Friday, May 28, 2010

Not slain yet

Commentators were having a lot of fun this week comparing David Laws the new Chief Secretary to the Treasury with William Gladstone. The Times even ran a headline over Ann Treneman’s sketch declaring Laws becomes Gladstonian.

Mr Laws, who shows every sign of relishing the challenging position of being a Liberal who is seen as wielding the Tory axe, was not shy of bringing Gladstone into it either.

But whoa there.

Gladstone’s own political ‘journey’ was not exactly straightforward, the arc of his political narrative hardly monotonic. Comparisons could be dangerous as well as odious

Remember Gladstone started as a Conservative MP.

For now, let us just savour the moment in December 1852, while a thunderstorm shook the windows of the new House of Commons, & Gladstone delivered the speech denouncing Disraeli’s budget which was followed by the defeat of the government.

Thereafter Gladstone was known as ‘the man who slew the Tories.’

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