Most of the young would find it less embarrassing exiting from the rear of a sheep than the rear of a Conservative battle bus. This must change.
- 3 Mar 2013
It is one of the great British traditions that after a by election defeat our weekend television screens are filled with jumpy backbenchers calling for their parties to listen to their grass roots, go back to traditional values and get the message across. I remember one memo...
Sensible Tories will realise that Eastleigh was a catestrophe for Labour and good news for the Coalition
- 1 Mar 2013
If only the Tories would stop behaving like Corporal Jones in Dad’s Army and took a moment to reflect on the how de do at Eastleigh they might realise that the real catestrophe was for Labour. Four thousand votes and fourth place is not a ringing endorsement for the two Eds, n...
Years ago that wily old chief whip, John Wakeham, gave me some very good advice. " if you are in a fix don"t get anyone to lie for you". It's as good now as it was then
- 25 Feb 2013
That wily old chief whip John Wakeham gave me some very wise advice many years ago. " If you are in a fix don’t get anyone to lie for you." It is as good now as it was in the 1980s. The Lib Dems have got themselves into an appalling and needless muddle over the allegations aga...
Save us from patronising Guardian columnists who think that only clever people should be on juries. What happened at the Pryce trial was a one off aberration
- 22 Feb 2013
I was wondering how long it was going to be before someone started screaming for the end of jury trials. I was expecting at least a “Juries give you cancer” scare from the Mail", “Juries, just another blow from Brussels” from the Express and “stunning, blonde divorcee juror ha...
We can't go on sending mixed messages about immigration
- 20 Feb 2013
I have absolutely no evidence for this nor even a snippet of tea room gossip, but my waters tell me that there looks like the beginning of a turf war between Number 10 and the Home Office. Let me explain why. The control of immigration, or rather lack of it, is an issue that i...
The casual homophobia of David Jones is very depressing. To say that gay couples as are incapable of providing warmth and affection as parents will cause great hurt to a lot of decent people
- 16 Feb 2013
Some of you may not of heard of David Jones MP. Apparently he is the Secretary of State for Wales. He first crossed my radar on the Stephen Nolan show on 5 Live last night. He is the fellow who quite casually, live on air, uttered the rather chilling words that gay couples are...
That bloody omnivore "I'll eat anything" Paterson better keep away from my cats
- 15 Feb 2013
Imagine the scene. David Cameron is chill axing in his study at Downing Street. He has just finished a challenging hour of zapping angry birds and has given up trying to slice those pesky coconuts on Fruit Ninja. His PPS pours him another refreshing glass of General Galtieri 1...
Jeremy Hunt has learned an important lesson in politics; Who Cares Wins. He must now put it into practice
- 10 Feb 2013
When Jeremy Hunt was promoted to Health Secretary I was one of the first to write that this was an inspired appointment. Rather a lot of people tweeted suggesting that this was proof that I should be sent off to the Priory for a long holiday. But I might just have been right. ...
A glittering night out with Iain Dale a lake of bubbly,political stars and some wicked gossip
- 8 Feb 2013
I normally regard attending book awards as a bit of a chore. Sipping warm white wine with intense and and sometimes very dull authors is not my idea of a barrel load of laughs. So trekking over to the Political Book Awards filled my heart with dread. But as it was organised by...
Huhne made Alan B'Stard look like a shining beacon of truth and principle but he doesn't deserve to be separated from the love of his son for the rest of his life
- 5 Feb 2013
I have long been of the view that ministers of the crown should be made to read one Greek tragedy a month. It would improve their knowledge of history and remind them of their political mortality. For Chris Huhne it may have been his salvation. If he had not humiliated his Gre...