Too Early To Tell!
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009I wasn’t at the Labour Party Conference this year and wasn’t able to watch Gordon Brown’s speech on TV either, in fact, I’ve not even seen many clips on the news. I have though read the coverage in the press and listened to the PM himself on Question Time this morning. I’m bemused.
Brown’s speech clearly [...]
42 Days - what a Mess!
Tuesday, October 14th, 2008Just when I thought things were getting a little better up jumps our old friend ‘42 days’.
Not only were yesterday’s proceedings in the Lords a complete fiasco but the performance in the Commons by the Home Secretary was abysmal. Jaqui Smith wasn’t much better on the Today programme this morning.
This cynical ploy to pain opponents [...]
Clegg: The Man on the Road to Nowhere
Thursday, September 18th, 2008I suppose — in this conference season — we should spare some thought for the other parties.
I remain a little bemused by the Lib Dem change in tac. Today the press have been reasonably kind about Clegg’s speech, although they can hardly hide a real sense of amusement.
A couple for weeks ago I spent a [...]
Poverty in the Round
Thursday, June 19th, 2008Poverty cropped a lot last week, not least because the Government announced that numbers of children in Poverty had increased for the second year running.
I’ve already mentioned (in my report on the Compass conference) the comments from Ruth Lister that the government was now paying the costs for ignoring poverty amongst families and amongst childless [...]
More Policy Reflections from Last Week
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008I did say that I would write some words on some of the other meetings that I had last week, that seem to be pertinent to the predicament that the Party faces at the moment, and indeed that any progressives on the centre left face.
So, I’ll start with some thoughts following the Renasi lecture last [...]
Compass Conference I
Monday, June 16th, 2008As I said previously, the Compass Conference was everything that Labour Conferences are not these days. The conference looked forward and was a genuine platform for debate and discussion. In many ways this was helped by the workshop programme that was syndicated to groups and organisations across the progressive wing of UK politics. these groups [...]
Daytrip to Crewe
Thursday, May 8th, 2008Up to Crewe yesterday, in foot slogging mode, for the campaign that is now getting involved in full swing.
Crewe is a kinds of unspectacular but solid kind of a place, a bit like Gwyneth Dunwoody in a way. Gwyneth as certainly a one off, a kind of ‘Ms Crewe’ if ever there was one. There [...]
The Meaning of Words
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008How lovely it was to have gone walking in the Snowdonia mountains for a few days. One of the good things about taking yourself out of the fray is that there is no temptation to offer quick analysis and no chance that you’ll make some instant comment that you’ll lie to regret.
Yesterday morning I lay [...]
The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives
Friday, May 2nd, 2008Well, frankly, it’s not been a good morning to wake up!
Things have ben quiet around here during the election campaign. While you’re pounding the streets there’s lots of time to think about politics, and lots of exchanges with voters that give cause for thought. But these street snapshots are very personal and it’s quite dangerous [...]
It’s The Money Stupid …
Monday, January 28th, 2008On Friday evening I finally managed to complete my online application for Labour’s Spring Conference. This is only newsworthy in the sense that finally completing the process felt like a major achievement. But - like Proust - I suffer from an over-imaginative brain. One little experience can trigger off a whole series of thoughts and [...]
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