Articles tagged UK Politics:
Saying Sorry Has to Mean Something
- 22 Feb 2013
We live in a society where ‘Sorry’ seems to be the easiest word. Apologies are demanded from public figure for the most minor transgression, preferably with tears. And if the apology is not forthcoming, the weight of the media descends. Politicians in recent years have thrown ...
The Tories Won't Admit It, But Ed Balls Secretly Impresses Them
- 21 Feb 2013
Ed Balls is the one Labour politician virtually every Tory loves to hate. He gets under their skin like no other. The very sight of him sends them into paroxysms of vitriol. He is also, it has to be said, not the most popular figure in the Labour Party. But despite all that, ...
George Osborne Sets 'The Agenda'
- 19 Feb 2013
I don’t know how many of you watch ITV’s The Agenda, fronted by the excellent, and mischievous Tom Bradby, but if you don’t you ought to. He has four guests on a panel and they chat about four or five issues in the news. It usually includes a high profile politician. Cameron,...
Eastleigh By-Election Gets Dirty
- 16 Feb 2013
By-elections bring out the worst in normally quite sane people. It’s all “my party right or wrong”. And today we have seen the Eastleigh by-election descend to the depths, courtesy of the Liberal Democrats. I don’t know why I am surprised. However, I am surprised by Stephen Ta...
Why Rachel Frosh Is Right - Fascism IS Intrinsically Left Wing
- 15 Feb 2013
Over the last few weeks I have had several people ask if I intend to stand for Parliament again. No matter how often I say ‘no’ the message never quite seems to get through. I can use phrases like ’I’d rather stick needles in my eyes’ or ’I’d rather eat my own sick’, but stil...
Stand Up Mehdi Hasan, Future Leader of the Labour Party?
- 15 Feb 2013
I’ve never quite worked out how the Huffington Post survives in the UK. Millions of pounds have been chucked at it, and yet it’s a vanilla site with little ‘must-read’ element to it. Most of its comment pieces are PR puff and little else. Its news stories are ones that you ca...
Ed Miliband on the 10p Tax Rate: Then & Now
- 14 Feb 2013
This is Ed Miliband making the case for abolishing the 10p tax rate in 2008. “When you make a big set of changes in the tax system, some people do lose out. That is a matter of regret. Of course it is. But overall these changes make the tax system fairer.” (Source: IFS) ...
BBC Parliament Tonight: Harold Wilson Evening Starts at 6pm
- 14 Feb 2013
I was two years old when Harold Wilson first became Prime Minister, and 13 when he left office. But I do remember him. I remember telling my parents in one of the 1974 election why they should vote for him. Even then I was a Eurosceptic and held it against Ted Heath that he h...
For Labour in Eastleigh Things Just Got Better
- 12 Feb 2013
This was always going to be a fascinating by-election but tonight’s selection of John O’Farrell as the Labour candidate could make it even more interesting. My suspicion is that he could well attract not just LibDem votes but also a few Tory ones too. He’s a bit of a name, bu...
Owen Paterson Tells Me: Horsemeat Could Be "Injurious to Human Health"
- 10 Feb 2013
A nice little scoop from Environment Secretary on my LBC show this morning. We spent ten minutes discussing the horsemeat scandal and towards the end of the interview (you can listen to it HERE) this exchange took place… ID: There are no health implications, are there? OP...