be fit for the the daily grind in the sweatshops of Ossie's millionaire twice over capitalists. And they will feel good.
'Rejoice' as Maggie said 'Rejoice'
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Comment number 6.
At 12th Apr 2010, cping500 wrote:Where are the moderators? or is Michael having to do it himself...? or even it is one of Dave's community engagement jobs now?
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Comment number 7.
At 12th Apr 2010, icecubed wrote:I remember 1992 and Labour's flash election campaign with mega rallies, and John Major only able to afford a soapbox.
How did that one turn out?
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Comment number 8.
At 12th Apr 2010, barriesingleton wrote:BOUGHT AND PAID FOR
As I have posted before - money and power are interchangeable. If money is flowing IN to the Conservative party, it follows POWER IS FLOWING OUT. The Torys will be in hock to donors, and it will show. Perhaps it should be called the 'Obama Effect'.
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