Dear Gordon…

Chuka Umunna on what Britain can learn from Germany

In Defence of Social Democracy

Firstly, I would like to thank David Miliband for taking seriously the arguments which were presented in my recent article in The Political Quarterly, ‘In Praise of Social Democracy’ co-authored with Roy Hattersley. Obviously we disagree over the recent past and the future of the Labour Party, but this should be a debate over principles and not personalities. What does David argue? The implication is that we are being intellectually complacent – lazy even – wishing to retreat into some [...]

The tragedy of Chris Huhne

By Mark Ferguson

It was inevitable that he had to go – in fairness, it had been coming for some time. The spectre of the court case hung over him, further tarnishing his credibility. Powerful friends and allies had already exhausted their capacity for patience with him. He surely knew the game was up. Today he was cast adrift. Now the courts must decide whether he is guilty (and therefore banished from public life) or innocent (and perhaps, once again able to return [...]

Resignation calls after Tory Councillor’s “pudding bowl attack” on wife

According to local paper the Express and Star, a Dudley councillor is facing calls to resign after admitting assaulting his wife: “A councillor has admitted assault after throwing a pudding bowl at his wife’s head – sparking calls for him to resign. Tory councillor Paul Woodall’s wife Joanne was left with a one-inch cut to her forehead and blood pouring down her face, a court heard. Dudley Magistrates was told Woodall, 45, elected two years ago for Kingswinford North and [...]

Caroline Flint on Ed Davey’s appointment

After Ed Davey was announced as Chris Huhne’s replacement in the cabinet today, Caroline Flint called on him to “stand up to vested interests in the energy industry”: “David Cameron promised this would be the “greenest Government ever”. But on his watch the Green Investment Bank has been delayed, thousands of jobs and businesses in the solar industry have been put at risk and the UK has fallen from third in the world for investment in green growth to thirteenth. [...]