Conservatives love to lecture Labour on the limits of bureaucratic tinkering, critiquing a caricature of Fabianism as the belief that pulling government levers with micro tax and benefit changes can affect deep social and cultural changes in society. Except on marriage, where the policy appears to consist only of eye-catching initiatives of exactly that kind, based on the idea that a tax-break will...
Sir Hugh Orde, currently in charge of the Association of Chief Police Officers, spoke for his colleagues when he said that he would rather resign than face direct political control from an elected commissioner. He's absolutely right - nobody should be enthused by the pressure brought to bear on Sir Ian Blair by the newly-installed Mayor in London . As Bob Piper mentioned at the time , fans of The Wire...
19/11/2009WATCH:NEXT ON:Today, 22:35 on BBC One (except Scotland, Wales)SYNOPSISQuestion Time comes from Leicester, with a panel including Immigration Minister Phil Woolas MP, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling MP, Liberal Democrat MP Sir Menzies Campbell, the broadcaster Nick Ferrari and Independent MP Clare Short. David Dimbleby presents.CREDITSPresenterDavid DimblebyParticipantMing
It's #bbcqt day again and as usual the Live Chat on this blog will start tonight at 10:30pm. The panel will include the Immigration Minister Phil Woolas MP, the shadow home secretary Chris Grayling ( Alan Johnson's mini-me ), the Liberal Democrat MP and former leader Sir Menzies Campbell, the broadcaster Nick Ferrari (Richard Littlejohn's mini-me) and the Independent MP and former thorn in Tony Blair's...
A shadow culture secretary begins to makes his mark THE Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has rarely been the frivolous sideshow suggested by its Whitehall nickname, “the ministry of fun”. It was a training ground for some of Labour’s brightest prospects, including James Purnell and Andy Burnham. It has a big role in staging the London Olympics in 2012, perhaps the biggest...
In what promises to be a spectacularly lefty panel this week, Question Time features the Immigration Minister Phil Woolas, the Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling, expenses trougher and LibDem Sir Menzies Campbell, and Clare Short who is now sitting as an Independent. Broadcaster Nick Ferrari will add weight (literally) to the proceedings in the plus an extra panelist seat. On the BBC website Short...
Mayor comparises suburban ward to once wartorn Lebanese capital because of unruly teenagers Beirut, Baltimore, Gotham City ... some conurbations immediately conjure up images of violence and depravity. And now it seems we should add the small suburb of Penwortham, near Preston, to that list. Locals were shocked this week when their mayor, Jim Hothersall, mentioned the town in the same breath as Beirut...
Via JuliaM , it seems that our government-in-waiting has the potential to be just as fucking awful as the one currently in power . A Tory government would use instant penalties on teenage yobs instead of relying on Asbos, the party said yesterday. Chris Grayling, the Shadow Home Secretary, said he favoured quick intervention against teenage yobs through grounding orders, community punishments and property...
This article about the devolution of policing to the National Assembly in today's Western Mail interests me a lot. Downside is that it does make discussion about a referendum on devolving greater law making powers to Wales more confusing - just five days before Sir Emyr Jones Parry recommends that the Assembly Government 'goes for it' as soon as possible. Or so we are led to believe. Any referendum...
By Stephen Newton On Tuesday, Margaret Thatcher honoured Dr Henry Kissinger with her eponymous Medal of Freedom somewhere in Knightsbridge , the exact location having been kept secret for security reasons. In return, Kissinger delivered the second Margaret Thatcher Lecture. Baroness Thatcher, the charity’s patron, endowed the Medal of Freedom, along with a lecture in her name, to the Atlantic...
Given the revelations that surfaced yesterday , TB was interested to see Chris Grayling was having a very quiet drink in the Slug and Lettuce on Victoria Street with Liam Fox's former Chief of Staff last night. Seems competition to get on "The List" is hotting up. Ben Brogan is chasing this one too, but get in touch with the bear with what you know. Who has made it so far?
It was a story that seemed to sum up everything that was wrong about 'Broken Britain' when it was splashed all over the nationals last month. A 15-year-old girl was left heartbroken when yobs stamped on and killed her tiny Jack Russell puppy called Sandie (pictured) in a park in St.Neots. The Express wrote "social commentators warned that such behaviour was only symptomatic of the wider problem...
• Profiles to be kept for six years under revised bill • Terror suspects' details could be held indefinitely Chief constables are to carry on refusing requests to delete the DNA profiles of arrested people released without charge, while a fresh political battle is waged over how long the details should remain on the database. Home Office ministers confirmed they want to see the DNA profiles...
The DNA profiles of innocent people arrested in England and Wales will be kept for six years and not indefinitely under new government proposals. The changes will be put before the European Court of Human Rights, which had ruled the current policy unlawful. Police have defended the system, which it says has led to the solving of crimes, but human rights groups are unhappy with the compromise. Julie...
Mayor Johnson held his third statutory People's Question Time on Monday night along with the massed ranks of assmbly members. I wasn't there, but Tory group leader Roger Evans was: The venue was the O2 Academy in Brixton, more often the scene of concerts and sell out music performances. The room was so large that it was difficult to see people at the back and the acoustics on stage were truly awful....
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