Tag Archives: democracy

By chance, on the weekend that Ed Miliband was extolling the virtues of George Cadbury’s commitment to his workers in a speech on the economy, a new history of the Barrow Cadbury Trust – the grantmaking foundation that bears the … Continue reading

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Picking through the detritus of twitterings and commentary on The Speech, I came across the remarkable book-length essay, The Left Against Europe, penned in 1972 by Tom Nairn, the redoubtable Scottish new left thinker. Although its Marxian analytical framework is … Continue reading

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This week its Obama’s turn in the spotlight, as the Democrats assemble for their national convention. What are his chances of re-election for a second term?

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Historically, deep economic crises have tended to manifest themselves in ideological and political disruptions and paradigm shifts.

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I’m away for a summer break, so I thought I’d sign out from this blog for a couple of weeks with some holiday reading tips. 

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Should social democrats be conservative? Emphatically not, declares David Miliband in today’s New Statesman leader. Social democracy cannot win and govern successfully in defensive posture, putting up protective barricades around its remaining citadels. Nostalgia for a post-war heyday will not … Continue reading

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Two episodes shape my feelings about reform of the House of Lords.

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I am accountable to my own ideal of a civil servant. Sir William Armstrong, former head of the civil service (speaking in the 1970s) It is both ironic and encouraging that the Coalition government is setting out plans for reforming … Continue reading

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Last week I attended a party to celebrate David Blunkett’s 65th birthday and 25 years as an MP. I worked for David for a number of years when he was education and employment secretary and then home secretary. Almost everyone … Continue reading

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Whitehall is limbering up for the next spending review, due to be published before the end of 2013. It will shape a large part of the political debate at the coming general election, since it will set out government spending … Continue reading

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