This happened a while ago, but there was an important judgement in the European Court of Justice, in which the mother (and carer) of a young disabled boy was found to be discriminated against because of her association with her... — read the rest

There is a fundamental economic illiteracy about British politics that contradicts the idea that Lady Thatcher brought about a revolution in attitudes in this country. Profit is still too often a dirty word. Just as it is still almost universally... — read the rest

Although this blog has been quiet over the summer holiday, some things remain the same: when personal data is lost by the government (or a consultancy contracted by the government) the usual suspects cry government incompetence. Actually, data management is... — read the rest

Three very welcome announcements recently regarding equality and fairness in the UK: — Extended maternity leave for women embeds discrimination. Nicola Brewer, Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (ehrc) [1], rightly highlights that generous maternity benefits had... — read the rest

There is a thought-provoking post at Stumbling and Mumbling on what role should empirical evidence play in policy making. Chris Dillow's suggested answer is very little, and he makes a strong case for it. By and large, I'm swayed by... — read the rest

Nearly two months after winning the Mayoral election, Boris Johnson has already lost two of his advisers to resignations following unsalutary accusations and allegations. This, on the back of at least 3 major gaffes, one of which includes claiming an... — read the rest

One for the political geeks out there: on a train to Leeds on Tuesday, I was sitting near Michael Howard, one time Tory leader and well-known politician. Obviously, his being a Tory, I wasn't that bothered by him. Nevertheless, my... — read the rest

This is the message being sent by the government to schools: if you don't improve, then you must close. This is a tough issue, because there are a large number of factors well outside the control of schools that affect... — read the rest

The always excellent John Rentoul on the Independent's Open House blog: The age of consent for gay men in Northern Ireland is to be made the same as for heterosexuals at 16... I mark this a significant gain in the... — read the rest

After yesterday, when we showed that Tories want Facts (note capital) in schools, here are two other things they want: — The need for a father in a family, thereby discriminating against gay women / lesbians (in line with voting... — read the rest

The Conservative shadow education secretary, Michael Gove, has recently said that a Tory government would reinstate traditional styles of fact-based lessons. Condemning pupil-centred learning, Gove said: This misplaced ideology has let down generations of children[.] It is an approach to... — read the rest

The perceptive leader in this week's Economist, on Gordon Brown (via the Spectator blog): Britain is not being overtly misgoverned, and nobody else in Labour is promising anything radically different. And Mr Brown may yet improve. To do so, he... — read the rest

Stephen Carter, Gordon Brown's chief strategist, might think it is deeply unacceptable to talk about the Torys' pedigree; I happen to think that their unrelenting toffness is unacceptable. Read this and see if you disagree with me: Still, the bare... — read the rest

By now, everyone knows what the headline figures are from this year's local elections: Labour lost 331 seats, the Tories gained 256. As a share of the vote, this was the result of 24% and 44% respectively. Three-party politics is... — read the rest

I am away for parts of the Bank Holiday weekend, but will get my thoughts down on the local elections, including the bloody Mayor, by Monday. Have a great weekend.... — read the rest

The London mayoral election is on Thursday. Having thought long and hard about this, and actually against my better judgement (and what I've written here before), I will vote for Ken Livingstone. What has led to this conclusion? Here are... — read the rest

I highlighted an article in Prospect recently which showed the reality that will face the new US president in January. In a way, the converse is true for whoever becomes Mayor of London, as a recent report from the New... — read the rest

Following on from the previous post outlining Tory duplicity and their plans for the funding of childcare, quite aside from the effect these plans would have on poorer people is the issue of where the money would come from. The... — read the rest

Voting systems are usually the preserve of psephologists and constitutional anoraks. I'm no psephologist, but I wouldn't argue against anyone that called me the latter. Britain has, to many a person's chagrin, a first-past-the-post voting system. This means the person... — read the rest

David Cameron vowed he would stop the government pushing through the abolition of the 10p rate of tax, and: would fight in Parliament for compensation for those affected by the "disgraceful" move. Remember, the most affected are those on low... — read the rest

The National Union of Teachers strike today hasn't paid off. And it isn't surprising, given the climate of public pay deals and the generous pay increases the government has put in the direction of teachers over the last 10 years:... — read the rest

In Saturday's Guardian, there was a lengthy article on defectors from the left. There have been two significant responses, and all three articles are worth a read. — With friends like these... David Edgar on a new generation of rightwing... — read the rest

They're letting anybody in nowadays. That's a Conservative Member of Parliament (David Heathcote-Amory) to Dawn Butler, one of two black women MPs (as reported by the Observer). Aside from the fact that being democratically elected is hardly being "let in",... — read the rest

The Observer reports on the food crisis: In less than a year, the price of wheat has risen 130 per cent, soya by 87 per cent and rice by 74 per cent. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation,... — read the rest

Living in London, I shall be going to the polls on 1 May to vote for the next London mayor. I find myself in the unusual position of being a floating voter: at this point, I have no idea who... — read the rest

All Prime Ministers make miscalculations and are hit by mishaps. There's never been one who hasn't been buffeted by events and beset by rebellions. Every government suffers from spats and splits. The leaders who survive and prosper are those who... — read the rest

