A welcome hand
The assignation took place in a yacht off the Italian coast. One of Britain's richest men had invited a senior government minister, who was holidaying nearby, to join him for lunch.
Johan Eliasch had a proposal to make to Jack Straw. He wanted to offer his advice to the government on climate change. His interest in the subject came as no surprise. After all, he had bought 400,000 acres of the Amazon rainforest to protect it from destruction and to combat climate change. He was also the founder of Cool Earth - a charity which encourages others to do the same, half an acre at a time (yours for just £35). The surprise came because Mr Eliasch had also lent over two and a half of his many millions to the Conservative Party and was their deputy treasurer.
It's clear, though, that for some time he'd wondered whether he was in with the right crowd. Mr Eliasch had got to know Labour ministers since launching his initiative to save the rainforest. He'd met Mr Straw at various functions and, after the two bumped into each other at a conference in Aspen, offered him a lift on his private jet.
He began to grumble out loud to Tory and non-Tory friends that David Cameron had not stuck to the course of occupying the centre ground on which he'd first set himself. I suspect that "lurch to the right" is a phrase he's never used nor would since he was a backer of Messrs Hague, Duncan Smith and Howard.
Friends and foes alike say that Mr Eliasch had hoped for a peerage although no-one suggests that he actually asked for one. Indeed David Cameron told me in an interview last week that no approach had been made to him about a peerage.
It's clear too that a man who was used to mixing with the rich and powerful came to the realisation that oppositions can only talk whilst governments can do. Hence, his proposal to Jack Straw on that yacht in the Med that he should advise the government on climate change.
It was, I'm told, Mr Eliasch's idea that he should let his membership of the Tory Party lapse when it expires next month. He has always expected his loan to the Conservatives to be re-paid although he is not demanding that it be repaid straight away and has set no timetable for it. He will not join the Labour Party nor give or loan it money.
Mr Eliasch would like this to be seen as a decision about the planet and not about politics. Not so, unsurprisingly, Team Brown who would like it to be seen as an indictment of David Cameron.
What this episode proves to me is how a prime minister who has unparalleled patronage can use it not just to get good advice but to undermine his political opponents. It proves too that David Cameron has a long way to go before he convinces the entire Conservative family - let alone many others - that he will soon be in No 10 with jobs to hand out. Perhaps it will teach him that anyone he treats a little carelessly may find that Gordon Brown is happy to offer a welcome hand.
The Tories claim that Labour has approached many other Conservative donors and MPs to switch sides. Team Brown deny that emphatically - pointing out that, if they had, one of those who snubbed them would have gone public by now. They do, however, say with a knowing smile that Mr Eliasch may not be the last.
I'm 
Comments
My personal opinion is that the wind has changed and Prime Minister Gordon Brown is the natural man for the job for the foreseeable future. As Nicks suggests, it's no surprise people who want to achieve things or curry favour would be attracted by this. While it's sensible for Gordon Brown to make use of available talent it would also be wise to say no when it's inappropriate. In fact, I'd like to see Gordon Brown go further and more proactively develop the quality of parliamentarians, appoint more flexibly, and encourage those past their peak to make way for new blood.
Lack of quality control and partisan posturing hasn't done Parliament many favours. Prime Minister Gordon Browns strength and wilting of the opposition parties to mere influences is a warning shot to raise their game and develop more consensus. If they don't, they risk looking more argumentative and self-serving. The freedom to scrutinise and test is fine in principle but carried to excess is licence. More discipline, consideration, calmness, and reflection are useful qualities and good for Parliament and individual parties, and set a good leadership example for the country.
One serious problem with party politics is how an incumbent can sit in the job for years while better quality and more in-tune talent can fester. A party politician can cling on due to internal party favour or loyalty, like an employee, while they're really supposed to represent their constituency. I've run into problems with politicians who acted out of party loyalty instead of constituency interests and can't see how this is useful. A little more critical thinking and listening, and less juggling of hidden agendas and imaginary vote counts would help improve overall satisfaction.
So Brown thinks he has made a coup! Well, patronage is like a firework: it looks and sounds impressive at the start but soon plummets back to earth in the general direction of the instigator! It IS worrying, however, how much the Government is using its privileges to influence public opinion and make itself impregnable. The one-party state may not be as far away as most of us imagine.
Did anybody else read that as, "The assassination took place in a yacht off the Italian coast"?
In the real world we should care little what one very rich man does with his millions. The very rich have always sought to influence politicians one has only to look to the advantageous tax breaks for Venture Capitalists to see how effective that can be.
