Fisking Mary Dejesky Attack on Blogging
- 29 Jun 2006
Last week I wrote a PIECE asking for your views on Why Don't Women Blog?. Mary Dejevsky, a columnist who up to now has fallen way below my radar screen, seems to have taken great exception to it - and indeed to my blog as a whole. She has written a column in The Independenttod...
Guardian: The West Lothian Answer
- 21 Jun 2006
The West Lothian answer If the Tories were to back a referendum on English devolution, they would be doing the right thing as well as embarrassing Labour. Whether we like it or not, the genie of English devolution has been let out of the bottle. When a Labour dominated S...
My Sister, My Hero
- 19 Jun 2006
My sister Sheena is a sports instructor at a leisure centre in Saffron Walden. A few days ago some one rushed in and screamed for someone with first aid experience to come and help at a scene of an accident. It turned out this was no ordinary accident. A cyclist had been hit -...
Tribune: Blogging for Everyone
- 15 Jun 2006
Oppositions tend to be successful when they stimulate political debate and discussion. The Thatcher opposition in the late 1970s and the Blair opposition in the mid 1990s both took their inspiration from a whole host of rejuvenated think tanks. The balance of power o...
Why the Left Must Up its Blogging Game
- 9 Jun 2006
Oppositions tend to be successful when they stimulate political debate and discussion. The Thatcher opposition in the late 1970s and the Blair opposition in the mid 1990s both took their inspiration from a whole host of rejuvenated think tanks. The balance of power o...
Why We Must Have an English Parliament
- 6 Jun 2006
Whether we like it or not, the genie of English devolution has been let out of the bottle. When a Labour dominated Scottish Affairs Select Committee publishes a report recognising the growing sense of injustice felt in England, you know that it’s an issue which all political p...
In Defence of Adam Rickitt
- 1 Jun 2006
The hounding of Adam Rickett, both by the media and disdainful Conservatives, has gone far enough. It's time to stop. It's a disgrace that he has been villified in such a disgusting manner by people who should know better. He has become the lightning rod for the whole 'A' List...
Guardian Diary: The End of British Bookselling is Nigh
- 31 May 2006
Waterstone's is about to take over Ottakars in a deal which is bound to see the closure of a number of 'doubled up' stores in market towns throughout Britain. Despite the fact that the deal puts Waterstone's in a highly dominant market position the competition authorities have...
Guardian Column: Is Lord Saatchi In Touch?
- 30 May 2006
Lord Saatchi is without doubt a man with an enormous creative mind. His pamphlets for the Centre for Policy Studies are invariably well-written, entertaining and provocative. The latest one, published this week, asserts that a political party needs to retain a sense of ideolog...
Meteorite Fell on the Dale Homestead in 1923
- 27 May 2006
I've just found a story from The Times from 7 June 1923 which relates the tale of a meteorite falling on my father's farm in Ashdon, near Saffron Walden in Essex. According to the website there have only been twelve such instances in the last 100 years. The Natural...
My Tribute to Eric Forth
- 18 May 2006
Eric Forth, who died last night, was someone I am proud to call a friend. Indeed, if you were a friend of Eric's he was the most loyal friend you could wish for. And the mark of a loyal friend is that he will tell you the truth, even when it is uncomfortable. I am sure his car...
Why I Feared a Writ From Lady Falkender
- 18 May 2006
The Daily Telegraph reports today that Marcia Falkender is considering taking the BBC to court over their portrayal of her in the BBC4 drama The Lavender List. I would be most surprised if she carried through her threat, for the drama was based upon allegations made in two boo...
New Statesman Diary: DD the Nutter from Grandstand
- 18 May 2006
Oh to be a member of the non-political classes. I was at a dinner party over the weekend and was asked what I made of the candidates in the Tory leadership contest. I started to talk about David Davis when someone piped up: "Isn't he that religious nutter who used to ...
TRG Article: The Challenges of Setting Up a New Business
- 18 May 2006
Iain Dale, Managing Director of Politico’s Bookstore in Westminster explains the pitfalls faced by those starting new businesses. Since Politico’s first opened its doors in February 1997 we like to think it has firmly established itself on the Westminster scene. ...
Guardian: A Tribute to Eric Forth
- 18 May 2006
Rightwing thorn in the side of Blairism The Conservative party has lost a parliamentarian of the first order in Eric Forth, who has died aged 61. Eric Forth, who died last night, was someone I am proud to call a friend. Indeed, Eric was the most loyal friend you could wi...
Sunday Times Article: My Reaction to Not Being on Cameron's 'A' list
- 14 May 2006
It wasn’t a political academic this week who told the Conservative Party the scale of the challenge facing it, it was its leader. David Cameron said: “We need to win over 120 seats; wipe out a third of the LibDems; win back seats in Scotland. It’s a big task.” He’s right. But ...
Losing a Cup Final But Winning Too...
- 13 May 2006
I am in a bit of an emotional state as I type this. Firstly, let me say it was an absolute privilege to have attended one of the greatest FA Cup Finals in history. There were three winners in this game. Liverpool, West Ham and football itself. I spent most of the game on the v...
So I Got the 'A' List Letter...
- 10 May 2006
I heard this morning that I am not on the Conservative Party's 'A' List of candidates for the next election. I can't deny that I'm not disappointed but perhaps not wholly surprised. I'm afraid I shall be disappointing those who will be expecting me to get bitter and twisted ab...
Back to Work at Politico's
- 9 May 2006
I'm back at work today after about 6 weeks away from the office. I suppose I can be forgiven for the odd melancholy thought about the new MPs going through their induction today in the Commons. However, I don't have too much time to dwell on what might have been as I have an a...
What Will be in the Saturday Papers?
- 8 May 2006
Back in the mid 1970s my Father decided he wanted to show me how they used to harvest wheat in "the olden days" ie when he was my age. So he bought an old binder - the forerunner of the Combine Harvester. He then grew wheat which produced straw which could be made into 'corn...