Iraq War Inquiry Sir John Chillcot and his team are making a very good start. Complaints have been made by the legal profession that there are no barristers allowed in this inquiry and the usual adversarial ding dong so much and wrongly admired as a route to truth, is missing. It is precisely because the […]
Ofsted I hate quangos and regulators, but realistically I know that in some places they are a necessity. One of those is schools. In my book I mention something about the Ofsted inspection process being too docketed and process driven, with a stock of phrases used for analysis which make very ineffective use of a language […]
Northern Ireland I have never had much sympathy for the Unionists in Northern Ireland. This does not mean I am sympathetic to terrorisits because I am not. But I do look at the map and in the small island of Ireland I see only one country. When Rev.Dr. Ian Paisley got together with Martin McGuinness there seemed […]
Europe Well its over. No President Blair. The dinner came and went in short order. Choices were made swiftly. Everyone went home smiling. Except for the Big Europe Federalists, upset that this unknown duo would cut no dash upon the world stage. Yes there are those who smirk. Herman Van what? Baroness who? But as […]
State Opening – The Aftermath This should never have happened. It has further diminished the authority of Parliament. It has tainted the Crown with a process which is clearly tacky. There is one piece of legislation which would have been universally well received, or several pieces as some say are needed, to ensure that this […]
Dignity and Courage It is impossible not to be moved and inspired by the dignity, courage and candour of Christina Schmid as she exhibits star quality in grief at the loss of her hero husband in Afghanistan. Like all the families caught in the sudden shattering of their lives, not just now, but through all […]
Europe In one of those peculiar alleys at the end of which European democracy works over dinner, one is to be held tomorrow at which a Name is expected to emerge. The path will then be open for the Name to be ratified as the first EU President. For the motorcade factor the choice would be […]
The Queen’s Speech This was one of the worst for years. I am strictly non partisan, I have not yet decided how to vote, but I am beginning to despair of New Labour. Their achievements are more limited than they would proclaim, but they are enduring. Peace in Northern Ireland, devolution for Scotland and Wales, […]
China and the U.S Obama has a tricky hand to play. He must show his domestic audience that he is tough on human rights whilst depending on loans from China to stop America going bust.Some years back, approaching thirty, I wrote that China was the power of the future. People smirked, knowing they had read the […]
Brown’s Plans for Exit Maybe a conference is a good idea. Unfortunately conferences have a bad record for solving problems, but in the end, short of conquest, people have to talk to get a solution. Afghanistan, with its epic history and its unique poppy based economy requires all who meddle there to recognise one simple fact […]