I've just watched the BBC London Mayor special, London Decides (opens video), in which Andrew Neil compered a head-to-head battle between the 3 main mayoral candidates. The programme was a joke. There was very little policy discussion (I'm none the... — read the rest

For once, the majority of articles in this month's Prospect haven't quite caught my fancy. One, though, that did is Puzzles of Development (subscription required), which reviews Dani Rodrik's recent book about globalisation. Rodrik argues that what makes for successful... — read the rest

Jonathan Freedland has it exactly right in the Guardian, following the recent report concerning school admissions procedures in the light of the new schools admissions code: The only issue is fairness. On this simple point, the Tory chorus of denunciation... — read the rest

That's the announcement that "some of the poorest households in Britain will receive help with their fuel bills" from energy companies. This will have a great effect on child poverty, since it will precisely help those families who otherwise might... — read the rest

The Adam Smith Institute is having a bit of a moan about government quangos, how many there are, and how much money they cost the tax payer. They suggest the British Potato Council is a good proxy for the apparent... — read the rest

Reader, I'm sorry to have worried you. You are sure to have known that I live in south east London (occasionally known as "the enclave", though more commonly known as "Peckham") and would therefore, if that area's parliamentary representative is... — read the rest

I don't read his blog that much, but Iain Dale could hardly be called "politically neutral". He's about as rabid a Tory as you get. This might not matter, though, for he is starting a "politically neutral" magazine, entitled Total... — read the rest

School admissions has interested arbitrary constant for some time. In particular, it has been noted that admissions procedures involve both overt and covert selection and that this is to the detriment of those towards the lower ends of the socio-economic... — read the rest

An article by Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, on Barack Obama in this month's Prospect magazine has caused quite a kerfuffle. Here is that kerfuffle in a few, short links: — Healing postponed. The original... — read the rest

Who? Him. How? By doing things like this [1]. [1] — Yes, I've just linked to his blog. Twice. And, yes, I'm therefore propagating exactly the thing I'm suggesting others don't, but this sort of thing can't go unsaid [2].... — read the rest

I enjoyed this: Social networking is as much about who isn't on the site as who is - when Tory MPs and major corporations start profiles on Facebook, its brand is devalued, driving its core user base into the arms... — read the rest

[The] myth of the all-powerful president persists. The electorate believes that the president can alone right all the wrongs that afflict the nation... Yet the fact is that no one can live up to these expectations. Both the candidates and... — read the rest

As I wrote the post on party funding late last year, it occurred to me that, though agile government is no bad thing, it would be good if we could just start with good government! At the very least, the... — read the rest

There can't be any doubt on the relationship between politics and money. It is there, it exists and, well, no — it doesn't actually matter that much. (At least, not in this country. One of the interesting things from the... — read the rest

Whilst we're on American politics (and, let's face it, we're going to be on American politics until at least November), Charles Dickens's observations of America on his trip there in 1842 is well worth a look. American Notes for General... — read the rest

The quality of my predictions may well be recalled by readers of arbitrary constant. For those that don't know just how bad I am at predicting things, take a look at the links here. Nevertheless, this won't stop me in... — read the rest

I've covered party funding recently, and found against the Conservative party and their political machinations. If you now look at what Gordon Brown is doing, in order to paper over the cracks of his premiership, you can probably guess what... — read the rest

Some recent survey evidence showed that the understanding of human rights in Great Britain is poor. The survey, by GfK NOP (only privately available at the moment) showed that, although some 97% of respondents had heard the phrase "human rights",... — read the rest

I suspect [Gordon Brown] will be a historically insignificant premier, comparable to the Canadian Liberal Paul Martin, another long-serving finance minister who waited years to assume the leadership he coveted. That's Oliver Kamm on Gordon Brown, and I'm afraid that... — read the rest

Concerning issues such as the identity card and associated national id database, and the extension of the pre-charge detention period, my natural inclination had always been to trust the government of the day. Thus, I was willing to accept a... — read the rest

The Oxford Union Debating Society is to host Nick Griffin, the leader of the bnp, and David Irving, the Holocaust denier. Though I resolutely support the principle of free speech, I have to say that I would do my best... — read the rest

There has been a bit of talk this week that the Northern Rock incident is Labour's very own Black Wednesday. Jack Straw has rightly said that this is "utter nonsense", but it's worth highlighting the differences nonetheless. First, Northern Rock:... — read the rest

On October 18, a junior civil servant at the child benefit offices in Tyne and Wear set in train a series of events which put 25 million people at risk of fraud, forced the resignation of the government's most senior... — read the rest

At the risk of sounding like an ignoramous, I'm 100% sure that Alistair Darling will not resign over the loss of child benefit records. As I've written before, rarely do politicians resign when they have done something wrong; instead, they... — read the rest

Bush had phoned Blair two days earlier to tell him that Britain could stand aside if it meant saving Blair's premiership. "I said rather than lose your Government," Bush told me, "be passive, you know we'll go without you if... — read the rest

My apologies for the lack of posts over the last couple of days. Normal service will now resume, and what better way to start than with pointers to Oliver Kamm's excellent posts concerning Britain's nuclear deterrent, and why we should... — read the rest

The always excellent Andrew Rawnsley highlights in today's Observer that David Cameron is trying to have it both ways: You could see the confusion this [the relative consensus on Britain under New Labour] creates for the Tories in their contradictory... — read the rest

