They Blog For You

The British public debate is schizophrenic when it comes to excellence, and its ally, selection. Most socialists want the most stringent tests and selection to ensure the leading football and athletics teams in the country only contain the best sports people. They encourage vigorous selection, promotion on merit, tough training [...]

                  Based on doorstep conversations recently, and visits to speak to Conservative Associations, I encounter the following attitudes. Many Conservatives now see the Coaliti0n government as heavily Lib Dem influenced. They tell me they want changes in policy, to reflect the poor financial condition of the country and the preponderance [...]

We like to think of Britain as a free market economy. But are we? In a little over a decade, state spending as a percentage of GDP has increased from around 35 percent to approximately 50 percent. That's higher than in certain former Soviet republics. It is not simply that so much economic [...]

It's almost exactly a decade ago I first proposed the idea of directly elected police chiefs, in my pamphlet Direct Democracy: empowering people to make their lives better.This week the primary legislation to make it happen comes before the House of Commons. I've rarely been quite so keen to vote [...]

THE BUDGET 2011: An MP today welcomed the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the Norwich Research Park will share in £100 million of investment in science and research facilities. The Park includes the John Innes Centre, one of the world’s leading centres for [...]

              On Monday I attended the debate on Libya, but decided not to vote. I should explain why.               I of course support the United Nations in its wish to protect civilians in Libya from the barabrism of its government. I could not disagree with the main sentiments of the Commons [...]

                     It is worrying to hear that Gaddafi has moved his troops and tanks into urban areas before UN forces can take action against him, but not surprising. The offer of a cease fire was evidence that he will play to the gallery, and exploit what he sees as the [...]

Stopping a charnel house of slaughter if Gadaffi had re-taken Benghazi is a legitimate objective for imposing a no-fly zone provided it has been sanctioned by the UN Security Council, and especially in this case if it is supported by the Arab League.   Now that that has been achieved however, [...]

Alan has worked with the other port MPs, Austin Mitchell and Frank Doran, since he became an MP to win compensation for trawlermen who lost their jobs as a result of the Cod Wars. He worked with the British Fishermen Association to argue that trawlermen were entitled to £1000 per [...]

CARDIFF West MP, Kevin Brennan, has welcomed a major bank's decision to give grants to four local third sector organisations in the constituency.Pedal Power, Pen yr Enfys, Re-Create and the Cardiff and Vale Parents Federation will all receive grants of over £10,000 to help with their community work.The money will [...]

           I think the USA is right to say that any No fly zone would need UN backing, an invitation from the Libyan democratic movements, and agreement from the immediate neighbours of Libya as pre-conditions. These are all unlikely to come together. They are also right to warn that [...]

                       I have been involved in turning round companies that had too much borrowing, too little cash and too big a running deficit.  When a new team goes in to save them, everything in the first few months is designed to stem the outflow of cash. You first have to [...]

YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE UK ARE CHALLENGED TO START A BUSINESS WITH A TENNER IN LANDMARK SCHEME BACKED BY DRAGONS' DEN STAR Today Chloe Smith MP has announced her support for a scheme that sees school kids encouraged to start a business with just £10 each, in the biggest ever Tenner [...]

  I claim a record . Tory policy enunciated at 10.00 o'clock this morning was reversed at 11.00 o'clock. It was a  select committee session of two halves.  The incomparably indiscreet  Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude gave an army of hostages to fortune. He said, believe it or not. that 'speed [...]

  Private Eye’s Gavel Basher’ is invited to attend all future meeting of the Public Administration Committee to add her/his entertaining interpretation to our deliberations. Last week I reproduced a verbatim account of my exchanges with him. These extracts are far more entertaining. I had forgotten the peal of laughter that [...]

Today the lucky members of the Public Administration Committee visited the hallowed lair of Facebook. This is the sumptuous world of numbers exploding exponentionally, of a conversation that involves a billion faces worldwide.   Chairman Bernard Jenkin led us to the plush nerve centre in the backstreets behind Oxford Street. We were welcome [...]

               Some contributors have written in to say they think the answer to the prisoners’ votes issue is for the UK to pull out of the Convention and settle its own ideas in Parliament. The piece I wrote did not express my view, but sought to say what I think [...]

  Newsnights’ Michael Crick claims to have inside knowledge of Tory plans to safeguard their MPs after the reductions in seat. Their cunning plan is to guarantee that no Tory loses out by the loss of the 50 seats. Among those they hope to nudge up to the upper house are Roger [...]

Mubarak is finished.   There are two hinge points in revolutionary change.   One is the point at which the army decides whether to suppress the rebellion in an orgy of violence, or whether to withdraw support from the political leadership, refuse to fire on the demonstrators and pave the way for a (relatively) peaceful [...]

  They have not thought it through. Right-wing Tories, left-wing Tories, mad Tories, sensible Tories are all throbbing with anger. They are wrong. This week in Strasbourg the new Tory delegates queued up to harangue the Council of Europe on a deadly insult to 'UK's national interests'. They have become unhinged by [...]