The Pig’s Head, and all that…

I do still get quite a lot of questions about the incident mentioned in this article. This blog tries to answer those questions here in my own words. I gave evidence in person to the All-Party Inquiry in to Electoral Conduct, which looked in to abusive behaviour in election campaigns.[…]

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After Amritsar, Time to Call Time on the 30 Year Rule

Margaret Thatcher, Geoffrey Howe and Leon Brittan held Britain’s three great offices of State thirty years ago. The idea that they could have allowed the SAS to get involved in the Indian government’s attempt to retake the Golden Temple in Amritsar by force would have seemed fanciful just hours ago.[…]

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Responsible Capitalism is alive but needs a helping hand

The phrase ‘responsible capitalism’ has become a popular slogan for those on the left and the right. However, slogans are no substitute for policies. Responsible capitalism is sometimes used as a cover to bash the bankers, but there is much more to it than that. Kofi Annan, in his term as[…]

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10 Years on From the Iraq War Vote

Why did I do it? It wasn’t easy, not for me anyway. Ten years ago it wasn’t fashionable in the Parliamentary Labour Party to be an Iraq War Rebel. And I was doing well. A young starlet in the party amongst a young dream-team intake that included Purnell, Burnham, Watson,[…]

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