There are reports that while a good number of Lib Dem MPs may abstain in the vote today on tuition fees, some, maybe many, will vote against. They may include two former party leaders, the Deputy Leader and the President. This unfortunate party shambles is being played out without personal attacks or rancour common in political […]
Gordon Brown, former Chancellor whose policies fuelled the Boom and Prime Minister in charge at the Bust, has, in an interview with Robert Peston, made a dramatic and prescient intervention in the Euro crisis. He has said the worst is yet to come and it may be coming as soon as the New Year. He […]
The latest Wikileak brings this back on the agenda. In my book 2010 A Blueprint For Change, I had quite a bit to say about this. There are four elements to the aftermath of the tragedy. The first is who did it. The second is the grief of the bereaved. The third is justice for the guilty and […]
The Euro Zone finance Ministers are now on their way home. There was no agreement to increase the size of the bail out fund nor to introduce a Euro zone bond. Germany opposed both. More important, if you want to look beneath the surface, is the number of German voters who want to quit the Euro, or […]
NATO Plans The latest Wikileaks contain an interesting plan for the defence of Poland and the Baltic states from a Russian attack. On the one hand this is just military preparedness for any eventuality. On the other it is stoking tension to no purpose. Russian military doctrine, though nervous of NATO encirclement, no longer sees […]
Euro Zone Bond This is the latest idea for bringing a more uniform approach to sovereign debt, supported by some countries but opposed by Germany. So that is that. Even more so, if non- euro members of the E.U. were to be asked to guarantee such a bond. There is absolutely no chance of the […]
Curbing the Banks There are reports of earnest and productive talks going on between the banks and the government to improve relations and find common ground for a way froward. The apparent curb on bank bashing, an important talisman for all the parties in the general election, seems to be about needing the banks to […]
Latest Wikileaks This blog has been relaxed about Wikileaks thus far. Mostly they have been about who thinks what of whom in diplomatic cables mixed with analysis of foreign governments, which does not accord with official statements. This is not unhelpful in modern democracy, in which there are too many hidden secrets which are not secrets at all, […]
Lib Dem Difficulties This is bad weekend for Liberal Democrats. There appears to be tension between Clegg and Cable over tuition fees. The latter has been buffeted by seemingly the inexplicable logic of hinting he may vote against his own policy. The voting public, uncluttered by the quite complex psychology of being a Lib Dem in […]
The Shadow of Labour’s Past. This is going to become a mounting difficulty for Labour. I think Ed Milliband knows it. The stack of problems waiting for the bonfire is growing. There are some good bits to keep. Devolution, Northern Ireland, Freedom of Information and Human Rights are the best. Against this we have a disastrous […]