Politics

I popped along to the History Channel debate ’50 Things You Need to Know About British History’ last night. ‘Twas an excellent event – more than capably chaired by Iain Dale, and with an engaging panel consisting of Diane Abbot, Douglas Murray, Dominic Sandbrook and Polly Toynbee.  The catalyst for discussion was the list I’ve included at the bottom of this post, and which will form the basis of a forthcoming TV series.  But things swiftly moved onto the topic of how history should be taught in schools – whether issues are more important than personalities, and whether pupils have a good enough all-round knowledge of British history. The exchange

David Miliband should remember: it is still war between him and Gordon Brown. Thinks he’s Foreign Secretary? Thinks he can go around talking up Nato protection to former Soviet states in speeches like these? Well, Team Brown has something to say about it. Here is Nick Brown, deputy chief whip and Brownite muscleman in a Guardian article: “Cameron urges Nato to admit Georgia. Nato is a mutual defence pact… .Do we really mean to commit ourselves to all-out war against the Russian Federation if something like this happens again?” And this government member goes on: “If western hawks really are advocating Nato membership for every small country that borders the

It is common knowledge that John McCain and David Cameron get on. By convention, politicians do not enter into electoral politics in other countries, but the Conservative leader has made clear how McCain impressed him when he spoke at the 2006 Conservative Party Conference while McCain has described Cameron as a Kennedyesque figure. Their staffs are said to be in regular touch and the two men talk on the phone.   At first blush, the Russo-Georgian War show how close they really are. Looking at their respective statements, it is hard to distinguish between the views of the two politicians. In response to the invasion, it was McCain who struck a

Here are Eric Pickles’s answers to the questions posed by Coffee Housers:  Victoria Street “Devolving power downwards from Westminster doesn’t mean that the blame can always be devolved downwards. Are you prepared for the inevitable slew of critical media that is an inevitable result of letting go the reins? Can you resist the temptation to intervene? Can you take the pressure of Labour and Liberal Democrat authorities demanding central government action to pay for their local mistakes?” If we are truly to be the Party of real localism, we must trust local councillors to determine what is right for local communities and be confident that those communities will hold them

The death of John MacDougall, Labour MP for Glenrothes since 2001, will trigger yet another nightmare for Gordon Brown. No other word will do. Glenrothes in Fife is on the PM’s very doorstep and – after Glasgow East – looks distinctly vulnerable. In the 2005 general election, Mr MacDougall polled 19,395 votes, well ahead of the SNP’s John Beare on 8,731. But Labour’s majority of 10,664 accounted for only 28.5 per cent of the vote. In Glasgow East, Labour’s 2005 majority was larger in absolute terms – 13,507 – but accounted for more than 43 per cent of the turnout. In other words, Glenrothes looks like an even juicier target for