Eric Pickles and the Contaminated Blood Bill

Eric Pickles and the Contaminated Blood Bill

I was standing yesterday in the central lobby of Westminster under its magnificent gold chandelier, flanked by a statue of former prime minister William Gladstone, and with the heroic St George looking down on me, one of the stunning paintings which grace this unique...
Pythons and pyjama shoppers

Pythons and pyjama shoppers

I’m just back from spending the day in Wisbech with my mother and we did a spot of shopping.  I can tell you they are very well dressed shoppers in the Fenland capital; we did not see one slovenly dressed shopper wearing slippers and pyjamas. I was looking out...
Blair and Iraq

Blair and Iraq

I never expected an apology or regrets from Tony Blair when he gave evidence at the Iraq Inquiry.  What I have always found surprising is that public fury over the war, the sexed-up dossier of weapons of mass destruction and the tragic death of Dr David Kelly in...
Norfolk braces itself for the big switch off

Norfolk braces itself for the big switch off

It’s an eerie thought. Street lights switched off throughout the country between midnight and 5am to reduce carbon emissions. I wonder if this could really happen. It’s already set to happen in parts of Norfolk, despite fears that it will lead to soaring crime...
Where does your out-of-hours doctor come from?

Where does your out-of-hours doctor come from?

I cannot make any sense of it all. How can two GPs be expected to provide professional out-of-hours medical cover for an entire county? It’s been reported that this is sometimes the level of cover provided in Suffolk. When my mother-in-law was dying last year, we...
Celebrating 30 years of Newsnight

Celebrating 30 years of Newsnight

As I celebrate a friend’s special birthday tonight, I must confess that my thoughts will not be with Jeremy Paxman and his guests from the political and celebrity world who are marking 30 years of Newsnight. I’m recording this on Sky+ to watch later. It’s a...