Northern Rock collapse, 111
Norton, Barry, 55
Norway, 646, 664
nuclear weapons, 12, 19, 129; Trident, 12, 129, 142–3, 177, 695, 699; PM’s ‘letters of last resort’, 142–3; and France, 148; and Iran, 343–6
‘nudge’ theory, 213
Obama, Barack: congratulates DC (May 2010), 134, 147; at Muskoka G8, 150; DC’s relationship with, 151, 153–5, 248, 340–4, 466, 581; at Toronto G20, 151; and bust of Churchill, 154; and ‘surge’ in Afghanistan, 166; support for Afghanistan, 168; and ‘open data’ mission, 213; and Arab Spring, 270; and Libya intervention, 276–7, 279–81; bombing of ISIS in Libya, 285; and death of Bin Laden, 293; and Eurozone crisis, 333–4, 342–3; state visit to UK, 340; and Iran, 343–6; and Bloomberg speech, 413; and gay marriage, 443; and Syrian conflict, 451, 453–4, 457–8, 460–2, 466–7, 601; cancels military action in Syria, 466; at Northern Ireland G8, 489; on Medvedev, 523; and Ukraine crisis, 525, 527, 531; and Ebola virus, 532; and Middle East Peace Process, 534; and hostages of ISIS, 539; air strikes against ISIS, 542, 543, 545; anti-ISIS military presence in Iraq, 542; wants UK to remain in EU, 581, 663–4; and Asian Investment Infrastructure Bank, 587; and drone programme, 599; EU referendum intervention, 663–4; and EU referendum result, 685, 690; remarks on populism (Warsaw, 2016), 690
Obama, Michelle, 340–2
Occupy Movement, 487
HMS Ocean, 377
O’Donnell, Gus, 135, 176, 256
Ofcom, 255
Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), 114, 182, 348, 431, 432
OFSTED, 220
Ohtahara Syndrome, 67–8, 232
oil-price rises, 348, 431, 468
Old Rectory, Peasemore, 16, 20
Oliver, Craig, 257, 260, 262–3, 354, 500, 564, 637; and conference speech preparations, 396; and Syrian conflict, 462; and Scottish independence referendum, 552, 554; and 2015 election, 572, 574, 576–7; and EU referendum, 658, 669, 678
Olympic Games (London, 2012), 355–6, 370, 375–6, 378–81, 549–50; security issues, 376–7; as opportunity, 376, 381–2; opening ceremony, 377–8; G4S failure, 377; legacy of, 381–3; economic summit at Lancaster House, 381, 431
Olympic Games (Munich, 1972), 376–7
Omar, Mullah, 169
ONdigital, 254
O’Neill, Jim, 232–3
Open Europe, 630
Open Government Partnership, 482
Orbán, Viktor, 517–18, 616–17, 641
Orde, Hugh, 298, 299, 301
Orwell, George, 28, 314
Osborne, Frances, 79, 201
Osborne, George: and 2010 election, 2, 122; DC’s relationship with, 2, 65, 81, 201, 359; political skills of, 2, 52; after 2010 election, 5, 6, 10; negotiates with Lib Dems, 6; at CRD, 33; supports Iraq War, 59; and Duncan Smith’s PMQ team, 60–1; and modernisation of party, 63, 65; and 2005 election, 65; and leadership election (2005), 79, 81, 85; as shadow chancellor, 81; and ‘he was the future once’ line, 89; inheritance-tax threshold policy (2007), 106; and austerity policies, 114, 179–80, 189; and OBR, 114, 182; and daily meetings, 134; staff integrated with DC’s, 135; appointed chancellor, 137; and Lib Dem economic portfolios, 140; stance on China, 158; and withdrawal from Afghanistan, 168; and LIBOR scandal, 177; ‘We are all in this together’ slogan, 184; ‘Quad’ meetings, 185–6, 225; Emergency Budget (22 June 2010), 185, 188; and higher-education