In Hollywood, all these people use the Emmys and the Oscars as platforms for politics. I don't think the guy who's working 50 hours a week really wants to hear someone who's making millions of dollars tell them what's wrong... — read the rest

When the Conservatives come out and say something as ridiculous as Labour plan on election funds is blatant gerrymandering, you know they are trying to deflect attention from something going on in their own back yard. Some brief background: all... — read the rest

There's a peculiar bit of logic in this month's Public magazine: Performance indicators [in local government] will be cut from 1,200 to just 198. Why 198 and not 200 is unclear, but according to the communities and local government [department],... — read the rest

I'm fully signed-up to the importance of think tanks in Britain's (and the world's) political sphere. Every once in a while, though, you do remember why they are think tanks. Here's a good example from the generally excellent ippr: Contrary... — read the rest

The London Mayoral election is shaping up to be a good one. I'm not particularly fond of either of the main candidates — Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson — though I will be voting for Ken for a third term... — read the rest

The European Union once again looms large in British politics, with the Conservatives seeking to eek as much political capital out of the new eu Treaty as it can. To which I respond: bring it on. What informs all of... — read the rest

The increasing and future importance of the voluntary and community sector is encapsulated within the phrase "double devolution". This essentially involves central government giving more power to local government and local government giving power to local people, the latter often... — read the rest

I was just thinking. Can I claim sex discrimination against a company, because I don't get maternity pay because I'm a male. No? This doesn't sound any different to saying that a woman can claim discrimination because she's more junior... — read the rest

Britain could soon become one of the few civilisations in history with no effective taxation on inherited wealth, with incalculable effects on opportunity, social mobility and fairness. Will Hutton, writing in the Observer. For more on the inheritance tax (i.e.... — read the rest

Decentralisation can only happen if local government and the public service workforce take on the challenge of becoming more ambitious, more accountable and more responsive to their users and their local public. Meanwhile, we also need to engender new behaviours... — read the rest

Although I'd dearly love to stick one up the Conservative party at the earliest opportunity, and although this election fever is quite exciting, I don't think Gordon Brown should call a general election for November this year or May next... — read the rest

David Cameron in his closing speech at the Conservative party conference: ... if we get out of Afghanistan, the Taleban come back into Afghanistan and al-Qaeda will set up in Afghanistan and that will mean danger and terrorism on British... — read the rest

Let them [the British people] judge who can actually deliver an alternative. That was David Cameron on the bbc on Sunday. I agree. Do you want someone who said this... The tax system encourages people to split apart. ... running... — read the rest

Can you guess who Oliver Kamm is talking about here? To have served in two governments and almost been elected Deputy Leader of his party despite manifest incompetence in public affairs is unquestionably an achievement of sorts. His principal actions... — read the rest

I was quite amused by this spoof article that followed the Liberal Democrats' recent party conference in Brighton: The Liberal Democrat conference has stunned political observers with a brutally honest assessment of their own electoral chances that left them voting... — read the rest

Public service reform is near constant and an important part of the political sphere of British life. The difference between the politics of reform and what happens on the ground — your and my interactions with the local council, schools... — read the rest

A tragic case is reported today, in which a 10-year-old boy drowned, despite the efforts of many to save him. The case is being covered because two pcsos stood by instead of jumping in to help the young boy, and... — read the rest

It's the tuc's annual conference this week, with all the usual fun, games and politician baiting. There was a fair bit of reaction to Gordon Brown's first speech to the tuc, including feedback from some delegates (as reported on the... — read the rest

It was Lisa Loeb who sang I only hear what I want to. The reaction to General Petraeus's report on the surge in Iraq yesterday shows that this phenomenon isn't limited only to Ms Loeb. General Petraeus said: The military... — read the rest

As an adjunct to the questions posed here, I offer the following: does the recent terror plot in Germany support the case of those people who suggest that it is only the United States and Britain that are the targets... — read the rest

Having added an Amazon link to arbitrary constant, I do, of course, have to take the rough with the smooth. So whilst I would whole-heartedly recommend your viewing Goodbye Lenin, for example (review here), I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend your... — read the rest

Facebookers! Are you interested in any of the following: ending the early release scheme for prisoners, tougher sentencing, streaming by ability in schools, a tax cut 'for families', additional taxes on polluters, emergency pension funds, or having more police on... — read the rest

A letter published today from Gordon Brown to Menzies Campbell highlights: We [i.e. British troops] are there [Iraq] at the express invitation of the Iraqi Government, implementing a UN mandate renewed last November in UNSCR 1723. This United Nations Security... — read the rest

I mentioned it only as an aside in my post about the Lawrence–Chindamo issue, but the Conservative use of this case has been nothing short of breathtakingly cynical. David Cameron used the case to say: It [the Human Rights Act]... — read the rest

The recent decision not to report Learco Chindamo — the man that stabbed and killed headteacher Philip Lawrence — has been divisive. There are those who claim he should be deported on his release, and those that claim he shouldn't.... — read the rest

A lot has been said of the Conservative party's various policy review groups, or whatever they are called. Although the Conservative leadership isn't necessarily going to take on any ideas the groups come up with, the groups are important in... — read the rest

