Articles by Andrew Gwynne MP
Andrew Gwynne MP
2011 and all that… a wheel of fortune?
As we enter a new year, it is always customary to look ahead and to attempt to make predictions for the coming twelve months.
Don’t worry, I don’t intend to predict the events of 2011. I will have to live through them and if I get my predictions wildly wrong, [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Unpicking the pupil premium
So now we know what the much lauded ‘pupil premium’ will be worth. Schools in England will apparently get an extra £430 for each disadvantaged pupil they take from next year.
The pupil premium has long been a flagship Liberal Democrat policy and it was incorporated into the Coalition Agreement as [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Gordon, Thank EU!
Thank heavens for Gordon Brown. Ok, I admit they are not the most widely used five words in the English vocabulary, but I sincerely mean them. And to be precise, I extend the thanks to his immediate advisors as Chancellor, including Ed Balls, for devising a formula that [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
The Freshers’ fair hangover
There is a salutary lesson for politicians of all political parties: don’t make categorical promises if you intend to break them, particularly so soon after the election.
Sometimes the breaking of election pledges (and we all do it at some time!) marks a parting with the electorate. While they didn’t [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
There’s no place like home
I’ve been a bit busy lately to blog… no, my Shadow Ministerial responsibilities aren’t yet totally dictating my life (though they’re starting to, believe me!!); my family were down in London for the kids’ half term break, so I was off doing “family things” when not in the House of [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
You know when you’ve been Quango’d!
Last November, I was lucky enough to be drawn third in the Private Members Bill ballot in the House of Commons.
In the days that followed, I was bombarded with all kinds of offers for which piece of legislation I should take up as my ‘cause’. The suggestions came [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Graduate grumblings or Coalition catastrophe?
First of all a big thank you to all those who’ve sent me congratulatory messages regarding my recent appointment to Labour’s front bench in parliament.
For those who haven’t been following the announcements, Ed Miliband has asked me to be a Shadow Transport Minister – a post I am really looking [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Fair’s fair?
Firtsly, a big thank you for sticking with me. As you can see from previous postings, I’ve not been around for some time. Those of you who have been following my Tweets will know what a torrid summer I have had – including a five week stay in hospital! Anyway, [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Free markets + schools = disaster
‘There is no money’ – this is the message blasted across the Chamber by Ministers every time an Opposition MP (and increasingly, some Coalition backbenchers) condemn a decision to cut a project in their constituency. And to some extent, this is true. The public finances could not grow indefinitely and, [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Lest we forget
Please stick with me. I know the first golden rule of blogging is to keep making regular posts and – where appropriate – to reply to readers’ comments. It is something I particularly enjoyed doing back in February and March when I was recovering from illness at home (and to [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Déjà vu, both Home and Away
It’s certainly been an interesting week in politics.
Of course the ‘highlight’ of the week in Parliament – apart from my Westminster Hall debate on policing cuts in Greater Manchester, that is – has been the new Coalition government’s emergency budget.
Much has already been written about the budget, and as the [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
There may be trouble ahead…
Ok so now we have another example of the push-me-pull-you government.
On the one hand, yesterday, that nice Mr Clegg, full of youthful charm, told us all that there would be no return to savage Thatcherite cuts. Today of course it is the for the Coalition’s bad cop (that’s the equally [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Our push-me-pull-you Government
If a week is a long time in politics, then a full five year parliament is an eternity.
In the immediate aftermath of the 2010 General Election, commentators speculated that the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition government wouldn’t last; that this marriage of convenience would crumble under the pressure of tough decisions [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
How well is our Welfare State?
Today, the new Work and Pensions Secretary (it’s Betsy Duncan-Smith’s husband, whatever he’s called) has announced a radical overhaul of the welfare system. Actually, looking beyond the headlines, it’s pretty much a continuation of the work the Labour government had set in motion in recent years.
The modern welfare state [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Pomp and Policy
Today is the State Opening of Parliament. I am going to admit that it is a day I always enjoy.
Ok I accept, this year’s isn’t the Queen’s Speech that I would have wished for (it’s not Her Majesty’s fault, she didn’t vote for this lot either), but in my opinion, [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Back to the future. What now for Labour?
I’m back (both blogging, and as an MP!)
To the loyal band of followers of this blog, my profound apologies for not posting anything for quite some time! Secondly, congratulations to Rene Kinzett, a Tory Twitter mate (between you and me I have quite a few of those too!) for agreeing [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Is it 1983? Fire up the Quattro!
Last night I watched Ashes to Ashes on BBC1. For those who didn’t get to see it, it is set in 1983, and the storyline last night was linked to the General Election of that year.
The relevance to this post was a piece of footage of the election, showing Roy [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
How is it for you? GE2010
Please understand that I’ve been a bit busy and so I haven’t sadly been able to blog as much as I would have liked, what with the general election (and local elections in Stockport and Tameside (have to keep my councillors sweet!)). I know the first rule of blogging is [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
Sometimes we can change the world
Thank you Gordon Brown… having been told yet again by the doctors (and the Whips) to “take things easy and rest” the prime minister has gone and paid a visit to Her Majesty and called a General Election.
Semi-joking aside, 6th May was the worst kept secret in all Christendom. Given [...]
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Andrew Gwynne MP
The best things in life are free
Firstly my profuse apologies to my regular visitors (and to Think Politics) for me not blogging as frequently as I ought to have in recent days. I have been using my time well preparing for the General Election.
Some good news – today is officially my first day back at work [...]
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