Jackie Ashley



Profile:
Full name: Jacqueline Ashley

Area of interest: The Labour Party, the media, politics, public services, trade unions, women's issues

Journals/Organisation: The Guardian

Email: [mailto:jackie.ashley@guardian.co.uk jackie.ashley@guardian.co.uk]

Personal website:

Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jackieashley

Blog: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jackie_ashley

Representation:

Networks: http://twitter.com/jackieashley



Biography:
About:

Education: Rosebery Grammar School, Epsom, Surrey; St Anne's College, Oxford: Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Career: BBC trainee, 1979/1981; BBC Newsnight: Newsreader and Producer, 1981/1984; TV-AM: Reporter; Channel 4: producer and reporter, 1984/1986; ITN: Political correspondent, 1986/1999; New Statesman: Political editor, 2000/2002; The Guardian: Columnist and political interviewer, 2002- Current position/role: Columnist; Political interviewer


 * also writes/has written for:

Other roles/Main role:

Other activities: Vice-chair of the Hansard Society's commission: [http://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/node/view/361 Members Only? Parliament in the Public Eye], working alongside the commission's chair, Lord Puttnam

Disclosures:

Viewpoints/Insight:

Broadcast media:

Video: Regular contributor on television and radio current affairs programmes
 * Presenter on Radio 4's Week in Westminster
 * BBC Breakfast with Frost interview with Lord Tebbit and Lord Bell, 2nd May 2004 (transcript)

Controversy/Criticism: (Jackie Ashley meets Melanie Phillips): The multicultural menace, anti-semitism and me The Guardian, 16th June 2006

Awards/Honours:

Scoops:

Other: Married to Andrew Marr; Daughter of Jack Ashley (Baron Ashley of Stoke)



Books & Debate:


Latest work:

Speaking/Appearances:

Debate: 

The Guardian:
Column name:

Remit/Info: Government and Politics, Society and Values

Section: Comment & Debate

Role: Commentator

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:jackie.ashley@guardian.co.uk jackie.ashley@guardian.co.uk]

Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jackieashley

Commissioning editor:

Day published: Monday, plus frequent Comment is free blogs

Regularity: Weekly

Column format:

Average length: 1100 words



Articles: 2012

 * Cameron and Clegg are too weak for a major reshuffle - One slip and the whole coalition edifice will fall. And any policy shift towards growth will simply imitate Labour - 3rd September
 * A third runway, Boris Island, better rail? Please, just decide - Prevarication over aviation policy breeds a dangerous mistrust. The cabinet must take a firm decision, and act on it - 27th August
 * The U-turn on social care is a small step towards a better Britain - Capping care costs will ease a terror felt by many. But leaders must beware: disaster lurks in promises the coalition can't keep - 19th August
 * The Paralympics offer an even greater moral lesson - As disability hate crimes rise, the Paralympics are a reminder that difference and diversity should be celebrated, not targeted - 13th August
 * London 2012: Britain's Olympic gold rush provides a lesson for politics - The work ethic, sacrifice and sense of belonging of our athletes should remind our leaders there is a different Britain - 6th August
 * Hurrah for Bradley Wiggins! Now we must make our roads safe for cyclists - His Tour de France triumph will inspire many of us to take to two wheels. It's time to take bold action against cars - 23rd July
 * Beware the coming storm: cuts will break this coalition - Forget Lords reform and boundary changes. Tories and Liberal Democrats are most likely to fall out over their spending plans - 16th July
 * How Lords reform became a game about fantasy politics - For Lib Dems securing it means saving face with the electorate, for Tories defeating it means saving face in the coalition - 9th July
 * How to fund care for the elderly – that is Britain's most urgent challenge - After months of delay, the white paper on social care will be published within a fortnight. Disastrously, it will be a fudge - 2nd July
 * Housing benefit: Cameron is showing how he'd rule without the Lib Dems - In calling for under-25s to lose housing benefit, the Tory leader is shoring up his rightwing credentials to appease his party faithful - 25th June
 * The last thing Labour needs now is a settling of scores - A bastion of Blairism is under attack by unions. But none of this would matter if the party's position was clearer - 18th June
 * Europe should be Labour's grand project for our times - The Tories' European fantasies will never come to pass. The left must lead an honest conversation about what happens next - 11th June
 * A wise reshuffle could leave Ed Miliband with a winning hand - To revive David Cameron's fortunes will take more than musical chairs, but Miliband has a chance to truly invigorate his team - 14th May
 * The vote shows people are ready to look again at Labour - The Labour party did better than expected in local elections and has won breathing space. All now depends on what Ed Miliband does with it - 7th May
 * Women will need more than a spread in Grazia magazine to vote Tory - Female voters have been hit hard by public sector cuts and NHS changes, so the budget's gender effect deserves close scrutiny - 19th March
 * Women will need more than a spread in Grazia magazine to vote Tory - Female voters have been hit hard by public sector cuts and NHS changes, so the budget's gender effect deserves close scrutiny - 19th March
 * A coalition breakdown may come sooner than we think - The NHS row, mansion tax v tycoon tax, Lords reform: the Tories and the Lib Dems look to be heading for an all-out war - 12th March
 * Steve Hilton's exit signals the slide of David Cameron into fuzziness - The blue-skies thinker was an asset in the bold early days of power. But now the cloud cover of government has rolled in - 4th March
 * John Bercow is changing the House of Commons. Credit to him - Bercow will never be popular, but the Speaker's reforming zeal is slowly ridding parliament of its thuggish tendencies - 27th February
 * Only fear of losing face keeps this mad NHS gamble going - The bill is a wreck, but the Tories are pushing on regardless. Miliband may be right to think it'll cost them the next election - 20th February
 * Civil servants of Sir Humphrey vintage were amusing: but Whitehall's changed - Sniping between Whitehall and MPs prompted by revelations over spending goes to the heart of government - 6th February
 * We've been far too polite to these snake-oil diet sellers - Yes, body confidence is politicians' business. It's time to address the commercial drive behind making people feel bad - 30th January
 * What the Scots can teach us about England's radical soul - Talk of a referendum on Scottish independence should prompt Labour to think about what it means to be English too - 23rd January
 * The left is dismayed, but Ed Miliband retains his radical sense of purpose - Rapprochement with Ed Balls, economic realism, talk of new rules for business: Ed Miliband is making Labour credible again - 16th January
 * Fat cat pay: even David Cameron can see that the economy needs morality - The Tories have caught the mood of dismay over executive pay, but their switch could be good for Labour in the long term - 9th January



