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  The Public Administration Select Committee pioneered pre-appointment hearings. Sir David Normington is applying for two posts that are currently undertaken by two people. Will it mean a dumbing-down of past reforms    Paul Flynn: There are great changes ahead.  There’s a case for saying the work load for both jobs is actually increasing; [...]

The price of justice should never be too high.   But in the Commons yesterday for the pugnacious Ken Clarke, Secretary of State for Justice, a legal aid system costing £2bn a year is far too high.   Apart from the fact that that is only 0.3% of annual Government expenditure, which [...]

I RECEIVED a phone call last week from Radio 4′s Today programme, asking me what I thought of the new fashion for describing government policy on housing benefit in rather extreme terms: “cleansing”, “final solution” (© Polly Toynbee) and, of course, even BoJo’s now infamous “Kosovo-style social cleansing”. I answered by [...]

FOR many years I’ve enjoyed a reputation for being a “right winger” in the Labour Party, whatever that term even means nowadays. Some of my detractors will even go so far as suggesting I defect to the Conservative Party, so far from the Labour Party orthodoxy have I wandered. I think [...]

We might elect politicians promising to tackle asylum abuses.  They may even get around to trying to do something about it. But then today the judiciary steps to say fast-track deportation is illegal. Even if [...]

ALEX Salmond, that loyal friend of illegal immigrants everywhere, has had his complaint to the Press Complaints Commission rejected. You may recall that back in January, the media reported that Eck had written to the Home Office to plead the case of a failed asylum seeker living in his constituency. The [...]

Over the last couple of weeks I've had the pleasure of going to two events that really highlighted some of Edmonton's bright and talented school children.The first was a "spelling bee" competition arranged for Enfield primary schools by a local independent charity organisation called Action for Social Integration. It [...]

The UK Government's decision to end the overnight detention of children in Dungavel is an initial signal of how the new politics will work to make Scotland a better place, the Secretary of State for Scotland said today (Wednesday 19 May). Danny Alexander confirmed the detention of children overnight in Dungavel [...]

The Birmingham special LibDem conference was pretty special. In a party that has always been (for lack of better terminology) left of centre - it was very life affirming to see that Liberal Democrats en mass got it. We all understood - not only that coalition with the Conservatives was [...]

Some of you have written in wanting me to cut loose from the Coalition and speak out for doctrinal purity. Others have written in urging me to support the Coalition. I wish the Coalition every success. I have been arguing for [...]

THE ONLY planned hustings for candidates in Glasgow South took place last night, organised by Langside Church of Scotland. A good turnout, too, despite the wet weather. The most positive spin I can offer is that I cannot be accused of playing to the audience. I already knew that many members [...]

It is fashionable to say people want politicians to listen more, to understand their frustrations, to give voice to their anger with the system. Out on the doorsteps it is not always easy to listen, as many people still say “I haven’t [...]

Friday night was the Faringdon hustings, with Labour, Lib Dems and Greens fielding their candidates.  The question master was Henry Porter from the Observer, who a few months ago hosted a debate with me and Tony Benn, also in Faringdon, on human rights.  There were probably about a 150 people [...]

As usual we were out door-knocking tonight, this time in Hillfields, the oldest council estate in Britain. It was built in 1919, as "Homes for Heroes" returning from the First World War. Nice spacious houses, mostly populated by very nice Labour voters. Last night we were out on the [...]

JAMES Mackenzie of Two Doctors fame greeted me with a less-than-friendly Tweet this morning, casting doubt on my human compassion in light of the asylum debate that’s been kicked off again by the terrible events at the Red Road flats in Springburn on Sunday. This kicked off an exchange of Tweets [...]