Why I sold Politico's Publishing to Methuen
- 3 Jun 2003
The Bookseller: Iain Dale of Politico’s Publishing explains why he sold his company to Methuen and implores booksellers to take political books seriously. Ten weeks ago Politico’s Publishing was sold to Methuen. It wasn’t a decision I took lightly, but it was a move th...
Who Will Be At The Top of Politics in 2013?
- 13 Apr 2003
Article for Politico Magazine Iain Dale looks at which of today’s politicians might still be at the political summit in 2013 As I write this it is entirely conceivable that within three months Tony Blair could be ousted as Prime Minister and a General Elec...
Book of 2003
- 13 Apr 2003
Iain Dale takes a look at the political books which have captured our attention over the last year. The last twelve months has provided a bumper crop of political books. Naturally the General Election has had something to do with that, and now that it’s over we ca...
My Shop Dilemma: Do I Stick or Twist?
- 18 Mar 2003
As Britain goes to war with Iraq, London’s shop owners are facing a battle of their own. Rising rents, soaring rates, increasing staff costs and now the congestion charge. Rarely have things looked bleaker for those of us who man Britain’s high streets. And frankly, some of us...
Behind the Voice on Planet Politics
- 9 Feb 2003
BEHIND THE VOICE Name of radio station: Oneword Name/age of presenter: Iain Dale, 40 Name of the show: Planet Politics Time broadcast and length of show. Live/recorded: First Wednesday of the month at 10pm, First Saturday of the month at 6.30pm Describe you...
Book Review: Chance Witness by Matthew Parris
- 9 Oct 2002
Iain Dale cruises through Matthew Parris’s autobiography Chance Witness and finds tales of woe, gay sex, political failure and journalistic triumph….and a bit more gay sex for good measure. I was recently at a dinner party and was asked to name five people I...
New Statesman Diary: Ann Widdecombe may wear Leather
- 10 Jun 2002
The Insider - Iain Dale on why Ben Elton is in Tony Blair's bad books What a joy it was to see the look of shock on Tony Blair's face at the party at the Palace, when Ben Elton made a joke about the lack of improvement in our transport and health systems in the 50 years of ...
Book Review: The Heart Beats on the Left by Oskar Lafontaine
- 6 Jun 2002
Politicians generally fall into two categories – those who yearn for power and know how to use it when they achieve it, and those who revel in being out of the inside loop thereby retaining their ideological purity. Oskar Lafontaine belongs to the latter group. He is a...
New Statesman Diary: Mo Mowlam Calls Me a Wanker
- 1 Jun 2002
A year ago I was co-presenting the Radio 5 Live Sunday Service programme which – completely flummoxed the Sports Minister Richard Caborn. This week, I was at it again with Peter Mandelson, who I was interviewing for my new Planet Politics programme on Oneword Digital Radio. ...
Guardian Diary: Mo Mowlam Answered my Phone
- 13 May 2002
Blair-faced cheek There was more than met the eye to the Blair family trip to Cornwall last summer, writes Iain Dale I wonder where Tony Blair and his family will be heading for their summer holidays this year? Last year they were forced to spend a few days in Cornwall a...
Speech at Politico's 5th Anniversary Dinner
- 5 Apr 2002
Venue: The Savoy Lady Thatcher, My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, Five years ago, when the doors opened at Politico’s for the first time, I can’t have imagined that I would be here tonight, in the presence of so many who have helped make our business what it is today....
Repeat, I am Not a Friend of Lady Thatcher's
- 25 Mar 2002
Writing wrongs It's incredible how some journalists think you must be a close personal friend of Lady Thatcher if you have edited a couple of books about her, writes Iain Dale A lot of rubbish has been written about Margaret Thatcher in the last few days. Whoever thin...
Book Review: Jo Grimond by Michael McManus
- 4 Mar 2002
Book Review, New Statesman The Guardian Jo Grimond: Towards the Sound of Gunfire Michael McManus Birlinn, 460pp, £20 Writing your first biography must be a formidable task for anyone. Michael McManus's task was perhaps harder than most, as his subje...
Guardian Diary: Influencing David Blunkett & Cross Party Friendships
- 20 Feb 2002
* Shock, horror! I can reveal that Home Secretary David Blunkett was dining with two top lobbyists from the lobbying consultancy Weber Shandwick at the Gay Hussar one evening a couple of weeks ago. Another lobbygate scandal in the making? I doubt it. One of them was former Lab...
The long battle to be an MP
- 14 Jan 2002
Iain Dale looks at the hurdles would-be MPs must overcome just to get their names on a ballot paper. It comes as no surprise that most MPs have the hide of a rhinoceros and a highly developed ego. After all, if they've survived the candidate selection process they shou...
Guardian Diary: Lamenting the Lot of Parliamentary Sketchwriters
- 12 Dec 2001
I can think of only one reason for Robin Cook’s ridiculous reforms of the hours the House of Commons sits – to curry favour with the Parliamentary sketchwriters. After all, they are the ones who stand to gain most from a Parliamentary sitting which starts at 10am and finishes ...
Book Review: No, Prime Minister by Teresa Gorman
- 30 Oct 2001
What do the following have in common? Dennis Thatcher, Norman Tebbitt, Anne Widdecombe, David Steele, Lord McKay of Clashfern, Alistair Campbell, Frederich Hayek, Bernard Jenkins, Ian Sproat, Michael Forsythe, Michael Joplin, George Mambiot. I could go on. The unfort...
What Would a Portillo Shadow Cabinet Look Like?
- 2 Jul 2001
Iain Dale peers into the future and imagines what a Portillo Shadow Cabinet might look like. Michael Portillo has a problem. It's the same one that beset William Hague. Just how do you pick a formidable Shadow Cabinet with only 165 other MPs to choose from with several o...
Politico's & the General Election
- 13 Jun 2001
Iain Dale of Politico’s describes the fun and games at his store during a frantic election campaign. Phwam! Hardly had John Prescott’s straight left landed than Simon & Schuster were on the ‘phone asking if we wanted the rest of the stock of the Prescott ...
New Labour, Old Habits
- 2 Jun 2001
New Labour, old habits As the general election gathers pace, Iain Dale explains why readers are still political animals Political bookbuyers have rarely had it so good - assuming, that is, they can find places to buy political books. Readers outside London are lucky if t...