Articles: 2011

 * The return of left-right politics in the UK will make 2012 fascinating - The centrist politics of Blair and Cameron left an angry public. This is a moment for Miliband to capture the national mood - 2nd January
 * In this age of anxiety, we'll need the 2012 Olympic spirit - The delight that greeted the Games in London seems far away. But in July, with our heroes, the nation will feel hope again - 26th December
 * Ed Miliband is a decent leader. But he needs help. All leaders do - It's obvious that he is not doing well enough. But if he can present his vision more clearly and boldly his troubles will go away - 19th December
 * Can Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband unite over Europe? - The Lib Dems are the writhing hostages of Tory Europhobia. But Labour can offer a way forward - 12th December
 * Eurosceptics, beware: the euro crisis is bad for you too - Over the next few years voters will be terrified at the prospect of leaving the EU entirely. Calling for a referendum is daft - 5th December
 * The coalition's Plan P (for panic) owes a lot to Labour - The eurozone crisis has brought Ed Balls and George Osborne closer than they care to admit, and Lib Dems to the fore - 28th November
 * How Europe propped up the buffoon Berlusconi - Italian politics was a joke. But, within the security blanket of the eurozone, most people simply shrugged their shoulders - 14th November
 * Cynics' distrust of e-petitions no longer serves democracy - The fact that public pressure can prompt an EU referendum debate heralds a new chapter in British politics - 24th October
 * Despite Liam Fox's demise, the Tory right is on the rise - The right believes it has the answers to Britain's economic troubles. It will be a challenge for Cameron to control - 17th October
 * Write off Ed Miliband's sharp team and radical rethink? Far too glib - Miliband's frontbench of diverse and youthful voices should serve him well – as long as he can persuade voters to listen - 10th October
 * Nobody thinks you're an 'all right luv' sort, David - Cameron has missed the point. A cabinet with more women round the table would surely have angled cuts differently - 3rd October
 * In Liverpool you can feel the change in Labour's chemistry - Under Ed Miliband, the party is moving away from the Whitehall-knows-best culture, and towards a new bottom-up politics - 26th September
 * The Lib Dems love power – but the price will be high - For now, they are in a blissed-out conference bubble, but the bad times ahead could see them crushed by right and left - 19th September
 * Conference seasson: where is the economic urgency – or the plan? - The economic outlook is dire, and social crisis will ensue. The left must fight back with a new strategy for growth and hope - 12th September
 * Alistair Darling's memoir shows the danger of big-man politics - Gordon Brown's bullying was symptomatic of a wider cultural malaise – too many yes-men and too few honest debates - 5th September
 * This public nervousness lets young people down - After a summer of riots, consider what happens when teenagers are treated well by their elders and their communities - 29th August
 * Is this the start of a lurch to the right by the coalition? - David Cameron is embarking on a dangerous and potentially divisive social experiment. We'll soon discover if he's a Macmillan or a Thatcher - 22nd August
 * Phone hacking scandal: The sleepwalk into a state of winks and nods must end - If Miliband's bravery is emulated by Clegg and others, there is a chance to break with Britain's long politics of collusion - 18th July
 * Issues like care for older people cry out for a genuine coalition - In offering to work with the Tories and Lid Dems, Ed Miliband grasps that some things are too big to be left to partisan politics - 4th July
 * Gove's collision course with teachers spells trouble for all - If ministers don't keep good people teaching, all the fiddling with school charters and exams won't help to raise standards - 27th June
 * Politics is personal – that's the lesson Ed needs to learn - The Labour leader looks lonely at the top. He needs to widen his circle of allies – and that has to include his brother - 13th June
 * Bring back the F-word if you want to do more than worry about girls - There's no hope of an honest discussion about the sexualisation of young girls without a feminist perspective - 6th June
 * Ed Miliband shouldn't crow. It's time to move closer to Clegg - The NHS cuts fiasco offers an opportunity for the Labour leader. By working with the Lib Dems he can reshape the reforms - 29th May
 * Nick Clegg has found his voice on the NHS. It's a start - Clegg's speech on health policy gave a measured, progressive view of NHS reform – but this is a bill that's beyond fixing - 26th May
 * Labour has a self-confidence problem, not an Ed Miliband one - The party leader's getting many things right and is leading in polls. It's time for others to get stuck in and be more assertive - 22nd May
 * Yes, we owe our armed forces – but Cameron's leaky law is not enough - Cameron's promise of a legally binding 'military covenant' means little if spending cuts and ill-advised wars continue - 16th May
 * Only a real game-changer can reverse Tory entrenchment - David Cameron's evident pride may come before a fall. A Labour-Lib Dem rapprochement is now a distant inevitability - 9th May
 * Few would weep for Colonel Gaddafi, but targeting him is wrong - In war, international law is all we have. If we cast it aside, there'll be nothing left but might-is-right, arms, oil and profits - 2nd May
 * A general election this year? It's no longer impossible - Labour is still rebuilding, and the Lib Dems are falling apart. An early vote could see the Tories win with a decent majority - 25th April
 * With a tartan twist, this AV vote could end up riveting - Never has a duller issue caused so many to sound insane with rage. But the referendum might have some spectacular results - 18th April
 * Britain needs to end its love affair with the world stage - While we pull in our belts at home, our leaders get carried away abroad. It's time we turned our backs on our imperial past - 11th April
 * This pension reform benefits women, but has one big blot - A flat-rate, simplified pension is good news, as is not penalising mothers and carers. But a key promise has been broken - 4th April
 * Weekend marching is fine, but Labour must win over those who stayed home - It's all right for Ed Miliband to address the anti-cuts demonstration, but his real job is to convince the wider public that his own vision is credible - 28th March
 * Budget 2011: Guardian columnists' verdict - 24th March
 * To do their job on Libya, scepticism is MPs' best weapon - Instead of cheering on Cameron, the Commons must reassert itself after its gung-ho disgrace over Iraq and Afghanistan - 21st March
 * To survive, the Lib Dems must start pulling to the left - Nick Clegg cannot let the game of coalition-making override his party's true spirit. He must heed the instincts of its members - 14th March
 * The Arab spring requires a defiantly European reply - Be it a refugee crisis or intervention, we can't go it alone. Labour must bar any retreat to pessimism and xenophobia - 7th March
 * New inflation will hammer pensioners and the low-paid - Scarred by the 1970s, Labour flinches from discussing it – but rising prices are set to become a red-hot issue - 21st February
 * A big society cannot emerge from the 'creative destruction' of the state - David Cameron's big idea depends on altruism, but from his actions it's difficult to believe that we're all in this together - 14th February
 * The Speaker is politics' whipping boy - John Bercow has ruffled feathers, but his reforms are vital: they serve only to improve parliament and its MPs' reputation - 7th February
 * MPs must grasp this chance for a better kind of politics - The expenses scandal traumatised parliament, but calls for a more open politics are at risk of being forgotten - 31st January
 * The Andy Coulson affair raises the question – who runs Britain? - The deafening silence from political leaders reveals the grip Murdoch's empire has over the establishment - 24th January
 * The Tory embrace may well split the Lib Dems in two - Many left-liberals can't stand what is happening to their party and will be tempted by Ed Miliband's repositioning of Labour - 17th January
 * The biggest question from Oldham will be for Nick Clegg - If the Lib Dem candidate doesn't win, it will be because people no longer know why they should vote for the party - 10th January
 * Pungent, angry and decisive: Margaret Thatcher still dominates the Tory party - The former prime minister will become 'hot' this year. David Cameron defers to her cult, and the rebels still see her as their spiritual leader - 3rd January