policy, 223, 225; and Clegg, 225; and PMQs, 242, 245; and Tory press, 252; and Libya intervention, 283, 284; and AV referendum, 293–4; and police reform, 300; and Scottish independence referendum, 318, 550, 554–5; and Eurozone bailouts, 325; ‘Omnishambles’ Budget (2012), 347–58, 433; cuts top rate of income tax (2012), 349–50, 353–4, 358–9; mansion tax, 350–2; Budget U-turns (2012), 358; and funding of monarchy, 370; opposes EU referendum, 404, 409; 2012 Autumn Statement, 432–3; booed at Paralympics, 433; 2013 Budget, 436, 475; and Mark Carney, 437; and equal marriage, 439; and Syrian conflict, 451, 463, 465; ‘Help to Buy’ scheme, 475; in China (2013), 493; and decentralisation, 502–3; Spring Budget (2014), 503–4; ‘Northern Powerhouse’ initiative, 503, 699; 2015 Budget, 564–5; and 2015 election campaign, 572; reappointed as chancellor, 581–2; and welfare cuts, 585–6, 661; announces compulsory living wage (2015), 586; and EU referendum, 624, 627, 655, 663–5, 671, 673–4, 679–80, 685; and DC’s EU renegotiation, 631; and Gove’s referendum decision, 650–1; predicts Leave campaign tactics, 651; and leadership election (2016), 689
Osborne, Liberty (daughter of George), 201
Osborne, Luke (son of George), 201
O’Shaughnessy, James, 208
Oslo terror attack (2011), 424
overseas aid budget, 186, 467, 480, 485–6, 530, 532–3, 618
Oxfam, 101
Oxford Union, 29–30
Paice, Jim, 391
Paisley, Ian, 26
Pakistan, 163, 169–72, 293, 598–9
Palestine, 533–6
Panmure Gordon stockbrokers, 17–18
Papandreou, George, 328
Paralympics (2012), 376, 380–1, 433
Parker, Alan, 694
Parkinson, Cecil, 33
Parr, Richard, 484
Parris, Matthew, 286
the Passage (homeless shelter), 195
pasties, 347, 355–6, 358
Patel, Priti, 156, 583, 655, 657, 670–1
Paterson, Owen, 137, 199, 390, 440, 505, 509
Patten, Chris, 5, 33
Paulson, Hank, 329–30
Paxman, Jeremy, 87–8
Peacock, Jonnie, 380
Pedelty, Tristan, 241
Pelé, 381
pensioners’ benefits, 186, 189, 352–3
pensions, 352–3, 473, 699; triple lock, 187; raising of retirement age, 189; pension credit, 206, 367; Single-Tier Pension, 367, 503; Spring Budget (2014), 503–4; DC’s second-term plans for, 621
Perry, Lieutenant Colonel Nick, 172
Personal Independence Payment (PIP), 660–1
Persson, Mats, 636, 637
Phenytoin, 72
Phillimore Gardens, Kensington, 16
Philip, Prince, 247, 310, 373–5, 378, 547, 590
Philippines typhoon (2013), 486
phone-hacking scandal, 250, 256, 259–60; and Coulson, 252–3, 256–7, 259–60; and News of the World, 252–3, 257, 260; New York Times essay, 256; News International payouts to victims, 256; Milly Dowler, 257, 259; Operation Weeting, 257; Hacked Off, 263, 265; Coulson found guilty, 265–6. See also Leveson Inquiry
Picardo, Fabian, 674
Pickles, Eric, 10, 137, 212, 505, 508, 583
Pike, Dr Mike, 67, 70
Pitman, Sir Brian, 112
Plaid Cymru, 303, 564
Plough pub (Cadsden), 248
Podemos, 330
Polak, Stuart, 534
Poland, 322, 412, 531, 638–9
Police Federation, 226, 395
police force: targets and performance indicators, 218; funding cuts, 226–7, 298, 300, 302, 394; police and crime commissioners (PCCs), 226–7; Tory reform, 226–7, 298, 300, 394; response to 2011 riots, 296–9, 301; ‘plebgate’, 393–6; DC’s second-term plans for, 621; Manchester WPC murders, 694
