I’m so busy working on my book (listed on Amazon already), that I haven’t had much time to keep people up to date with what’s happening in the U.K., but it’s pretty astonishing. Two months ago, the Prime Minister had an 11-percent lead, historically high approval ratings, and the Conservatives looked like they didn’t know what they stood for, and were heading for oblivion. Since then, the Conservatives got their act together and started pushing more conservative policies, while Labour not only presided over the loss of half the nation’s bank account details, but has been severely damaged by another donation scandal that reaches as far as the Deputy Leader.

The result has been a spectacular turn around in the polls. The Conservatives are the ones 11-percent ahead now. More importantly, however, Labour appears to have finally lost its reputation for economic competence. It was the Conservatives losing that reputation that spelled doom for John Major almost fifteen years ago. Brown’s personal approval rating is just 23-percent – worse than the President’s, as Shane Greer points out. With several years to go in his Ministry, Gordon Brown already looks like a lame duck. With figures like this, a leadership crisis would develop in normal circumstances. Brown, however, spent so long as heir apparent to Tony Blair, there is no credible figure waiting in the wings (a return to Blair is not an option as he is no longer in Parliament). Unless something terrible happens to the Conservatives, Brown could lead Labour to a landslide defeat. I could not have imagined writing those words on the eve of the Tory Conference two months ago.

Meanwhile, David Cameron is looking very much like a Prime Minister in waiting, and has started to be treated as such. He met the President yesterday, after talking about the Balkan situation at the Brookings Institution (an interesting choice of venue, shall we say) and visiting Arlington Cemetery (good for him). At Brookings, he delivered a very pro-American address (see the last link), which was gratifying, and told our very own John O’Sullivan at a press conference that America was Britain’s single most important relationship. This is all very encouraging.

Meanwhile, Tim Montgomerie has written a sound essay for Another Publication on the importance of the relationship between the Conservatives and the GOP.