This blog has been a little quiet recently, but it’s not because I’ve stopped writing. Post-election UK politics is more interesting than at any point for the last few years and I’ve been entering the debates by writing elsewhere –
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Tag: 2010 General Election
Decontaminating the Labour brand
I was rather struck my Mark Thompson’s critique of the Labour Party’s current predicament – “I think Labour activists are in danger of underestimating just how damaged their own party brand already is” were the words he used. I really
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6 days is all it takes to tear up an unwritten constitution
So we have a Tory-Lib Dem coalition. Masses has been written about all the pros and cons of this, and I may return to some more themes in a later post. But for the moment I want to focus on
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Britain’s 6 election regions
This is not a post about election systems. It is a post about the pattern of election results in the UK general election on 6th May 2010. The thinking here is still rather vague, but I think there’s something to
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My personal involvement in the election… 12 candidate websites
As the debate about the composition of the UK’s government continues, I’ve taken a moment to reflect on my personal and professional involvement in the election – as webmanager for 12 Labour candidates. Here are the 12, and how they
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The Common Agricultural Policy and the UK general election
EU Member States are obliged by the European Union to make available the data on recipients of Common Agricultural Policy money by 30th April each year, with data from the preceding year. Today is 1st May and Defra has put
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Framing the debate: Future of the BBC
There’s something deeply wrong with the ‘debate’ currently going on about the future of the BBC, and I think it boils down to the essential question: what is the value of public service broadcasting? Two themes dominate the debate at
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Sorry Cameron, but Britain is not “in a complete and utter mess”
OK, the UK has some difficulties due to the financial crisis and is struggling out of recession, but does Cameron really reckon that people think the place is “in a complete and utter mess” as he has termed it in
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I think I have some sort of political depression
I have a problem. A serious problem. I’m beset by some kind of political depression. It’s not because I fear the result of the UK’s forthcoming general election – even if Labour wins there will be scant optimism. The battle
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I’m backing John Cryer in the Leyton & Wanstead selection
Ballot papers are currently being sent out for the Labour selection in Leyton & Wanstead and I’ve made up my mind – I’m going to be casting my vote for John Cryer. I was unable to attend the hustings yesterday
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A little more on Leyton & Wanstead
The shortlist for the Labour selection in Leyton & Wanstead has been published. The names on it are: Tristram Hunt (still no site online, despite this) John Cryer Terence Paul (no website as far as I can tell) Sophie Linden
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As one 39 year old bright spark stands down, so a 38 year old bright spark steps forward
There seems to be considerable surprise today that James Purnell, former Work & Pensions secretary, is to stand down as a Member of Parliament at the general election. Purnell is 39 and has been an MP since 2001. Personally I’ve
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