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January 15th, 2011 11:20

The Tunisian uprising shows that, maybe, Barack Obama’s pragmatic idealism was a good call

the-tunisian-uprising-shows-that-maybe-barack-obamas-pragmatic-idealism-was-a-good-call

Life is full of unintended consequences. Barack Obama, on coming to power, turned away from Bush-era rhetoric about bringing freedom and democracy to the world. His idealism was pragmatic. When I saw him tell the Muslim world in Cairo in June 2009 that he wanted to be its friend, he shocked some people because he… Read more

January 14th, 2011 19:54

Ed Miliband would be unwise to take too much heart from the Oldham by-election

ed-miliband-would-be-unwise-to-take-too-much-heart-from-the-oldham-by-election

If David Cameron and Nick Clegg think that Oldham East and Saddleworth is a bad result, it’s time they thought again. The next few months will propel the Coalition government into a terrifying new dimension of electoral horror. This May, the Liberal Democrats and the Tories face the certain prospect of a bloodbath in… Read more

January 14th, 2011 18:13

China’s purchase of euro bonds might not be a sign of confidence in Europe, but a prelude to a sell-off

chinas-purchase-of-euro-bonds-might-not-be-a-sign-of-confidence-in-europe-but-a-prelude-to-a-sell-off

Suddenly, the EU’s bizarre desire to sell weapons to Beijing makes sense. The Chinese have stepped in to buy Portuguese debt, shelling out €1.1 billion on direct bond purchases, and possibly more in secondary transactions. Eurocrats are giddy with relief. Herman Van Rompuy hails the transaction as a sign that China “has confidence in the EU… Read more

January 14th, 2011 15:42

David Cameron tells voters: no revenge on the bankers

david-cameron-tells-voters-no-revenge-on-the-bankers

David Cameron has been speaking in Newcastle at a PM Direct meeting with voters. It was a pretty significant meeting, because it marks a shift in tone on banks and bonuses. In essence, the PM has declared that he’s prepared to defy public demands for punitive action against the banks. Instead, he will… Read more

January 14th, 2011 15:41

Malcolm Tucker – The Missing iPhone: iPhone app of the week

malcolm-tucker-the-missing-iphone-iphone-app-of-the-week

There have been plenty of attempts to turn books into apps and they have had varying degrees of success. MyFry, for example, the iPhone version of Stephen Fry’s latest volume of autobiography, looks very nice but turns out to be an unsatisfying way to read a book. That’s not a problem that the Malcolm Tucker… Read more

January 14th, 2011 15:40

Surely early diagnosis would save the NHS money in the long run?

surely-early-diagnosis-would-save-the-nhs-money-in-the-long-run

Several topics have sprung to mind this week.  First of all, I am waiting for Scarborough Hospital’s Patient Liaison lady to write and confirm that my official complaint, about the hospital’s shabby treatment of my mother-in-law, is being taken seriously. Nothing has appeared so far! As you may have read below last week’s blog post,… Read more

January 14th, 2011 15:26

A shameful week for America’s liberal elites. The top 10 most ridiculous left-wing attacks on US conservatives following the Arizona shootings

a-shameful-week-for-americas-liberal-elites-the-top-10-most-ridiculous-left-wing-attacks-on-us-conservatives-following-the-arizona-shootings

This has been a hugely shameful week for sections of the American Left, who have exploited a horrific tragedy that claimed six lives, in order to advance political attacks upon some leading conservative politicians and media commentators, as well as an entire political movement in the form of the Tea Party. The vitriolic and hate-filled… Read more

January 14th, 2011 15:02

Why don’t teachers back Michael Gove when he talks about high standards in education?

why-dont-teachers-back-michael-gove-when-he-talks-about-high-standards-in-education

If you saw Question Time last night, not only will you have seen Michael Gove heroically fighting for the rights and responsibilities of our poorest and most disadvantaged, but you will have seen what shocked even me: teachers who held the lowest expectations for our children. Question Time doesn’t choose its audience. Rather, the audience chooses… Read more

January 14th, 2011 14:30

Blessed John Paul II and the end of infallibility

blessed-john-paul-ii-and-the-end-of-infallibility

Pope Benedict should have the gratitude of those who would like a more transparent, honest and authentic Church.  By rushing through the beatification of Pope John Paul II, his predecessor and friend, he has made clear how fanciful and arbitrary the whole idea and process of ‘making saints’ is, and has allowed space (in the… Read more

January 14th, 2011 13:42

Did Australia’s obsession with global warming contribute to the Brisbane floods?

did-australias-obsession-with-global-warming-contribute-to-the-brisbane-floods

Who, if anyone, is to blame for the terrible flooding in Brisbane? Commentators are pointing their collective finger at the usual suspects. For the extreme green magazine Grist, the floods expose mankind’s arrogance in believing that he can build settlements anywhere he likes, even on floodplains. Nature is “taking a perverse pleasure in pointing out… Read more

