The other side of fracking Sir: Peter Lilley’s article on fracking (‘The only way is shale’, 11 May) is right to outline the role that shale can play in addressing Britain’s energy crisis, creating jobs, and generating tax revenues. But he is guilty of several errors and omissions. First, he ignores the concerns of local
The first filibuster A bill for an in-out referendum on the EU seems doomed to be killed off by a ‘filibuster’ — a campaign by opponents to keep on talking until it runs out of time. — The filibuster is often assumed to be an invention of Westminster, yet its first recorded use was in
Home David Cameron, the Prime Minister, flew to Sochi, on the Black Sea, to talk with President Vladimir Putin, principally about Syria. He then flew to Washington, to support the American tour by Prince Harry and hold talks with President Barack Obama. They said that Britain and America wanted to strengthen the moderate opposition in
David Cameron, it has been argued this week, has become detached from the views of Conservative voters on Europe. Amid the noise on the EU referendum, however, comes more evidence that it is Ed Miliband who has the greater problem of detachment from the views of his party’s supporters. While the Labour leader continues to
‘Well, Sir Godfrey, the benefit cuts are beginning to sort the men from the boys.’
‘Your phone has a voice recognition function — how come you don’t?’
‘I can’t stand people who don’t suffer fools gladly.’
‘Bloody Ukip, coming over here, taking our votes…’
‘Try calling 666.’
‘There’s another one of us looking at brochures of holidays we can no longer afford.’
‘Your baby’s actually quite ugly. Airbrushing’s an extra 20 quid.’
‘Why walk around the garden shaking dirt from your trousers? I swear he is up to something in that shed.’
‘You know it’s a top neighbourhood by the quality of the fly-tipping.’
‘I think I can hear drones.’
‘They protect your ears from the sound of Helen Mirren.’
‘Is he on another one of his crazy diets?’
‘They say if you can remember the Sixties, talk to the police.’
One-nation Toryism Sir: When my late father, John McKee, stood as Conservative candidate for South Shields in the 1970 general election he gained 19,960 votes, more even than David Miliband in the same constituency 40 years later. In last week’s by-election in the South Shields constituency, the Conservative candidate attracted only 2,857 votes. Many things
Home The UK Independence Party gave the government and opposition a jolt by doing well in the elections for 34 English councils, increasing its number of councillors from eight to 147 and gaining a projected national vote share of 23 per cent (compared with 25 per cent for the Conservatives, 29 per cent for Labour