Police Service of Northern Ireland, 311
Policy Exchange, 63, 79
Policy Unit, 445, 471, 501, 645
polio, 485
Poll Tax, 35, 36
polling: and Brown’s possible election (2007), 107–8; and 2010 election, 125; during AV referendum, 292–3; leaders’ personal ratings, 473, 499; ‘trust to run the economy’ question, 473, 499; and Scottish independence referendum, 547–9, 551–2; and 2015 election, 569–70; during EU referendum, 667, 677–8
Pooley, Will, 533
populism: growth of, 206, 328, 330, 481–2, 490, 623, 6
90, 702; and Eurozone crisis, 330; rise of far-left parties, 330, 690; EU referendum as attempt to confront, 408; lessons of Scottish referendum, 556; in EU referendum, 658
Populus, 63
Poroshenko, Petro, 529
Portillo, Michael, 33–5, 52, 57
Portugal, 42, 324, 328
post-truth age, 648, 658–9, 665, 668–70, 674, 687, 699
poverty and deprivation: ‘pupil premium’, 6, 208; One Nation approach, 36; entrenched, 64, 92, 96–7, 207–9, 219; and modern conservatism, 92, 206–12, 478, 697; and CSJ, 96–7, 188; ‘Hug a Hoodie’ speech, 96–7, 252; no excuse for crime, 96–7; family breakdown, 97, 209, 210–11; ‘social entrepreneurs’, 123–4; Tory 2010 election policies, 123; pensioner poverty, 187; relative vs absolute, 206–7, 211; Child Poverty Act, 206; DC’s policy successes, 207–8, 210–11, 478, 697; education reforms, 208, 219; DC’s second-term plans for, 211, 585–6, 593–4; and higher-education policy, 222–3; and university reform, 222–3; falling inequality under DC, 478, 697; global, 479–87, 608; low social mobility, 593
Powell, Enoch, 33, 402
Powell, Hugh, 164, 170, 283, 345, 451
Powell, Jonathan, 285
Powell-Chandler, Meg, 241, 501
Prescott, John, 212
Press Complaints Commission (PCC), 253, 256, 258, 262, 263
Press Recognition Panel (PRP), 265
Preston, 659
Preston, Caroline, 121
Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs): importance of, 38; and Major, 38; as tool for party management, 38, 245; and Duncan Smith, 60–1; DC’s first as opposition leader, 89; Blair’s last, 102–3; preparation, 241–3; DC as PM, 241–5; Labour leaders faced by DC, 243–5; put-downs, 243–5; last of 2010–15 parliament, 568; DC’s last, 692–3
prison reform, 97
Pritchard, Mark, 82
Private Eye, 589
protectionism, 150, 152, 153, 154
Public Forest Estate, 192–3, 388
public services: Blair’s policies, 53, 62, 217–18; and modern conservatism, 64, 113–14, 122–5, 132, 184, 204–16, 699; Tory 2010 election policies, 122–5, 127, 132; opening up delivery of, 123–4, 205, 211, 217–18; ‘social entrepreneurs’, 123–4, 211; and consumer choice, 123, 205, 218; coalition spending cuts, 140–1, 184, 187–9, 432; freezing of public-sector pay, 187; disillusion with big-state solutions, 206; Social Impact Bonds, 211; Labour spending on, 217–18. See also education system; National Health Service; welfare system
Putin, Vladimir: and break-up of Soviet Union, 28–9; invasion of Georgia, 101, 521, 531; bid to host 2018 World Cup, 160–1; at 2012 Olympics, 379; DC meets at Sochi (2013), 454–5, 523; and Syrian conflict, 454–5, 458, 461–2, 466, 523; at G8 in UK, 455–6, 523; invasion of Ukraine (2014), 520–2, 524–8, 530–1; annexation of Crimea (2014), 520, 522, 524–8, 531; DC’s relationship with, 523–5, 527–8; lying as art form for, 525, 527; shooting down of Malaysian Airlines plane, 526–7; intervention in Syria (2015), 600–1; and Mossack Fonseca leaks, 662; Obama compares Trump to, 690
