A clear choice…

My friend Liliane has received today this email from Labour HQ,
Dear Liliane
I’m sure you’ve already seen reports about our employment summit on the news today and I wanted to contact you directly about the unprecedented challenges that this summit is helping to address.
Let’s be clear – we are facing the first crisis of the global [...]

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New gateway to Labour blogging launched

It was no secret that Derek Draper was launching a new site aimed at strengthening Labour’s online army in the war of the blogs. A meeting was organised a few weeks ago by Draper for a bunch of Labour people to hear what Blue State Digital, the online strategy firm behind Obama’s online campaign, had [...]

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The tables have turned

I just watched Paxman interviewing Tony McNulty and Alan Duncan on the economic crisis and it’s curious how the tables have turned in British politics since 1997. In 1987 and 1992 Labour lost two general election mainly on the electorate not trusting them with the economy. Tax and spending was the Tories’ electoral forte for [...]

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A redistributive Labour

The far left criticised New Labour for being too liberal, Cameron cannot stop repeating his ‘broken society’ soundbite…but today the OECD has published a report that shows that since 2000 the UK has reduced income inequality and poverty more than any other member of the organisation.
Needless to say there is still a long way to [...]

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On the cabinet reshuffle

Gordon Brown has certainly regained the political initiative with today’s announcement of the return of Peter Mandelson to British politics. Wait for this weekend’s papers, one is going to feel like is back to 1998. So far surprise is the only feeling everyone can agree on the return of our very own ‘comeback kid’.
But moving [...]

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So far, so good, the tide is changing…

In the last few days I feel like reading the papers and watching the news again. Labour is certainly out of the woods again and has got its political edge back, this can only be good for British politics, even if you don’t support Labour.
The key reason for the change on political momentum was Brown’s [...]

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Key week ahead for Labour

A Guardian-ICM poll today puts Labour up three points just 9 behind the Tories in the narrowest lead for Cameron since April. This is obviously good news, it means Brown has managed with his conference speech to crawl out of the hole of being seen as a lame duck PM.
The Tories are preparing for what [...]

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Tighten your belt Her Majesty

According to the Indy the Government has denied the Queen an increase on the amount of public money provided for the financing of both her official duties, the so called Civil List, and the maintenance of the different royal palaces. The Queen’s advisers asked for an increase on the existing £7.9 million Civil List or [...]

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Loved it!

Great, great speech from Gordon Brown today. Certainly the best Brown performance I’ve seen. He was at ease delivering the speech. In the personal touches he was warm but not cheesy (unlike last year), in the big picture/vision section he was firm and inspiring, in the policy sections specific and comprehensive and in the politics [...]

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Labour Party Conference 2008: fringe blog special

Back in London after earning a quick buck giving a lecture in my hometown’s university and bringing back some nice food and wine. The starting date for my new job has been postponed until the end of conference season which means I get a chance of lying in my sofa and watching the full coverage [...]

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