The SNP’s eight years in government have been devoid of much scrutiny but in many areas, it has been a disaster. On the latest View from 22 podcast, Adam Tomkins from Glasgow University discusses this week’s Spectator cover feature with Kevin Pringle, the SNP’s former head of communications. Why are Police Scotland, the NHS north of the border and Scotland’s education system failing to
The status of Labour’s council of seven economic advisers is becoming a little clearer. Following Danny Blanchflower’s revelation that John McDonnell didn’t consult him about the fiscal charter, another adviser has said the team has yet to meet — and it wasn’t even the shadow chancellor’s idea. On the World at One, Ann Pettifor, director of Prime Economics and one of Labour’s seven
Jeremy Corbyn faces a major test of his leadership today as the government’s fiscal charter will be voted on in the Commons. John McDonnell has U-turned and decided the party will oppose the bill but plenty of Labour MPs are expected to rebel by abstaining on the vote. Although the bill will pass without Labour’s support, the size
John McDonnell’s U-turn on backing the government’s fiscal charter is just the sort of inconsistent positioning some in Labour fear will destroy the party’s reputation under Jeremy Corbyn. No one from the shadow treasury team was willing to speak on the Today programme about the U-turn so it was left to seasoned media performer Diane Abbott, now the shadow international development secretary, to defend the party’s position.
Tom Watson, Labour’s embattled deputy leader, delivered a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon on accusations about the former home secretary Leon Brittan – which proved to be baseless. In response to a point of order by Sir Nicolas Soames, the Conservative MP for Mid Sussex, Watson delivered the following statement about the Brittan allegations
Nigel Farage appears to have u-turned about backing one Brexit campaign. At the party’s recent conference in Doncaster, the Ukip leader said he would be standing ‘hand in hand’ with Arron Banks and his Leave.EU group. But on the Sunday Politics yesterday, he gave equal weighting to Vote Leave, the other Brexit effort which launched on Thursday
The launch of the Britain Stronger In Europe (BSE) campaign this morning was embarrassing and shambolic. Comments briefed out by Sir Stuart Rose, the ex-M&S chief who is chairing the BSE campaign, included a section about patriotism and labelled those campaigning for a Brexit as ‘quitters’: ‘Those who want us to leave Europe would risk our
The campaign for Britain to remain in the EU, now titled ‘Britain Stronger in Europe’, is launching today with a swish video and scary speech. Sir Stuart Rose, the former CEO of Marks and Spencer, will claim say that every Briton is £450 better off thanks to our EU membership — a claim the Leave
This year’s Conservative conference has been very successful event for the party — at least by its own measures. In this week’s View from 22 podcast, James Forsyth, Isabel Hardman and I look back at the Tories’ gathering in Manchester and why the party has been so united. Who gave the best speech of conference?
It’s been a good week for the Conservatives, topped off by one of the best speeches David Cameron has ever given. James Forsyth, Isabel Hardman and I discuss the Prime Minister’s keynote address in this View from 22 podcast special — looking the new policies and themes he has laid out, the direction we can expect to see the Tories
Ruth Davidson has secured her place as one of the most interesting politicians in the Conservative party. In her speech to Tory conference this morning, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives had the crowd in the palm of her hand with strong attacks on the SNP and another independence referendum. She argued that the Tories are the only
Michael Fallon has been touring the broadcast studios this morning to send Russia a warning about its bombing campaign in Syria. On the Today programme, the Defence Secretary said Putin’s actions are complicating an already difficult situation: ‘What it does do is complicate an already difficult situation and make it very much more dangerous because these planes are not
Philip Hammond this evening hinted he doesn’t think Britain is going to get any fundamental reforms on freedom of movement. The Foreign Secretary, appearing alongside Tory grandee and Peter Lilley at a Demos fringe event, argued that Eastern European countries have an ‘emotional ownership’ to their EU membership in a way Britain does not: ‘Because
Nicky Morgan delivered a speech to Tory conference that was lacking in new policies or announcements, but strong on equality. Wearing her other hat as Minister for Women and Equalities, Morgan went on the attack and lambasted Labour for its policies — in particular the lack of women in senior posts: ‘Equality for us isn’t about quotas, pink
George Osborne was interviewed by Kath Viner, editor of The Guardian, this afternoon and offered some interesting thoughts on Jeremy Corbyn. The Tories have generally kept schtum about the rise of the new Labour leader, focusing instead on the message that he is a danger to Britain’s national/economic security. Echoing the thoughts of Labour’s Jon Cruddas, the
Boris Johnson’s speech to the Conservative conference in Manchester has gone down a storm. Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth, Isabel Hardman and I discuss the return of Boris in this View from 22 podcast special — looking at how the Mayor of London managed to articulate conservative themes through humour, his jibes at George Osborne and David Cameron and what his
Michael Gove may have left the Department for Education but he hasn’t lost his reforming zeal. In his Tory conference speech, the Justice Secretary revealed that his inspiration in pursuing criminal justice reforms is Winston Churchill — and not because of his role leading Britain through some of its darkest hours: ‘The man who was,
Every morning throughout party conference season, we’ll be providing bur pick of the fringe events on Coffee House. The Tories’ jive in Manchester rolls on today and the fringes are filled with many of the same faces from yesterday, talking about obliquely-titled events. Nicky Morgan and Sajid Javid are popping up all over the place, but there
Matt Hancock has a list of three things the Tories need to do to win again in 2020. At a Westbourne Communications fringe event, the Cabinet Office Minister (one of the few senior Tories to appear at fringes today) said the Tories should use their mandate from the 2015 election to prove they are the party
The most striking thing about Greg Clark’s speech to Tory conference today was how different his rhetoric was on house building to George Osborne. Osborne likes to talk of confrontation, of standing up to small ‘c’ conservative voters who block development, and of winning a battle with the shires (see today’s Mail front page). But