In Conversation with Matthew Parris
- 9 May 2009
This article appeared in a 2009 edition of Total Politics magazine. Iain: How has turning 60 affected you, if it all? Matthew: I’ve got a bit of a limp which comes from literally tens of thousands of miles training for marathons. I did my last London marathon in 19...
Best Wishes to LabourList & Let's Lay Off Derek Draper
- 7 May 2009
Following the confirmation of my story yesterday afternoon that Derek Draper has resigned as editor of LabourList, I just want to scribble a few final words on the issue. First of all, let's show a bit of human compassion towards Derek. It's not nice to kick a man when...
What do Edwina Currie & Ann Widdecombe Have in Common?
- 5 May 2009
What should I make of the fact that I get emails today from Ann Widdecombe and Edwina Currie announcing they both have new email addresses? Just askin'... Reminds me of a wonderful afternoon at the Tory Party Conference in 2002 just after Edwina had published her diaries. A...
Fortune Favours Brave Chipmunks
- 4 May 2009
From the Daily Mash... Hazel Blears: Britain's most powerful Borrower. Lives inside the skirting boards at Number 10 where she chews through the modem cables and eats off an old bobbin. Can make a Babybel cheese last for a month Wounded chipmunks can be very da...
The May 1979 Meme
- 3 May 2009
Paul Burgin of the Mars Hill blog has tagged me in this May 1979 meme. How old were you? Sixteen. What are your personal political memories, if you have any? I was in the Lower Sixth at Saffron Walden County High School. The school decided to have a mock electio...
Why Brown's Troubles Could Spell Bad News for the Tories
- 2 May 2009
Gordon Brown’s political obituary has been written many times over the 22 months of his short premiership. This time, though, my political antenna tells me that he is in real trouble. And that spells bad news for the Tories. It has been a humiliating week for the Prime Ministe...
A Shouting Match Live on Air With George Galloway
- 2 May 2009
I have never shouted at a radio presenter before, but I have just had the Mother of all rows with George Galloway on TalkSport. Quite incredible. I had been invited on to talk about the 30th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's 1979 election victory. He started off by intro...
Happy 80th Birthday to Jeremy Thorpe
- 29 Apr 2009
Last night, John and I attended an 80th birthday celebration for former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe at the National Liberal Club. It was quite a touching event, with speeches from Nick Clegg, Alan Beith and Nick Harvey among others. Why was I there? I got to know Jeremy and h...
My Downfall Video
- 28 Apr 2009
Scary Mary has done me the honour of making a Downfall video about my lamentable failure to win the Orwell Prize. I particularly enjoyed the line about Nadine!
My Nigel Farage Interview for GQ Magazine
- 28 Apr 2009
In the May issue of GQ Magazine I wrote a lengthy profile of UKIP leader Nigel Farage. Now that the issue is no longer on sale, I am posting it on the blog... Being leader of a political party which stands a snowball’s chance in hell of ever achieving real power is not a ve...
Nightjack Wins the Orwell Blogging Prize
- 23 Apr 2009
Well, I have continued my record of never having won anything in my life, beyond a few £50 premium bonds! At the Orwell prize last night, the blog prize went to the Nightjack blog. He's real life police detective and writes an excellent blog about police matters, although he o...
My Verdict on the Leaders Debate
- 15 Apr 2009
Well, it wasn't that exciting. In fact at times it was damned tedious. There was no huge gaffe, no devastating oneliners. No real funnies. Brown kept trying to agree with Nick Clegg to forge an alliance against David Cameron. By the end it was laughable. But overall, I...
Draper & Watson Call in the Lawyers to Put Pressure on the Media
- 13 Apr 2009
From Nadine's blog... 5 Live called to say they were being leaned on by lawyers with regard to any reference to Tom Watson MP and before I went on, would I just be aware of that. I asked them what they wanted me to do with that information and were they saying I cou...
Telegraph Column: Damian McBride scandal: Fatal flaws of the PM's pitbull
- 12 Apr 2009
Thanks to Damian McBride and Derek Draper, whom I like to think of as the Dick Dastardly and Mutley of British politics, I have had to abort my Easter plans. You see, I was their first victim. Before I explain how, let's rewind a few months. Last October I met Draper for lu...
SmearGate: One Down, Two to Go
- 11 Apr 2009
The news that Damian McBride has resigned is welcome indeed, but it isn't the end of the matter. There are further serious questions which need to be asked, not least about the role of Tom Watson, who sat next to McBride in the Downing Street bunker and was allegedly mentioned...
Don't Say I Didn't Warn You...
- 11 Apr 2009
Plato (Correction: It was ConHome who first pointed this out) has just pointed out that I wrote THIS post speculating about the launch of a cyberwar by the Labour Party on the very day that someone (presumably Draper) registered http://www.theredrag.co.uk/ - 4 November 2008. ...
McBride & Draper: A Match Made in Hell
- 11 Apr 2009
Number Ten are seeking to play down the seriousness of McBridge-Gate, describing it as juvenile. The Telegraph and the BBC have fallen for the spin. No matter. They will revise their opinions when they see the contents of the emails which will presumably be published in tomorr...
20 Sentences Top Bloggers Will Never Write
- 10 Apr 2009
20 Sentences Top Bloggers Will Never Write Dizzy Thinks I am just not interested in a story which combines technology with tits. Guido Fawkes Damian McBride will still be in a job by the end of the month Tim Montgomerie A world without America would be a far better...
Guido Fawkes, Me & the Number Ten Smears Against Top Tories
- 10 Apr 2009
The Telegraph is running a front page story tomorrow detailing a smear campaign by Number Ten against various Tory politicians. The story revolves around emails obtained by Guido Fawkes which show how the dirty tricks department of Number Ten have been running a Nixonian smear...
Hitchens, Vaizey & Dale on the Tory Big Idea
- 5 Apr 2009
Well that was a lesson learned. The lesson? Don't bother debating with people who were trained in debating by the Socialist Workers Party. In case you are wondering, I refer to Peter Hitchens. He, Ed Vaizey and I were talking this afternoon at the Oxford Literary Festival on t...