In the weeks running up to the Olympics, the BBC has been showing a farcical satire on the games’ organisation: Twenty Twelve. The humour is based on the idea that the public sector is a chaotic interchange between management sloganeering … Continued
Tony Blair
Prime Minister’s Questions, 25 January
Harold Macmillan (pictured) was supposed to detest Prime Minister’s Questions so much that he was sick before every session. Supermac versus Harold Wilson was surely a real clash of heavyweights, though sadly no audio, never mind film, record exists. David … Continued
The political risks of the almost centre ground
No politician totally encapsulates the political centreground, so why are some punished by the electorate for it, while others aren’t asks Steve Van Riel, political consultant at Centreground Political Communications. Think even of the textbook examples, say, Tony Blair in … Continued
One day at Millbank
The attendance at Philip Gould‘s funeral was a mark of the respect and affection in which he was held, and my mind has returned to the events of 15 years ago this week because they have so much to do … Continued
The Eurosceptic case against a referendum
Darren Murphy, Chief Executive, Centreground Political Communications I am a Eurosceptic. Not one of those on the Right or the Left obsessed by the idea that “Europe” is either some sort of Euro-communist conspiracy against British capitalism or a ‘Capitalist … Continued
Learning from François
Eight or so years ago I worked as the press secretary to the British Labour MEPs, travelling between London, Brussels and Strasbourg. Even then Labour was in the minority in Europe in being a centre-left party in power, but at … Continued
Be patient: health to return as an election issue
The NHS was hardly an issue at the last British General Election. Waiting times – the public’s number one concern about the NHS for decades – had fallen and were set at a maximum of 18 weeks from referral to … Continued