George Eustice | The Tory View

George Eustice is Conservative MP for Camborne and Redruth and a former press secretary to David Cameron.

George Eustice: We must prepare for euro break-up

It is easy to deliver effective comms around issues over which you have control. But the big challenge facing governments is how to manage comms around events that are unpredictable and beyond their control.

George Eustice: Law can help raise press standards

Last week, the Leveson Inquiry turned to the relationship between politics and the media as Rupert Murdoch gave evidence.

George Eustice: You need to work with the weather

Enoch Powell once said that for a politician to complain about the press is like a ship's captain complaining about the sea.

George Eustice: Party funding is unlikely to change

The reform of party funding comes on to the agenda periodically, but always proves hard to deliver.

George Eustice: Coalition sniping weakens Budget

Recent weeks have seen feverish speculation and open argument about what should be contained in next week's Budget, which underlines one of the inherent challenges of running a coalition Government.

George Eustice: Politics outshines business in a crisis

It is frequently suggested that politicians can learn from business, and governments are keen to bring businesspeople into the fold. But the one area where politics has nothing to learn from business is in the field of crisis comms. The blind panic o...

George Eustice: Vested interests threaten NHS bill

Andrew Lansley could be forgiven for feeling a little bit let down by health professionals and, in particular, the British Medical Association.

George Eustice: Bailed-out banks are a liability

There are few things more frustrating for a political leader than to be caught in the middle of a political storm and held responsible for decisions over which they have limited control.

George Eustice: Miliband may have shot his bolt

Ed Miliband squandered the first year of his leadership and is now in trouble.

George Eustice: Lobbyists need to raise their game

The investigation by The Independent into Bell Pottinger has put lobbying under the spotlight and regulation back on the agenda.

George Eustice: Osborne remains firm under pressure

George Osborne had his work cut out in the run-up to this week's Autumn Statement. The crisis in the eurozone, coupled with ongoing speculation about the prospects for the UK economy, meant that he had to get his message across against a great deal o...

George Eustice: EU faces ultimate comms nightmare

This week, David Cameron used his speech to the Lord Mayor's Banquet to set out his stall on the future of the EU.

George Eustice: Whips should not push loyalty too far

The friction in the run-up to last week's vote on Europe led some to bemoan the methods of the whips office, with one Sunday newspaper devoting a double-page spread to a rumour that the chief whip might have used some colourful language while trying ...

George Eustice: Loyal civil servants are good for morale

Liam Fox could always be relied on to go the extra mile for the team.

George Eustice: Labour always peaks too early

The leader's speech is the make or break element of any party conference, and David Cameron is good at big events.

George Eustice: Make or break time for party leaders

The party conference season has started and the stakes are high. The relationship between political parties and the media at conference season is rather like that of a horse trainer breaking in a new horse. Get it right, as David Cameron did in 2005,...

George Eustice: Centre right could reunite Scotland

Scottish Conservatives are currently choosing a new leader and the debate has been more lively than usual with one candidate, Murdo Fraser, making the case for dismantling the Scottish Conservatives and forming a new party on the centre right.

George Eustice: Riots show need for Big Society

Two weeks ago I wrote that August tended to be a quiet period filled with small stories that would otherwise not make their mark. It's fair to say this year has been an exception with the recall of Parliament after the unprecedented rioting and looti...

George Eustice: Stay on front foot during silly season

The so-called silly season has begun. While there is no shortage of earnest news from around the world, whether the famine in Africa or the threats hanging over the US economy, for both political journalists and the press officers who have to mark th...

George Eustice: Time to bring media back under control

On Tuesday, News International executives appeared before the DCMS select committee. This followed a fraught week where the crisis accelerated and where barely a day went by without a fresh resignation.