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, Don Paskini, Evening Standard, Frank Owen's Paintbrush, Gordon Brown, hazel blears, Jackie Ashley, John Bercow, John Rentoul, Liberal Conspiracy, Lord Alton, Margaret Thatcher, Paul Burgin, Robin Day, Tom Harris
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Well done the comrades on the Gurkha debate yesterday! The comrades, I hear you roar? THE COMRADES?! For was it not David Cameron who posed with Joanna Lumley outside St Stephen's Entrance for the cameras with wee Nicky Clegg? (Yea!) Was it not the Government that was defeated at the vote and promised to bring forward the review of the guidance to before the summer recess and put a moratorium on deportations? (Yea!) Why yes, to all of the above. But it was actually the LABOUR backbenchers by and large - who actually care about the Gurkhas and have been lobbying for years for justice - who put on the pressure to bring about the changes (although hon menshes go to Ann Widdecombe and other Liberal and Tory members of the APPG on Gurkha Rights). The rest is just vacuous grandstanding by two leaders with pretty hair for the benefit of headlines involving the words "BROWN" and "CRISIS." Guess it depends whether you think politics should be about process or progress, I guess.
By Sadie Smith
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Posted in Morning roundup
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Also tagged David Cameron, Giles Coren, Gordon Brown, Gurkha, Joanna Lumley, Laurence Robertson, Liberal Conspiracy, Mike Smithson, Nick Clegg, Paul Sagar, RecessMonkey, Rod Liddle, swine fever
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The Government is going to encourage teenage girls to get pregnant and then force them to have abortions[*] according to the Daily Mail. Shocking this sex education stuff, isn't it? Well, no. Not really.
Cobden's Commentary fears that a post-Nigel Griffiths-gate world combined with McNulty's spot of bother could have a negative impact on Westminster's tourist trade, Hopi Sen finds that Nige has put him in an, er, unpopular position, and the ladies of Parliament ask: who the hell wears stockings in middle of November?
By Sadie Smith
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Posted in Morning roundup
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Also tagged Banditry, Bill of Rights, Cobden's Commentary, database state, David Aaronovitch, Gordon Brown, Guardian, Human Rights Act, John B., Laurie Penny, Ministry of Justice, New Statesman, Nick Robinson, Nigel Griffiths, Rowntree Foundatin Trust, Tom Harris, Tony McNulty
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On the fourth day of March, my true love gave to me: a bunch of Tories a-leaking spinning, Jon "I have only one tone of voice - APPALLED OUTRAGE!" Craig a-butt kissing, and a Conservative MP with surprisingly progressive views on state-provided childcare when it relates soley and exclusively to Conservative MPs. Anyone fancy working on a musical score? More on this later.
Hopi Sen is reckons there's just not enough discussion on the causes of the current economic crisis being led by politicians. I'm happy to oblige with my own bit of muddle headed opinion.
It's basically all about the US, the UK and (to a lesser extent) Europe acting as the great demand in the sky. The [...]
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, Don Paskini, Frank Owen's Paintbrush, Harriet Harman, Joe Joseph, Kerry McCarthy, Olly's Onions, Phil Collins, Spectator, Telegraph
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Ed Balls makes a comment to his local Labour Party about how this recession thing is going to be pretty bad, and before he knows it he's being splashed all over the front of the dailies in the same sentence as the word "gaffe", poor bloke. Still, he should have known better; as my one time office manager exclaimed whilst reading about how an MP's infidelity came to light, "He boasted to his Labour Group about it? Why didn't he just hand over the photos the the News of the Screws himself?"
Morning roundup, Tuesday 24th March 2009
Cobden's Commentary fears that a post-Nigel Griffiths-gate world combined with McNulty's spot of bother could have a negative impact on Westminster's tourist trade, Hopi Sen finds that Nige has put him in an, er, unpopular position, and the ladies of Parliament ask: who the hell wears stockings in middle of November?