Without Osborne, there’d be no Cameron project — that’s why both sides hate him

James Forsyth reviews the week in politics

When all the Tory staff moved into the soulless Millbank complex for the election campaign, they were addressed by George Osborne in his role as campaign director. They were told that the next 60 days were the most important period of their professional lives. For no one in the room was this truer than for Mr Osborne. If the Tories triumph, he will be chancellor and (if he is lucky) hailed as the mastermind behind a winning campaign. If it ends in disaster, he’ll be held responsible.

His dual role — campaign director and shadow chancellor — has been deeply controversial and has exposed him to criticism from those who say he does neither job well. In the summer of 2007, as Gordon Brown soared in the polls, Osborne copped the blame. Frontbenchers and backbenchers alike complained that Mr Osborne had underestimated the new Prime Minister and had not furnished the party with an economic narrative.