Fraser Nelson is a Times columnist and a former editor of The Spectator.
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What’s the cause of knife crime? The government has today focused on tightening laws etc. But if Charles Murray were here today, he’d see this as a classic underclass problem. He has three tests for an underclass: births outside marriage, jobless young men and violent crime. In 1997, 37% of children were born outside marriage
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Gordon Brown frequently asserts Britain has record employment or that Labour has “the best employment record in history” (Hansard, 16 Jan 08). In fact this honour goes to Nigel Lawson whose achievements Brown has never been able to come close to. Brown has specialised in finding alternatives to work – welfare, studenthood, etc. But here
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Many years ago, Roger Bootle wrote a book called ‘The Death of Inflation’ which was a brilliant guide to understanding the economics which were to dominate all major countries in the Brown years. We need a book called ‘The Rebirth of Inflation’ to explain the years ahead. Your savings strategy, property strategy and shopping trends
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Many CoffeeHousers have asked why Cameron doesn’t lampoon Brown for using his trademark dodgy figures as per our Brownie series. Well today he did – not on economics but on vehicle excise duty. Brown said 24 of the 30 most popular car models won’t be affected. Then Cameron pounced. “once again, dodgy statistics from the PM”
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I know one shouldn’t take Liberal Democrat policy seriously, but I went along to their first lobby briefing today just to see. Anyone who believes Gordon Brown is detached from reality should have taken a seat as Nick Clegg and Norman Baker faced lobby journalists. It was on their transport policy, to reverse Beeching cuts
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Ed Balls worries quite a lot about the shortcomings of British parents. Today, he says the state should give clearer instructions on drinking – because he has detected confused British parents crying out for instructions from our political class. “Guide us, O leaders,” they say. Here are Balls’s exact words, to Sky News this morning.
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I’m now back from the recess and checking up on all the news I missed – the most striking of which seems to be how the economic stars are aligning for a Tory second term. Three things jump out:- 1. The downturn has only just begun: The political soap opera is so compelling that it’s easy
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There is something oddly soothing about going to sleep to the sound of gunfire in Kandahar airbase. The shots are fired by British troops, honing the night combat skills which achieved such success over the Taleban last winter. The fighting season was due to start four weeks ago, when the poppy harvest ended — but
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Not so long ago, James Purnell released a speech on Microsoft Word format. This excites Tory researchers, who inevitably get hold of it, as they can interrogate the document – look for any revisions and, of course, the author. The “author” of the Purnell speech was one Phil Collins, who used to do work for
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Helmand Province, Afghanistan I have adopted the Gordon Brown strategy and disappeared after a bad by-election result for Labour. My excuse is that I’m now in Afghanistan, finding out how things are in Helmand. Afghanistan is an amazing country whose people combine abject poverty with the ability to endure weather of -20c in winter to
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These are bad times for Conservatives fighting the tightest marginal seats. About a year ago they were given generous resources to help them campaign, to promote their candidates and to rubbish Labour in general. Now, the cash is drying up. Unofficially, these target seats are being designated as ‘in the bag’ and the money instead
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I am now in sunny Afghanistan, where we woke up to the Crewe result. This puts thing into a new perspective. It’s becoming rapidly clear that we need not worry about the many long-term plans of this government (abolish A-Levels, reform pensions, identity cards and the like). But what of the commitment to Iraq and Afghanistan once Labour
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Basra, Iraq Two years ago when Des Browne came here they wouldn’t let him out of the car. Now, he can do a walkabout in downtown Basra. The liberation on March 25th, when the Iraqi army’s Charge of the Knights liberated the city from the Shi’ite militias, has transformed the situation here. When Prime Minister
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Like Pete, I have picked up on hesitancy in some parts of Crewe – mainly from Tory activists who realise this is a “send Brown a message” by-election rather than a mandate for Conservatism. But a win is a win – and in Westminster, at least, Tories are expecting a mammoth victory. One Shadow Cabinet
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I took part in an LBC radio debate this morning about Gordon Brown’s YouTube initiative with Nick Ferrari, radio’s equivalent to a morning Bloody Mary. A LBC reporter has sent in her own question via video phone – was Blair right to think you have no chance against David Cameron? It won’t get past the
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Like Matt, I was genuinely impressed by the defrosted Gordon Brown on display at the Google conference. However – and churlish though it may be – I’d like to point out that his Einstein joke (where he swaps places with his chauffeur) is a Brownie. The genesis of this fake and oft-repeated tale is here.
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I know many CoffeeHousers will take some time to forgive me for suggesting James Purnell as the best chance for Labour. But I am not alone. A rush of money on him has led Ladbrokes to make him joint second favourite to succeed Brown at 6/1. The curse of being the favourite still falls upon
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The first thought that occurs on looking at Gordon Brown’s YouTube PMQs is that Rory Bremner’s impersonation is now near-perfect. It’s a parody of himself. He says he’ll be glad to take everyone’s questions “on this exciting new initiative.” All Politics 2.0, going straight to the public without the interface of journalists or MPs. And
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NATO is under attack from so many forces (mainly the EU wanting a common defence policy) that it’s hard to work out what will eventually break up the alliance. But the cluster bomb conference in Dublin that starts today may be the one. No one likes cluster bombs, and we’d all like to live in
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I was reviewing the papers on the Marr sofa earlier with Jane Moore, one of my favourite columnists. Next week’s abortion vote came up, and she said she is pro-choice – but was persuaded of the need to reduce the time limit from 24 weeks to 20 weeks by a letter she received from a