Labour
George Osborne: the bankers’ friend
Osborne criticises “the Labour leadership’s central claim that nothing was wrong with Britain’s model of economic growth before the crisis”. But when it comes to the banks, he’s the one who gives the impression of wanting to return to business as usual.
Busting Balls
In his Daily Mirror article today Balls shows why he was such a great choice for shadow chancellor for Labour – a typically, ahem, “Ballsy” performance. Not sure, though, whether he’s proved conclusively that he’d be such a great choice to be the real thing.
By Sean O'Grady | Econoblog | Monday, 24 January 2011 at 11:16 am
Five key questions for Ed Balls
Ed Balls hasn’t been putting himself around for interviews yet, understandably enough, but in preparation for when that moment comes here are five key questions for anyone who bumps into the shadow chancellor over the next few days.
By Sean O'Grady | Econoblog | Friday, 21 January 2011 at 11:11 am
Of course Labour is filibustering – and why not?
After an all night session in the House of Lords, it takes us into the realm of la la land to hear Labour peers, such as Charlie Falconer, denying that they are engaged in a filibuster. As the Lib Dem peer Lord Lester put it yesterday: “He (Lord Falconer) must think that we are a bunch [...]
By Andy McSmith | McSmith, Notebook | Tuesday, 18 January 2011 at 12:01 pm
The electorate is not a person
The essence of democracy is disagreement, not consensus. As Karl Popper argued, we should beware the idea that exists a Rousseauian “general will” of the public, that can be identified by political leaders.
By Ben Chu | Eagle Eye | Thursday, 6 January 2011 at 1:20 pm
Thatcher: It was 20 Years Ago Today
Most people who have reached middle age will remember where they were when they heard that Thatcher had resigned, 20 years ago today. I was helping an old lady who had fallen over in the street. Another man, a Tory MP, also came to her rescue, and after we had set her on her feet, he passed on the news that she was gone.
By Andy McSmith | McSmith, Notebook | Monday, 22 November 2010 at 12:00 pm
The TB-GBs reborn in the Coalition
James Forsyth has a good article in the forthcoming Spectator on Labour’s low profile. Of course, some of it is to do with the accident of timing of Ed Miliband’s paternity leave, and witticisms such as Daniel Finkelstein’s “When does he start in the new job?” on Newsnight the other night are to be deplored.
By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Wednesday, 17 November 2010 at 6:41 pm
Gavin Kelly and James Plunkett: It’s rising prices as much as spending cuts that will give the Coalition a political headache
On Wednesday, Bank of England Governor Mervyn King forecast that inflation would remain above its 2% target until at least the end of 2011. Yesterday saw British Gas announce a 7% price hike. It all bodes ill for the Coalition. For now, each day still starts to headlines screaming about cuts. But come 2015, it’s unlikely that cuts will be the defining issue of the election. Instead, the framing will be closer to that of the 1980 Presidential campaign: “ask yourself: are you better off now than you were four years ago?”, as Ronald Reagan put it to the American people.
By Gavin Kelly | Eagle Eye | Monday, 15 November 2010 at 5:23 pm
Miliband fails first test by miscasting Alan Johnson
Not the least skill required of a political leader is judgement, and especially judgement in the people around him. On that basis, Ed Miliband has flunked his first serious test in appointing Alan Johnson as shadow chancellor. I would even go so far as to say that Labour would be far better served by Mr [...]
By Sean O'Grady | Eagle Eye, Econoblog | Friday, 8 October 2010 at 6:30 pm
He out-Blaired Blair
It was a speech that hit Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Mandelson and the entire New Labour hierarchy – including his own brother David – over the head with their own playbook. Ed Miliband showed in one powerful punch that he got the first lesson of New Labour, namely; start by challenging your own party’s orthodoxies.
By Dr Russell Razzaque | Eagle Eye | Wednesday, 29 September 2010 at 1:57 pm
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