‘He’s not superhuman’: George Osborne strategy role ‘should go to rising star Michael Gove

RSS Feed

‘He’s not superhuman’: George Osborne strategy role ‘should go to rising star Michael Gove

July 22nd, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

By
Glen Owen

PUBLISHED:

18:21 EST, 21 July 2012

|

UPDATED:

09:34 EST, 22 July 2012

Not superhuman: Tim Montgomerie, Editor of the Conservative Home website, has said that the role of election strategist should go to Michael Gove not George Osborne

George Osborn was under pressure last night to surrender his role as Tory Election strategist to rising Cabinet star Michael Gove.

Mr Osborne – who has been dubbed the ‘part-time Chancellor’ by Labour for holding Election planning meetings on top of his economic brief – was told he is ‘not superhuman’ and should concentrate on his Treasury job.

The remarks by Tim Montgomerie, the influential editor of the Conservative Home website, come amid increasingly open criticism of Mr Osborne by Tory MPs concerned about the Government’s faltering reputation for economic competence.

The MPs worry he is being kept in his dual role only because of his close relationship with David Cameron.

Mr Montgomerie said: ‘George may be good, he may be brilliant, but he is not superhuman. It is simply not possible to do all the jobs he is currently doing well.

‘We want a full-time General Election strategist, someone who can win the first Conservative majority since 1992 and George Osborne cannot do that.

‘Michael Gove would be my choice – someone who is intellectually brilliant, has the confidence of the Prime Minister and of the party.’

Senior Conservative figures increasingly favour moving Mr Gove from education and making him party chairman with overall command of the party’s political strategy.

The current party co-chairs, Baroness Warsi and Lord Feldman, are not regarded as effective political operators.

The suggestion reflects Mr Gove’s rapid rise up the Tory rankings. Until recently, Mr Osborne and London Mayor Boris Johnson were seen as the frontrunners for the leadership after David Cameron.

Summoned: George Osborne was among those called into the emergency meeting

Invite: Michael Gove was also in the small group of Tories invited in to the emergency meeting

Head to head: Montgomerie says that the role should go to the ‘intellectually brilliant’ Michael Gove instead of George Osborne

But a series of powerful Commons performances and a combative turn at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics have turned Mr Gove into a leading backbench favourite.

Other figures close to No 10 argue that it would be wrong to move Mr Gove from education after barely more than two years in the post.

Mr Gove himself is believed to be wary of taking such an overtly campaigning job with almost three years to go before the next Election.

Yesterday ex-Chancellor Nigel Lawson backed the calls for Mr Osborne to concentrate on his job as Chancellor: ‘I do think it might be sensible to give up the formal role and focus exclusively on his job as Chancellor, which is a tremendously important job.’

A Treasury source said: ‘George Osborne is a full-time Chancellor. There is nothing wrong with him being close to the Prime Minister.

‘Blair and Brown couldn’t bear to be in the same room, and look where that got us.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Newest
Oldest
Best rated
Worst rated

Michael Gove may be” intellectually brilliant” but he looks like a ventriloquists dummy !

– Billy, Middle England, 22/7/2012 11:10

Gove – ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, stop it!!

– Traditional DM Reader, Walton UK, 22/7/2012 11:03

In the 80s Tony Blair stole the middle ground away from the Conservative Party and won election after election. Why are we now talking about moving away from the middle ground? The problem the party seems to have is that far too many of its MPs seem to have forgotten what its like to be in opposition. Osborne may need to work on his image and improve how the country perceives him, but, Gove, Hunt, May and Lansley are the problems and putting one of these political midgets in charge of election strategy is no forward. They are the problem not the solution.

– Brian, Warminster, 22/7/2012 10:34

When you flick from the photo of Mr Montgomerie to Mr Osborne, you can see just how wet limp Mr Osborne is! Certainly not a mans man!

– Me, Here, 22/7/2012 10:29

Gove has a far more important job to do, continuing sorting out education so that there are no more lost generations of the uneducated. Economics is after all a joke subject and, while we remain a part of the EU, mostly outside the UK’s control. All a chancellor can do is tinker on the edge.

– Michael , The Wirral, 22/7/2012 10:20

Osborne has lost the plot but Gove???…heaven help us.

– ken, bournemouth, 22/7/2012 10:00

If Gove was twice as intelligent he still wouldn’t make a very good half-wit. There are only 2 types of people who support the CONswervatives – wealthy criminals and the deeply disturbed.

– Ian, Spain, 22/7/2012 09:59

I would certainly support Mr Gove having a stronger influence over Conservative party strategy. His capacity press through radical change in spite of evidence and against the wishes of stakeholders would be an enormous advantage. Instead of becoming embroiled in lengthy consultation and evaluations of policy options, his capacity to simply have ‘an idea’ and then press on with it in short order without undue worry about detail, democracy or complexity fits him for high office.
The conservative party is languishing like a ship in the doldrums. The ship needs a new bold captain who will push the engine telegraph to “full speed ahead” without worrying about the ultimate destination, the concerns of the crew and passengers and the glistening icebergs on the horizon.
“This is your new captain speaking – welcome to the Tory Titanic”.`

– Mr Arthur Cook, London, 22/7/2012 09:51

Gove looks a bit weird

– choppy, birmingham,england, 22/7/2012 09:48

No can’r gormless Gideon give up being Chancellor so that we can have someone competent to run the country’s finances giving us poor peasants some relief? Let incompetent Osborne have the strategy job so that these useless posh boy Tories loose the next election spectacularly and NEVER get into government again.

– Freewheelin, Sheffield, 22/7/2012 09:38

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.