So the UKIP breakthrough some people feared/hoped in Oldham West and Royton completely failed to materialise. Labour won by more than 10,000 votes on Thursday. In an article I wrote on this site in late-October, I said that this by-election would be a barometer of where UKIP stand electorally at the moment. On the basis […]
Could Hilary Benn be the next Labour leader? An attempt at a calm take on the matter
One of the highlights for me of this year’s Labour conference in Brighton was Hilary Benn’s speech at a Labour for Remaining In Europe campaign rally/launch. Alan Johnson was the star of the show, but Benn’s speech was unexpectedly (to me at the time anyhow) fantastic. He spoke eloquently yet passionately about why Britain should […]
Why I’m glad Tim Farron supports the Syrian airstrikes
The headline will come as no surprise to some of you who will know I have been arguing for intervention in Syria since shortly after the civil war there kicked off in 2011. I saw early on the dangers of an unstoppable, sectarian war in Syria, and although I obviously can’t claim to have foreseen […]
What are the unions playing at in regards to Corbyn?
One of my more memorable experiences from this year’s conference season was having a “friendly” chat with some high ranking representatives from the GMB regarding Britain and the European Union. They were none too pleased at the time down in Brighton, particularly about the line that Corbyn had taken around that subject. They felt like […]
Is bombing Syria bigger than every day politics – or is it not?
Yesterday was the big showdown within the Labour Party regarding what stance would be taken on bombing Syria. As a politics nerd, I was on the edge of my seat. Oh the drama! McCluskey’s intervention, Corbyn remaining resolute pre-shadow cabinet meeting (rumour has it, egged on by Milne), the meeting in question getting shoved back […]
What the Mark Clarke scandal and the rise of Corbyn have to do with one another
The allegations flying around regarding a senior Tory activist named Mark Clarke are pretty lurid, so I shan’t repeat them here. What interests me with this article in mind is how he managed to get to such a senior position in the first place – apparently he came with stories about how he could lure thousands […]
The Corbyn delusion: how it has got completely out of hand
Some of you out there will be aware of this; some will be hype-aware of it; others, may be oblivious to it. But you should all know that at present the Guardian runs a semi-daily feature, a cartoon drawn by Steve Bell which depicts a universe in which Jeremy Corbyn is a Jedi knight named […]
Would a Labour free vote on Syria be the worst thing in the world? Probably
Labour are at war over Syria: how much damage is inflicted on them is at least partly down to where they land on the subject. But from where they are, I can’t see any possible good outcome. The best one from their perspective would be a collective vote for the strikes on the proviso that […]
British politics has the quality of a bad dream at the moment
Think about the surrealism of the last week in British politics. A Tory chancellor does a huge U-turn on a large set of cuts, mostly because enough of his own party have turned against him on the issue. He gets up to deliver his Autumn Statement, having to dish this out to the House, and […]
Who really deserves the credit for the tax credit U-turn? Let’s remind ourselves, shall we?
Social media is a wonderful thing if you’re of a sociological bent. As John McDonnell gave his response to the Autumn Statement, Corbynites took to Twitter to declare their man victorious. “McDonnell killing Osborne! What a triumph #spendingreview” was typical. Then you scrolled down into your feed to read the press give their take on […]