Articles: 2010

 * Cameron's NHS reforms may leave him feeling sick'' - Over-optimistic efficiency savings and bureaucratic mayhem do not bode well for the health service - 28th December
 * Dem-baiting won't work: the Tories' free ride must end'' - While Labour ignores its real enemies, Cameron has been able to pursue an aggressive Tory cuts agenda with impunity - 20th December
 * Liberal Democrats can be part of Labour's future'' - Miliband must move quickly to exploit the deep divisions in Clegg's party and lead a wider opposition movement - 13th December
 * Lib Dem hokey cokey on fees will cost us all dearly'' - Yes, the party is harmed by its university funding farce. But our economy needs higher education to bring us back to growth - 6th December
 * see how fascism can be throttled, look at Barking'' - Housing and benefit fraud drive xenophobia here and across Europe. Politicians must listen to people's real concerns - 29th November
 * now, the Labour party needs Ed Miliband's Zen socialism'' - Labour's leader should not listen to the goading of the coalition and media. He needs thinking time to plan the fightback - 22nd November
 * can't ignore electoral reform – it is in their interest'' - Next year's referendum on the alternative vote system will be just as crucial for Ed Miliband as it will be for Nick Clegg - 15th November
 * workfare, maybe the coalition really wants to help the jobless'' - The plan to force the jobless into unpaid work depends entirely on the detail. Labour is right not to howl with outrage - 8th November
 * needs insults – they keep democracy afloat'' - Some people are licensed to be ruder than others, as Harriet Harman has found. But humour is the best weapon in debate - 1st November
 * war on public service is a featherbedded caricature'' - The coalition's new political narrative has swiftly demonised the state. But binmen can be wealth creators too - 25th October
 * shouldn't be decided by those who shout loudest'' -The government has so few women in it that it's no surprise their interests are absent from debates about the cuts - 18th October
 * graduate tax ain't going to happen. But Ed Miliband can make tuition fees fairer'' - I see why Ed Miliband opposes a fee increase. But if he's clever and changes tack, he could achieve a crucial victory - 11th October
 * sharply defined Miliband can pierce a fuzzy coalition'' - Cameron's laid-back regime lacks the clarity of real leadership. The new man in opposition has to fashion a different path - 4th October
 * Ed Miliband's lead, Labour's new generation must step up'' - Ed Miliband can easily squash the line that he is the unions' man. But he'll need all of his party to alter the political agenda - 27th September
 * could have more clout in government than the caricaturists realise'' - We are living in a time of momentous political realignment. The Lib Dem gamble could pay off – but it probably won't - 20th September
 * decline of the north will victimise more generations'' - Nearly 50 years ago my father witnessed the effects of mass unemployment. The most vulnerable look set to suffer again - 13th September
 * Big Brother, now Little Brother, and both are deadly'' - Post-9/11 surveillance, phone-tapping, William Hague … it is time to decide what is justly private, and what is not - 6th September
 * Miliband would have to alter his persona. That's very hard'' - In the battle for the Labour leadership, both Miliband brothers have weaknesses. But Ed's are a little easier to overcome - 30th August
 * playing nasty, Labour is wrecking its own chances'' - The public likes the shift in tone to more amiable, co-operative politics, but Labour's leadership hopefuls are acting tribal - 23rd August
 * coalition has yet to show us what it believes in'' - Without a coherent ideology, it is hard to give shape to government; and without shape, it's hard to convey direction - 26th July
 * PM's American trip is a ritual with all substance lost'' - Now the legacy of 9/11 is fading, Britain is too small a player to matter. To the Tories' unease, the real talk is at EU level - 19th July
 * must now stop this self-flagellation and regroup'' - As the party prepares for a breakout of diary wars, it risks being dangerously distracted when the real fight is for its future - 12th July
 * cuts won't only hit the scroungers. We'll all suffer'' - Millions believe Britain is being held back by single mothers or immigrants. But the pain will be felt by 'us', not just 'them' - 6th July
 * the coalition is serious it will rethink the death tax'' - Andy Burnham's plan to provide free social care for all elderly people is still the most realistic and civilised solution - 26th June
 * disability benefits is not 'fair''' - Osborne's softening-up process worked – but cutting disability allowance without improving the social care system is wrong - 24th June
 * left cannot afford to get bored by the defence debate'' - We face too many threats to allow military matters to remain the preserve of the same old – mostly male – voices - 14th June
 * teamwork is admirable. But it will kill the Lib Dems'' - If the coalition sustains its honeymoon, Tories will reap the rewards; if it fails, Labour will. Clegg needs to push voting reform fast - 7th June
 * and shopping are no worse than gadgets or guns'' - Critics of Sex and the City assume that male fantasy life is somehow more worthwhile. But we all need a holiday from ourselves - 31st May
 * women leaders have to be childless fortysomethings?'' - Not one female former cabinet minister entered Labour's leadership race. But in London Oona King is bringing diversity - 24th May
 * contest can keep alive Labour's sense of possibility'' - The party could revive if the leadership race opens up radical debate, shows some lost fraternity and reconnects with its roots - 17th May
 * Clegg has proved he is no pushover'' - In the coalition agreement the Lib Dems have wrung concessions on policy, but have lost out on big cabinet roles - 13th May
 * was the better Gordon Brown saying goodbye'' - Behind the mask of anger, and the caricature monster hated by the press, was a decent man - 11th May
 * for a big progressive moment - in the rematch'' - If Cameron does his deal, Labour needs urgently to change leader, embrace voting reform, and get ready to fight an election - 9th May (Cif at the polls)
 * 2010: A bittersweet dawn'' - With parliament hung and the Lib Dems disappointed, what will Nick Clegg do now? - 7th May
 * has rotted Labour, but it doesn't deserve to die'' - The party is fighting for its life. And despite Tory cockiness, local tremors mean nobody can take the outcome for granted - 3rd May s])
 * Conservative-Lib Dem coalition is most likely, but it's not sustainable'' - Labour voters switching to Clegg will probably put Cameron into No 10. But there will be huge strains on the new government - 26th April
 * week in, I don't know who Cameron really is'' - We have never had the culture wars politics of America in this country, but thanks to the Tories that may all change - 12th April
 * they can't offer something new, the Tories will blow it'' - With the rightwing media in full cry the election is theirs for the taking – yet Cameron still gives no clear alternative vision - 29th March 2010
 * offices can kickstart Labour's radical agenda'' - A People's Bank would herald a new version of back-to-basics – valuing the reality of people's lives, and their institutions - 21st March
 * obsession with swing voters is strangling politics'' - Targeting marginals is logical sense for Ashcroft and Whelan. But the system sucks all fire and clarity from party lines - 15th March
 * Dems should refuse a coalition'' - The Lib Dems are getting boxed in. They should boldly say they will back the party with an economic plan closest to their own - 8th March
 * Brown's powers of survival might outdo even Rasputin'' - The prime minister is bigger, tougher and more obsessive than anyone around him. This election struggle will have many twists - 1st March
 * month ago, this might just have buried Brown. Not now'' - The choices are big, the polls are narrow. That's what really grips, and it won't be derailed by news of titanic fury - 22nd February
 * take on the ads that fuel such waste, debt and misery'' - A first, practical step in altering the cycle of consumption and crisis is to rein in those who manufacture our wants - 15th February
 * behaving badly at AV debate'' - ANew Politics: The Commons debate on electoral reform is a timid attempt to bring in the 'new politics' – and shows old politics at its worst - 10th February
 * should watch bankers as closely as we do politicians'' - Equality of scrutiny is needed – a bright lamp shining on tax havens and in boardrooms, as well as legislatures - 8th February
 * lies New Labour – the party that died in Iraq'' - Chilcot is a reminder that the war led to poisonous infighting which has destroyed progressive politics for a generation - 1st February
 * in on Team Cameron. At best it's a blotchy close-up'' - A mood for change has allowed vast holes in Tory policy to go unexamined. It is in everyone's interest to turn up the lamplight - 25th January
 * full, sapping cost of the Blair-Brown war is now clear'' - There are late signs of life but years of infighting have drained Labour of the energy, ingenuity and imagination to rule - 18th January
 * of leadership is driving Britain to despair'' - Instead of real argument on big issues, we get brittle, very boring election positioning. No wonder the public is already weary - 11th January
 * the ball is in Brown's court'' - Those close to Brown have wrung their hands, but not his neck. He should be brave, and invite a secret vote on his leadership - 7th January
 * and the Tories want the same thing: Nick Clegg'' - As the gap between the main two parties narrows, the Lib Dem leader has changed status – from wallflower to hot date - 4th January



