Ed Miliband ‘appeals to Labour’s lost voters': 8 in the morning – September 8th

Dugher stokes row with Jeremy Clarkson, brands Top Gear presenter “an idiot”

By Conor Pope

Labour Shadow Transport Secretary Michael Dugher has become embroiled in a bizarre row with Jeremy Clarkson after saying he is not a fan of Top Gear. Dugher said of the BBC show, which has a Guinness world record for being the most watched factual programme in the world, “I don’t watch the programme, it’s not my kind of telly.” But the Barnsley East MP had harsher words still for Clarkson, describing him as “basically an idiot” and questioning the extent […]

Clamp down on second jobs and nationalise railways, say LabourList readers

At the start of this week, allegations of a ‘cash-for-access’ scandal were levelled at Jack Straw MP and Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP. Following this, Ed Miliband reiterated his pledge that if Labour win in May, MPs of the party would be banned from taking up paid directorship and consultancy positions. Miliband went on to ask Cameron if he would support a bill to do the same for MPs across all parties. Labour used their Opposition Day in the Commons on Wednesday […]

Why we need Blue Labour

By Jon Wilson

Opposition is the most intellectually creative time for any political party. But Blue Labour has been the only significant movement of new ideas to emerge during the last five years. It began with Maurice Glasman’s anger one evening about Phillip Blond’s act of intellectual larceny, stealing ideas central to Labour’s tradition to forge his ‘Red Tory’ political brand. Blond had a point of course. Glasman and many of the rest of us believe the Labour Party had been taken over […]

Miliband and Balls attack government over rising student debt as Labour gets ready to make tuition fees pledge

Ed Miliband is expected to announce a reduction in tuition fees today. The Labour leader is speaking at Leeds College of Music this lunchtime where he will announce Labour’s fourth election pledge – which is expected to include a fees announcement. However overnight the party has gone on the attack over the failures of the current system – with the policy still being kept under wraps until later today (although of course it has been widely discussed in recent weeks). […]

The Tories don’t have any solutions to London’s cost of living problems

By Sadiq Khan

London needs a plan for growth. By 2022 a city the size of Birmingham will be added to London’s population. No city can afford to expand so quickly and do it in a haphazard fashion. It demands careful consideration and investment to avoid an unplanned mess. But in planning for growth we need to take all Londoners with us. This is a once in a lifetime chance to deliver an inclusive city. In which we hardwire tackling inequality into everything […]