EDP Diary: The Ugly Face of Football
- 22 Sep 2006
I watched the Panorama expose of shady dealings in the world of British football with a mounting sense of anger. To be honest I expected the whole thing to be a bit of a damp squib, but not a bit of it. It leaves Bolton manager Sam Allardyce with a lot of questions to answer. ...
Harriman House Buys Politicos.co.uk
- 21 Sep 2006
Some of you will have already picked this up from a Politico's email, but this is the press release being sent out today... HARRIMAN HOUSE TAKES OVER POLITICOS.CO.UK Harriman House and Politicos.co.uk announce today that Harriman House has taken over the online bookshop ...
Independent: If You Go Down to Notting Hill Today
- 18 Sep 2006
If you go down to Notting Hill today, you’re sure of a big surprise. It’s slowly but surely being taken over by a group of chi chi young Tories who have more in common with American preppies than the Notting Hill carnival. You’re more likely to see a Pringle sweater wi...
CWF Article on Political Blogging
- 12 Sep 2006
Written for Forward! The Conservative Way Forward magazine. 1 Conservative Home http://www.conservativehome.com 2 Iain Dale http://iaindale.blogspot.com ...
Margaret Thatcher & South Africa
- 3 Sep 2006
Former South African Foreign Minister Pik Botha has rounded on David Cameron for criticising Margaret Thatcher's policy towards South Africa. "She did more to change apartheid than the Labour Party or any other party in Britain... In private conversations, as well as in let...
Independent Media Diary: Those Lefties at the BBC
- 3 Sep 2006
Some years ago Tony Blair was overheard referring to the Scottish Press as "unreconstructed wankers". On Friday they had a chance to get their own back as Blair faced the Tartan Press hordes at an Edinburgh Hotel. Well, sort of. Blair's spin doctors have told the hacks that th...
Ten Things Not to Say When Caught Speeding
- 1 Sep 2006
PC Bloggs, in her ever helpful way, tells us about the top ten remarks that will guarantee you a ticket... 1. I pay your salary. 2. Haven't you got anything better to do? 3. I'm going to miss my flight now. 4. Please don't - I've already got 9 points. 5. I've got three ...
The Book Meme
- 1 Sep 2006
1. Name one book that changed your life. I can't say that a book ever has. I guess Animal Farm had an effect on me as a teenager whenI read it at school, as it confirmed all my gut instincts about socialism. Latterly, In the Arena by Richard Nixon was an inspiration to me. Be...
West Ham Enter the Big Time
- 31 Aug 2006
I have spent the whole day in a state of nervous exhaustion, constantly refreshing the West Ham Website Homepage to see if it really could be true that the two best footballers in South America had really signed for us. Other Hammers fans will know the meaning of the words 'ju...
Guardian: Cameron, Segolene and the 'It' Crowd
- 29 Aug 2006
The It crowd It may seem an unlikely comparison, but David Cameron and Ségolène Royal have more in common than you'd think. You wouldn't think a French Socialist and a British Conservative could have much in common, but you'd be wrong. Take Lionel Jospin and Michael Howa...
Memories of Sir Alfred Sherman
- 28 Aug 2006
The Godfather of Thatcherism, Sir Alfred Sherman has died. You can read his full obituary HEREin the Daily Telegraph, but I wanted to add a few thoughts and memories of my own of Sir Alfred. I first met him in the late 1980s at a time when he had been despatched from the Th...
Independent Media Diary: Unreconstructed Wankers
- 28 Aug 2006
Some years ago Tony Blair was overheard referring to the Scottish Press as "unreconstructed wankers". On Friday they had a chance to get their own back as Blair faced the Tartan Press hordes at an Edinburgh Hotel. Well, sort of. Blair's spin doctors have told the hacks that th...
EXCLUSIVE: Anschutz Company Leaked Emails Show AEG Spinning Out of Control
- 28 Aug 2006
John Prescott's best mate Philip Anschutz has been up to his old tricks again. Anschutz, you will recall, owns the ranch which Prescott famously visited to discuss AEG's Casino bids the Slave Trade but didn't register the trip with the House of Commons authorities. Anshutz's c...
Independent on Sunday Diary Column: All Change at ITV Politics
- 27 Aug 2006
The news that two of the finest heads of hair in journalism are to take over ITV’s Sunday political show, has opened up a new career opportunity for ITN newscaster Alastair Stewart. As Andrea Catherwood moves from Mark Austin’s deputy on the News at When to join Andrew Rawnsle...
Political Programmes You'll Never See on the BBC
- 23 Aug 2006
8am The Big Breakfast with Eric Pickles 10.30am This Morning with Ann & Nick Winterton 11.30am Grumpy Old Tories with Sir Peter & Sir Patrick 1.00pm Fox News with Liam and Jesme 1.30pm Keith & Mrs Simpson 2.00pm The Darling Buds of Theresa May 2.30pm Just Wil...
Independent Media Diary: All Change at ITN
- 19 Aug 2006
The news that two of the finest heads of hair in journalism are to take over ITV’s Sunday political show, has opened up a new career opportunity for ITN newscaster Alastair Stewart. As Andrea Catherwood moves from Mark Austin’s deputy on the News at When to join Andrew Rawnsle...
Top Ten Unexplained Phenomena of Our Time
- 13 Aug 2006
11. Why Radio 5 Live is so insecure that its presenters appear to be required to utter the words Five and Live at least ten times every minute. 10. Why I always play better golf when it rains 9. Why the BBC persist with those very annoying dancing idents 8. How Steve McClar...
EDP Column: The Art of the Political Gaffe
- 13 Aug 2006
Well at least he said sorry. Ian Gibson’s ‘foot in mouth’ incident, when he appeared to describe the whole of the county of Norfolk as ‘inbred’, was the latest in the line of political gaffes which have damaged and sometimes ended the careers of those whom were unfortunate eno...
It's Time for the Muslim Council of Britain to Stand Up & Be Counted
- 10 Aug 2006
Yesterday George W Bush referred to the US and the free world being in a war with Islamo-fascism. As soon as I heard him say it I smiled. Why? Because I knew the predictable handwringing outpourings of faux outrage we'd get from the liberal so-called intelligentsia. And sure e...
The Art of Interviewing
- 9 Aug 2006
It's a subject I've covered before on this blog, but Tony Benn has written an incredibly perceptive article in the Guardian Media Section this morning on the art of political interviewing. You can read the article HERE. He rails against the aggressive interviewing tendences of...