I've not read it, but there's something remarkably apt about the fact that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is one of the 3 books Liberal Democrat MPs are likely to take on holiday with them this year. Ming as... — read the rest

I wasn't planning to post this weekend, but wanted to quickly highlight this. On their first full day respectively as Prime Mininster and Home Secretary, Gordon Brown and Jacqui Smith had to deal with a near-terrorist bomb in central London.... — read the rest

I have spent much of this week in a state of near bliss, wetting myself on some occasions and essentially delighting in the glories of history unfolding before my very eyes. Tony Blair was Prime Minister for 10 years —... — read the rest

Further to the post on the planned academic boycott of Israel (see here) comes this thought: critics of the war in Iraq asked why western countries weren't consistent and targeted other regimes, such as North Korea and Zimbabwe, for pre-emptive... — read the rest

It was with horror I saw the headline of yesterday's Guardian: Revealed: secret talks over Lib Dems in Brown cabinet After the initial shock, my mind turned to who, if the worst came to the worst, would be the least... — read the rest

The "quotation of the week" has lapsed on arbitrary constant. This post aims to re-introduce it with the following long quotation from Raymond Chandler's The Long Good-bye: There's a peculiar thing about money[.] In large quantities it tends to have... — read the rest

Would you be saying this, Mr Blair, if we supported your war in Iraq? That's the headline of yesterday's Independent, after Tony Blair singled out the newspaper for the way in which opinion and fact are mingled in its reporting... — read the rest

That is the opinion of President Lee C. Bollinger of Columbia University on the University and College Union's attempt in the UK to advance a boycott against Israeli academic institutions. I have to say I agree with him. There's plenty... — read the rest

To be filed under "annoying things the bbc does", here's a headline from yesterday: Queen opens stronger new assembly The Queen really wasn't the story yesterday, for the "new assembly" in question was the National Assembly in Wales and the... — read the rest

Whilst the grammar school row rumbles on (see here and here), a Conservative MP is doing his bit to ensure the Tory's so far laudable efforts concerning disability are being undone. After receiving two tickets for parking in a disabled... — read the rest

I won't go into this in detail, but I think it is right the press is concentrating in detail on the Tory disarray brought on by their grammar schools policy. The Telegraph highlighted the continuing difficulties faced by the top... — read the rest

So I was looking round thinking I've read shed loads of books since I last significantly posted (Dawkins - The God Delusion, Stiglitz - Making Globalisation Work, De Botton - The Architecture of Happiness, Various - Speeches that Changed the... — read the rest

I have been known, on very, very, very rare occasions to make use of the odd expletive. So it is with some shock I see that Alaistair Campbell's pension/diaries have been censored to keep the image of Rich's Dear Leader... — read the rest

Would you believe me if I said the following text comes from a piece of news from an organisation that calls itself a "non-political body" that seeks to contribute to debate through "factual information and reasoned argument"? If it had... — read the rest

I was recently reminded of this cryptic question and answer: Q: You are in a race. If you overtake the last person, then you are... ? A: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong.... — read the rest

Earlier this week, David Willetts (the Shadow Education Secretary) announced that the Conservatives would abandon their commitment to grammar schools and selection on the basis of academic ability. This is an excellent policy and one that I unreservedly agree with,... — read the rest

At times of desperation, there's always the bbc's Have Your Say. Here is the great British public (or at least the bits of it that Have Their Say) with its views on John Reid's announced departure. My favourite is this... — read the rest

What is the point of local elections? It's not as easy a question to answer as may be thought. Thinking very simply, local government can be thought of as another agency of central government, ensuring the delivery of services (street... — read the rest

That's the Guardian's local election analysis — covering all bases: 'Labour has avoided a meltdown, but they're down to bedrock'... Bad as this is for Labour, says Martin Kettle, the Lib Dems will be the most disappointed. Tories in high... — read the rest

There have been numerous interesting examples of accountability in the press over the last few weeks. The first concerns Des Browne and the decision of the Ministry of Defence to let captured British sailors to sell their stories to the... — read the rest

The Olympic budget was set at £9.3bn today. But let's deconstruct this a bit: There is a contingency of £2.7bn – try prising that from Gordon's sweaty mits... There is a £840m tax bill for the Olympic Delivery Authority that... — read the rest

So shock, horror, the Turkeys did not vote for Christmas. The key question will be, has Gordon got the balls to go all the way (and I would be content, if not happy, with 80% elected). I have posted here... — read the rest

I've been snowboarding for the last week (and a useless drunk the two weeks before that, sorry Rich) and I have missed all the developments with Lords reform, something I am surprised Rich has not posted on. Once I've had... — read the rest

Please see the introductory post for background to this very long post. As both concepts exist within the current UK education system, this post will argue that, though exit has helped to make the schooling system more efficient and responsive... — read the rest

As promised, I'll be posting an essay on Brighton's recent decision to introduce a lottery for schools admissions within its area. The post is quite long, so this brief introduction — in much the same as two other essays —... — read the rest

Believe it you should: the "right person, wrong subject" series is back and its subject today is Richard "One Foot in the Grave" Wilson. Wilson has been a long-time supporter of the Labour party, so his recent comments can only... — read the rest

I urge you to read a timely and excellent article by Paddy Ashdown in today's Observer: Despite, Iraq, we must still be ready to intervene. The key quote is this: [I]t would be a tragedy if the response to failure... — read the rest

