After decades of a Labour Party that subordinates human need to “gaining the nation’s trust” – read: “gaining a mild toning down of Murdoch and Rothermere vitriol so we can get our responsible arses back into number ten“ – on stewardship … Read More »
Yesterday the Department for Work & Pensions, having failed to block a Freedom of Information request on the matter, grudgingly released data showing that between 2011 and 2014, 2380 employment support allowance (ESA) claimants died within two weeks of a work capability assessment declaring … Read More »
Anyone not yet got the message? “Old Labour is stuck in the past. That’s a serious charge in politics but look who’s making it. New Labour orthodoxy has it that Blair’s successes in 1997, 2001 and 2005 are down to the … Read More »
George Monbiot penned another fine Grauniad piece this week, this time on Jeremy Corbyn. So what have these in common: Corbyn’s leadership bid, Syriza, and Scotland’s Yes vote? Quite a lot, I’d say. One, they all tap and give focus … Read More »
It was difficult, if not impossible, for the official opposition to challenge the Coalition when the government was effectively implementing New Labour [austerity] policies. It is important to stress this fact, because as elections approach the sleepwalker segment of the … Read More »
So. Labour, emboldened by Falciani on HSBC and enraged by Signor Pessina on how Britons should vote, has tax avoidance in its sights. Predictably the Mail responded with headlines like that of three days ago: Red Ed the Tax Avoider. … Read More »
Even for New Labour, Ed Balls was dismal yesterday. “Please like us, City. Please don’t duff us up too much, Mr Murdoch. We’ll act responsibly, we promise! We’ll start by cutting child benefits.” In one of many conversations following my referendum … Read More »
Irvine ‘Trainspotting’ Welsh offers a shrewd analysis in the Grauniad today: “There was much talk of how ineffective the no campaign was. In some ways this is unfair: you can only go with what you’ve got and they simply weren’t … Read More »