Alex Smith

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 This is the note that my Mum received from the family of one of her students. I said in my article about private and state education yesterday that I would let everyone see it. Although she does work very…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 It doesn't take much to provoke me into writing in support of state schools, but Evening Standard reporter Paul Waugh is normally somewhat less sanguine. So it's interesting to read Paul's angry fisking of an…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 Total Politics are this afternoon launching their poll to find out which are the nation's favourite political blogs. In the past, the results have been skewed to the right, largely because of the early…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 UPDATE: Also on Next Left, Stuart White on why he doesn't find Peter Kellner's argument for AV convincing. Over on Next Left, Peter Kellner, the President of YouGov, has declared his support for the…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 Stephan Shakespeare, the owner and chief funder of ConservativeHome, has issued a stark warning to David Cameron that the Tory leader has not yet sealed the deal with the electorate and that "there is no sense…

Ken Livingstone is the former Mayor of London. He was previously leader of the Greater London Council, Labour MP for Brent East and a councillor in Lambeth. He met Alex Smith at his home in London on Tuesday, 14th July, 2009. It's been 14…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 In a new poll for the Guardian, published today, a majority of voters have for the first time said they want Britain's nuclear arsenal to be scrapped entirely. 54% of respondents said the Government should…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 The announcement today that the Conservatives are embracing open primaries in their selection in Totnes will impress many in our own movement who have argued for many months for Labour to adopt the system…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 Following from my post yesterday "It's not about left and right..." I've now received this message from Labour First into my inbox. Although it reflects some of my own thinking about the need to unify the…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 Recently, I posted an article addressed directly to disillusioned former Labour supporters, in which I said that "while a Labour government will always need to compromise, we can't compromise on the need for a…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 It seems Boris doesn't know his gas from his elbow when it comes to green policy and low-polluting cars. First, he scrapped the increased tax on the expensive, cumbersome and heavily-polluting 4x4s. Then he…

Martin Bell is the former BBC war correspondent and was the independent MP for Tatton between 1997 and 2001. He met Alex Smith (AS) and Anthony Painter (AP) on Monday, 6th July, 2009 at his home in London. As we begin the interview, we are…