The issue of university fees and university funding is in the news again. You will remember, of course, that there was a great outcry in 2004 as the present government introduced top-up fees, partly in order to address the dire... — read the rest

The Guardian appears to take as fact that the situation in Iraq, specifically since the bombing of theAskariya shrine, is a "civil war". For reasons I have discussed before, this is not the case. Briefly, though, here are the relevant... — read the rest

With democracy pissing down the walls of this country, forming a stale, wretched scum, with parliament stuck on deciding how to vote on how to vote about changing something a little, I give you our government, who have decided that... — read the rest

Or, Prospect update 3 (following, as three tends to do, 1 and 2): The idea that dramatically reducing emissions entails huge economic costs is a delusion propagated by business lobbyists defending vested interests, and by radical environmentalists who want climate... — read the rest

I posted yesterday about disengagement in politics / democracy in the UK. I've just been reading something which appears both apt and interesting (interestingly apt, perhaps? or aptly interesting?), to the point where I thought I'd best share it. It's... — read the rest

A second excellent recent article in Prospect was Paul Skidmore's disengaged democracy (subscription required). In it, Skidmore plumps for a solution to the "democratic deficit" problem that I'm not very keen on — namely, focusing attention on the 1% of... — read the rest

I am a big fan of Prospect magazine and have held a subscription for a year now and which I shall be renewing. For those interested in informed and interesting debate, I'd recommend a subscription. The only problem with the... — read the rest

The intrepid libertarian Guido Fawkes has been very busy, very busy indeed, some might say (although not I) pervertedly so. His target has been the Smith Institute, a supposedly "non-political", "public education charity", which receives tax subsidies accordingly. I know... — read the rest

I had deliberately remained quiet on the issue of churches and gay adoption because I wanted to believe that personal beliefs at the level of government would not interfere in enforcing absolutely crucial legislation. For a while, the outcome didn't... — read the rest

There is something quite funny about this, isn't there? It [the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport select committee] will point out that the cost of employing consultants CLM to control costs and project manage the array of 2012... — read the rest

The extension of legislation to cover the rights of gay people to expect equal access to goods and services has been known as a subject here on arbitrary constant before. If I may, then, I will point readers in the... — read the rest

Occasional, this series, but deadly. Sort of. Not the sort of thing Robert Redford might ask for an apology over, though you never know. Take, for example, his thoughts on what the leading leaders of the war in Iraq owe... — read the rest

Following David Milliband and Tony Blair, Ruth Kelly didn't actually say anything when the "furore" surrounding her decision to send one of her children to a private school hit the newspapers. David Aaronovitch was on the money with his article... — read the rest

A bbc poll has recently found that 'Most' support [an] English parliament. I have written about this point of "English votes for English laws" before and found highly unfavourably for it on both occasions — the posts are available here... — read the rest

Following David Milliband's common-sense comments concerning organic food, Tony Blair has also recently made some fairly realistic statements concerning personal air travel. The key comment from Blair were as follows: I personally think these things [reducing carbon footprints by abandoning... — read the rest

Seriously, I know I should stop reading the BBC's Have Your Say, but I just can't help it. At the very least, it helps explain to me why the Daily Mail and Sunday Express continue to exist. Take, for example,... — read the rest

The current fiasco at the Home Office ably demonstrates the problem with Ministerial accountability — a topic that both Rich and I have banged on about somewhat. So some three months ago, the Home Secretary declares his department 'unfit for... — read the rest

So the Bush adminstration is certainly in its death throwes now. Tonight GWB will announce that a further 21,500 troop will be deployed in Iraq. No foul mouthed tirades from me. The utter tragedy of it all has taken it... — read the rest

Two fading stars, one desperate for valediction the other for rejuvenation battle it out on the screen. This excellent production, now at the Gielgud after a run at the dominian theatre, is an enticing dialogue on power and legacy (when... — read the rest

What might David Miliband be talking about so "dismissively" here? It's a lifestyle choice. Nope, he's not a swinger. Instead, Miliband reckons — and I reckon he reckons rightly — that organic food is a lifestyle choice. His excellent reasoning... — read the rest

Brown says that Iraq policy is 'in a rut', Reid says that the government must stay New Labour. Irresistible force...... — read the rest

In Nick Robinson's latest blog yesterday he talked about a Radio 4 programme, that I unfortunately missed , where various former foreign policy figures discussed what is likely to be the big issue of 2007, Iran. Robinson states that Some... — read the rest

Justifiably, there has been a lot of coverage of Saddam's hanging. Though I do not resile from anything I have said before on this, I do think that there was something of an underestimation of what the literal process of... — read the rest

In the fifth instalment of this ever-popular series, pop sensations Girls Aloud have turned up (1 free hit) in the New Statesman with some choice words about politics and politicians. Their thoughts are so remarkable as to (1) break the... — read the rest

This genius bit of song and animation perfectly illustrates the folly of ID cards (hat tip Recess Monkey). Yet another issue where government tells us that "there are threats you don't know or understand and we need to protect you... — read the rest

The Independent has picked up on a split between Peter Hain and Ruth Kelly over the extension of gay rights (for the access to goods and services) to the whole of the UK and not just Northern Ireland. In a... — read the rest

