Peter Hoskin

David Cameron’s announcement that a Tory government would consider making forced marriages a criminal offence opens up – at the very least – a rhetorical divide between his party and the Government. Cameron’s message is unambiguous: certain immigrant traditions are unacceptable in British society. Whereas, if today’s Home Office Green Paper enshrines this approach, then it’s not coming across very clearly. Here’s the relevant section:  “Under our proposals, the journey to citizenship will enable migrants to demonstrate a more visible and a more substantial contribution to Britain as they pass through successive stages.

Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling have just delivered an absurd medley of deceptions, unwarranted boasts and blame-shifting.  Their Northern Rock press conference in brief: everything's the fault of global forces, and we can be happy that Brown's "long-term decisions" will stave off the worst of it all.  There's plenty of material there for the Spectator's Brownies campaign. The worst part, though, was Brown's claim that "the reputation of London [as a financial centre] is secure".  In truth, there are few scenarios which will dissuade foreign investment more than the forced nationalisation of a bank.

The BBC are reporting that Northern Rock is to be nationalised.  The move comes after Richard Branson's overtures to the beleaguered company were rejected. It's yet another case of Government dithering, and one of the most monumental yet.  This was true back in January - when the Chancellor had allegedly found a private sector solution to the saga – but it's even more marked now.  Darling has reached this end by the most circuitous route possible, and the calls for him to lose his job must only be amplified. But worse than the dithering is the fact that even further liability will be heaped upon the taxpayer.  If we had a Government which safely managed public money this needn't be too much of a problem.  But we don't.

I wrote earlier that the George Osborne's approach to tax cuts may "reduce to a tortoise-hare debate".  By characterising the Tories as "ditherers" over tax, Ben Chu of Open House feeds ammo to those on Team Hare: "The Conservative leadership attacks Gordon Brown for being a "ditherer" and ordering endless reviews to put off making decisions. But the Tories are not averse to such delaying tactics themselves. Today the shadow chancellor George Osborne has established a review of taxation policy to be headed by the Tory grandee Lord Howe. But what about the Conservative economic policy review from John Redwood which last summer proposed, in the words of its author, "a tax cut by any other name"?

James wrote earlier on plans to make MPs formally declare any family members who work for them.  But, if the New Statesman's Kevin Maguire is right, the new measures may be to little avail.  The reason?  Well, the MPs have a cunning plan:  "Wife swapping is the name of the game, swinging the new earner. A snitch of unimpeachable integrity, a distinguished public servant no less, overheard a huddle of MPs trading partners behind the Speaker's chair. Discretion prevents my snout naming names, but the cunning plan is to survive the collapse of Del Boy Conway's family business by employing each other's spouses. Now "Big Mick" Martin is apprised of what's been going on behind his chair, he can ban wife swaps.