There are perhaps two lessons to learn here:
1) If Mr Cameron is being criticised by the left and right then he probably IS occupying the centre ground
2) When it comes to elections we all have one vote irrespective of our wealth.
I am astonished that these 'Tory deserters' actually believe that Gordon Brown actually gives two hoots about them or what they think. He is only interested in them for one reason only, to embarass David Cameron.
So these "Tories" switching to Labour are actually just New Labour guys who joined the Conservative Party by mistake and, realising their mistake, have now switched to Labour.
Makes sense I 'spose.
Johan is Johan, to coin the phrase.
Cameron is fine, most people in Britain are looking for change, moreover, looking for someone to restore some form of standards to our daily lives.
I sit next to a colleague each day from China who says to be 'how can this happen', 'did you see x' all relating to the murders or killings of innocent people. He tells me in Hong Kong the police are tough and he's right they are.
Over in the UK we've kind of descended almost into a 'can't do anything, won't say anything' culture and we've got to be positive and do something about it.
News that one party donor or old boy isn't happy won't win an election. What will is people's belief that Cameron is the man who will turn the sinking ship around. Hopefully very soon..
The party political tactics is no doubt worthy of five minutes attention. More importantly, I would also like to know:
Is this a real job with real influence?
Does Eliasch know how to conduct a useful review of a scientifically and technically complex topic? Can he evaluate evidence impartially? Having your heart in the right place and making quixotic gestures is all very well, but will he suddenly turn out to have irrational and inflexible views on, say, nuclear power or carbon trading?
What's his record across the board on climate change (i.e. not just Cool Earth but do his businesses operate sustainably)?
The point is , a large majority of english people and i mean english people are fed up with Immigration, the EU and the fact that england is not allowed to have vote on having its own assembly. so much for democracy! The English identity is slowly but surely being destroyed
by immigration and the last 30 years of policies and im sorry its for the worst and not for the better. And yes im 39yrs old not 70 yrs old
I am sorry to have to say, Nick, that your attention to this matter as Political Editor for the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú (not just an ordinary political correspondent) is odd, to put it mildly. How about the revelation that the Foot and Mouth outbreak came from the government laboratory and came about in part, we are told, because of underfunding of that lab and its infrastucture (namely drains!). Or is it that we cannot highlight anything too embarrassing for the "clunking fist"? Where is the balance in this? Where the measured assessment of each side? One man advising the government on green issues is a good thing, but worthy of the august attention of the Political Editor of the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú and his blog? I think not.
"Lurch to the left/right".
What asinine terminology, as if a political party is careering along like the proverbial pig-on-roller-skates.
Politics influences everything, we, the English people, cannot escape it.
Very roughly, there are three significant 'political' groups within England :
a) the elite
b) working people
c) welfare people
Currently, I have to accept Andrew Neil's (media commentator) assertion that 'the elite have won'.
Nevertheless, as one of the 'working people', I live in hope that one day some politicians will stand up for English working people.
Other than the few independent politicians and one or two 'mavericks' in the established political parties, I do not really see any politicians currently doing this.
No wonder there is no 'spark' for us working English people, quite unlike the current situation in Scotland, where the people have been re-energised by the emergence of a political group (SNP) who are clearly, unambiguously for the (Scottish) people.
Poor old Engand, becalmed in the political doldrums.
Nick, is it not the case, that whoever joins team Brown is doing so because one wants and is happy to do so?
Seems like the ones that are joining team Brown are now leaving their previous parties completely.
LET THE CHANGE BEGIN!
It seems to me that Cameron has rather come unstuck. He based his whole approach on presentation and image. That image was the he was the 'New Blair' i.e. young, fresh and in control. It was planned that 'Tory Blair' would be well placed to beat unpopular Mr Brown.
But what has happened is that Mr Brown is trusted (if not liked) to run the country competently. In contrast Mr Camerons re-launched policies, the new start we were promised by the Tories, turn out to be tax cuts, cutting spending, anti-immigration and anti-europe. Meet the old boss, same as the old boss.
The Tories still, after three General Election stuffings, don't get it!
If you are a Tory take a step back and admire the scene:
The Labour party moved to the right to become and remain elected - pursuing what were previously regarded as "Tory" policies.
GB has come in and appears to NOT be returning to Old Labour but instead continuing where TB left off.
The end is now nigh for David and his increasingly irrelevant rag bag of a 'party'.