I've pointed out the need for serious reform of the state and its institutions for some time. Brown seems to be taking this quite seriously too. Despite his iron control of the Treasury, braking up the DTI and reforming the... — read the rest

There has been quite a bit of coverage concerning the far right in Europe, and the UK in particular, of late. Some time ago I wrote an essay on what has caused this recent "wave" of extremism in Europe, which... — read the rest

As I occasionally do when I'm feeling scandalous, I pop by webcameron and see what the leader of the Conservative party has to say on the topics of the day. Don't worry — I am seeking treatment. There's a remarkable... — read the rest

This book chronicles the many journeys and experiences of Observer journalist Jason Burke through the 'Islamic world' since 1991. The beginning the book is quite run of the mill, chronicling Burke's initial experiences of Iraq as firstly a student and... — read the rest

So the police want to fingerprint us by the roadside. I used to think Henry Porter and other civil libertarians are a bit OTT at times (although I rarely see Guido, the libertarian, adding his bit to these debates). Yet... — read the rest

More out of interest than for any other reason (and certainly not in support of the Taxpayer's Alliance), I'd like to point you in the direction of the public sector rich list (in .pdf if you prefer). There's a remarkable... — read the rest

Following on from Stef's post, it just so happens I've recently written an essay on accountability, concentrating mainly on how executive agencies have affected the accountability of ministers. The essay is reproduced below and, though a bit formal, will hopefully... — read the rest

I've just finished reading this by ippr about the failures of Whitehall. Nothing that hasn't been said before by Hennessey and many others but I always find it shocking what an unthinking organisation the civil service is. There is much... — read the rest

It is perhaps not wise to post a reaction to a news item so quickly, but I'm going to do so anyway. The late night news on the bbc has just run an item on the government's sexual health campaign.... — read the rest

As I sit and type this, I am wearing a red poppy. It didn't take much for me to buy it, but the reason for wearing it is in part gratitude but mostly as a symbol of respect. Respect, however,... — read the rest

Democracy is so much more palatable when the result is "right", isn't it? At least, that's the impression you get when comparing reaction to the 2004 US presidential election and the recent mid-terms. For example, from the former we have:... — read the rest

I don't agree with the death penalty in the United States. Nor do I agree with it in China. Nor Egypt, Libya, India, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Japan etc. etc. I don't agree with the death penalty. Full stop. So, whilst... — read the rest

From Richard Perle, arch neo-con: I think if I had been a delphic, and had seen where we are today, and people had said, 'Should we go into Iraq?', I think now I would have probably said, 'No, let's consider... — read the rest

The judgement offered on Saddam Hussein today is welcome. Whether it is enough for the people of Iraq and beyond is not for me to say. A parliamentary debate into the conduct of war, reconstruction and democratisation is not what... — read the rest

I don't agree with Stef that another inquiry into Iraq would be indicative of a strong and functioning democracy. The other point of view — that an inquiry would be undemocratic — is put forcably by Oliver Kamm, and is... — read the rest

Excuse the lateness of this comment (far too much work/pub) but is it only me that is perplexed by the governments' reasoning behind not allowing a full parliamentary debate on Iraq? From the Guardian The prime minister's official spokesman said... — read the rest

I met someone the other day who works for Demos. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any decent dirt on Bunting leaving. However my wonk contact did say that, firstly, everyone had the same reaction as me("so give me the... — read the rest

Sorry Rich, but I am in no way placated by Blair's admission today that he will not use the parliament act to force through Lords reform. Hell, if there was ever a case for using the Parliament Act, it is... — read the rest

I really can't be arsed commenting on the pathetic local government White Paper, although the Government saw fit to justify its lack of... lack of any fucking gumption, with 2 volumes and 200 pages of utter vacuous shit. What has... — read the rest

So tomorrow the Government will publish the latest local government White Paper and with it will pass yet another opportunity to reshape, radically or otherwise, the way in which we do politics in this country. Of all the promises made,... — read the rest

I've highlighted before the peculiar habit of ukip to criticise the government for not abiding by eu law. It's peculiar because ukip, the neo-liberal, non-racist party seeking Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (according to its website), appears to be... — read the rest

I think I hear my name. Bunting leaving Demos was quite fun. Four weeks or whatever it was. Thank god she will be going back to being a "writer" — aren't we all lucky? It will be interesting to hear... — read the rest

... but it didn't work. I read it on Guido yesterday but awaited confirmation. Alas, it is true: Madeleine Bunting has resigned as Director of Demos after, well, four weeks in the job. Says Demos: [I]t has emerged that her... — read the rest

I recently mentioned the boycott of Israeli universities by academics in the uk and hinted that this boycott was indefensible. In much the same way, the boycott imposed by Israeli universities on Palestinian students "for security reasons" is also indefensible... — read the rest

No sooner did arbitrary constant argue that religious belief should not be used to make the case for public policy than Ruth Kelly and Tony Blair appear to be dividing the Cabinet on its policies towards the access to goods... — read the rest

Good to see that my predicition that the political blogosphere will eventually intertwine with the traditional westminster village has come true. Guido has applied to to join the lobby. Unfortunately its a win-win situation for him. If they decline, he... — read the rest

