David Lindsay (Free subscription) | yesterday
Most of the Welsh never wanted devolution. And it is quite clear that no proposal for anything further will come before the Commons while there is breath in the bodies of almost any Labour (or, almost certainly, Lib Dem) MP from Wales. Never mind the 12 to 14 Tories whom the Principality is expected to return next year. Nor would it ever pass the Lords, who would rightly feel perfectly entitled to...
Andrew Reeves' running blog (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
The latest batch of MSP expenses are out and there are two names that stand out John Lamont MSP and Jim Hume MSP, both of which have spent in excess of £20,000 in the last twelve months on postage and office costs. Firstly, let us tackle the issue of dual mandate, something the Conservative leader in Scotland has long banged her drum about, however it appears that her MSPs aren't following the...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Welcome though the prime minister's promise of a manifesto commitment to a referendum on the voting system might be, it will do little to persuade electors that Labour is serious about change. The Guardian is right to argue that Labour should act while it has the opportunity to do so ( Editorial , 14 November). Although it is not our job to tell parties how to win elections, polling we commissioned...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 18/11/2009
Plans to increase the Scottish parliament's remit in doubt after Queen makes only fleeting reference to the proposals Alex Salmond will make Scottish devolution a key battleground in the general election after Labour resisted pressure to bring forward legislation to strengthen Holyrood's powers. Plans backed by Gordon Brown to increase the Scottish parliament's remit – including giving it greater...
Jailhouselawyer's Blog (Free subscription) | 17/11/2009
Gospel according to Nick Robinson The fighters' view • We won the Glasgow by-election with almost 60% of the vote - so much for the talk of the SNP sweeping through Scotland • The Tories are struggling to stay above 40% in the polls, whereas in 1996 Labour was often above 50% • The Tories need a massive swing to even get a majority of one • Cameron has not "sealed the deal"...
Labourlist (Free subscription) | 16/11/2009
The Oli De Botton Education Column I want to stand up for big government. I want to do this because without top down central proscription and national programmes, we would not have made the progress we have done on literacy and numeracy over the past 12 years. And to be clear, I am not suggesting we nationalise our industries, or even that we try to micro-manage more of the education system. I am...
Labourlist (Free subscription) | 15/11/2009
By David Beeson As we enjoy the result from Glasgow North East , let’s not forget that it by no means allows us any optimism about the General Election – which is going to need a lot of hard work for Labour to win, plus not a little help from outside the Party. So one of the most positive things to come out of the by-election is the evidence it gives us that we might just be able to count...
Ah Ling's blog. (Free subscription) | 15/11/2009
Been looking through my collection of photos taken in 2009, and just wanted to post some. A while ago Walkers crisps company had a competition where 6 selected crisps flavours were up for the public to decide which one would be added permanently to the already extensive selection of flavours. Seriously, I only liked the taste of the onion-bhaji crisps. The squirrel-flavoured one tasted of wood -__-"...
SUBROSA (Free subscription) | 15/11/2009
After being thoroughly drubbed in the Glasgow NE by-election the SNP need to dust themselves down and jump into positive mode. All I will say about the by-election was I hope the SNP now realise a strong local candidate must be the choice in these constituencies. The English unionist approach of parachuting in 'favourites' doesn't go down well here in Scotland. Jeff is suggesting they now drop their...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
The PM was rather good as he explained his Afghan strategy today – calm, lucid and far from tetchy Did you catch Gordon Brown on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning? Shame if you didn't. He was rather good, calm and lucid, not tetchy at all as he explained the government's reasons for keeping British military forces in harm's way in Afghanistan. Did he say anything new? No, not much,...
Lancaster Unity (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
Ruth Davidson, the Conservative's lesbian candidate in the Glasgow North-East by-election has just beaten British National Party (BNP)'s Charlie Baillie in the race for third place. The Labour candidate Willie Bain comfortably won the seat that was previously held by former Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin. The seat became vacant five months ago when the then Speaker, now Lord Martin,...
Peach's Blog (Free subscription) | 09/11/2009
Last Sunday we all went to church for the rememberance day service. Mum and Dad were visiting Scotland and they joined us. Cameron and Alasdair were in the scout and cub uniform and Cameron was carrying one of the flags.
ConservativeHome's ToryDiary (Free subscription) | 08/11/2009
Simon Heffer's loathing for David Cameron's politics is well known. Two others are clearly in the irreconciable camp. They prove their status again this morning with columns infused with anger: Gerald Warner in Scotland on Sunday reflects on the Tories' new Europe policy: "For an Heir of Blair this kind of betrayal is business as usual: if you take the Great Charlatan as your guru and template,...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
France's economy minister believes her country's financial system helped it out of recession After more than a decade of lectures from Gordon Brown about the need to let markets rip, it is little wonder that the French are having the last laugh. As she relaxed in her room in the Dorchester in London ahead of Saturday's G20 meeting in Scotland, the French economy minister, Christine Lagarde, was quietly...
Sea Songs (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
"Then they should go and live there" is an infamous argument for good reason. I am not seeking to defend the way trade unionists abused their power in the 1970s and gave the Thatcherites all the excuse they needed (and I fear those in the Post Office are doing the exact same thing now) but the old rational-argument-destroyer "they should go and live in Russia" was as infuriating...
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