-A lack of any real policies
-Actually considering Boris Johnson as a contender for Mayor of London
-Disunity within the party
-A shadow chancellor who feels too young, too inexperienced and too gaffe/prone to be given real responsibility.
No wonder people are desserting Cameron and the Eton Trifles.
Immigration isn't destroying Britain. Britain is destroying Britain. Any sense of order and consideration disappeared years ago. The Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Vietnamese, and Hungarian people I've met work diligently and are polite. This puts many native British people to shame. The problem is the yahoos at the top and sheep at the bottom. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is setting a strong lead. Change is inevitable.
A wisdom in the Tao suggests that 1/3 will protest, 1/3 will follow, and 1/3 will go with the flow. Personal experience suggests this is true. The kicker is that by setting a strong lead and encouraging the significant minority with a better attitude to become more prominent, the overall pattern will shift to match. The yahoos and criminals will be on the backfoot, and the floaters will go with the prevailing wind. That change is already visibly underway.
The biggest trick Gordon Brown needs to pull isn't to rule through fear. Respect is nice but love is even better. Again, this is a wisdom from the Tao. This is important if things are to develop in a better direction and his legacy cemented. Harsh rule without compassion ruins lives, deposes leaders, and scrubs them from history. By acting firmly to good cause and ending well, it makes a better impression on peoples psychology at a fundamental level.
Anyone else noticed that this man who is so committed to combating climate change owns a private jet? I wonder if Jack Straw pointed out the contradiction.
So what we have here is this.
A very wealthy man who seeks to buy or rather through a loan obtain some influence within a political party?
Now, he doesn't feel he can get any influence with the Conservatives but on jumping ship (couldn't resist) finds that he can.
So this begs the question?
Apart from salving this chaps desire to influence politicians, what's in it for Brown? There's no increase in membership, no much needed loan, nothing other than a PR coup really.
Except another former Tory supporter as a spokesman for the Labour party.
Doesn't say a lot for Brown's faith in his backbenches. His government of all talents seems to be mostly reject Tory talent; and dubious talent at that.
Nick, is it not the case, that whoever joins team Brown is doing so because one wants and is happy to do so?
Seems like the ones that are joining team Brown are now leaving their previous parties completely.
LET THE CHANGE BEGIN!
Cameron problem is he is so much into spin he is spinning himself he does not know if he is left right or centre.That will always be a problem for a person who has no vision or substance.
He has been found out at last by his own party members and the majority of the electorate.Times getting short for the Tories to dump him and find a new leader.
James D (no 14) wrote -
'If you are a Tory take a step back and admire the scene:
The Labour party moved to the right to become and remain elected - pursuing what were previously regarded as "Tory" policies.
GB has come in and appears to NOT be returning to Old Labour but instead continuing where TB left off.'
Funny thing that. GB has distanced himself fom what went before in the previous administration. Incredibly, even though he okayed and financed it from his senior position within
government.
According to some of the comments, it looks like sour grapes for the Tories, Nick!
Why can't the (still conservative) party take a hint at what the ex Tories are saying.
"GET RID OF CAMERON BEFORE WE END UP WITH ONE PARTY STATE"
Hello Nick, this is just another non story, which should occupy a couple of words at the bottom of the page. If the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú did not have the right to send in the Police with handcuffs and truncheons to imprison people, you would not have many licence fees paid. There seems to be an institutional incapacity to produce any balanced news. This person has only one vote. The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú has become little better than Pravda in the Soviet Union. The Labour government is the biggest threat to individual freedoms that this Country has ever faced. That is the story which should occupy your time. Their waste of money, incompetence, the stories of sleaze which never find their way to the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú headlines. The environment may be an important issue, bus as the recent admission by NASA demonstrates, the warming part of the story has been undermined. You need to start reporting the news after you take off your left wing blinkers.
david cameron must be wondering what he has to do to keep the tory family happy its as if he can't win either way. besides i don't like the way this is being reported cos the fact is he and others are only advising gordon brown. but of course if its put like that its not a story is it?
as it goes i don't see nothing wrong with it but in politics term its something cameron could do without. brown needs to be carefull cos he may upset the labour left with them calling for vote on europe as well it may backfire
Nick,
Was there really no other poltical story that you could have blogged about instead of doing two posts about a non story?
Come on Nick can't we have a post that's critical of Brown? Just one even if it's about the colour of his tie?
