Tim Montgomerie Earlier today in the House of Commons, Liam Fox clashed with his opposite number after The Sun revealed the sacking of 38 long-serving soldiers via email and, yesterday, The Telegraph reported that a quarter of the RAF's trainee pilots were to be "culled". Dr Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for Defence: "As […]
This morning The Times featured(£) the progress made in building the Big Society in Windsor and Maidenhead. The Council leader, Cllr David Burbage criticised Liverpool Council for their "political gesture" in opposing the initiative. The report detailed what the Big Society means in Windsor and Maidenhead: In practice it means that “Adopt a street” — […]
Congratulations to Cllr Robert Gordon, the leader of Hertfordshire County Council, who has been elected the new Chairman of the Conservative Councillors Association. He takes over from Cllr Sir Merrick Cockell, the leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea who had served in the post for three years. The rest of those standing on […]
Mark Littlewood is Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs. This is an edited version of remarks he gave at yesterday's 'Going for Growth' conference, hosted by ConservativeIntelligence. Going for growth is the key challenge for the Coalition. In fact, pretty much all their eggs are in the growth basket. If GDP does not […]
Matthew Elliott is Campaign Director of NO to AV. When I started as Campaign Director of NO to AV last September, my friends started sending me literature from the Yes campaign. “Make MPs work harder!” claimed one leaflet. “Stop the expenses scandal!” claimed another. “Shouldn’t the founder of the TaxPayers’ Alliance be working for the […]
by Paul Goodman The MP for the island is a happy man this afternoon. The Government's conceded that the Isle of Wight will join the Western Isles and Orkney & Shetland in being exempted from the standardisation of constituency sizes. This is the right move for the island as well as for Turner: no part […]
Dr Murrison is an Iraq veteran and practising Consultant After the Government was formed, the Prime Minister asked me to probe healthcare provision for servicemen and veterans, and to make recommendations. My report into combat stress and military that followed, Fighting Fit, was delivered last August, has been accepted in full by David Cameron, and […]
8.45pm Parliament: Fox describes sacking of long-serving soldiers by email as "completely unacceptable" 7.30pm WATCH: Meet Larry – Downing Street's feline enforcer 4.45pm Local Government: The Big Society in Windsor & Maidenhead keeps getting bigger Cllr Robert Gordon is new CCA Chairman 4.15pm Mark Littlewood on Comment: The Coalition must create a culture of entrepreneurship, […]
John Broughton is a Tory activist in North Wales. The 1997 referendum leading to the establishment of the Welsh Assembly was far from emphatic with only 25.2% of the electorate voting in favour, certainly not a mandate for such a major constitutional change. However the Assembly is now an established fact of Welsh life although […]
Tim Montgomerie The Sun has been making grumpy noises about the Coalition for some time. It's been complaining about the Coalition's Afghanistan policy, the tax on petrol, the balance struck between civil liberties and security and, most of all, crime and sentencing. Last week the newspaper called for Ken Clarke, the Justice Secretary, to be […]
The Daily Mail splashes today with a story about how councillors allowances have increased ahead of inflation in recent years. The average increase for England and Wales since 2005 is 25%. Some of those with the biggest hikes have been Labour and Lib Dem councils claiming they have no alternative but to cut frontline services. […]
by Paul Goodman So much happens in the Commons that isn't picked up by the media. If you want the core of the Government's view of the present position in Afghanistan, here it is – as presented to the House yesterday by Liam Fox, in the latest of the regular and very welcome quarter reports. […]
By Robin Simcox Channel 4 will tonight broadcast a documentary which reveals exactly what has been going on at a British faith school and madrassa. Undercover reporters have recorded grizzly footage of the type of education being handed out at Darul Uloom Islamic High School in Birmingham and a madrassa in Keighley, west Yorkshire. In […]
According to my copy of The British Gemeral Election of 2010 by Dennis Kavanagh and Philip Cowley, at the General Election last year Labour won 36.6% of the vote in Greater London. The Conservatives won 34.5%. According to YouGov, Labour are now 16% ahead in London. Does that mean that the Mayor of London Boris Johnson […]
Charlie Elphicke is MP for Dover. The Prime Minister’s Big Society initiative has the power to make a fundamental change to the way we live. The situation in Dover is a concrete example why this change is needed. To the people of Dover, the port is an important facility. Yet people feel it has done […]