Articles: 2009

 * Barack, Dave, here's how to be better in 2010'' - Stop smiling, start worrying, be nicer. These new year resolutions would be good for our political leaders, and for us - 28th December
 * Brown can still upset Cameron's enigma variations'' - The Tory leader wants to be all things to all people, but can't. If Labour found a new energy, we could see a hung parliament - 21st December
 * looming ageing crisis needs some grown-up solutions'' - It could be as serious a threat as climate change, yet so far politicians have barely considered what needs to be done about our aging population - 14th December
 * a 'make and do' Britain and Labour could flourish'' - Instead of arguing over the nature of cuts, No 10 should offer a positive vision of an economy less reliant on the bankers - 7th December
 * St Andrew's Day really matters. A split draws closer'' - Plans for a vote on Scottish independence are laid out today. They could change UK politics radically and forever - 30th November
 * next election winner will be a Harold Wilson, not a Tony Blair'' - The latest poll shows a narrowing gap between the parties: for the new prime minister it will be 1974 rather than 1997 - 23rd November
 * Cameron was wide of the mark'' - Tory predictions about the Queen's speech were way off. Instead we got a rather modest little package of bills - 19th November
 * tune in again. Our MPs are bringing big ideas back'' - Jackie Ashley: Just when we'd given up on politics, the likes of Cameron and Miliband start having real debates of vision and importance - 16th November
 * Eurosceptic wing will damage his government'' - Tories will suffer for their referendum divisions. But because of Labour's lack of confidence this will be after the election - 9th November
 * Afghan fantasy of control'' - It's time for Gordon Brown to ditch the fine-sounding language, and work out how to leave Afghanistan – the sooner, the better - 7th November
 * Expert enlisted. Speaks out. Gets sacked. It's a tradition - David Nutt is the latest in a litany of advisers cast out. It points to a wider puzzle for politicians: how to import talent - 2nd November
 * President Blair really would be good for Europe'' - Does the EU want to assert itself in a world dominated by China and the US? If so, it should look to the former PM - 26th October
 * collapse of Royal Mail would be an utter disaster'' - It's time for ministers and managers to stop fuming and show they value posties' work. Otherwise, a vital lifeline will be lost - 19th October
 * expenses scandal is back and yes, there's a bright side'' - A messy ending looms, which will further ravage reputations. But this time parliament is brewing the medicine to cure itself - 12th October
 * Conservative speech that didn't set the hall alight'' - In his workmanlike address David Cameron attacked Labour – but he didn't explain why the Conservatives would be any better - 8th October
 * dream of decentralisation'' - They say it'll take 10 years, but the Conservatives are aiming for lighter regulation and more social responsibility - 7th October
 * could well be the last ever UK prime minister'' - He loathes the idea, and is right to. But Tory cuts and a row with Europe only add momentum to Scottish independence - 5th October
 * revolution in care'' - Conference season 09: Setting up a National Care Service would be equivalent to the creation of the NHS – now to tell the public what social care is - 1st October
 * Labour ready to fix the system?'' - The politicians have gone quiet on voting reform. Looks like they might be about to embrace it - 29th September
 * is the time to look again and back Labour once more'' - We've all kicked it up and down the newspaper columns and TV shows, but this remains a party with the right instincts - 28th September
 * and Campbell united'' - Most influential Lib Dems see a chasm between themselves and the Conservatives, not David Cameron's 'cigarette paper' - 23rd September
 * cuts debate is a gift to Tories. Labour must talk tax'' - If ministers had any real fight left they would join Clegg in shifting focus from budget slashing to a new fairness agenda - 21st September
 * Lib Dems lead the left?'' - With Nick Clegg hitting his stride and Vince Cable topping the popularity polls, the party could even overtake Labour - 18th September
 * cuts should start with the middle classes'' - As the unions gather, the party needs to shore up its core vote – and remove benefits from those who don't need them - 14th September
 * Tory dystopia looms, yet ministers meekly sit and wait'' - We're months away from a government the left will hate. But Labour, gripped by defeatism, is just going through the motions - 7th September
 * has given way to the silence of the graveyard'' - Edward Goldsmith and Daniel Hannan may never be liberal heroes, but the left should recall the value of the shockers - 31st August
 * dodging ministers have made their own Libyan bed'' - Freeing the Lockerbie bomber could have been a time for open debate. Instead, Labour invited suspicion on itself - 24th August
 * I welcome the decline of the twittering classes'' - The upside of cringe-making middle-aged cybermania could be to drive teenagers to try more genuine socialising - 10th August
 * Phillips should go. But the whole body is misconceived'' - The head of the equalities commission inherited a project that assumed all minorities would share common views and goals - 27th July
 * joy from Norwich'' - Some sunshine for Cameron's Tories, another shower for Brown and Labour, but not a byelection to change the political weather - 25th July
 * not just the tabloid past that puts Coulson's role at risk'' - There isn't much ideology around in Team Cameron. Some say that without a sharper media fixer his Toryism will fall to pieces - 13th July
