Four extra bank holidays: Just how much would Labour’s policy cost the economy? April 23, 2017 We may already be in the season of bank holiday bonanzas (thanks Easter!) but who wouldn’t want more? The country was treated to an additional day off in 2011 for the royal wedding and then again for the Queen’s diamond jubilee celebrations a year later, but now Labour wants to give the country four (yes, [...]
Editor’s Notes: If politicians want to win back trust they should start by ditching the lies, plus: Downing Street’s new BBC hire, measuring GDP and innovative Estonia July 7, 2017 This afternoon I’m hosting a discussion on the theme of experts and how to earn trust in a post-truth world. On the panel will be Andy Haldane of the Bank of England, Hetan Shah of the Royal Statistical Society and Julia Grant of Pro Bono Economics. Our host is the consultancy giant FTI, which has [...]
Could Tony Blair be Labour’s next leader? Bookies are offering odds on it happening… February 17, 2017 Tony Blair's rousing anti-Brexit speech today may have garnered plenty of opposition – not least from the foreign secretary, who accused the erstwhile PM of insulting the electorate's intelligence. But some suggest the speech may have been Blair's first step towards staging a glorious comeback. William Hill has put the odds of Blair standing in [...]
Theresa May’s Conservatives have secured an historic victory in the Copeland by-election February 24, 2017 Theresa May’s Conservatives have become the first governing party to gain a seat at a by-election for 35 years, snatching the constituency of Copeland in an embarrassing defeat for Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party. Conservative candidate Trudy Harrison won the race to replace Labour MP Jamie Reed, who stepped down late last year to work at the [...]
Did Labour deputy leader Tom Watson perform a Parliamentary “dab”? February 22, 2017 Prime Minister's Questions resumed today after a brief break – and with two by-elections taking place tomorrow, it was a crucial session. But it wasn't quite business as usual. Because it looks an awful lot like Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson performed a little dance move from his seat in the House of Commons. Deputy Labour [...]
Sadiq Khan’s housing expert – a former senior adviser to Jeremy Corbyn – quits City Hall team May 27, 2016 Sadiq Khan was dealt an early blow to his mayorship this morning, as his housing expert – a former senior adviser to Jeremy Corbyn – has quit his team. Neale Coleman was appointed to help with Khan's first few months in power, but Coleman is said to have walked out on City Hall after the former [...]
Jeremy Corbyn has compared Israel to terror group Islamic State even as a new report has denied the party is “overrun” by anti-Semitism June 30, 2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has sparked fresh controversy by appearing to compare the state of Israel to terror group Islamic State. Speaking at the launch of a report on Labour and anti-Semitism by former Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti, which cited "clear evidence" of hateful or ignorant attitudes and behaviours within a minority in the party, [...]
Jeremy Corbyn has warned against allowing the Conservatives to negotiate Brexit, arguing that worker’s rights would be at risk June 2, 2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will today warn that a vote for Brexit would allow the Conservatives a strong hand in reducing workers' rights. Speaking at the Institute of Engineering Technology, Corbyn will reiterate warnings from the TUC, that rights would be imperilled by a vote to leave. “A vote to leave means a Conservative government [...]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has led the tributes to Jo Cox in parliament, calling the murdered MP “one of our very best” June 20, 2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has led the tributes to Jo Cox in the House of Commons, calling the slain MP “one of our very best”. Corbyn said Cox, killed last week in her constituency of Batley and Spen, showed both “extraordinary humanity and compassion” in her work as a campaigner for Oxfam, as an anti-slavery [...]
Jeremy Corbyn is facing a revolt within the parliamentary Labour party, with 11 frontbenchers resigning in protest, while Hilary Benn was dismissed last night June 26, 2016 Jeremy Corbyn is facing a huge revolt within the parliamentary Labour party, with 11 of his cabinet resigning today, while shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn was dismissed late last night. Since the Labour leader sacked Benn, Corbyn has since seen his shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander, and shadow minister for voter registration Gloria De Piero resign, with Labour's shadow [...]