UKIP announced the day before last that their membership swelled by over 2,000 in January, bringing the total number of official ‘Kippers to 34,000 – only 10,000 behind the Liberal Democrats. While this leaves Britain’s “fourth party” still a long way behind the Conservatives in terms of membership (which is around 100,000 or so – the Tories […]
ED MILIBAND WILL DO WHAT HE HAS TO COME MAY 8th, 2015
Nick Clegg revealed in a very recent BBC documentary that he would be open to working with Labour in a coalition should the electoral maths point in this direction. On the surface of it, this doesn’t even technically qualify as news. Clegg has said many times that he wishes to keep his party equidistant […]
WITH OSBOURNE’S ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE POUND, THE SCOTTISH REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN IS NOW OFFICIALLY OVER
As someone who himself has taken part in a Yes campaign in a national referendum, I can guess what those battling on the side of Scottish independence are thinking and feeling this morning after the three main British parties united to scupper the idea that an independent Scotland could simply expect to continue using the […]
THOUGHTS REGARDING THE NEW HANSARD SOCIETY REPORT ON PMQS
The Hansard Society has made some recommendations around how to improve perceptions of Prime Minister’s Questions in a new report entitled Tuned in or Turned off? Public attitudes to Prime Minister’s Questions. Also, how to get more people outside of the Westminster bubble to watch the bloody thing every week. I like some of the […]
MARK HARPER’S RESIGNATION AND THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION DEBATE
Over the weekend Mark Harper, the now ex-Minister of State for Immigration, resigned. The reason, of which I’m sure you’re all familiar already, is that he had been caught employing an illegal immigrant as a cleaner. Many will (and have already been) using this as a chance to enjoy the schadenfreude of it all; […]
NATIONAL VOTERS REGISTRATION DAY: MY THOUGHTS FROM OLD KENT ROAD
“I don’t know. I don’t care.” This was the response I received from a middle aged woman of medium height and medium build to the question I’d been asking all day: “Are you registered to vote?” I was blocking her path into the ASDA on Old Kent Road as she answered me, and I stopped […]
AS SEEN ON LIB DEM VOICE: OPINION: ED’S MADE A BOLD MOVE, BUT HE ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO SEE IT THROUGH TO THE END
As a Lib Dem, I obviously write as neither a Labour party member nor supporter, but I was genuinely stirred by Ed Miliband’s speech at the St Bride Foundation yesterday. It was bold, gutsy and liberal minded – qualities the Labour leader’s critics often accuse him of lacking. The announcement that Ed will push forward plans to […]