Review of the Papers, Tuesday 10 July
**Government ** A dramatic grassroots fightback is under way against the massive expansion plans of Britain's airports which, despite grave concerns about effects on the environment, are aiming to treble flights and vastly increase…
Poll result
The usually decisive Picking Losers readers have been split by last week's poll. Rather aptly really, given the fault lines running through the Tory party. Maybe this is just their problem - there are just too many different types of Tory…
Policy Announcements, Tuesday 10 July
Government Schools secretary Ed Balls has announced a new emphasis on standards in the classroom and curbs on "structural" reform. In his first Commons statement in the post, the cabinet minister and key ally of Gordon Brown clipped the…
Mark Thompson puts the case for carving up the BBC...
Indirectly, not intentionally, of course. Mark Thompson today justified the BBC's licence fee on the basis that (in the words of the FT) "the quality of commercial broadcasters' news, current affairs and comedy output is declining". I agree…
Ministerial responsibilities - at long last
.... but why has it taken so long? The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform have just finally announced (here) the responsibilities of their new Ministers, some ten days after they were originally appointed. I don't…
Strange bedfellows: Nikolai Yezhov and DTI Consultations
Having had a meeting today with civil servants at the "new" Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (i.e. the DTI with a bit chopped off and a bit stuck on), it is clear that their position on all issues is now that they…
Review of the Papers, Monday 09 June
**Government ** The Treasury is planning to disband the government's controversial arms sales department, the Guardian can disclose. The 450-strong defence export services organisation (Deso), based near Oxford Street in London, has long…
Islington Tory says Dave may not be all that he seems
Paul Newman, an Islington Conservative, has admitted on his blog that Dave Cameron may not be being entirely frank with us. His response to my challenge that "You may buy the line that he can change the balance of the tax and welfare system…
Betty Williams you grass!
What is it with our MPs? They are happy to impose laws on the rest of us, but seem to think that they are above actually abiding by them themselves. Take the smoking ban. I think you know where this is going... the 11.05 from Paddington to…
Back to Basics
The Tory crackpot policy machine has been given another crank over the weekend - this time by someone called Iain Duncan-Smith (I hadn't heard of him either). The Tory's latest battle against society is the plight of binge drinking. The…
Policy Announcements, Monday 09 July
**Government ** Environment secretary Hilary Benn has launched a campaign aimed at encouraging people to change their habits to help tackle climate change. A government advert being screened on Monday focuses on small changes, such as using…