Brown is making a big tactical mistake. Much of the Brown bounce came about because of excellent PR (new suit, new haircut, new smile etc). Tough-but-tender, straight-as-a-die, tell-it-as-it-is Brown; not-as-dour-as-you-thought Brown. The public were pleasantly surprised. But now the mask is slowly slipping (polls up - 'we are keeping our election options open'; polls down -'we certainly are not' etc, etc). Amazingly (given his track record) he has been able to create a fair impression of being above it all. But the strain has been too great, can't hold his breath any longer - the politician's urge to get down and dirty is too strong and the image flashes across the public consciousness of a big beast and a big big splash as he jumps into the mud bath. A picture of Manager Brown on a dark street corner, collar upturned - a whispered 'psssst' 'psssst', waving a suspicious brown package at the members of the rival team as they roll out of the nearest night-club.
You watch his ratings plummet as the public cotton on. They always do - eventually.
To Richard Barry:
I suspect that preserving 400,000 acres of the Amazon, and setting up a system to enable others to follow suit might just about offset the eco cost of owning a private jet.
When everyone else has an eco balance that good, we'll have fixed the problem.
Ralph,
Why criticize Brown just for the sake of it?
If Nick did do this it would be irresponsible journalism.
So, a very rich man removes his financial patronage from the Conservatives, and overnight jumps ship to Labour. So much for political conviction!
It looks as if Johan Eliasch only ever had his own vanities and selfish interests at heart (unproven beliefs in climate change), and wasn't really bothered about politics in general and the UK as a whole.
The more of these people that get flushed out the better - maybe the electorate will start to re-engage with politics when they see the rich losing their influence over politicians?
It sounds like Cameron is well rid of him.
Can we have some proper reporting now, please Nick? Foot and mouth, the Nuclear debate, Lord Sainsburys donation to Labour, The EU constitution - surely these are equally deserving of your comment?
Steve Tarbet wrote 'The end is now nigh for David and his increasingly irrelevant rag bag of a 'party'.
I suspect he may be right. However this is not a victory for those of us with a social conscience as all that has happened is the 'party of the working class', I can hardly type that without laughing/crying, has now taken over all their policies, their 'values' and now their members and backers.
The coronation of Brown was not to herald a return to the values of Old Labour but to cement the policies and beliefs of his favourite conviction politician Maggie Thatcher.
Thank god I'm Scottish and can vote for a Party that has not sold it's soul to the perceived beliefs of Middle England.
So, some non-politician who we've never heard of has decided he can get what he wants by sucking up to Gordon?
Why should the Tories be upset? The sooner they chuck out or lose all the waverers and turncoats the better off they will be.
Another thought occurs - if enough tories joined the labour party would it become "New Tory"?
Does this not show that Gordon Brown has a Cabinet of not very competant non entities and so he needs to bring anyone who can help him out.
This may be OK in the short term but his all controlling mania will be found out.
Real news is irrelevant, this is part of the Brown Broadcasting Corporation, so what can we expect. The results form the Foot and Mouth outbreak were handed to the government last week and we get the news today! Thats what I can being on the ball. Oh gosh, and guess what? the drains were faulty at the government site. But of course that is not something that would normally be looked into? This is a site that was supposed to be checked for everything that could in any way cause a leak, well it did. Not a line of reporting on who held the purse strings, or on whose watch this all occured. If this had been a Tory government the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú would be all over it, and rightly so. This is yet another area that Labour are not up to the job of protecting us, and all your reporting is on who has now taken their ball away from camp Cameron. Grand job, Nick.
I think Brown should be careful here as this could easily misfire on him. Yes he cares about the environment, BUT - buying 400,000 acres of the Amazon Rainforest to 'save' it from destruction could be a minefield. Firstly, should something like that be a national Government's to sell? Secondly, what about the people who make a living from cutting down the forest (even though it isn't environmentally friendly?) Finally, couldn't this be seen as a form of environmental colonialism - a rich, white European taking over a large swathe of a Third World Country?
Perhaps Cameron might be better off without him, as the idea of getting people to 'buy' acres of rainforest at £70 a time is something that most of us don't realistically do (or afford for that matter.) Wouldn't it be better to use such resources to promote environmental stewardship rather than buying up parts of Third World countries? Rather than the real motive, because we need them to sustain our own comfortable living style in the face of climate change? That sounds selfish - and also sounds very Thatcherite as well - Labour should be worried, where is Brown's handbag?
