Published in The Guardian (February 19th, 2013) A few weeks ago I had a coffee with one of the most admired Tory thinkers. A radical libertarian, he spent […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
The real meaning of the PM’s speech on Europe
Published on ConservativeHome (January 23rd, 2013) This is my annotated take on David Cameron’s keynote speech on Europe, given after much delay at Bloomberg. My notes are in […]
Immigration / Politics
Confront the pessimistic protest politics of UKIP
Published in the London Evening Standard (December 19th, 2012) Nick Clegg has made a lot of noise this week, celebrating his fifth anniversary as Liberal Democrat leader with […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
Sensible rebellion on Europe, for all the wrong reasons
Published in The Financial Times (November 2, 2012) From the start of his leadership, David Cameron urged his party to stop banging on about Europe. It alienated voters, he […]
Economics / Environment / Policy / Politics
Tory retreat on climate change is senseless
Published in The Guardian (October 29th, 2012) The year after David Cameron became Tory party leader, he did something party leaders normally never do: he spoke at a […]
Politics
Modern conservatism that unites the party’s left and right
Published in The Guardian (October 10th, 2012) David Cameron will never be an orator whose barnstorming speaking rouses a hall to its feet. He strikes out the flashier […]
Politics
Cameron must modernise, not appease the reactionaries
Published in The Independent (October 8th, 2012) Over the years, many people have said David Cameron is a man who seems comfortable in his own skin.The first time […]
Crime / Policy / Politics
Could Chris Grayling be the ultimate Tory moderniser?
Published in The Independent (September 22nd, 2012) So here we go again: an apparently hardline new justice minister throwing red meat to the baying wolves. Chris Grayling, having […]
Immigration / Policy
The Tories are becoming the ‘nasty party’ on immigration
Published in The Guardian (June 11th, 2012) The manifesto commitment could hardly have been clearer: the Conservatives were going to make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe. […]
Politics
Tea Party zombies long to lurch further right
Published in The Independent (May 7th, 2012) A few days before last week’s local elections, the Tory MP Nadine Dorries wrote an article for the ConservativeHome website begging […]
Economics / Politics
Osborne has sent a missile into six years of Tory modernisation
Published in The Guardian (March 21st, 2012) There was much to admire when this heavily leaked budget was finally delivered: the cut in corporation tax, the lifting of […]
Politics
Why Dave will miss this hawk in hippy’s clothing
Published in the Daily Mail (March 3rd, 2012) Last week in Downing Street there was a seminar on the future of cities. First a Danish architect spoke of […]