Qatar, 161, 284, 451, 544
Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, Hammersmith, 66–7
HMS Queen Elizabeth II (aircraft carrier), 550
Question Time, 83, 573, 676
Raab, Dominic, 582
railways, 472–3, 476–7, 699
Rajapaksa, Mahinda, 490–2
Randall, John, 394
Rasmussen, Anders Fogh, 530
Rasmussen, Lars Lokke, 641
Rathbone, Tim, 26, 32, 67
Rawlins, Rose, 576
Raynsford, Nick, 419
Reach Academy, Feltham, 691
Reagan, Ronald, 28, 151, 416
Reckless, Mark, 557–8, 560, 579
Redgrave, Steve, 156
Rees-Mogg, Jacob, 366, 445
Reeves, Maurice, 299, 300
referendum on AV (2011), 288–93; and coalition negotiations, 9–11, 14–15; link with boundary reform, 289, 291, 362; ‘No2AV’ campaign, 292–4; Yes campaign, 292–3; anti-Clegg leaflets, 293–4
referendum on EEC membership (1975), 287, 401, 662
referendum on membership of EU (2016): DC unapologetic for calling, xiv–xv, 408, 623, 683, 699–700; DC’s regret at loss, xiv–xv, 682–3, 699; timing of, xiv, 623–4, 626–7, 647–8; DC’s motivations over pledge for, 399–400, 405–8, 413, 622, 700–1; political pressure to hold, 406–8, 700–1; and migration crisis, 447, 609–10, 619–21; Russian meddling in, 528; ‘Breaking Point’ poster, 619–20, 674; renegotiation as essential precursor, 622; process of, 623–7; setting the question, 624–5; ‘establishment stitch-up’ concerns, 624, 626; franchise for, 624–5; purdah period, 624, 626, 667; spending limits, 624; no threshold mechanism for, 625–6; seen as ruse by EU leaders, 640–1; held in post-truth age, 648, 658–9, 665, 668–70, 674, 687, 699; importance of Johnson’s decision on, 650–5, 657; Gove’s decision to back Leave, 650; DC’s miscalculation over Eurosceptics, 655; continuance of government during, 656–7; cabinet after EU deal agreed, 656–7; campaign, 658–77; mistakes in campaign, 658, 665–6; government backs Remain, 662–4, 686; Obama’s intervention, 663–4; official government leaflet, 663, 699; undecided voters, 663; ‘diet of Brussels’ narrative, 665–6; Eurosceptic press onslaught, 665–7; BBC coverage of, 667, 676; opinion polls 667, 677–8; immigration figures announced during, 669–70; DC vetoes attacks on Gove/Johnson, 671; hard Irish border issue, 672; Osborne’s ‘emergency budget’, 673–4; murder of Jo Cox, 674–5; Question Time, 676; DC’s draft victory and defeat speeches, 677–8; results declared, 678–9; DC and Osborne ponder possible outcomes, 679–80; DC’s ‘stay on if we lose’ promise, 681. See also Leave campaign; Remain campaign
referendum on Scottish independence (2014): single-question issue, 316, 318–19, 556; timing of, 316, 556; and Gordon Brown, 317–18, 549, 552–3; DC announces (2012), 317; negotiations with SNP over, 318–19; ‘Better Together’ campaign, 318, 548–54; franchise extended to 16- and 17-year-olds, 318–19, 624; and military action against ISIS, 543; DC at Balmoral before, 547–8, 551–2; opinion polls, 547–9, 551–2; ‘No’ campaign, 548–54; DC’s limited campaign role, 549–50, 552–3; government machine supports ‘No’, 550; sterling as key issue, 550; last-ditch offering to Scotland (the Vow), 553, 556; results declared, 554–5; losing and winning speeches prepared, 554; DC’s victory speech, 555; ‘English votes for English laws’ issue, 555; as risk worth taking, 556
