Part two of a series.Very pleased to see that Diane Abbott has secured enough nominations to get onto the ballot. I don't agree with everything she says, or everything she does. Hell, I don't agree with everything Nick Clegg says or does. However, if the Labour party is going to go through a process of working out what the hell it stands for, it ( Read more... )

I was listening to the Today programme this morning when Diane Abbott popped up announcing her intention to run for the Labour leadership.

I've given this some intense thought and have decided that it has a fundamental problem. If she becomes Labour leader, who will snuggle Michael Portillo?

In the past month or so, the suggestions from politicos for how Labour should attack the Tories are that they should focus on Cameron vs the party. The biggest example is that David Cameron says he loves the NHS, but members of the Tory party goes on about how awful it is on US telly or suggests that someone who's off work ill should pay £10 to ( Read more... )

Interesting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8127081.stm Home Secretary Alan Johnson has dropped plans to make ID cards compulsory for pilots and airside workers at Manchester and London City airports ( Read more... )

Oh happy day.

BREAKING NEWS: Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has resigned from the cabinetHazel Blears resigns from cabinet ( Read more... )

As a known, self-confessed Liberal Democrat, it should come as little surprise that I'm in favour of proportional representation. However, I'm not in favour of just any form of proportional representation, and therefore I'm slightly sceptical of Alan Johnson's referendum ( Read more... )

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8033388.stm Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has become the latest cabinet minister to come to Gordon Brown's defence, amid continuing speculation about his leadership ( Read more... )

"When shall we three meet again?"
"Well, I can do next Tuesday."

April 28th: Political Betting cover John Reid's (earlier) intervention in (pro-Labour) Budget coverage.
April 28th: Clarke warns Brown: Don't bully
April 28th: Blunkett seeks 'end to ID cards'

Interesting timing.

Is the ghost of Blairness past try to stage a coup?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8022791.stm Former Home Secretary David Blunkett says the government should scrap plans to introduce ID cards for all in favour of mandatory biometric passports.
It's not a full dropping of cards, because passports might well become ( Read more... )

You may remember that towards the end of David Blunkett's reign of terror, the perfect nickname for him surfaced: Security Blunkett.

I hadn't previously come across this one for our new overlord, though. Jacqui Smith, Second Home Secretary.