Published by The Guardian (14th March, 2015) Chief whips tend not to make waves in politics. They are meant to be masters of backroom deals, loyal party operators […]
Economics / Politics
Are the Tories just defending crony capitalism?
Published by The Guardian (10th February, 2015) The embryonic general election campaign has been dominated by big business and its hostility to Labour. Attacks from former friends and […]
Politics
Don’t flirt with the Greens – expose their daftness
Published by The Independent (26th January, 2015) It was another bad weekend for Ukip. First one of its MEPs quit for the Tories, fuming that party leader Nigel […]
Politics
A Tory-Labour unity coalition may be the only way forward
Published by The Guardian (3rd January, 2014) In the 1929 general election, Labour won 37% of the vote and became the biggest party in the House of Commons, […]
Politics
A glimpse of grass-roots politics with lessons for all main parties
Published in The Independent (1st December, 2014) A successful politician once told me that when receiving invitations to events, he always imagines it is being held that day […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
How the Tories are helping Ukip
Published by The Independent (17th November, 2014) First Clacton, now Rochester – the unlikely landmarks of British political history as Ukip takes one more step on to Tory terrain […]
Politics
Miliband has failed to follow the first rule of opposition
Published by The Independent (10th November, 2014) There is a certain choreography parties perform when a leader is in trouble. First they deny any divisions even as rumbling concerns […]
Politics
We’re heading for a crisis whoever wins the election
Published by The Independent (6th October, 2014) There is something absurd about the Liberal Democrat conference, with all those attacks on their partners in government over the past four […]
Immigration / Policy / Politics
A Conservative split may be the catharsis the party needs
Published by The Guardian (1st October, 2014) The room was packed in anticipation of good debate. But from the start of the Conservative conference fringe event on immigration […]
Politics
Sending in Boris is the only solution
Published by The Sun (29th August, 2014) Tory chiefs sent out an invitation to donors yesterday morning asking them to join Douglas Carswell, one of their brightest backbenchers, […]
Politics
There is an alternative to murky donations from the super-rich
Published by The Guardian (26th July, 2014) The funding of political parties has long been a weeping sore in the British body politic, but it is turning increasingly […]
Policy / Politics
When localism confronts Bonapartism
Published by The Guardian (4th July, 2014) A whiteboard in the corner of Jeremy Hunt’s Whitehall office symbolises a struggle over the soul of modern government. It details […]