Julian Assange - What Goes Around...
- 11 Apr 2019
Eight and a half years ago, in December 2010, I was asked by the Mail on Sunday to write a column on Julian Assange. When it appeared I was traduced and slagged off by his many supporters. How could I not understand what a hero he is, I was asked? Very easily, as it happens. A...
Telegraph Column: Something Changed This Week But Next Week Will Determine May's Future
- 8 Apr 2019
This article first appeared in the Sunday Telegraph. Well she’s still there, clinging to office like a limpet, defying her cabinet and soldiering on unabashed. Theresa May is effectively using the national crisis she created to tell her fractious party ‘stick with nurse for...
Why Being Out of A Box Is Often Better Than Being In One
- 6 Apr 2019
It's one of those Saturdays where I sit twiddling our thumbs, cursing Sky for postponing the Chelsea v West Ham game until Monday. Me in particular. Why? Because a friend of mine who owns a box at Stamford Bridge invited him to join him. That was when the match was scheduled f...
Who Are the Twitter Influencers on MPs?
- 5 Apr 2019
Politico have done an analysis of MPs' Twitter habits, who they follow, and who follows them. All very interesting, I suppose, although you wonder how much it matters. Of the 650 MPs in the House of Commons, 579 of them have Twitter accounts. 82% of Tory MPs are on Twitter...
Jacqui & Iain to Film New TV Pilot
- 1 Apr 2019
I have news. When it was announced that Andrew Neil was leaving 'THIS WEEK' and then that the series was being canned altogether, I emailed Rob Burley, head of political programmes at the BBC to put forward an idea I had for a new programme in that late night slot. Without goi...
Telegraph Column: Who Will Back Who in the Tory Leadership Race?
- 31 Mar 2019
This article first appeared in the Sunday Telegraph. The task for any leadership candidate is to knock their competitors out one by one. They each need to emerge as the leader of their ‘tribe’. Let’s start with the tribe of ‘hard Brexiteers’. Boris Johnson has been a...
The Truth About Adam Boulton's 'Bollocks'
- 30 Mar 2019
There's been a lot of reaction to this, much of it uninformed, so I thought I'd put the record straight. I was on Adam Boulton's 'All Out Politics' show yesterday to review the comment pages with The Guardian's Jessica Elgot. As you will see in the above video, Ada...
Conservative Leadership Contest: Runners, Riders, Dark Horses and Non-Runners
- 28 Mar 2019
Back in December I identified 36 potential Conservative leadership candidates - or rather 36 people who had at some point indicated they might run, or would be considered by others to be leadership contenders. Let's look at who the runners and riders would be now. DEFINITE...
LISTEN: My Very Revealing 'Confessions Podcast' With Giles Fraser
- 25 Mar 2019
A few weeks ago I recorded an hour long podcast with Giles Fraser, Anglican Priest and star of The Moral Maze. This is one of those podcasts that is very addictive. I thought I'd better listen to some of the other episodes before doing it myself and I was hooked. His h...
The 1929 General Election Video Collection
- 24 Mar 2019
Lloyd George on unemployment Address by Liberal MP Margaret Wintringham Address by Labour leader Ramsay Macdonald Speech by Labour MP J R Clynes on unemployment Speech by Labour MP J H Thomas Address by William Joynson-Hicks Sir He...
Telegraph Column: Four Ways to Oust a Prime Minister
- 24 Mar 2019
This article originally appeared in the Sunday Telegraph. Theresa May has survived crisis after crisis and clings to office like a limpet. This time, though, it is difficult to see any scenario in which she survives as prime minister. When you reportedly lose the confidence...
The Three Women of 'Newsnight'
- 23 Mar 2019
This article originally appeared in The i Paper. “Where are the men?” was the somewhat tired and predictable response from the more unenlightened (male) social media users to the BBC announcement on Wednesday that Emily Maitlis is to lead a Newsnight presenter team of three...
Come & See a Live 'For the Many' Podcast at Podcast Live on 7 April!
- 22 Mar 2019
Let me tell you about something, which I think is really exciting. Throughout my political career I've tried to do things which enhance political engagement. I opened a political bookshop, I have run two political publishing companies, I was one of the first in the UK to start...
Why Jonathan Dimbleby Will be Missed on 'Any Questions'
- 17 Mar 2019
Could you do 'Any Questions' this week?" emailed the AQ editor, Lisa. "Love to," I thought. Then came the sting. "It's in Carlisle," she said. "Bugger," I thought. I'd already agreed to do Good Morning Britain that morning at 6.15am. "Of course," I said. "Carlisle? Not a probl...
Who Will be the Next LibDem Leader (And Does it Matter)?
- 17 Mar 2019
One of the many mysteries of British politics is why on earth the LibDems are still languishing at under 10% on the polls, given they are the only political party in the UK to have a united and understandable position on Brexit. They have 48% of the electorate to woo, b...
Theresa May Is Heading For a Big Defeat - What Happens Next?
- 12 Mar 2019
This time yesterday I published THIS blogpost, saying it was time that Theresa May realised the game was up and that she should depart the stage. A few hours later she was on her way to Strasburg and by 11pm it looked highly likely she was about to pull off the impossible and ...
Theresa May's Days Are Numbered - The Game is Up
- 11 Mar 2019
Back in September 1992, the evening of Black Wednesday (or White Wednesday as many of us came to call it) when Britain crashed out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism, the then Prime Minister, John Major, called Kelvin Mackenzie the editor of The Sun and joshed: "Kelvin, I hope you...
When a Tweet Should Have Waited: Will Self v Mark Francois
- 9 Mar 2019
There I was, about to start watching 'Politics Live' yesterday, when my partner walked in and said "Fern Britton is on 'This Morning' talking about her new book". Some years ago I interviewed Fern about a novel she had written and we ended up getting on like a house on fire. S...
On International Women's Day Here are 10 Women Who Have Inspired Me
- 8 Mar 2019
I thought about how to mark International Women's Day on this blog. I could have done something worthy about women in politics or lack of women on the radio, but in the end I've decided to do something personal and pay a bit of a tribute to some of the women in my life who've ...
"There's no Place for Tories in Black Activism" Says Black Academic
- 5 Mar 2019
Last night on our Monday Night Panel on LBC, we discussed the state of race relations in this country. It was overall a really interesting hour long discussion with Trevor Phillips, Anjum Peerbacos and Dr Kehinde Andrews. There was, however, one exchange which left a nasty...