If Cameron shifted Osborne, he would place himself in danger

There is yet more speculation in the papers today about whether Osborne will be moved from his role as Shadow Chancellor. But it is almost certain that he won’t be. If David Cameron were to shift him he would be handing Labour, the press and his internal critics a major scalp. It would demonstrate that, under pressure, Cameron can be pushed into jettisoning even his closest political allies. We can debate if Osborne is the best choice for Shadow Chancellor until the cows come home, but this essential political reality cannot be...

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Institutional arrogance must be rooted out

Jenny McCartney’s column on the appalling arrogance of Haringey Council is essential reading this morning. Her conclusion is absolutely spot on:

“Various commentators have said that there is little point in demonising Haringey council and the employees concerned. Well, no one is calling them demons, but there is surely every point in conducting a relentless, forensic examination of their decisions and holding those individuals accountable. That applies equally to Dr Sabah al-Zayyat, the paediatrician who only partly examined the boy and failed to spot that he had nine broken ribs and a broken spine. Two days later he

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The State is failing the most vulnerable

The Guardian reports today on the horrific state of child protection. The evidence it has uncovered suggests that the failings that led to no one intervening to protect Baby P are hideously common. 

“More than 80% of children who are killed or seriously injured as a result of abuse or neglect are missed by the national child protection register, the Guardian can reveal.
...
The figures, obtained from unpublished government-commissioned research, show a widespread pattern of missed opportunities where police, social workers and health professionals fail to communicate or act on evidence of potential abuse.

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Tell the truth and Brown thinks it's hell

Gordon Brown says he “regrets” George Osborne’s “partisan talk” warning that we may have a sterling crisis on our hands – his implication being that the Opposition should be supporting him, the Father of the Nation.  In fact, there has never been a greater need for full-blooded, disrespectful, combative, full-on scrutiny of what he says.
 
I suspect the main reason Brown “regrets” what Osborne said is because Osborne is right. I haveblogged before on what should be known as the 2008 devaluation of sterling.  It gives the...

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Brown's patriotism, the last refuge of a scoundrel

Labour has, predictably, accused George Osborne of “talking down” the pound for his comment that Brown’s reckless borrowing risks a run on sterling. Gordon Brown, doing his best father of the nation impersonation, says that he regrets the “partisan talk from the opposition”. But the truth is that Osborne’s warning is right; what Brown is doing at the moment is incredibly irresponsible and he deserves to be called out on it.

Brown has long tried to rule huge chunks of criticism of him out of bounds. Anyone who questioned his...

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