referendums: arguments in favour of, 287–8; arguments against, 287, 406; precedents in UK, 287; threshold mechanisms, 625–6
regional policy, 36, 211–12, 502–3; Regional Growth Fund, 184. See also devolution
Rehman, Abdullah, 98
Reinfeldt, Fredrik, 334, 516–17, 560
Remain campaign: DC’s role, 658–60, 666–8, 671–2, 676–7; three-part slogan, 659–60; Downing Street team, 659; not metropolitan and elitist, 659; £4,300 figure, 663–5, 668; international support for, 663–4; ‘Project Fear’ accusations, 663; endorsements of experts, 664–5, 667, 675; achievements of EU not emphasised by, 665–6; DC’s emotional arguments, 667–8, 676; support from left-leaning papers, 667; considers appeal to Merkel/Juncker, 673
renegotiation with EU, DC’s: and timing of referendum, xiv, 626–7, 647–8; DC’s decision to undertake, 398–9, 405–13, 622; DC prepared to recommend ‘Leave’, 519, 623, 642; DC’s fears over, 519, 560, 609, 621; and UK public opinion, 622–3, 627, 636–7; as essential precursor to referendum, 622; as strategy to keep UK in EU, 622; DC unapologetic over attempting, 623, 699; failure of strategy, 623, 648; ambition of DC’s plan, 627–8; and issues damaging UK interests, 627–37; treaty change not on table, 627–8, 646–7; leak problem, 628–9; and ‘Danish Model’, 628, 638; Eurozone issues, 628, 631–2, 638, 642, 645; ‘sovereignty’ basket, 629–30; four ‘baskets’ of proposals, 629–35, 637–8, 645; ‘competitiveness’ b
asket, 630–1; ‘red card’ system proposal, 630, 645, 647; and ‘subsidiarity’ principle, 630; ‘fairness’ basket, 631–2; single market in services proposal, 631; ‘immigration’ basket, 632–7, 640–4, 646–8; restrictions on welfare for EU migrants, 636–9, 641–4, 647–9; DC’s key team, 637; Ed Llewellyn’s role, 637; ‘Visegrad Group’, 638–9, 642–4; DC’s tour, 638–41; sources of opposition, 639–41; referendum seen as ruse by EU leaders, 640–1; DC’s supporters in Europe, 641; draft deal, 642–4; February 2016 Council, 642–5; welfare as sticking point, 643–4, 647; delay option at February Council, 643, 647–8; deal agreed, 644–5, 656; DC’s mistakes/regrets, 645–8; deal as significant achievement, 645, 648–9, 699; failure to manage expectations, 646–7
Renzi, Matteo, 157, 527, 581, 638, 681
Republic of Ireland, 309–10, 324, 672, 698
Republican Party, US, 151
Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU), 426, 541
Richards, General Sir David, 172–4, 452
Richards, Jo, 444
Ricketts, Peter, 142
Rifkind, Sir Malcolm, 424
Rigby, Fusilier Lee, 419–20, 422–6
riots (2011), 296–7; police response to, 296–9, 301; backgrounds of rioters, 297–8; Boris Johnson during, 299–300; DC’s ‘riots tour’, 299; trials of rioters, 299; debate in Commons on, 300; lessons of, 301–2
Robathan, Andrew, 80, 82
Roberts, Matt, 470
Robertson, Hugh, 82
Robinson, Bill, 40
Robinson, Nick, 30, 493–4
Robinson, Tommy, 424
Rock, Patrick, 47
Rogers, Ivan, 405, 413, 637, 645
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