Falling Like Nine Pins
Thursday, March 11th, 2010The number of Labour MPs deciding to go at the last minute as now reach epidemic proportions. Just near me, in the West Midlands, the last few days have bought news of Sylvia Heal’s decision as well as Mark Fisher’s decision.
Many members will be frustrated by this not least because all of the new selections [...]
There’s Nothing LIke Armageddon to Focus The Mind
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009You can tell things are about to change. There’s nothing like the sense of armageddon to stimulate some creative thinking.
The bullish message from many Labour PPCs and candidates is that there is still all to play for. And if Labour looses the next election there is no guarantee that Cameron will be there for the [...]
Preparing for the Long Haul
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009With his budget Darling may well have done as well as he could given the cards he had to play. But if we weren’t clear already then this budget has made it crystal clear — we are all facing up to life in a fundamentally different world. Labour will need a new vocabulary and a [...]
All Roads Lead to — Corfu?
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008Bless them, the Tories. You can always rely on them to get things wrong.
Off goes Osborne to meet lots of very rich people on board the yacht of a Rothschild. Mandelson is there as befits any gathering of the powerful. Osborne thinks it is a giant wheeze to have a go at Mandy over his [...]
It’s the Economy Stupid - Not Pure Politics
Thursday, May 29th, 2008One of the problems with writing a political blog is that your mates don’t comment on posts - they ring you up for a good argument and, of course, to tell you you’re wrong! Mind you - and whisper it quietly - it does sometimes seem the more connection these folks have with political office, [...]
Party Funding Myth?
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008While I’m still stuck on the train I thought I’d reflect on a report in today’s Guardian which highlights a new piece of research from the right-leaning think tank, the Policy Exchange, on political party spending.
The study claims that election spending by the Conservatives has actually declined, in real terms, by 4% between 1996 and [...]
Electing the General Secretary?
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008The General Secretary-ship was hot topic of conversation at Spring Conference. Everyone new that the shortlist had been narrowed down to three and it wasn’t difficult to find out who the three were.
Inevitably this was a topic close to the heart of Party structure anoraks (like myself) but I was surprised to hear the [...]
A New General Secretary
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008So, the Party has a new General Secretary David Pitt-Watson. Although Pitt-Watson has worked for the Party his a very different kind of an appointment, which may not altogether be a bad thing.
These days Pitt-Watson is better known for his work in the City - he can for example be heard regularly in the Financial [...]
Here Come the Cops
Thursday, February 7th, 2008I do feel sorry for Peter Hain. He is a decent man and someone who’s political achievements are considerable. And now he is being caught in a mess that has big implications for the wider party despite efforts by some to ’spin’ that this is not an issue for the Party, rather it is an [...]
More on Money
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008My little piece yesterday seems to have raised the pulses a little. As always people seem to be a bit worried about posting here - they prefer private emails. This is fine, I understand how difficult the thought Police can be at times
Still, one e-correspondent refers me to an interesting thread on LabourHome.org:
Labour Party [...]
