@davidgauke

🚨Lots to discuss on this week's BBC Radio 4's #WeekInWestminster!
💷 budget @chriscurtis94.bsky.social @rachaelmaskell.bsky.social
📺 BBC Tina Stowell & Anna Sabine
⚖️ state of prisons @davidgauke.bsky.social
🌹Labour leadership @pronouncedalva.bsky.social @luketryl.bsky.social
Ed: Harbinder Minhas

David Gauke: Calamitous as their policies would be, there is sense and opportunity in taking the Greens seriously | Conservative Home The principal concern – and this is no small matter - is that the Greens’ policies would be ruinous for the country but taking them on in a changing political landscape, it is an opportunity not to be...

The Greens’ policies would be disastrous for the country but their rise provides a political opportunity for the Tories. My ConHome piece on why the Conservatives should take on Zack Polanski. conservativehome.com/2025/11/03/d...

Leaving the ECHR won’t fix illegal migration Half-baked tales of rulings turning on chicken nuggets are no basis for cutting Britain adrift

Half-baked tales of rulings turning on chicken nuggets are no basis for cutting Britain adrift. My Times piece on the Tories’ policy of leaving the ECHR based on spurious claims. www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

David Gauke: Kruger's defection doesn't point the Conservatives towards disaster but to a crucial decision | Conservative Home The real significance of Kruger’s defection is that it signals that the battle to be the principal party of the populist right is over.  The Conservative Party must reconcile itself to this reality an...

Danny Kruger’s defection shows that the Tories have lost the battle to be the country’s leading party of the populist right. Instead, they should unambiguously position themselves as the only party of the centre right. For ConHome. conservativehome.com/2025/09/22/d...

David Gauke: Kruger's defection doesn't point the Conservatives towards disaster but to a crucial decision | Conservative Home The real significance of Kruger’s defection is that it signals that the battle to be the principal party of the populist right is over.  The Conservative Party must reconcile itself to this reality an...

Danny Kruger’s defection shows that the Tories have lost the battle to be the country’s leading party of the populist right. Instead, they should unambiguously position themselves as the only party of the centre right. For ConHome. conservativehome.com/2025/09/22/d...

David Gauke: Reshuffles aren't always bad, but if things had been going well there wouldn't have been one | Conservative Home Good ministers will quickly adapt to new briefs so largescale changes – while not ideal – will not be disastrous.  But that such wide scale changes were considered necessary is an implicit admission o...

A few thoughts on reshuffles and what last week’s one tells us about the Government. conservativehome.com/2025/09/08/d...

David Gauke: With the Budget looming closer exactly what taxes will Reeves raise in her defence? | Conservative Home The reality is that if you want to raise a lot of tax, you need to raise it from a lot of people.  Given our predicament, one of the larger taxes is likely to be necessary.

My ConHome piece on Rachel Reeves’ options to raise more tax revenue. conservativehome.com/2025/08/25/d...

David Gauke: Rent control is the mullet hairstyle of policies - it is both very bad and back in fashion | Conservative Home Pro-market arguments are hardly the fashion at the moment. If ever there was a policy area, however, where they need to be made it is in housing.

Rent control is the mullet hairstyle of policies - it is both very bad and back in fashion. My ConHome piece on how the Rushanara Ali case exposes the anti-landlord political climate and where this might go next. conservativehome.com/2025/08/11/d...

David Gauke: Rent control is the mullet hairstyle of policies - it is both very bad and back in fashion | Conservative Home Pro-market arguments are hardly the fashion at the moment. If ever there was a policy area, however, where they need to be made it is in housing.

Rent control is the mullet hairstyle of policies - it is both very bad and back in fashion. My ConHome piece on how the Rushanara Ali case exposes the anti-landlord political climate and where this might go next. conservativehome.com/2025/08/11/d...

The economic cure to populism Concerns about inequality, the environment and much else must be set aside for the pursuit of national wealth.

If the cure for populism is economic growth, what should the Government do? Signing off on my @NewStatesman.com column with a few suggestions to get the economy growing. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

The economic cure to populism Concerns about inequality, the environment and much else must be set aside for the pursuit of national wealth.

If the cure for populism is economic growth, what should the Government do? Signing off on my @NewStatesman.com column with a few suggestions to get the economy growing. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

My @NewStatesman.com piece on the hysterical reaction to Macron’s criticisms of Brexit.
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Why is Boris Johnson so scared of Emmanuel Macron? Brexiteers cannot get a lurid fantasy version of the French President out of their heads.

Why is Boris Johnson so scared of Emmanuel Macron? My @NewStatesman.com piece on the reaction to the French president’s Brexit comments. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Why is Boris Johnson so scared of Emmanuel Macron? Brexiteers cannot get a lurid fantasy version of the French President out of their heads.

