We will be sitting around the shadow cabinet table': Osborne's grim joke on Tories election prospects

As the man charged with delivering a Tory victory at the next election, George Osborne is supposed to be a cheerleader for Conservative triumph in 2015.
But the Chancellor has revealed his inner doubts about the prospects of victory to the rest of the Cabinet.
The Mail has learned that Mr Osborne surprised his fellow ministers recently by cracking a doom-laden joke predicting that the party will soon be in opposition.
Mr Osborne’s comment came as Tory chairman Grant Shapps outlined ways the Tory Party can maximise their vote by reaching out to black and other ethnic minority voters at the next election.
One minister urged Mr Cameron to act promptly on the plans, saying: ‘We don’t want to be sitting around the Cabinet table having this conversation in three years’ time.’
At that point Mr Osborne piped up: ‘In three years’ time we will be sitting around the shadow cabinet table.’
Those present said the Chancellor was ‘only half joking’ when he made the crack and that he provoked ‘nervous laughter’ from other ministers.
Mr Osborne’s gallows humour was particularly stark coming from the man who is charged with devising the Conservative election strategy and reviving Britain’s economic fortunes.
And observers expressed surprise that the Chancellor chose to make his gloomy comment at a meeting expressly designed to boost the Tories’ prospects of boosting their vote share in 2015.

 

One of those present said: ‘George just said it quick as a flash. There was a bit of a stunned pause while everyone realised what he meant and then a lot of nervous laughter. Everyone knows we might lose but to hear it from George himself is not exactly reassuring.’
Another source said: ‘It was an odd moment to make that joke since we were talking about how we win, not how we lose.’
A spokesman for Mr Osborne denied that he is pessimistic about the Tories’ chances of success: ‘George thinks we can and will win the next election.’ But he did not deny that the comment was made.
Details of the Chancellor’s mordant joke emerged as Tories said they will seek ‘revenge’ for the Liberal Democrats voting down reform of constituency boundaries, which would have given the Tories a 20 seat boost at the next election.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne made the grim joke at a meeting to discuss ways of boosting Conservative election chances

Thanks to the pro-Labour bias, the Tories will now need a national poll lead of around 7 per cent to secure a majority.
Under plans being discussed by senior Conservatives, more Lib Dem seats would be added to the Tory hitlist of target seats.
Tory donors will be asked to contribute with the specific intention of ousting particular Lib Dem MPs.
Mr Shapps has drawn up a list of 40 seats the Tories need to win a healthy majority - 20 of which are Lib Dem seats.
But a well-placed source said: ‘The talk now is that we increase that to 30 or 35. Make them pay. It’s pretty hard getting donors to cough up to run photocopiers at Millbank [Tory HQ] but they would be more than happy to fund a campaign to oust some more of these b******s.’

Eric Pickles joked that the Coalition has become like a family gathering with relatives who have outstayed their welcome

Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, has said that the coalition is like an extended family that has spent too much time together.
It was like Boxing Day, he said. ‘You have been as nice as you can to your relatives, but by the time Boxing Day comes around you realise why you do not live together.’
Tory MPs in target seats will be told they must attend ethnic minority events in order to boost their chances of victory.
Before Mr Osborne’s joke, ministers had heard how being non-white is the single biggest reason why people don’t vote Tory -more important than class or wealth or home town.
They then discussed plans for David Cameron to make a speech distancing the Tories from the toxic legacy of Enoch Powell, whose ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech about immigration in the 1960s is still seen as proof the party is racist by some ethnic minority voters.
Mr Cameron has brought in Australian election expert Lynton Crosby to run the campaign. But strategy will still be set by himself and Mr Osborne, who divides his time at the Treasury with political strategy meetings in Number 10 Downing Street.
Labour leader Ed Miliband regularly taunts Mr Osborne as ‘the part time Chancellor’ for his dual political and economic role.
But a growing number of Tory MPs are also losing patience with Mr Osborne amid concerns that the flatlining of the economy will cost them any prospect of victory in 2015.
One senior backbencher said yesterday: ‘People are getting nervous that the time on the economic clock is beginning to run out.’