 * battle for Labour's soul starts and ends with equality'' - The party's post-credit crunch stance on social justice and poverty will define its future for generations to come - 6th July
 * needs to ask – just who are these New Tories?'' - To focus on the unknown quantity in Cameron's team is a better strategy than the sham of playing investment against cuts - 29th June
 * Bercow's tall order'' - As the newly-elected Speaker, John Bercow faces a massive task in rebuilding the reputation of the House of Commons - 23rd June
 * is now a discredited House, not a reforming one'' - There are some changes coming. But do we see real signs of a cleansed parliament reconnected to the public? Not really - 22nd June
 * 10% talk is teen politics. Give us a grown-up debate'' - Balls, a Tigger, should pay heed to the Eeyore-ish Darling. Labour ought to bin the slogans and be open on tax and spending - 15th June
 * save Labour, Gordon, go with grace and go today'' - The stakes are huge, but by allowing for a full leadership election, Brown could put his party back on track - 8th June
 * gender issue'' - Unlike Blair, Brown has never exactly nurtured female talent at cabinet level – a blokeish instinct that could now cost him dear - 3rd June
 * decimated left may make Ashdown's alliance a reality'' - Labour's will to live has gone. The policies of a Cameron government will only be resisted by a new centre-left coalition - 1st June
 * Kirkbride defence falls'' - The failure of the Bromsgrove MP to justify her expenses by the demands of being a mum should not deter women from politics - 29th May
 * has got the nerve to take Labour to pieces'' - His opportunism over expenses is amazing, he's a shameless mover and the country is more than likely to give him a go - 25th May
 * Speaker, new look'' - A new politics: Every aspect of the Speaker's role should change – including quitting as head of the House of Commons Commission - 20th May
 * Martin's end could be just the beginning'' - The expenses scandal is an opportunity to end the days of parliament as an elite club and rejuvenate democracy - 18th May
 * are so bad it's worth taking a risk with Ed or Alan'' - With Labour in meltdown, Miliband and Johnson may be the only ones with the moral authority to lead the party - 11th May
 * shambolic blame game is set to pull Labour apart'' - Brown's woeful week has his party panicked. Splits will intensify unless he – or Alan Johnson – can turn the polls around - 4th May
 * Gurkhas, MPs' expenses: Brown's hat-trick of own goals'' - Ill-advised and out-of-touch, Gordon Brown is fast losing political authority. The comparisons with John Major are ominous - 1st May
 * answer isn't to alter the system - it's to stop fiddling'' - It looks as though Gordon Brown's grand plan to reform MPs' expenses is dead in the water. I hope so - 27th April
 * Will the 50p tax gamble pay off?'' - Higher taxes for the rich is a stunning roll of the political dice, but its success depends on several factors - 23rd April
 * the clouds gather, Brown has to hug key allies tight'' - While factions obsess over the Great Thereafter, the prime minister needs to pay heed to Messrs Mandelson and Darling - 20th April
 * Brown's vicious side is now clear to the whole country'' - McBride was Brown's sinister prop for years, and the loneliness of office is no excuse. This is a dreadful day for No 10 - 13th April
 * Jacobin mood can cull Labour and Tory MPs alike'' - Anti-government feelings are high with tales of politicians on the take. But demagoguery could derail Cameron's party - 6th April
 * protesters are ragged, but don't brush them aside'' - The world's governments have sounded uncertain about the wider meaning of the economic crisis. But so do the world's protesters - 30th March
 * grandparents, Whitehall is woefully old-fashioned'' - They are an increasingly crucial part of families, yet get scant recognition. A small few changes could transform lives - 23rd March
 * the BBC learns generosity, it can become untouchable'' - To survive the recession, the corporation must place itself at the centre of an unselfish cultural network - 16th March
 * pick fights with friends? Brown must ditch his pride'' - Harman and Darling are the PM's most constant allies. He should let them speak out, rather than slap them down - 9th March
 * parties must end this mood of confusion and drift'' - On all sides there is everything to fight for. The dominance of the City types is over, and ideology matters again - 2nd March
 * digital revolution risks injuring the way we think'' - Be it Facebook or Twitter, new technologies deliver exciting new ways to engage. But we have to ask if there is a downside - 23rd February
 * me pass on a story about a possible lifeboat for Brown'' - As Cameron's message about Labour's failings begins to get through, rumours about the future are starting up again - 16th February
 * must be absolute'' - Thalidomide victims are growing older and need support, but only the state can do this properly - 10th February
 * chop City bonuses, start by cutting the testosterone'' - All sides agree banking's disastrously aggressive, risk-taking culture has to change. More women in finance might be a start - 9th February
 * needs the wisdom of older workers more than ever'' - Employment ageism is rife in these tough times. But businesses will be much weaker if they rid themselves of experience - 2nd February
 * broader, brighter team of Tories would benefit us all'' - Of course Cameron wants his friends around him, but choosing public, not party, favourites is a bold and confident move - 12th January
 * must admit mistakes: hearing otherwise just jars'' - Labour's leader has the chance to create a fairer society. But he can't keep claiming his handling of the boom was well-judged - 5th January



