Cuts and Talking One of the bizarre elements of the recent general election was the refusal of any front line politician to answer questions about what, if in charge, they would cut. Last year at the party conferences Osborne talked of an Age of Austerity and Clegg warned of Savage Cuts. Both spoke the truth and both […]
Tribal Politics One trouble, out of many, of the first past the post system is that it is not only designed for two adversarial parties, but it leads to tribal politics, historically based on ideology. People proudly declare they have voted for a particular party all their lives. There will therefore have been times when they […]
Confusion At lunchtime today I listened to Any Questions, a recording of Friday evening’s live broadcast. There was a very distinguished panel of Parliamentarians, old and new. There was a question about the 55% vote for dissolution, should the proposal for five year fixed term parliaments, almost universally welcomed, become law. None of the panelists showed […]
The Euro I have always been rather ambivalent about the Euro. This Blog is about to take a position which requires focus on the issues. The upside of the single currency for the EU is that everybody can trade on even terms with everybody else and business can operate without the costs and risks of […]
Dissolution on 55% There is a good deal of political, academic and legal noise building up over this. If you take it literally as an unchangeable statute, it is unsustainable. If you treat it as a current plan to guide the Prime Minister, who by moving to a fixed term Parliaments of 5 years has given up […]
Foreign Policy William Haig is off to the US immediately to meet Hilary Clinton for talks. This is very good news. Hilary should be impressed. Haig has the potential to be the best British foreign secretary for some time. This blog has always followed the theme of my book to urge a more independent foreign […]
The Constitution. Both in my book, in this blog and in a separate campaign, most of which through lack of media interest goes on behind the scenes, I have pressed for a clearer understanding of our Constitution and ultimately one which is written down. Some controversey is now breaking out over the coalition proposal to […]
What Has Really Happened This country has a Coalition Government. Statistics and historical parallels fly thick and fast. Those of us enthralled by the process of its making have spent several days in front of our TV sets staring at doorways until deep into the night. Earnest and tight lipped negotiators came and went. Commentators talked of […]
Leadership and Generalship David Cameron has shown outstanding leadership qualities in the last few days. He has put together not a fudge and dodge government which this blog feared, but a real full blown coalition of war-time proportions reflecting a popular vote of 17.5 million and nearly 60%. This is a true majority government. Moreover […]
Labour Exit Whatever the outcome of the talks, this Blog now takes a position. A deal with Labour cannot work. The party is in some disarray, speaking with many voices, not even united in the desire to stay on. There appears to have been no attempt to consult the MP’s or any part of the party’s […]