Making a Speech is Like Giving Birth
- 25 Jan 2014
Someone once said that writing a speech is like giving birth. Whoever it was, they had a point. Back in early December I wrote this on the blog… I must be mad. When will I ever learn? I have just accepted an invitation to give a lecture on the NHS to 50 doctors, surgeons a...
It's Thank You and Good Bye to Grant Tucker
- 21 Jan 2014
Four and a half years ago I first met Grant Tucker. He was introduced to me by Dawn Parry, who was then the Conservative candidate for Newport, in South Wales. It was at the Tory Party conference and he was very interested in how I knew Margaret Thatcher and what I thought of ...
An Interview With Cherwell
- 19 Jan 2014
This is an interview I did a couple of weeks ago for CHERWELL, the Oxford University student newspaper. The interviewer was Robert Walmsley. The original article can be read HERE Iain Dale is affable and easy to talk to. He seems to have the ability, which every good radio ta...
Biteback Author Alexandros Petersen Killed in Kabul Bomb Blast
- 19 Jan 2014
On Friday night on my radio show I was interviewing Sir Nicholas Barrington about his new book, ENVOY. Sir Nicholas had spent a lot of time as a diplomat in Afghanistan. Indeed, it was his first posting. During the show I had to read out the tragic news that a bomb blast had ...
Newsnight's Debate Was An Insult to Alex Crawford
- 16 Jan 2014
I didn’t see Newsnight last night but while I was at Sky News Anna Jones told me Alex Crawford was on the programme discussing the merits of foreign news. “I’ll watch that in the morning,” I thought to myself. I rather I wish I hadn’t. What an appalling piece of broadcasting...
The Wonderful Story of Christian the Lion
- 11 Jan 2014
Grab a Kleenex and watch this… And this is the full story… And this is a US TV interview with the owners of Christian. And this is an interview I did yesterday on LBC with John Rendall ostensibly on the closure of the Harrod’s pet shop, but it was mostly about Christi...
Video of London in 1927 - In Colour
- 11 Jan 2014
This is the first colour film ever shot of London, in 1927. The quality is astonishing. But what is even more surprising is that not a lot has changed! Fascinating.
Why I Have Quit My ConHome Diary Column
- 10 Jan 2014
Last year I didn’t have a two week holiday. Yes, I took time off, but only a few days at a time. By the end of the year I was completely exhausted. Knackered. It was mostly my own fault in that in addition to my two jobs at Biteback and LBC I would take on other work too, and...
Remembering Simon Hoggart
- 6 Jan 2014
Simon Hoggart was one of the people who sparked my interest in politics back in the late 1970s. Along with Frank Johnson he was brilliant in poking fun at politics and politicians in his Punch sketches and I remember one of the first political books I ever bought was his coll...
The Wonderful Country Paintings of Cornelia Fitzroy
- 4 Jan 2014
Original paintings never quite look as good on a computer screen as they do in real life, or perhaps it is my photography, but I wanted to introduce you to a wonderful Norfolk artist called Cornelia Fitzroy. A couple of years ago I bought a painting of hers called THE RED HOU...
My Ten New Year's Resolutions Are...
- 31 Dec 2013
Continue to lose weight. Target 16 stone by June, 15 1/2 by end of the year. To up my exercise. More golf, start running and a bit of rowing. Try to resist getting involved in Twitter spats. Think of a way of raising £5k for charity. To be a better husband to Simmo....
Ten Predictions For 2014
- 30 Dec 2013
UKIP will win the European elections Nigel Farage will resign as UKIP leader in the second half of the year Jeremy Paxman will leave Newsnight. Eddie Mair or Nick Robinson will replace him. Abba will reunite for a one-off concert. Scotland will vote No. Belgium ...
How Did My '10 Faces of 2013' Do?
- 29 Dec 2013
A year ago I rashly predicted that these ten people would all go to bigger and better things during 2013. So, was I right? ALISTAIR GRIFFIN Griffin is a singer/songwriter who was behind the Olympics Gamesmakers song ‘I Wish For You The World’ and the Formula 1 theme ‘Just Dr...
Book Review: A Series of Unrelated Events by Richard Bacon
- 28 Dec 2013
I had intended to write this review last night but decided instead to watch The Inbetweeners movie on Channel Four. Someone suggested on Twitter that I should write this review using words from the Inbetweeners. In theory this would be clungingly possible. [See what I did the...
20 (Good & Bad) Personal Reasons to Remember 2013
- 24 Dec 2013
I was given the opportunity to present Drive on LBC after two and half years presenting the evening show. More HERE Buying our new house in Lammas in Norfolk. Winning Radio presenter of the year at the Arqiva awards in July. 2013 was the first year without my darling ...
My Top 100 Tweeters of 2013
- 21 Dec 2013
Each new year I do a list of people whose tweets I have most enjoyed during the previous 12 months. I follow about 1300 people on Twitter but these are the ones who have entertained, informed, educated, annoyed and, most of all, made me laugh most this year. In previous years...
ConservativeHome Diary Week 36: Good Year? Bad Year?
- 20 Dec 2013
I hate the Daily Mirror. Always have. Always will. It employs people who laughingly call themselves journalists but effectively just contribute to a Labour propaganda sheet. And their editor is no better. I hadn’t heard of him until Wednesday evening. His name is Lloyd Embley....