Stuart Weir

Stuart Weir is a political activist. He was formerly editor of the New Statesman when he launched Charter 88, and director of Democratic Audit at Essex University.

Funny old world

Funny old world, politics. Two of the nastiest and most unhelpful Labour Party officials (and that is putting it mildly) while I was editing New Socialist, the party's

By Stuart Weir

/ 7 Jan 2010

Clegg on the attack

I don't know if I am being fair to Nick Clegg, but I read a short piece in the Guardian today on his condemnation of Labour and the

By Stuart Weir

/ 6 Jan 2010

Death-watch beetles

Perhaps I am unreasonably angry and disturbed on learning that academy schools are not open to public scrutiny through the freedom of information law. After all, it is a lapse

By Stuart Weir

/ 2 Jan 2010

The success of Charter 88

Stuart Weir looks back on the campaign for democratic reform in the UK

By Stuart Weir

/ 1 Jan 2010

Primary colours

Don't be fooled again - or perhaps you knew? Anyway, I live in Cambridge which the Lib Dem MP David Howarth has just abandoned for life in an

By Stuart Weir

/ 16 Dec 2009

Parliament First

There's a small window of opportunity before the general election to push for reform of the UK Parliament

By Stuart Weir

/ 10 Dec 2009

Mandelson vs. Murdoch

I never expected to agree with Peter Mandelson but it has happened today

By Stuart Weir

/ 3 Dec 2009

Brown's dodgy deal

The Vote for a Change campaign run by a coalition of democracy organisations always had a flakey feel to it. Even so, I am astonished as well as bitterly disappointed

By Stuart Weir

/ 2 Dec 2009

Discussion of Britain's public service guarantees involved predictable fretting about "opening the floodgates to the vexatious, litigious and disaffected", rather than considering the people who stand to benefit from this advance

By Stuart Weir

/ 24 Nov 2009

Peter Townsend and Tony Benn

Last week two of the most inspirational figures of the British left came together. Metaphorically, that is. For it was at the memorial service for Peter Townsend in St Martin’

By Stuart Weir

/ 21 Nov 2009

Cameron and the EU: a follow-up

To follow up my post below on the Conservatives' new position on Europe - I consulted Keith Ewing, who probably knows more than anyone about economic and social rights

By Stuart Weir

/ 6 Nov 2009

Cameron and the EU

It looks as if David Cameron is once again going to dance rings around Gordon Brown and his ministers

By Stuart Weir

/ 5 Nov 2009