Gordon tries to rain on Dave’s parade

There are certain gentleman’s conventions that govern British politics. One is that party leaders do not trash each other while overseas. Another is that, while one of the main parties is holding its annual conference, the other more or less keeps quiet: why, after all, waste a good policy proposal when the political press pack is filing thousands of words about the other lot from a seaside resort? But, in the next election – whenever it comes – Marquess of Queensberry rules will definitely not be observed. Just as Gordon Brown did not deign to mention the Tories in his Bournemouth conference speech seven days ago, so his Government now plans to unveil an announcement a day during Mr Cameron’s make-or-break week. This is about form not content. It is meant to send a signal of limitless contempt. The Conservatives are such a puny irrelevance, says the PM, that it would be ludicrous to suspend the public business of governing the nation while they discuss their imminent extinction.