A few days ago, I resolved not to be so biased, as a member of the Labour party, in my coverage of the Conservative party and in particular its leader, David "Dave" Cameron. My reasoning was that it was not... — read the rest

Last night, the bbc showed a program in which a likeable individual leads a political party with absolutely no policies whatsoever — but with a pretty good publicity machine behind them — and which organises itself to challenge for the... — read the rest

I've just had chance to watch in full Tony Blair's speech at the Labour party conference earlier this week. Two lines in particular jumped out at me, the first as follows: If we can't take this lot [i.e. the Conservatives]... — read the rest

To fill the gap between all the coverage of Labour over the last few days and the upcoming Conservative party conference, David "Dave" Cameron has been putting himself about a bit. In doing so, he's showing himself to be a... — read the rest

Tony Blair has given his final speech to the Labour conference as leader of the party, and it's fair to say that it was a heck of a speech. For many — myself included — it demonstrates what an excellent... — read the rest

We must have a soul. That's Gordon Brown — real name James Brown (no, honestly) — on what the Labour party must have beyond policies and programmes. I like Gordon Brown and think (and hope) he will be the next... — read the rest

It was my misfortune to catch the last 10 minutes of the first episode of the new series of Spooks last night. I say "misfortune" because, once again, the bbc showed that its default setting where the present government is... — read the rest

So I've finished reading the Demos pamphlet by Douglas Alexander regarding the role of political parties in today's Britain. Given the hard ride that the Power Inquiry got at the pamphlet launch, I was expecting great things. The pamphlet's narrow... — read the rest

So, I attended the Demos event on Tuesday. I was seemingly in quite eclectic company and definitely have a good face for the web — eeirly similar to Mr Fawkes himself. I'll get to the substance of the speech and... — read the rest

Der di di di, der der der di di di — still class. I've been reading the report of the Power Inquiry in advance of attending an event tomorrow on the role of political parties in today's Britain. I was... — read the rest

The pressure is starting to tell on all, although there is a history. A "Blairite Minister" told the BBC's Nick Robinson yesterday: It would be an absolute fucking disaster if Gordon Brown was Prime Minister and I will do everything... — read the rest

Yesterday the international policy think tank (is the dictionary definition for a think tank "stating the bleedin' obvious with long words"?) the Senlis Council, reporting on the five years since the fall of the Taliban, stated that Poppy cultivation is... — read the rest

Hello, it is I, Stef. Keeping in tone with the usual arbitrary constant right-of-left-of-centre position, which, as you will find out, is highly unlike me, I'll kick off with a midly pro-Blair position on the leadership debate (sic). Finally someone... — read the rest

Fit for purpose — that's Caroline Flint, the government minister today given the responsibility for, erm, fitness. That's joined-up government!... — read the rest

I wrote earlier this week that there was a nasty implication in much of the reporting of the terror plots in the UK over the last two weeks that suggested a terrorist plot doesn't and didn't exist. I wonder whether... — read the rest

I had held back on posting the sentiments that follow about the terrorist threat to Britain's airports last week, because I wasn't sure if it was just me reading into things too much or whether what I had identified was... — read the rest

I've had the misfortune to have enough time to read through David "Policy-Lite" Cameron's attempt to put a bit more meat on the Tory bone, with his launch of Built to Last (.pdf) — a 7-page clarification of what the... — read the rest

The bbc carries the story this morning of John Prescott's denying he called President George W. Bush a cowboy with his Stetson on. The implication here, of course, is that Prescott was making a negative remark about the President. But... — read the rest

I'm currently driving to work every morning, which provides me with the opportunity to listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 (exhibit A, m'lord). This morning was a particularly fun edition of the programme, for none other than David... — read the rest

The threat from indiscriminate terrorist murderers pre-dates Britian's involvement in the war in Iraq. That was Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, on the Today programme yesterday morning, defending the government's foreign policy and its supposed link to the increased radicalisation... — read the rest

A syllogism is defined as a formal deductive argument made up of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion which follows the two. For example: All men are mortal [the major premise] and Socrates is a man [minor... — read the rest

I was reminded recently of The Political Compass, which is essentially a useful tool for indicating where on the traditional economic and social scales you sit. Having taken the test, it did not surprise me to find out I was/am... — read the rest

The institute for public policy research (ippr) recently released a paper entitled "A Citizen's Duty: voter inequality and the case for compulsory turnout" [1], which makes the case for compulsory turnout in the face of decreasing election turnout and voter... — read the rest

I'm almost embarassed to mention it, so trifling are the trials and tribulations of the smaller parties of the UK's political scene. But whilst there are continuing rumblings of what Tony Blair might do once he leaves office, I thought... — read the rest

Conventional military operations against states cannot remove the threat of further attacks by networks that no state controls. — John Gray (in False Dawn: the delusions of global capitalism)... — read the rest

By lots of mps naming their favourite album of all time to be Led Zepellin's II, politicians have shown themselves to be an astute lot, for II is an excellent album. Without wishing to read too much into the musical... — read the rest

There are three reasons why policy — that is, the course of action undertaken by a government or organisation to achieve a given aim — fails: bad policy, bad implementation and bad luck. In the case of the International Monetary... — read the rest

