Blog
A Tribute to Dame Cheryl Gillan (1952-2021)
- 5 Apr 2021
I was and am proud to call Cheryl Gillan a friend. I was so sad to learn this afternoon that she had died. She had been in poor health for some time and had been devastated by the death of her beloved husband Jack Leeming at the age of 91 in 2019. She was absolutely devote...
And I Say Unto Thee... Me, God and Religion
- 4 Apr 2021
My sisters and I grew up in a small village in North Essex, where the church was an integral part of village life. We were all confirmed into the Anglican church. My mother would go to church semi-regularly and would be part of the church flower rota. We were given the choice ...
Political Counterfactual: How Jacqui Smith Became...
- 2 Apr 2021
For those of you who enjoyed Alex Macpherson's counterfactual about what might have happened if I had been elected MP for Bracknell, he has now turned his attention to my For the Many podcast partner, Jacqui Smith. ‘He died whilst enjoying one of his great passions in...
Reaction Media Column 44: 'Finding Derek'
- 31 Mar 2021
This article first appeared on Reaction. Finding Derek, ITV1 & ITV Hub I’m going to be honest, I have put off writing this column because it’s not easy writing about two people, one of whom I regard as a new friend. The other is a former political enemy, who once tri...
Reaction Media Column 43: Sellafield & Murray Walker Documentary
- 25 Mar 2021
This article first appeared on Reaction. Sellafield’s Toxic Culture, BBC News Channel & iPlayer This film is only eleven minutes long, but it tells a very worrying story. Sellafield ought to be the safest place in the country. It needs to be given what happens on its...
Iain Signs Two Book Deal with Hodder & Stoughton
- 22 Mar 2021
As well as hearing the good news about the book award on Friday, I also got the sales figures as well. Suffice to say they were way beyond my expectations and the advance has already been earned out. (Temporary cover) Today, Hodder & Stoughton are announcing that...
A Political CounterFactual: What If Iain Dale Had Become MP for Bracknell...
- 19 Mar 2021
With Duncan Brack I have edited several books of political counterfactuals including Prime Minister Michael Portillo & Other Things That Never Happened, Prime Minister Corbyn & Other Things That Never Happened, and in July this year Prime Minister Priti & Other Thi...
Reaction Media Review 42: Caroline Aherne at the BBC & Winston Churchill's War
- 19 Mar 2021
This article first appeared on Reaction. Caroline Aherne at the BBC, BBC4 & iPlayer If you were compiling a list of the top 10 funniest women in Britain over the last 20 years, Caroline Aherne would undoubtedly feature on it. This half-hour tribute to one of Britain’...
'The Prime Ministers' Wins Prestigious Book Award
- 18 Mar 2021
Everyone likes winning an award, and of course I am no different to anyone else. So when I heard that The PRIME MINISTERS had won an award, you can imagine how thrilled I was. Although the book is edited by me and the award is in my name, there are 54 other contributors to...
Justine Greening Asks the Questions
- 7 Mar 2021
Last week I did an interview with Justine Greening for her podcast, Fit for Purpose, which you can listen to here. They've transcribed some of it. Enjoy! Iain Dale Podcast Political commentator, broadcaster, author and podcaster Iain Dale talks to us abo...
Review: The Accidental President
- 6 Mar 2021
The Accidental President, Amazon Prime, Apple TV Just when you thought you’d had your fill of Donald Trump and could happily never think about him again, along comes something which shatters that particular illusion. And so it is with ‘The Accidental President’, which looks...
What does levelling up mean for London and how do we achieve it?
- 6 Mar 2021
What does levelling up mean for London and how do we achieve it? When we talk about levelling up, many people think about deep-rooted inequalities faced by communities in the North of England or the Midlands but what does it mean for London? The mission to quash reg...
Reaction Media Review Column 41: Charles Kennedy Documentary & Boom Radio
- 2 Mar 2021
Tearlach Ceannadach/Charles Kennedy: A Good Man Speaking, BBC Alba, iPlayer This documentary about the former leader of the Leader Democrats was a joy to watch. Having said that, it was more an adulatamentary than an objective look at Charles Kennedy’s life, ...
Reaction Media Review Column 40: Donald Trump Takes on the World & the Mile End Institute Podcast
- 23 Feb 2021
This column first appeared on Reaction. Trump Takes on the World, BBC2 Why, oh why, doesn’t the BBC commission more contemporary documentaries like this? As an institution, the BBC has unparalleled access to all the leading political players in the world. Just menti...
My Sunday Times West Ham Feature
- 21 Feb 2021
This is from today's Sunday Times Sports Section. My club: Iain Dale on his love for West Ham Broadcaster Iain Dale remembers the perfect day at Wembley and the decision to leave Upton Park for good. Interview by John Aizlewood Why West Ham? It wasn’t in my genes:...
Reaction Media Review Column 39: The Imposter by Tom Harris & An Inconvenient Ruth
- 18 Feb 2021
This article was first published on Reaction. The Imposter podcast with Tom Harris Tom Harris was a Labour MP between 2001 and 2015. He was also one of the first MPs to harness the power of the internet through his blog, And Another Thing. But in 2010, he announced ...
Reaction Media Review Column 38: Chesapeake Shores & Ian King Live
- 9 Feb 2021
This column first appeared on Reaction. Chesapeake Shores, Netflix In the 1970s it was The Waltons and Little House of the Prairie that provided us with so-called ‘Feel Good’ programmes. They went out of fashion for quite a long time but in recent years, the advent of Ne...
Politicos Launches New Range of Political Pants
- 5 Feb 2021
As you know, I am a man of impeccable taste and decency. Back in the early 2000s at Politico's we had a range of political knickers with political slogans across the front. When I relaunched Politicos.co.uk in December I thought I'd revive this genre, so I've ...
Reaction Media Review Column 37: It's & Sin & Westminster Insider
- 2 Feb 2021
Westminster Insider with Jack Blanchard, Politico There’s a new political podcast on the block, as if we haven’t got enough already. Time will tell if this one – hosted by Jack Blanchard – has the necessary addictive qualities to attract a large audience. Blanchard is known...
Reaction Media Review Column 36: The Stranger & Question Time
- 26 Jan 2021
The Stranger (Netflix) OK, OK, I am a year late to the party, but if I am, I suspect you might be too, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out. My partner and I have very different TV viewing habits but just occasionally we find a series we watch together. And that’s what happe...