Published in The Observer (April 22, 2012) The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt (Penguin) When Barack Obama won the […]
Politics
The end of privacy in British politics
Published in The Independent on Sunday (April 8th, 2012) Bumping into a trade union leader last week, we got chatting about the London mayoral election upon which so […]
Politics
The Tea Party Tories
Published in The Guardian (April 5th, 2012) For all his faults, Tony Blair was an acute observer of the political scene. Surveying events from No 10, he would […]
Economics / Politics
Osborne has sent a missile into six years of Tory modernisation
Published in The Guardian (March 21st, 2012) There was much to admire when this heavily leaked budget was finally delivered: the cut in corporation tax, the lifting of […]
Economics / Politics
Forget mansions and lower the 40p tax band
Published in The Financial Times (March 6, 2012) Every successful leader of the postwar age in Britain has understood a basic truth of politics: success depends on winning […]
Politics
Why Dave will miss this hawk in hippy’s clothing
Published in the Daily Mail (March 3rd, 2012) Last week in Downing Street there was a seminar on the future of cities. First a Danish architect spoke of […]
Politics
Don’t let ministers treat London as their cash cow
Published in the London Evening Standard (February 20th, 2012) On one of those bitterly cold nights last month I chaired a discussion on national identity at the launch […]
Police / Policy / Politics
This local shakeup will transform the political scene
Published in The Guardian (February 13th, 2012) Soon after becoming leader of Liverpool council two years ago, Joe Anderson flew to Shanghai to drum up investment. He aimed […]
Politics
Like it or not, the PM has never been stronger. He should exploit it
Published in The Independent (December 13th, 2011) When George Osborne addressed Cabinet last week, he compared the proposed deal to salvage the euro and safeguard our futures with […]
Politics
Why these rebels without a clue can’t simply be ignored
Published in the London Evening Standard (October 18th, 2011) It is easy to mock them as rebels without a clue, let alone a cause. The ragbag revolutionaries against […]
Politics
Bring me sunshine
Published in The Guardian (October 4th, 2011) The meetings began in the summer with gentle debate down at Chequers over the central themes and tone of David Cameron’s […]
Education / Policy / Politics
Who, in this nest of vipers, stole a stack of Michael Gove’s private emails?
Published in The Mail on Sunday (September 25th, 2011) Shortly after the last General Election, Michael Gove was travelling by train to an important conference in Birmingham and […]