Published in The Independent on Sunday (31st March, 2013) When the National Health Service rose like a merciful phoenix from the wreckage of a war-torn nation, its founder […]
Immigration / Policy / Politics
The immigration debate: evidence-free and more rancid than ever
Published in The Guardian (26th March, 2013) Nigel Farage must have been smiling to himself as he supped his pint of real ale last night. His party has no […]
Politics
Is this the dawn of a new coalition?
Published in The Mail on Sunday (March 17th, 2013) Picture the scene as Nick Clegg strides purposefully to the podium in the Downing Street rose garden. With the […]
Aid / Health / Policy / Politics / Social care
Overseas aid: an indefensible ringfence
Published in The Guardian (March 14th, 2013) One of the first rules of opposition is to avoid rash promises that can come back to throttle you in government. […]
Politics
What is the point of Tories posing as Ukip Lite?
Published in The Independent (March 2nd, 2013) Eastleigh was a humiliation for the Tories. It was so disastrous that party spokespeople were not even pretending there were silver […]
Health / Policy / Politics
Cover-up: the public are sickened by such cynicism
Published in The Daily Mail (February 22nd, 2013) Julie Bailey is a heroine of our age. She is the cafe owner from Stafford who saw her elderly mother […]
Health / Police / Policy / Politics / Technology
Why does no-one ever take the blame any more?
Published in The Daily Mail (February 13th, 2013) When Nick Clegg dropped into Hampshire to boost his party’s campaign in the crucial Eastleigh by-election, he spoke passionately about […]
Afghanistan / Africa / Aid / Mali / Politics / World
Save lives Mr Cameron, but don’t imagine you need to save Africa
Published in The Independent (February 2nd, 2013) This week, the Prime Minister went to Africa.Struggling to achieve anything at home thanks to the shaky state of her coalition, […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
The real meaning of the PM’s speech on Europe
Published on ConservativeHome (January 23rd, 2013) This is my annotated take on David Cameron’s keynote speech on Europe, given after much delay at Bloomberg. My notes are in […]
Crime / Policy / Politics
One step forward on probation, then one giant step back on jails
Published in The Guardian (January 11th, 2013) According to the latest figures there are 83,632 locked up in English and Welsh prisons. This is an obscenely large number […]