“The Spin Doctor Risen to Power”

That’s Michael Barone’s verdict on David Cameron, just elected leader of Britain’s Conservative Party. I don’t know how many people are reading Barone’s blog, but if you’re not reading it, you should. Barone is a pre-eminent mainstream political analyst who doesn’t need the web to reach an audience, but he’s clearly got the blogging bug–the immediacy of the medium is hard to resist–and the quality of his internet commentary is superb.

Barone is known as a student of the nuts and bolts of American politics, but it’s evident from his recent posts on English politics that he is knowledgeable about the British variety as well, and not only from a distance:

Cameron announced his shadow cabinet, including Hague as shadow foreign secretary, Davis as shadow home secretary, George Osborne (a key Cameron ally who is only 34) as shadow chancellor of the Exchequer, and Liam Fox as shadow defense secretary. As it happens, I’ve met all four of them and rate them as pretty formidable politicians.

If you’re curious about the changing role of the House of Lords in contemporary British politics, Michael has that covered as well. Anyway, check it out; my only fear is that Barone may put amateurs like us out of business.

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