Just Be Clear — This Government Has Done Some Great Things!
Thursday, December 17th, 2009As we get closer to the next election it is understandable that people start looking for legacies. Life may look distinctly uncomfortable at the moment for Labour supporters — but there’s no doubt that despite all of the disappointments there are some real achievements to very proud of.
Tonight: the Politics of Electoral Reform
Thursday, October 29th, 200929th October
A bit late this but this evening I shall be speaking to Birmingham Fabians about the Politics of Election Reform. This will not be some session for geeky statos rather than a serious discussion about the issues involved in changing our voting system.
7.00 pm, Birmingham and Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham.
Anyone can come along [...]
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 [...]
Cause for Optimism
Monday, June 15th, 2009About this time last year I wrote that I had been to one of the most positive Labour-related events for a long time, the annual Compass Robin Cook Memorial Lecture.
If last year’s event was a good one this year’s was inspirational. 900 people came together to debate the need to return to a clear and [...]
Off to the Mountains
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009I’m off to the Highlands for a bit of backpacking. Thankfully, I’ll be spared the next set of disasters as news availability will be a bit limited.
But what is it about the Kamikaze tendencies of this government?
I’m referring to the Post Office/Royal Mail chaos. For my money Compass have set out forward a sensible way [...]
Our Post Office Needs a Proper Future!
Thursday, February 26th, 2009Peter Mandelson’s announcement on the future of the Post Office represents a real low in government thinking. Where we needed imagination we have been given an old and tired idea but when which — I suspect — represents the least line of resistance.
Over the last couple of years Labour at a local level — including [...]
The Blog Returns!
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009It’s been quite a while since I posted anything of substance up here. But after something of a sabbatical this blog feels as if it could do with dusting down, a bit of a refresh and a re-launch. There are new areas that I want to explore with the blog, and new directions that I [...]
Bob — He’s Still the Man!
Thursday, September 18th, 2008And still they come, downloading the Piper interview. This has got me thinking. Perhaps, if there is a vacancy at the top, we should consider Bob. He’s certainly more popular than anyone else on the net! Maybe, the popularity can transfer over?
The Compass is in Desperate Need of Re-calibration
Thursday, September 18th, 2008I’m always worried when politicians start going on about morality and ethics. Everything — and everything — branded in this way tends to end up in tears.
Realpolitik always raises its head sooner or later. Robin Cook’s ethical foreign policy was welcome in many ways but was oh so naive. Soon events, and reality, made the [...]
A Thoughtful Week
Sunday, June 15th, 2008An interesting week this week, with lots to think and blog about, although I should have really got round to talking about some of this stuff earlier.
At the beginning of the week I was in London for a couple of days, firstly for the annual Renaisi lecture at which two of local government’s best managers [...]
