Tuesday, 9 August 2011

'Belatedly' - the defining theme of David Cameron?

Reading a report in the FT about the rioting, I spotted the word "belatedly" in relation to David Cameron's response. It's a word also used a lot in terms of his response to the phone-hacking scandal and the NHS reforms. I think it is becoming a perception - at least in the commentariat - of his style of government.

The Right (understandably) ranks his ability to put on a good public performance. But it is noticeable that now for the third time on a big issue this has come after a prolonged period of drift. One to keep an eye on.

1 comment:

Nick Garland said...

I read an interview in Newsweek the other day (one which admittedly compared Cameron to Obama and positively dripped with nauseating sycophancy), that actually claimed that he's at his best in a crisis. I think phone hacking makes that look like complete bollocks, to be frank, but certainly he channels populist right wing moral outrage very effectively, and I really don't see the rioting as being a great victory for Labour. I think people are just more likely to swing in favour of Tory hysteria and mildly excessive policing at a time like this, and Cameron and Theresa May'll probably keep them happy in that respect.