What can we expect from the Queen’s Speech; the centrepiece of today’s State Opening of Parliament? So far as policy is concerned, it’s doubtful whether there’ll be any surprises. The Times has a great round-up of the measures likely to be contained in what’s being spun as a “fairness” programme, and most have been trailed
One of the more striking aspects of the Damian Green affair is how it’s angered MPs from every side, corner and alcove of the House. And quite right too – this is something that could have hefty implications for Parliament as a whole. The Tories and Lib Dems, in particular, have been singing from an
The Tories have just released footage of the police searching Damian Green’s office, along with a commentary by Dominic Grieve. I’ve embedded it below:
Here are Grant Shapps’ answers to the questions put forward by CoffeeHousers: Colin “What advice do you have for the individuals who are now deep in debt, after a decade long credit bubble; especially now that the safety net of massive house price rises is not there to save them?” The first thing to say
The Standard’s Paul Waugh got there first, but it’s still worth highlighting the comments of Peer Steinbrück, Germany’s finance minister, in an interview with Der Spiegel. He echoes Angela Merkel’s scepticism of Brown-style, debt-funded fiscal stimuli, but does so with a bit a rhetorical pizazz. A case in point: “Just because all the lemmings have chosen the same
The decision by the Met to hold a review into the Damian Green arrest can only be welcomed – and is perhaps the clearest indication yet that the police feel something’s gone wrong somewhere down the line. But what will come out of it? One imagines that the conclusions will necessarily – and perhaps rightly
An important article by Rachel Sylvester today, on the implications of the Damian Green arrest. She sees it as a sympton of wider dissatisfaction with the way government information is disseminated: “The Freedom of Information Act, designed to open up the workings of the political elite to the masses, has, they believe, turned into a
Nothing surprising in Christopher Galley’s statement just now, but it does support the general idea that Damian Green hasn’t acted in a particularly improper way, and that the police response was disproportionate to the supposed offence. Here are the key quotes: “If ever there was a case of don’t shoot the messenger, this is surely it…
It’s taken longer than many may have reasonably expected – and it’s hardly edifying that those involved effectively needed to be pushed – but Haringey officials have now lost their jobs over the tragic death of Baby P. Following the release of what Ed Balls has called a “devastating” report into the matter, the Head of Children’s Services,
Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers’ Wall. For those who haven’t come across the Wall before, it’s a post we put up each Monday, on which – provided your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency – you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no
Although I don’t agree with her contention that Boris’s involvement in the sacking of Ian Blair was some sort of high water mark in the politicisation of policing, Jackie Ashley does write forcefully on Jacqui Smith this morning. Ashley idenitifies the key question hovering above the Home Secretary right now: is she lying about what she
This morning’s newspapers throw up the next round of questions in the Damian Green affair. The latest is that the Tory MP is accused of “grooming” his source in the Home Office to provide a series of leaks. Now, if this accusation is anything like a plank in the case against Green, then clear dividing
After the events of the past week, the Pre-Budget Report seems more than only six days old. But six days old it is, and already Alistair Darling is suggesting that the much-vaunted “fiscal stimulus” may need to be supplemented in the near-future. In his interview in today’s Observer, the Chancellor admits that “we’re almost certainly
The theme of Jacqui Smith’s interview with Andrew Marr this morning? Responsibility-dodging. Not once did the Home Secretary apologise for the disgraceful arrest of Damian Green, but she took every opportunity to stress the “operational independence” of those investigating the Tory MP. In other words: not my fault, guv. Thing is, Dominic Grieve has since
It’s been a few days now since we asked CoffeeHousers to put forward their questions for Grant Shapps. We’ve since picked out the best, which have now been put to the shadow housing minister. He’ll get back to us at the start of next week. Colin “What advice do you have for the individuals who
The Times’ Sam Coates reveals another twist in the Damian Green story. He writes over at Red Box: “They wont confirm it officially, but it’s there, I’m told. Any footage of the police in an MPs’ office is likely to put yet more pressure on the Speaker and Seargant at Arms to justify why he
I think it’s fair to say that Michael Martin is not a particularly popular figure among Tories. He’s probably even less popular now, if Ben Brogan’s latest blog post is anything to go by: “An MP has been spitting with rage at the suggestion that Michael Martin knew about this and authorised detectives to search
Phil Woollas, the Immigration Minister, spoke on Today earlier about the Damian Green arrest. Here’s what he had to say: “I can assure you that ministers had no knowledge whatsoever of this. The wise thing for everyone to do is wait to see what happens… …The police are independent from the Home Office. I can
A great article by Martin Wolf in today’s FT, analysing what the upwards-revised borrowing figures in the PBR mean for the public finances. Here are his key observations: “First, the Treasury’s view that the last cycle ended in 2006 seems quite ridiculous. The correct view is that the UK has been caught in an unsustainable
This is not the story that we’re expecting to break tonight, but it’s worth noting anyway. The Times have just released a Populus poll which shows that confidence in Gordon Brown’s ability combat the recession has dropped in the aftermath of the PBR. In answer to the question of who is the best leader to “deal with Britain’s