Articles: 2008

 * terms of spreading values, Mitchell mattered most'' - Of the three leftwing writers that died in 2008 Adrian Mitchell was the most successful - 29th December 2008
 * Lord Mandelson can learn from Labour's rebels'' - A version of the future that can rival more of the same neoliberalism need not be technophobic or sentimental - 22nd December 2008
 * is in, class is back, and Labour can win again'' - Crisis politics is all about coping and seeming the part. Now the Tories look a bit too complacent and chubby to win an election - 15th December 2008
 * this economic cauldron, a new Labour is being forged'' - In the minds of ministers a leftwing vision is replacing the dogmas of financial derivatives and pizza delivery - 8th December 2008
 * Queen's speech: Old Labour redux - Today's announcements were the work of an ageing party running scared of recession and terrorism - 3rd December 2008
 * is no defence. Smith failed in her first duty'' - The Damian Green affair reflects a lack of interest in the constitution, and a gutlessness about taking responsibility for policing - 1st December 2008
 * is gambling that today's fiscal boost will fail'' - As Alistair Darling announces his plan to save our economy, two men opposite him know it could end their careers - 24th November 2008
 * a crisis calling for big ideas, Osborne is woefully lacking'' - The shadow chancellor is suffering the contempt of the Nasty Party, but their current political failings aren't down to him alone - 17th November 2008
 * just been reminded that nothing is inevitable'' - Voters, from Glenrothes to the US, will listen to politicians who learn from their mistakes. But they do want the truth - 10th November 2008
 * of the prodigal Mandelson'' - Not all of Brown's bounce is down to the political Svengali, but he's certainly helped - 8th November 2008
 * planet is the big loser in Brown's economic assault'' - Labour looks set to let airports expand in the name of fighting recession. And the new climate secretary is silent - 3rd November 2008
 * recession means we must do politics differently'' - Rampaging markets and dull-eyed consumerism should take a back seat to fairness, fellowship and sustainable living - 27th October 2008
 * politics is back, and Brown can stand tall again'' - The global financial meltdown has given the prime minister a new confidence and, at last, a sense of direction - 13th October 2008
 * strategy works. But for emergency use only'' - I doubt even Brown knows how to follow up his stunning, coup-stalling Mandelson recall. It will be a bumpy ride - 6th October 2008
 * Tories still seem more Flashman than Gladstone'' - Cameron may have some distinctive policies, or he may be content to kick an unpopular government when it's down - 29th September 2008
 * this false show of unity, the rebels are plotting'' - In the midst of a crisis, Brown is doing a little better. But his greatest strength is still division among his enemies - 22nd September 2008
 * Labour party could be on the verge of destruction'' - Out of money, and facing an electoral smash and a massive factional fallout, it may not survive as a major political force - 15th September 2008
 * parties find real voices, the mavericks will flourish'' - Voters are tiring of the anodyne careerists who rule us now. Politicians choosing leaders should ditch the safe option - 8th September 2008
 * votes to spend more time with the undertakers'' - Unless Brown and his ministers can articulate an optimistic vision of what comes next, there is no chance of recovery - 1st September 2008
 * broken-foot summer: an edifying trip into Oldie World'' - Months on crutches left me alert to the tough political choices in a silvery-grey Britain, and to the power of empathy - 25th August 2008
 * Olympian feats can inspire our obese nation'' - The achievements of our sports stars can do more for our youngsters than any number of food education programmes - 18th August 2008
 * A principled, decent man, yes. But Brown has to go - David Miliband once seemed to be too fastidious for frontline politics, but suddenly he looks like a killer - 4th August 2008
 * Labour needs a new leader - even if that means a coup - Ministers must now act ruthlessly. The party lacks direction, and the public has already made up its mind about Brown - 28th July 2008
 * Equality is tricky, but women are in the workplace to stay - Despite the unintended consequences of greater maternity rights, there can be no way back to the old, male world of work - 21st July 2008
 * The Tory claim to be cleaner than Labour is already shot - 7th July 2008
 * Labour must decide. Sack or back him, deadline autumn - It can't go on like this. The top people need to make up their minds on Brown by conference time or the party will be in ruins - 30th June 2008
 * It's no longer populist to put jobs ahead of the climate - A bill to cut through the planning process for runways, motorways and nuclear power stations faces defeat this week - 23rd June 2008
 * It's risky, but there may yet be method in the maverick - Davis can make it much harder for Cameron to renege on civil liberties - and avoid being cast as the Tories' Frank Dobson - 16th June 2008
