All a unionist party does by dissolving its British connections is signal to the electorate that the SNP are right.
Voters must be presented with a genuine, informed choice when they are finally given a chance to vote on Britain’s relationship with Europe.
The vote in September will be about more than just one part of it.
Putting an English Tory – or Gordon Brown – in charge of Better Together is a bonkers idea.
By Joseph Willits Follow Joseph on Twitter Over the past week, Ed Miliband has come under criticism from various figures in the Labour party – including from mentor and architect of 'Blue Labour', Lord Glasman, and other Labour MPs. Adding to this list today, both Alan Johnson and Alistair Darling have expressed their concerns. In Saturday's Guardian […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter. Many have predicted that Alistair Darling's memoirs were most likely to raise eyebrows (geddit?) and early extracts suggest they are not going to disappoint. Darling worked particularly closely with Brown, both when the latter was Chancellor and PM. Darling may have been scrupulously loyal throughout Labour's time in office […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter The BBC is reporting that Scottish Labour MP Tom Harris "has stated his interest in becoming the new Labour leader in Scotland.". Harris is firmly on the centre-left, and was one of Labour's star bloggers before leaving the blogosphere last year. He also stood, unsuccessfully, for the Shadow Cabinet elections […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter Labour politicians have long pointed to their "Plan B", and their deficit reduction strategy that would, apparently, be carried out slower than the Coalition plan, and be less "painful". Ed Balls, Labour's Shadow Chancellor, told the House on Thursday – in a debate on the Global Economy, during the […]
by Paul Goodman Some of my anti-bailout Euro-sceptic contacts are setting great store in a working alliance with Labour over bailouts. When I reply that Labour has no credibility as an anti-Brussels party, and that the party is strategically pro-EU, they agree – but point out that Labour could echo John Smith's tactical manoevering in […]
Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter The merits of current French finance minister Christine Lagarde for the position of head of the International Monetary Fund have been discussed elsewhere by others more au fait with macroeconomic matters than I. But what is politically significant is Alistair Darling's support for Lagarde over a candidate from this country. […]
By Paul Goodman Alistair Darling gave George Osborne an end-of-term present on Marr earlier this morning. He said that he wished that he'd won Cabinet battles over whether Labour should have committed to raise VAT at the general election. "Yeah, obviously," he said when asked whether he'd like to have won the dispute over the […]
Further to my CentreRight earlier today here, the reason why people laugh at Ed Balls has little do with either his name or his stammer. (See his Daily Mirror piece here.) If you want to know it is, please turn to his article in this morning's Daily Telegraph here. Balls' case is – 1) Raising VAT […]
He had to press the Chancellor EIGHT times but Michael Fallon MP did get Mr Darling to admit that Labour's planned increase in National Insurance Contributions would cost jobs. Mr Darling eventually said the impact was "manageable" while by questioned by the Treasury Select Committee. George Osborne jumped on the Chancellor's admission and called on […]
The Guardian has an interview with Gordon Brown this morning. We learn that he will keep Darling as Chancellor if he wins the election. Sensible given yesterday's ComRes finding that the Brown/Darling team enjoys a modest lead over Cameron/Osborne when it comes to running the economy… although as we reveal on today's front page an […]
Twenty years at Harriet Harman’s high altar of all women shortlists and selection quotas are duly delivering their reward – for the Conservatives.