Am I alone in finding Brown's actions increasingly distasteful? is his own Party full of incompetents? I find this poaching from other parties to 'advise' him unpleasant. Observation leads me to believe that he listens to nobody and these people, unless they bring money, are just useful idiots. Personally Brown depresses me just looking at him and even more when he opens his mouth. After the initial surprise that, apart from the first PMQ, he hasn't made a complete mess of things I have not heard any great enthuiasism for him. A one time politics junkie I have sunk into resigned apathy and don't plan to vote at all.
So far as I can tell, I Brown keeps appointing tories, then surely even he realises that what is needed to sort out 10 years of new labour mess is,.... well, Conservatism.
Why can he not be a little bit more honest and resign and call an election so that we can appoint even more conservatives?
If he critisises the conservative party, or Cameron, All Cameron has to say is, "well if you disagree with us so much, why do you keep appointing us to sort out your mess?"
Brown has made a major strategic mistake in publicly endorsing conservatives.
Strange bedfellows? Ok, enough of the bed metaphors. Well, one more. I don't really care who hooks up with whom and will sleep easier ... so long as the intent is genuine and the results tangible.
Much has been made of the move from Tory to Labour camp, and as is they way with the navel-gazing, feral beasties of the Westminster Village the environmental issues have taken second billing to the 'defection'.
But if... big IF... this means a guy who does seem to be smart and committed gets to whisper in Mr. Brown's ear (rather obvious point about talking in opposition vs. doing in government taken) then it looks a pretty good thing. If... Mr. Brown listens.
It will be interesting to see how this trend for multi-millionaires advising political leadership on motivating the masses in matters green pans out. The whole jet/offset thing is a pity, as the concept of buying off excess shouldn't be allowed to fly, but I guess I can live with it so long as Mr. Eliasch doesn't end up on air at every stage telling us what to do even though 'it would not be, like, you know, practical for him not to'.
In this case, as I have always seen merit in Cool Earth as a quick, big fix (well, delay) after the Newsnight piece, I am hopeful.
Nick,
Is using patronage powers for your own political advantage not a naughty thing for Brown to be doing? Something to investigate?
Nick does seem to be developing aspirations to be the next Fleming, now you mention it.
Nick Robinson coolly opened his blog. Keyboard at the ready, his eyes scanned the long line of comments. They sat there, motionless, quietly sneering back at him. Smoothly moving onto the new entry button, he clicked, opening up a fresh blank page. Catching himself off guard, the days events hit him like a wall. The fat minister, tie crooked from a hasty liaison with his secretary. Countless high ranking civil servants in their faux tailored suits, wearing authority that the blank A4 paper of their souls could never be imprinted with. A nervous journalist laughing at an in joke with his colleagues. A moment of casual arrogance. Pride before the fall. His mind swimming with a bewildering array of human frailty and misfortune, Robinson reached for the bottle of Talisker perched, three quarter full, by the side of his computer display.
Licence to Shill. £9.99 at all good bookstores.
Nick,
Let me try once last time to get you to report on something which shows Brown in a less than reasonable light.
Immediately before the parliamentary recess, the Leader of the House, at the behest of Gordon Brown, arranged the appointment of Keith Vaz to the Home Affairs Select Committee. You know, that independent Committe, wholly at arms length from the Government. The committee that looks at issues of national security and no doubt in due course the same committee that will comment and give advice upon new terrorist laws and the introduction of ID cards.
In case you have forgotten, the decision to override the normal independent processes of the select committees resulted in Vaz being appointed, and subsequently made chairman of the committee.
What does this tell us about Brown? Is there any chance that you would like to give us the benefit of your experience of the political scene? Or do I just carry on as before awaiting the next less than relevant report about a party not in government, and not taking decisions that further restrict my liberty?
Brown may be a consummate operator, but I am not prepared to see him run the country solely as he sees fit, without proper checks and balances. For goodness sake - take these matters seriously. A weak opposition does not mean that Brown is always right.
All these 'defections' will only be of benefit if the government not only takes them in but acts on their advice.
If these people are just going to be put in a dark corner somewhere and only used to batter David Cameron with in the media and not actually serve any purpose all this is just normal useless political bluster.
Use their skills and knowledge effectively, but somehow I think thats beyond most politicans, whatever side of the fence you sit on.
I can't blame Mr Eliasch for seeing an opportunity to directly influence government policy now especially with Labour's finances in such a terrible state ahead of a possible election in the near future.
It does seem that almost every tory left argues on your column, Nick.
Never mind, perhaps Gordon will offer them space on the No 10 website?