 * Europe hasn't gone away, and sceptics smell blood - The result of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty could well end up putting British membership in doubt - 9th June 2008
 * Ageism is no more tolerable than any other prejudice - Discrimination against old people is rife - and the government has the perfect chance to do something to reduce it - 2nd June 2008
 * The country wants a leader with style and swagger - If the electorate have turned decisively against Brown, it is doubtful his policies or personality can win them back - 26th May 2008
 * This fight really matters, and lays bare the big party divide - The embryo bill, with its ambush on abortion attached, crystallises the crucial clash: progressive Labour v reactionary Tory - 19th May 2008
 * No loser -nor yet a winner - Brown has been on the ropes, but today he rallied and came out fighting... - Labour has no easy answers, which gives Brown time for now. But if things stay bleak, MPs will revolt by autumn - 15th May 2008
 * Beware cosy deals between politicians and their pundits - Britain can learn lessons from the scandal of how the Bush administration used spin to sell the Iraq war to Americans - 12th May 2008
 * All Gordon can do is fight on - and hope his luck turns - Labour has no easy answers, which gives Brown time for now. But if things stay bleak, MPs will revolt by autumn - 5th May 2008
 * Are the Guardianistas rats? - Guardian commentators are accused of betraying Gordon Brown, but it's a mistake to view them as anyone's mouthpiece - 29th April 2008
 * Brown's retreat to his tribal comfort zone is suicidal - The Labour leader must acknowledge his own role in this mess - 28th April 2008
 * If the rebels prevail, Brown could be ousted in days - However noble the cause, Labour MPs up in arms over 10p tax must ask whether they want to inflict such grave damage - 21st April 2008
 * He may be disappointing, but Brown isn't a disaster - Ministers should make a better fist of defending the government, instead of calculating who will replace its leader - 14th April 2008
 * Brown has to get back in touch with Labour values - The Olympic torch was a great opportunity for him to stand up against a quasi-imperial power. It was completely muffed - 7th April 2008
 * Clarkson for prime minister? It's time women fought back - 31st March 2008
 * The ultimate taboo? - Nick Clegg seems more than willing to disclose his sexual exploits, but when it comes to drugs, politicians clam up. Why? - 1st April 2008
 * Fear and loathing in Downing Street - The infighting in Gordon Brown's cabinet seems to be spilling into the public domain: it's time for some new blood - 19th March 2008
 * We talked to the IRA, so why can't we talk to al-Qaida? - A former adviser to Blair says we should keep lines open to terrorists. It was rubbished by No 10, but he's right - 17th March 2008
 * Darling, doyen of dull - Budget 08: The chancellor came across like a dose of Night Nurse - soporific certainly, but soothing too - 12th March 2008
 * To tackle sleeze, parliament needs a chief executive - Our politicians are unaccountable and losing voters' trust. Only an independent outsider can clean things up - 10th March 2008
 * Brown needs to get his fists out if he is to beat the Tories - Labour seems short of energy and ideals. Tackling tax evasion might enthuse party - and voters - 3rd March 2008
 * The new faces of protest - Direct action is back. But with Labour being the new establishment, people power is coming from elsewhere - 28th February 2008
 * Martin has to go to restore public trust in parliament - MPs need a fresh start with a freely elected Speaker who promises to root out Westminster's culture of petty fraud - 25th February 2008
 * Tattoo too much? - Several hundred years ago, when I was a girl, it was simple. If someone had tattoos, it meant they'd been at sea - 21st February 2008
 * Richer but less happy, we are now a pill-popping people - It will take more than a change in prescription rules to break Britain's growing dependence on antidepressants - 11th February 2008
 * It's not a big idea but the old ideas that Brown needs now - More help for the poor is what we want to hear. The day this stops being a Labour issue is the day that the party is finished - 4th February 2008
 * Meaningless numbers - The statistics tell us our streets are getting safer, so why have the most furious exchanges in parliament this week been about violent crime? - 31st January 2008
 * Importing Olympic athletes isn't going to fool anybody - For British success to make us genuinely proud in 2012, there is no alternative to serious investment in sport - 28th January 2008
 * The national ID register will leak like a battered bucket - The record of lost data of the past few years should be a warning to us all: our personal details are safe in nobody's hands - 21st January 2008
 * Until all agree on funding, donor tales will run and run - Hain's stupidity is not grounds for resignation, but it shows again the need for clearer rules on political contributions - 14th January 2008
 * The US presidential race has exposed our blandness - We can no longer afford to feel smug superiority about the American system. They, unlike us, can thrill their voters - 7th January 2008



