Be careful what you wish for

William Hague comes out and says what all the Tories are thinking.

William Hague yesterday became the first member of the Tory leadership to predict a Conservative victory next year and said that his party was psychologically prepared for government.

Well, that's good. I hope they are psychologically prepared for the substantial kicking that whoever wins the next election is going to get as the true scale of this economic begins to unfold sometime in the next 12-18 months (it's barely even started yet!).

He acknowledged that the “budgetary situation had changed dramatically”, making it even more difficult to make specific pledges, but said that the party would know the Tories’ intended “direction of travel”.

Maybe I'm reading that wrong - but that seems to suggest that even the Tory party don't know what the Tories are doing - only the general direction of travel? That's quite an admission. They know where they want to go - just not sure how to get there. For some reason, that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence.

Mr Hague used the interview to reassure President Obama and European leaders that a Tory government would be “active, energetic and engaged members of the EU”.

No offence to the Anointed One, but what the hell has it got to do with him whether Britain is an "active, energetic and engaged" member of the EU? What we would like is for a one or two of the EU members who are also part of NATO to be active, energetic and engaged with that organisation and share some of the front line burden in Afghanistan. Personally, I think we'd be better off out of both clubs - neither seems to bring us much benefit - just a lot of fighting.

On issues such as climate change, energy liberalisation and the single market they were “great enthusiasts”. “Our difference is that we are not in favour of the institutional aggrandisement of Brussels,” he said.

Meaning? Institutional aggrandisement is what the EU is all about - and "climate change" has been a vital tool of that process. We've heard enough times from both sides of the house how issues like the puffed up and entirely fictitious man-made climate change and terrorism can only be solved by big power blocs like the EU and the UN.

I like Hague, but I have serious doubts that the Cameron Tories have either the understanding of the full implications of the coming economic storm or the skill to negotiate their way through it. In all honesty - I don't see anyone in British politics who has. We need a Churchill or a Thatcher - but all we have are Chamberlains and Heaths.