Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Catgirls (Free subscription) | 27/11/2009
Was reading this story in the Spectator tonight, which doesn't make me any more confident of a a Cameron government, but this part struck me; The first is the policy board, a seven-strong Dragons’ Den-style panel where new ideas are tested. Mr Cameron, George Osborne, Steve Hilton, William Hague, Francis Maude, Nick Boles and Oliver Letwin are the permanent members of this committee. Between...
Anna Raccoon (Free subscription) | 22/11/2009
Down on the Googlemail funny-forum, one patient won’t be taking any more medication Earlier this year I had a long and at times irritable email correspondence with Oliver Letwin, the Tory MP for Lyme Regis. My points were that (a) every ISP with whom I worked was lying about selling on [...]
Barkingside 21 (Free subscription) | 21/11/2009
Two words guaranteed to get my attention. There is a parliamentary reception on Tuesday 8th December from 6-8pm in The Jubilee Room, Houses of Parliament hosted by David Drew MP with free beer donated by SIBA - the Society of Independent Brewers. It is a Public event, it’s free and no booking is required. Expect a queue. It’s about: A NEW FORM OF GOVERNMENT: THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
Public services want to be more accountable. Why don't banks? Something I didn't expect happened at the Reform conference on the agenda of the new government on Tuesday. Remarkably, it was the speakers on government who argued passionately for reducing privilege, enfranchising individuals and decentralising power. The speakers on the private sector – at least on the narrow issue of the future...
Greenpeace UK blog (Free subscription) | 13/11/2009
How do you like them apples? Down on the parcel of land Greenpeace has bought on the site of the proposed third Heathrow runway, a new element is being added to the Airplot . Typically for this time of year, it's a bit chilly and a bit muddy, but that makes it perfect for what we've got planned today, which is planting an apple orchard. With the help of people like actress Alison Steadman, poet laureate...
Dare to Know (Free subscription) | 10/11/2009
Copied below, a letter recently received by a home educator from Tory leader, David Cameron, which confirms our suspicions that the Conservatives have a far better grasp of the issues. If your Conservative MP hasn't signed the EDM yet, it would be great if you could direct him/her to this missive: " I share your concern about the direction the review has taken. I was impressed by the commitment...
It's not that important but.... (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009
So I forgot to tell you about a slightly odd and surprising E-mail exchange that I had last week. The E-mail pinging was between me and my MP, Oliver Letwin. It all started, as so much does now, with Twitter. There was a tweet from someone asking us to send a letter to our MP before the last Wednesday’s debate in Parliament on libel law. There was a link to a prepared letter and then a website...
Islington Newmania (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009
Been fulminating on Bob Piper`s wonderfully combatitive blog.... He said (on the rise of the BNP) But Labour cannot be blamed for the paucity of the Tory opposition for 12 years, which has been truly, truly pathetic . I said Yes it was unpopular to say that New Labour were hiding fiscal profligacy under an inflationary boom and that we ought to rein in .Such absurd doom mongering ended the career of...
Andy Peacock (Free subscription) | 15/10/2009
Shadow Justice Minster Pay £25.000 of Expenses Conservative Shadow Justice Minister Eleanor Laing is paying back £25.000 in expenses after a metro expose despite being cleared by Sir Thomas Legg's report. She said she did not owe any money but felt honour –bound to do so, as I said I would go months ago. The Conservative MP also face a confidence vote by her local party in 12 days...
Boulton (Free subscription) | 13/10/2009
Details are emerging all the time of the amounts Sir Thomas Legg is asking individual MPs to repay. The Conservative Party have just released details that more than half (15) of their front bench team (including Cameron) have been fingered by the long arm of Legg (so to speak). Kenneth Clarke £4733, gardening and cleaning (under discussion); Andrew Lansley £4,482.22, mortgage and service...
Martin Kelly (Free subscription) | 13/10/2009
Reports that NM Rothschild has pitched a plan for the privatisation of the motorway network are certainly a novel spin on the idea of 'laissez faire, laissez passer' - yet they do bring to mind the fact that the Province of Saskatchewan once paid Rothschild's 'tens of thousands' of Canadian dollars (.pdf, page 21, comment not favourable) for Oliver Letwin's time and advice on privatisation(.pdf). And...
Rob's Blog (Free subscription) | 08/10/2009
I have just come back from the Conservative Conference in Manchester and it was a long drive from the North West back to Essex. But it was well worth it. I have been there since last weekend, to attend as a representative from Harlow Conservatives, and as the Parliamentary Candidate. It was quite a sober week. Although the Conservatives are way ahead in the opinion polls, the party leadership refuse...
The Corporate Bubble - Commentary by Phil Jones (Free subscription) | 06/10/2009
Oliver Letwin is in town as part of the Conservative Party Conference 2009. Today, I met him with around ten other major business leaders in Greater Manchester as part of the Greater Manchester Chamber Large Business Forum. Business leaders were keen to understand the latest thinking behind the Tories who have been accused of being a bit "light on detail." The key points he raised are below:...
Andrew Allison (Free subscription) | 06/10/2009
A very busy day here in Manchester yesterday and today promises to be just as hectic. Briefly, yesterday I was in the main conference hall to hear the opening remarks from Eric Pickles, a presentation from Oliver Letwin and Francis Maude. Then followed Boris Johnson, George Young, Annabelle Goldie and William Hague. If you have been following the news you will have heard what was said. Then I went...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 06/10/2009
The Tories have added a shopping mall to their conference. Behind the main hall you can find Harvey Nichols, M&S, Crombie, Austin Reed, a place where you can be measured for a suit, a stall selling carpeting, even a stand where you may buy Conservative Conference 2009 Christmas tree baubles, three for £10. How festive can you get? It's for a home where you might expect a Conservative policy...
Videos