Articles: 2007

 * Brown must graciously accept this olive branch - 31st December 2007
 * Labour's yuletide U-turn suggests it has lost its way - 24th December 2007
 * Nick Clegg's narrow margin ensures the Liberal Democrats have a better leadership model than Labour or the Tories - 19th December 2007
 * Yes, we can act against the corruption of children's lives - 10th December 2007
 * Let them keep their heads - 5th December 2007
 * From deep in the mire come the first signs of a new dawn - 3rd December 2007
 * Down but not out - Gordon Brown's government - 28th November 2007
 * Summon the courage to be the man you promised us - Gordon Brown - 26th November 2007
 * To beat obesity, politicians must get serious about sport - 19th November 2007
 * Alex Salmond talks confidently of Scotland's independence, to the delight of the Tories. What should Labour do? - 14th November 2007
 * Britain must accept its role in the world is as a minor player - 12th November 2007
 * If the Queen voted, I doubt she'd plump for a pretty boy - 5th November 2007
 * This is what renewal means: turning geese into swans - 29th October 2007
 * The way we treat the old is both disgraceful and stupid - 22nd October 2007
 * This Brown-bashing, like the Gordolatry, is far overblown - 15th October 2007
 * He can survive being called a coward, but not a twister - 8th October 2007
 * Cameron's future now lies in the hands of the right - 1st October 2007



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