No stranger to mangling his words, George W. Bush shocked the world yesterday by making a statement many thought was to the point and without obfuscation: The irony is, what they really need to do is to get Syria to... — read the rest

On Saturday, I visited the Rise: London United festival, put on by the Mayor of London to celebrate London's diversity and oppose racism. Whilst there, I was partly surprised by the swell of favourable opinion for Hugo Chavez and his... — read the rest

I would like to express all the respect that I have for a man who represents at the same time all the most beautiful values of sport, the greatest human qualities one can imagine, and who has honoured French sport... — read the rest

On the subject of what is effectively the West Lothian Question, Channel 4's FactCheck has produced a useful briefing on the following ridiculous claim from Alan Duncan, the shadow Trade Secretary: We, the Conservatives, have a majority in England. We... — read the rest

The boundary between rock stardom and political activism, to my mind, should be heavily guarded so that no one may move between the two. To watch Bono (of U2) and, to a lesser extent, Chris Martin (of Coldplay) implore people... — read the rest

The bbc wrote at the weekend that David "Dave" Cameron is planning to change the voting practises of Parliament so that Scottish mps would be banned from voting of matters relating only to England and that only English mps can... — read the rest

Apart from those times when it finds itself agreeing with Tony Blair, arbitrary constant rarely agrees with a Tory. However, in the case of Bob Neill, it is willing to make an exception. For Mr Neill, who was elected on... — read the rest

There were many that thought — and maintain — that the war in Iraq was about oil, which makes the following fact from June's issue of Prospect all the more interesting:Britain is the world's 15th biggest oil producer; Iraq the... — read the rest

arbitrary constant does not condone the use of bad language in respectable society, but politics has never been respectable. Which is why Margaret Beckett's reaction to being told she was to be made the Foreign Secretary:Fuck. is highly commendable. As... — read the rest

Whereas David "Dave" Cameron hasn't got any identifiable policies to call his own, his predecessor is busy taking credit for a scheme that has been in existence for a great deal of time. Michael Howard, for it is he, wantsa... — read the rest

I have long harboured an irrational loathing of Noam Chomsky, the linguist and political activist. For a long time, this was mainly based on his ridiculous book titles (Keeping the Rabble in Line; Secrets, Lies and Democracy; and most recently... — read the rest

In other news — for anything the Liberal Democrats does doesn't really count as proper news — the political party everyone loves to keep from any sort of power have proved why voters are keen to, erm, keep them from... — read the rest

Or rather, Jean-Jacques Rousseau on having deputies in charge:[I]t is difficult for a large state to be well governed, it is still more difficult for it to be well governed by a single man; and everyone knows what happens when... — read the rest

Relatively recently, I reviewed Goodbye, Lenin! — a German film that looks at life in East Germany at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall and, more widely, Communism. The film was noted for its light-hearted style and... — read the rest

This post is the second in an occasional series that celebrates experts or artists in a specific field using the fact of that expertise to make an inappropriate, uninformed or plainly ridiculous statement in a field on which they have... — read the rest

My sincere apologies for the silence on arbitrary constant over the last few days. I'd like to say that it has been in anticipation for today's local elections, but it wasn't really. Oliver Kamm recently highlighted the voting preferences of... — read the rest

Note: this is a guest post by Paul Canning Rich has mentioned the plans to re-organise Local Government a few times on this site and this is also something that I have an interest in. To the bemusement of those... — read the rest

Note: this is a guest post by Paul Canning In my last entry, I shared with you some of my thoughts on car sharing and how it could be used to make more efficient use of private cars. With much... — read the rest

Note: this is a guest post by Paul Canning Many thanks to Rich for his bravery in turning over the shop keys to myself and Paul whilst he suns himself in Egypt. Hopefully we can maintain his usual high standards.... — read the rest

I'm going to be away for a couple of weeks so this will be my last post for a while. arbitrary constant will continue, however, with guest posts from my two good friends whom I shall now call "The Two... — read the rest

I recently highlighted an article in a local newspaper in which UKIP — the neo-liberal, non-racist party seeking Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (according to its website) — was employing European Law to question British law! I wrote a... — read the rest

Sir Ian Blair must have known he was really in trouble when Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General, said that he was both angry and disappointed that the police chief had secretly taped a conversation between the two. In my experience,... — read the rest

Sir Menzies "Ming" Campbell has just been unveiled as the new leader of the Liberal Democrat party. Fair enough — I hope I'll be able to work well into my retirement when I'm older, too. Let us, for a second,... — read the rest

I've linked to a lot of articles recently in the column to the right on the government's current thinking concerning Local Government. Briefly, the government is considering a "double devolution" of power, so-called because it involves giving more power to... — read the rest

Opportunism is a feature of opposition government. It's easy to say what you would do if you were in power if there's not much chance of you getting in. This is something that the Liberal Democrats have tried to perfect... — read the rest

What's your theme song, and why? The hymn 'Father, I place into your hands the things I cannot do', because I believe I need God to help guide me when making decisions. So answers Councillor Godfrey Allanson, a Conservative member... — read the rest

I was going to let this drop but it's much too much fun to do so. George Galloway once chastised Tony Blair for his "excruciating excursion" on the Richard and Judy show, in which the Prime Minister appeared on "You... — read the rest

The recent set of voting revolts in Parliament reminded me of a favourite politic