Don Paskini wrote this post, over on Liberal Conspiracy suggesting that the Tories economic record for all their endless boasting, actually the Conservatives economic record was pretty appalling. Naturally, I suspect this is a sentiment that many of my comrades would agree with. In the midst of the comments, one of the standard Tory arguments [...]
It's thirty years since Thatcher became Prime Minister, and the entire blogosphere has gone Maggie ker-AZY! ConservativeHome appears to have a "Margaret and me. But mostly meme" on, with this from John Bercow on how she inspired him to join the Young Conservatives, and Liberal Lord Alton tells all about his part in her triumphs. [...]
By Sadie Smith
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Posted in Morning roundup
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Also tagged A Very Public Sociologist, Anton Vowl, BBC, BNP, ConservativeHome, Dailyy Mail, David Dimbleby, Evening Standard, Frank Owen's Paintbrush, Gordon Brown, hazel blears, Hopi Sen, Jackie Ashley, John Bercow, John Rentoul, Liberal Conspiracy, Lord Alton, Margaret Thatcher, Paul Burgin, Robin Day, Tom Harris
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Following the announcement that the Gord plans to reform MPs' allowances in precisely the way everyone in the opposition parties and right-wing media was demanding, there has been much harrumphing from these quarters that Brown has done just that. Iain Martin of the Telegraph has a hilarious take on how this is an affront to the independence of Parliament which has already been much eroded by Evil NuLab (a myth wearily, and periodically debunked by the wonderful Phil Cowley of Revolts), and Iain Dale has received a deputation from his Total Politics staff asking if they can all have an overnight allowance too. Why? Is Shane Greer commuting from Aberystwyth or something?
By Sadie Smith
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Posted in Morning roundup
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Also tagged Ahmadinejad, Anton Vowl, Boris Johnson, Budget 2009, Craig Murray, Guardian, Iain Dale, Iain Martin, Israel, John Mann, MPs allowances, Never Trust A Hippy, Nick Robinson, Olly's Onions, Phil Cowley, Radio 5 Live, Rape Crisis Centres, Revolts, Richard Littlejohn, Shane Greer, Telegraph, Total Politics, Victoria Derbyshire
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Via Don Paskini we learn of the Fabian Society has penned a nine thousand word mission statement as to what the left blogosphere should be all about, and is inviting bloggers to sign up. Tom Harris is unsure, the lovely Rowenna Davis of Labour List isn't going to because she's not really Labour (pick the peanuts out of that), and your correspondent is going to hold fire because it has no subsection on the importance of arse jokes to contemporary political discourse ... and the because the word "progressive" has become so over-used it's making my teeth itch in a way that "pragmatic" used to whilst we marched forth for socialism under the banner of the Tonemeister.
By Sadie Smith
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Posted in Morning roundup
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Also tagged Alistair Campbell, Andy Burnham, Ben Brogan, Cath Elliott, Daily Mail, David Aaronovitch, Fabian Society, Friends Reunited, Jacqui Smith, John Rentoul, Labour List, Rowenna Davis, Tony Blair
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Good morning, pop pickers and happy International Women's Day! If you've accidentally got here via the Conservative blogosphere and are keen to demand an International Man's Day, plz to smash your fists into the keyboard in the usual way. For everyone else, I've taken over the Twitter feed on Labour List (which is being staffed by the ladies for one day only) and you can follow me here. But only if you're WELL bored, like.
The Today Programme this morning had a wonderful piece of juxtaposition: the BMA chairman teetering on the brink of howling that the reason for the data sharing proposed in the Coroners and Justice Bill was down to the evil machinations of the police state, followed afterwards by a report that local authorities are having difficulty recruiting social workers following Baby P, where the lack of communication between agencies resulted in tragic consequences. Why, one might almost say the two stories are connected, eh?
By Sadie Smith
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Posted in Morning roundup
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Also tagged Baby P, Barack Obama, British Medical Association, Chris Paul, ComRes, Conor's Commentary, Coroners and Justice Bill, Daily Quail, Gordon Brown, Independent, John Mann, Labour List
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Welcome to the new Friday feature: The Elevator Pitch. Each week a blogger will be given a hypothetical lift, their choice of Minister, two minutes, and strict instructions to keep it clean. This week we proud hustle Don Paskini, who blogs at don-paskini.blogspot.com and liberalconspiracy.org, into a lift with Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.
Dame Vera Lynn takes on the BNP. Does anybody know where we can donate? Go, Vera, GO!
By Sadie Smith
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Posted in Morning roundup
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Also tagged Abu Qatada, Anthony Worrell-Thompson, BNP, Dame Vera Lynn, David Cameron, Frank Owen's Paintbrush, Harriet Harman, Hopi Sen, Joe Joseph, Kerry McCarthy, Olly's Onions, Phil Collins, Spectator, Telegraph
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Morning roundup, Tuesday 3rd March 2009
The Today Programme this morning had a wonderful piece of juxtaposition: the BMA chairman teetering on the brink of howling that the reason for the data sharing proposed in the Coroners and Justice Bill was down to the evil machinations of the police state, followed afterwards by a report that local authorities are having difficulty recruiting social workers following Baby P, where the lack of communication between agencies resulted in tragic consequences. Why, one might almost say the two stories are connected, eh?