Why is Boris Johnson so scared of Emmanuel Macron? My @NewStatesman.com piece on the reaction to the French president’s Brexit comments. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

"As our fiscal situation becomes more serious but the electorate becomes increasingly angry at stagnant living standards, the gap between [us and our politicians] has become a chasm. Rather than face reality, politicians are rewarded for simple but impractical answers." 👏@davidgauke.bsky.social

David Gauke: We are in a precarious economic position, and the few politicians who recognise it seem unable to tackle it | Conservative Home Is it politically possible to take preventative action to put our public finances on a sustainable footing before a crisis hits?  Or will it take a crisis before the public (and, therefore, our politi...

We are in a precarious economic position, and the few politicians who recognise it seem unable to tackle it. My piece for ConHome. conservativehome.com/2025/07/14/d...

Why the public will keep gambling on Nigel Farage A “roll-the-dice” mentality has taken hold of voters, and Reform will be the biggest beneficiary.

My @NewStatesman.com piece on why Starmer has to take on the “roll the dice” mentality that is driving voters towards Reform UK. www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

Why the public will keep gambling on Nigel Farage A “roll-the-dice” mentality has taken hold of voters, and Reform will be the biggest beneficiary.

My @NewStatesman.com piece on why Starmer has to take on the “roll the dice” mentality that is driving voters towards Reform UK. www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

Today reminded me of this comment from @davidgauke.bsky.social for a pre-election profile we wrote of Reeves, which now reads like an epic understatement:

Labour's rebel MPs are rubbish at maths Public finances are in a parlous state. Tough choices are inevitable. When will the PLP learn this lesson?

My @NewStatesman.com piece on why rebel Labour MPs should not be ignoring the parlous state of the public finances and ballooning welfare costs. www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

David Gauke: Despite the evidence, mood, and swings, there is a decent future for the centre-right | Conservative Home What we have seen in recent days have been very clear examples of the vulnerabilities of both the centre-left and the populist right.  These are vulnerabilities that a smart centre-right party ought t...

Despite the evidence, mood, and swings, there is a decent future for the centre-right (perhaps). My ConHome piece on the political space available for the centre-right. conservativehome.com/2025/06/30/d...

David Gauke: Despite the evidence, mood, and swings, there is a decent future for the centre-right | Conservative Home What we have seen in recent days have been very clear examples of the vulnerabilities of both the centre-left and the populist right.  These are vulnerabilities that a smart centre-right party ought t...

Despite the evidence, mood, and swings, there is a decent future for the centre-right (perhaps). My ConHome piece on the political space available for the centre-right. conservativehome.com/2025/06/30/d...

Is the centre right doomed? The Tories too often give the impression that they think Reform is right but people should not vote for them.

Is the centre right doomed? My @NewStatesman.com piece on the international decline of a once dominant form of politics. www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

Is the centre right doomed? The Tories too often give the impression that they think Reform is right but people should not vote for them.

Is the centre right doomed? My @NewStatesman.com piece on the international decline of a once dominant form of politics. www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

Rachel Reeves’ fiscal headache is getting bigger Some combination of tax rises or spending cuts is likely to be necessary by the autumn.

Rachel Reeves’ fiscal headache is getting bigger. My piece for @NewStatesman.com. www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

Rachel Reeves’ fiscal headache is getting bigger Some combination of tax rises or spending cuts is likely to be necessary by the autumn.

Rachel Reeves’ fiscal headache is getting bigger. My piece for @NewStatesman.com. www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

David Gauke: If economic growth was the objective, Labour's Spending Review missed its mark | Conservative Home Even after prioritising capital spending, the spending review is not delivering substantially higher levels of investment in economic infrastructure. This is not going to be transformative for growth.

If economic growth was the objective, Labour's Spending Review missed its mark. My piece for ConHome.
conservativehome.com/2025/06/16/d...

The Tories must do more than apologise for Liz Truss The party should make it clear that both Truss and Boris Johnson’s days as Conservative candidates are over.

The Tories need to go further in distancing themselves from Truss and Johnson. My @NewStatesman.com piece on why last week’s tentative steps are not enough. www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

The Tories must do more than apologise for Liz Truss The party should make it clear that both Truss and Boris Johnson’s days as Conservative candidates are over.

The Tories need to go further in distancing themselves from Truss and Johnson. My @NewStatesman.com piece on why last week’s tentative steps are not enough. www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

Rachel Reeves should fear the bond market vigilantes The City likes nothing more than spoiling a Labour chancellor’s party.

Rachel Reeves should fear the bond market vigilantes. My @NewStatesman.com piece on why now is a bad time to lose control of welfare spending. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...