January 14th, 2011 13:40

Requiem for New Labour: How the student bosses of the 1980s came to ruin

requiem-for-new-labour-how-the-student-bosses-of-the-1980s-came-to-ruin

The latest upsurge in student militancy jolts my memory back to the last era when they were revolting. In the eighties, it was all “Dig deep for the miners” and “Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, out, out, out!”. I recall looking down from the first floor bar of Manchester University Student Union (dubbed ‘The Kremlin’ by local cabbies) at a… Read more

January 14th, 2011 12:15

Ding ding! Tesco and Sainsbury’s limber up for an almighty tussle

ding-ding-tesco-and-sainsburys-limber-up-for-an-almighty-tussle

The stage is set for a renewed tussle between those retail arch-rivals Tesco and J Sainsbury. It will start to kick in over the spring and it won’t be pretty. In the orange corner: Sainsbury’s, with its chest puffed out after a strong Christmas in which sales rose by 3.6pc. In the blue corner, Tesco: licking… Read more

January 14th, 2011 12:10

Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election: another win for the ‘Sofa Party’

You could be forgiven for thinking that the result in “Old and Sad” wasn’t very exciting – the result was about what the polls had suggested. Looking back over the last couple of elections, last night’s result is pretty typical. The “odd one out” is the 2010 election. Kashif Ali, a personable, local candidate, took the… Read more

January 14th, 2011 12:02

John Paul II to be beatified. Great news, but…

john-paul-ii-to-be-beatified-great-news-but

The Vatican has announced that, following confirmation of a miracle, the late Pope John Paul II will be beatified on May 1. What better candidate could there be? This was a man of boundless moral conviction, to whom non-Catholics as well as Catholics should pay tribute for the way he hacked away at the foundations… Read more

January 14th, 2011 11:56

In power, but not a winner: David Cameron’s by-election problem

in-power-but-not-a-winner-david-camerons-by-election-problem

David Cameron’s contempt for those he considers head-bangers in his party is seldom far from the surface, not least today in the aftermath of Old and Sad. But I wonder if he wanted Sayeeda Warsi to have a go at the “Right” in quite such blunt terms on Today earlier. She made the fair point… Read more

January 14th, 2011 11:35

What really won Oldham East and Saddleworth for Labour?

what-really-won-oldham-east-and-saddleworth-for-labour

Ed Miliband should be satisfied this morning. He won well enough, but not too well. The swing of 10 per cent confirmed what the national polls have been saying – Labour has got back the voters it lost in the long slide of unpopularity after Iraq. For all the talk of local factors and the Liberal… Read more

January 14th, 2011 10:59

In Oldham, David Cameron backed himself into a corner

in-oldham-david-cameron-backed-himself-into-a-corner

It doesn’t add up. The Tories are still claiming that their Oldham campaign was a no-holds-barred affair. As Sayeeda Warsi said in her pugnacious Today interview: It was resourced properly. We had volunteers on the ground. We had professionals on the ground. We had a great local candidate. We had professional literature, some of the first… Read more

January 14th, 2011 10:44

Can you be too posh to rock?

can-you-be-too-posh-to-rock

The perennial and slightly depressing debate about posh kids’ right to rock reared its ugly head again this week when a journalist posted a link on Twitter to a four-year-old Telegraph story about the £2.45m home of Fiona Cowan, mother of Freddie Cowan, a guitarist in the much hyped new rock band The Vaccines. The Guardian… Read more

January 14th, 2011 10:43

David Cameron made a fundamental mistake in fighting this by-election

david-cameron-made-a-fundamental-mistake-in-fighting-this-by-election

David Cameron made one fundamental mistake in fighting Oldham East and Saddleworth. When the by-election was called, he basically had a choice between two clear alternatives: 1. To fight the by-election with a Conservative candidate, throw everything behind him and try and win; 2. Not to run a Tory candidate at all, and throw the weight of… Read more

January 14th, 2011 10:08

‘Why will no one listen to us any more?’ wails AGW propagandist

why-will-no-one-listen-to-us-any-more-wails-agw-propagandist

Bob Ward is sad. Very, very sad. “Why won’t anyone listen to us any more?” he wails at the Guardian’s Komment Macht Frei. One or two helpful commenters have tried to explain the reason. But unfortunately, as Richard North has noted, at Komment Macht Frei freedom of speech is not encouraged. See how many of their… Read more

January 14th, 2011 9:06

If the Tory Right wants a fight over Oldham, David Cameron will give them one

if-the-tory-right-wants-a-fight-over-oldham-david-cameron-will-give-them-one

Before the polls closed in Oldham, a Conservative Cabinet minister explained David Cameron’s dealings with the Lib Dems and the Tory Right. He said: “The Lib Dems are like a new girlfriend – when you get into bed, you’re on best behaviour, you fold your clothes properly and so on. The Right are a long-standing partner,… Read more

January 14th, 2011 8:57

Boris Johnson threatens to get rid of striking Tube drivers

boris-johnson-threatens-to-get-rid-of-striking-tube-drivers

Boris Johnson last night threatened to get rid of Tube drivers and automate the system in the face of waves of “pointless” strikes by London’s greediest unions. At his speech to the annual London Government Dinner, Boris said: “When the Jubilee works are complete there will be three lines in London – the Jubilee, Victoria and Central… Read more

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