Political Integrity We had the expenses scandal. Last weekend a new outrage was uncovered. Sleazy ex-ministers trying to sell their services, according to one like ‘a cab for hire’. I am not sure that was the right analogy. Now it turns out there are regular junkets all over the world, paid for by foreign governments, in […]
Israel Full marks to David Milliband, the Foreign Secretary for his condemnation of the Israeli Government and his expulsion of one of its senior diplomats from the U.K. Rarely do we hear such robust talk from the FCO and very good news this is. I have long advocated a much tougher line with Israel both […]
Obama and Healthcare The passage of the Healthcare Bill is a triumph for the President. It shows he can do deals to get things done in the ultra balanced U.S. legislative machine. It achieves, at last, what every other modern democracy has (and a good many not so democratic); a universal healthcare programme for its people. […]
Sleaze Back to square one it seams. All that stuff about cleaning up politics after the sleaze scandals of the Major government seems to have been forgotten. We have got to put a stop to this. Selling influence on policy is corruption pure and simple. Frightened party leaders promise new laws to clamp down on this […]
Latest Polls There seems to be something of a stalemate. Labour holds its own in the low thirties. The Tories in the upper thirties are ahead, but not far enough to break clear and win a majority. The average position is very similar to the beginning of March. It looks as if noises off, Ashcroft, Unite […]
Militant Unions No doubt the calculation was that if they were going to bankroll the near bankrupt Labour Party so that it could fight the election, the unions, as a reward for their largess, could become more assertive. This is a catastrophic mistake. Voters in middle England are angry and distrustful of politicians, they hate the […]
Sacking Social Workers I know when people fail in their jobs it is right for them to move on, but I am not comfortable with the whole business of blaming social workers when these terrible child deaths occur. Those who follow all my projects will know that I have campaigned for root and branch change […]
Ashcroft Again After a very good day yesterday and many opportunities popping up for them through Labour’s difficulties and the forthcoming Budget what is the news from the Tory camp? More Ashcroft disclosures! This time putting Hague on the spot. I am not sure how much voters care any more about Ashcroft, but the media love it […]
Labour Prangs Yesterday was bad for Labour. At first it looked good with better than expected unemployment figures. Then came PMQ and the overstated expenditure figures on defence to add to the problems of the BA strike. By the end of the day Cameron had reclaimed the initiative. This was a much better performance with […]
Public Sector Pay Most of the people who work in the public sector are modestly paid relative to the rest of the economy, although in recent times their incomes have risen faster than the private sector. However there are some, quite a few, who now earn a lot. In fact too much. This was brought […]