Back in the day, the 1970s day, I used to walk to school in the morning accompanied by a boy from the next block of council maisonettes to the one I lived in. I walked on to my Secondary Modern, and he stopped at the corner of the road where he got the bus to […]
This weekend, the great and the good commentators will take to the newspapers in order to conduct a post election post mortem and to tell us all what the Conservatives did wrong, Labour did right and why the Liberal Democrat party is in its death throes. Almost everyone commenting in the press will live in […]
A variety of reactions are pasted in this blog. The names of those calling for some change of message, priority or operational changes are emboldened. We have also included the contributions of MPs who have not advocated substantial changes. 5.45pm A little round-up of what Tory MPs have said during the day: David Ruffley MP […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter In the Commons yesterday, a debate was held on whether to suspend Sunday trading restrictions for the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. The Bill passed through the House, with only extremely minor rebellion from the Tory benches. This was surprising because there was some consternation felt by […]
As Conservative campaigners take to the rain sodden streets this weekend, in a final push to win seats in local and Mayoral elections they could have no better message to deliver than this – ‘Conservative Councils are the most competent, efficient and deliver the very best services across the UK’. It is a message which […]
A meeting of the 1922 committee took place on Thursday, to discuss Lords reform and has been extensively reported on (first on ConservativeHome), accurately. It would be impossible for journalists to exaggerate the resolve of the almost 100 Conservative MPs who filled the room and made it very clear to the leader of the House, […]
Before I begin, it isn’t me. I’m not talking to UKIP. As we all head back to London for the start of a new Parliamentary session, the welcoming committee is a depressing one for Cameron, and with good reason. There are MPs who are indeed talking to UKIP, and they appear to be from the […]
On Thursday, George Galloway revealed the cheerless landscape that is British politics. Voters became restless with mainstream politics and put their votes elsewhere. Critics have attempted to downplay the victory, highlighting the large Asian population within Bradford West, and linking it with Galloway’s views on the Iraq war and his calls for the immediate withdrawal […]
It was obvious on Friday that the Government were putting out anything they possibly could in order to close down the negative press reaction to the "granny tax" fiasco. The onslaught included Ministerial statements to the House, very rare on a Friday, which consisted of announcing controversial measures such as minimum pricing for alcohol and […]
During the budget speech, the Chancellor announced that “we will introduce legislation limited to relaxing the Sunday Trading laws for eight Sundays only, starting on 22nd July.” It appears, however, that the previous day his aides had got a little carried away during a media briefing and informed the press that this measure would, in […]
Growing up on a Liverpool council estate, I remember exactly when I decided where my political loyalties lay. It was the day before a general election. I was very interested in what was going on, but not old enough to vote. Standing on the on the doorstep of our terraced house, watching a neighbour brushing […]
Follow Nadine Dorries MP on Twitter. Yesterday, during an interview with a group of sixth form boys we touched upon the issues of the Middle East and particularly Syria and Iran. Following questions about Iran, my response to the boys was that when necessary I am an interventionist by nature but that the UK cannot […]