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’
Gareth Young invited me to ‘The Future of England’. A debate that followed the annual general meeting of the Campaign for an English Parliament. In plucky fashion it was held
The current UK Parliament is one of the most rebellious in history - but this isn't a sign of democratic health.
Iraqi vice-president’s veto threatens Iraqi elections. Seven out of ten Afghans blame poverty and corruption for continued instability. Israel plans to expand settlement in East Jerusalem. Six suspected Muslim separatists killed in South Thailand. Five Iranian protestors sentenced to death. All th
The Queen's Speech offered Brown what will likely be his last chance to deliver on the new politics he has repeatedly promised.
Barroness Buscombe, the new Tory chair of the Press Complaints Commission, is reported to be considering extending the remit of the PCC to include blogs.
Anyone who knows anything about
What goodies does tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech have in store then? One of the things it may contain is a proposal that would require innocent people to pay £200
How police surveillance of peaceful protestors in the UK puts our lives as well as freedoms in danger - a personal view from someone who watched them do it
Yesterday I listened to the radio adaption of David Edgar's play about 1989 The Shape of the Table. You can hear it for the coming week here on
What happens in Israel matters to many of us, and for all sorts of reasons. So it is absolutely right - as this pamphlet emphasises - that Britain’s political system should
Lobbies, interest groups, policy think tanks and the like are an integral part of our political system and of practically all liberal democratic societies. And it is perfectly right that
The US Ambassador to Kabul cables the Whitehouse expressing his reservations about troop increases. President Obama faces diplomatic hurdles in his visit to Japan. Saudi Arabia evacuates villages and closes schools in response to escalating violence in Yemen. All this and more, in today’s security
