The Oldham by-election was a good deal better for Labour than most commentators thought it would be. 60% of the vote on a low turnout after the death of a much liked local MP with a big personal following is unusual. It reinforces everything this blog has said about the mismatch between Westminster Labour and […]
We may well ask. Many think it is a near laughing stock. Yet in politics there are more people laughing on the other side of their face than anywhere else. In fact Labour’s plight is very interesting. It is certainly in a place no political party has been before. It has a leader for whom fewer than […]
There is no doubt that the highlight of yesterday’s long debate in the Commons was Hilary Benn’s speech. As perorations go it was perhaps the most remarkable for a generation for two reasons. First because it was a great script delivered with power fluency and emotion and second because it was against the views of the […]
No. The reason they have come to the wrong decision is that they are on the wrong road already and branching right or left makes little practical difference. It is not a matter which can be settled by phantom armies of moderate fighters, or a few more bombs, or even troops on the ground. Because […]
As the debate in the Commons approaches as to whether Britain should extend air strikes to Syria (talk of going to war is rubbish; the RAF is already in action against IS, it is just an extension of the target range) another war is raging near at home. In the Labour Party. It was, when one […]