Published in The Independent (October 8th, 2012) Over the years, many people have said David Cameron is a man who seems comfortable in his own skin.The first time […]
Could Chris Grayling be the ultimate Tory moderniser?
Published in The Independent (September 22nd, 2012) So here we go again: an apparently hardline new justice minister throwing red meat to the baying wolves. Chris Grayling, having […]
The Tories are becoming the ‘nasty party’ on immigration
Published in The Guardian (June 11th, 2012) The manifesto commitment could hardly have been clearer: the Conservatives were going to make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe. […]
Tea Party zombies long to lurch further right
Published in The Independent (May 7th, 2012) A few days before last week’s local elections, the Tory MP Nadine Dorries wrote an article for the ConservativeHome website begging […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Lib Dems need to stake out their own territory
Published in the Financial Times (August 24th, 2011) One of the many twists to have occurred in British politics since the election is that the most eagerly anticipated […]
Cameron must breathe new life into the coalition
Published in the London Evening Standard (July 25th, 2011) “We had lost our virginity on scandal,” wrote Tony Blair, reflecting on the furore over Bernie Ecclestone’s million-pound gift […]
Betraying themselves
Published in Prospect (March 25th, 2011) An army of political obituarists is arguing that we are witnessing the suicidal spasms of one of our great political parties. Oceans […]
Why Cameron is inviting a Viking invasion
Published in The Times (January 19th, 2011) For decades the British Left was held captive by Stockholm syndrome. It looked at Sweden and saw paradise on Earth — […]
Brand detox remains the Tories’ prime task
Published in the Financial Times (January 4th, 2011) After weeks of muttering and coded articles, the new year has arrived with hostile outbursts against the coalition from within its […]