Damian McBride
The ‘bedroom tax’ shows Downing Street does need a Damian McBride character
MPs are debating that Cut With the Awkward Name, the Under-occupation of Social Housing: Housing Benefit Entitlement, also known by its opponents as the ‘bedroom tax’, this afternoon. I’ve already… Continue reading
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The real story of the 2007 ‘election that never was’
‘The election that never was’ is one of the most important events, or non-events, in recent British political history; if it had gone ahead, David Cameron might never have become… Continue reading
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Telling tales: some infamous conference moments
What could possibly go wrong when you lock 10,000 political hacks and flacks in a hotel for 96 hours and let lobbyists pick up the tab? Well that’s party conference for you, and… Continue reading
2 CommentsPhone hacking fag-ends
Yesterday, in his statement to the Commons, David Cameron responded to a question from Labour MP Helen Goodman about Andy Coulson by saying: ‘He was vetted. He had a basic… Continue reading
25 CommentsCoffee House Exclusive: McBride joins CAFOD
The penance of Damian McBride continues. After being ejected from No10, and disowned by his mentor Ed Balls, I can reveal that… Continue reading
37 CommentsBalls, McBride and off-the-record briefings
John Rentoul has already pulled the best passage from this preview of a forthcoming radio series on Gordon Brown. But I reckon that the testimony of Spencer Livermore, the former… Continue reading
18 CommentsMiliband’s analysis simply confirms his own weakness
John Rentoul, who knows a successful Labour leader when he sees one, is having palpitations about David Miliband’s latest hustings speech. Everyone seems to be in fact. I’ve taken a… Continue reading
11 CommentsBalls the victim
Ed Balls has been on the phone to Mehdi Hasan of the New Statesman. ‘Nothing to do with me Guv,’ is his response to the Independent’s story about briefings against… Continue reading
38 CommentsThe Labour Party Must Look to the Next Generation Now
I have just watched the last images of the election campaign on the Ten O’Clock News on the BBC. David Cameron was surrounded by some seriously off-putting party apparatchiks (why… Continue reading
17 CommentsA culture of intimidation and a conspiracy to silence
On the afternoon of 4 June 2009, John Hutton, then Secretary of State for Defence, told the House of Commons: ‘Every one of our servicemen and women has the right… Continue reading
10 CommentsA tyrant surrounded by cowards no longer
Well, the Chancellor’s not for budging. Alistair Darling stands by not “some of” but “all of” his “forces of hell” comments. Martin Bright wrote the politics column in this week’s… Continue reading
28 CommentsAnd what about Ed Balls?
Two related points, worth repeating. The first from Ben Brogan: "Mr Brown is on surer ground on a narrow point, in that in all likelihood he did not explicitly order… Continue reading
20 CommentsDarling throws one hell of a spanner into No.10′s election works
So what’s Alistair Darling up to? When I first heard his "forces of Hell" comment last night – his description of those briefing against him from inside No.10 – I… Continue reading
28 CommentsLance Price: Brown became PM when his skills were declining
Gordon Brown is a creature of habit. Every morning at 7:30 he holds a telephone conference with his cabal of Shakespearean fools, who review the papers for him. I imagine… Continue reading
29 CommentsRoad to perdition
It is another black day for Gordon Brown. The financial news from America, contrasted with continuing decline here, indicts Brown’s recession strategy. Playing the long game, Osborne is being vindicated,… Continue reading
58 CommentsThe Ultimate New Labour Insult
Mental illness has always taken up a lot of space in the lexicon of New Labour, I have always thought Alistair Campbell’s own brush with the black dog had something to do… Continue reading
3 CommentsA Ray of Hope and the Budget for Jobs
Three pieces of essential reading today. Ian Kirby’s allegations in the News of the World placing Labour General Secretary Ray Collins in meetings about the Reg Rag website; Jonathan Oliver… Continue reading
14 CommentsWorse Still
Just to clarify. I didn’t intend to suggest in my last post that Damian McBride’s smear tactics would have been excusable if they had worked. Sorry if I gave that… Continue reading
24 CommentsIt Doesn’t Get Any Worse
The revelations over the weekend about Damian McBride’s pitiful smear campaign have probably delivered the fatal blow to Labour’s chances of winning the next election. The only possible excuse for… Continue reading
31 CommentsAnd So it Came To Pass…
It’s Easter Sunday and I have better things to do than think about sleazy emails. I’m unlikely to be able to post again about this again today, but I have… Continue reading
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