Events overtake the Tories

At the Spectator party last night there was an unplanned Titanic theme. The world was crashing down and here were we in an set gallery, proffering killer blue cocktails with a string quartet playing as, to borrow Bush’s argot, this sucker goes down. David Cameron and George Osborne didn’t show – ostensibly because they were too busy, but I suspect because they knew how bad this would look for the sketchwriters.

It’s a dillema. Do the Tories try to insert themselves into the news story which is shunting them into the inside pages of today’s press, as American parties do so successfully? Or would this be seen as cynical? Cameron’s speech at 11am will be his attempt.

Poor Michael Gove is on now, talking about the single best policy the Tories have. His chances of coverage are almost nil. Financial rain has, in effect, stopped play here in Birmingham. Everyone grimly realises the both the news agenda and events are overtaking them.