Blog
Peter Oborne: “This is the most sexist general election since the 1950s”
Respected political writer Peter Oborne asks the same question I did recently, and echoes the same thoughts: Whatever happened to female politicians in this election? Writing in The Mail, he describes this as "the most sexist general election since the 1950s". This is...
The ghost writer’s life
I really enjoyed Polanski's gripping thriller The Ghost which I saw last night. It is about a Blair-like PM accused of war crimes whose life is being written by a ghost writer referred to as the Ghost, played brilliantly by Ewan McGregor; I particularly liked the...
Our leaders’ debate and volcanic ash
I missed the ITV leaders' debate last night due to a social engagement in Cambridge, but caught up with the tail-end of it and saw Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg all standing poised in their party-colour co-ordinated ties. I enjoyed watching how the...
On the road with James
I'm teaching my youngest son James to drive and must admit it is not nearly as painful an experience as first time round. When David first put his L plates on my car, we could barely speak to each other when we returned home; he was furious with me for yanking up the...
Grazia and our glossy women candidates
The glossy Grazia magazine has added a political twist to its latest issue by featuring six aspiring female parliamentarians from Conservative and Labour and five alluring Liberal Democrats. Of course, they are all glamorous and impeccable dressed for their...
What are your views of the Conservative manifesto?
The Conservatives have launched the manifesto their supporters hope will return them to power after 13 years in opposition. Here are its key points from the BBC website, with some of my thoughts added:IN A NUTSHELLSticking to the theme of "Big Society", rather than...
What bloggers need to know about defamation
This is a guest post by barrister James Tumbridge following a report by Iain Dale highlighting the difficulties which Labour blogger Alex Hilton faces. It is a cautionary tale for us all: New media in the form of weblogs or ‘Blogs’, are subject to laws on...
The virtuous candidate’s spouse
Sandra Howard can enjoy a well earned rest this time round after serving as a political spouse during the last six general elections. She dismisses jibes about being regarded as "window dressing" in this report in The Times: “Didn’t you feel like just a bit of...
A Lib Dem vote will only help Gordon Brown
Robert Sturdy MEP and Trevor Ivory, Conservative parliamentary candidate for North Norfolk, explain why a Lib Dem vote is a vote for Gordon Brown. Vote for change, vote Trevor Ivory