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Richard Robinson's Speech Bubble Two observations immediately spring to mind; first there is a General Election imminent, second it's a rough and tumble life in politics (especially if you are in any way currently associated with the Labour…
The Paul Richards column I don't care what other people earn, unless it is below a level that can sustain a decent standard of life. I don't think it's 'unfair' if the chief executive of Suffolk county council earns over £100,000, or…
The Paul Richards Column I am sending this dispatch from deep behind enemy lines: the Novotel in Dickinson Street, Manchester, just outside the secure zone of the Conservatives' conference. I am here to address a fringe meeting organised by…
By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 Just before leaving Brighton this afternoon, I spoke to John Pienaar about conference week. You can listen to my weary thoughts on Brown, Mandelson, the Sun, the internet and more here.
Paul Richards' Conference Notebok As I told Carolyn Quinn on BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour on Sunday night, Brown's speech today needs to have tackling anti-social behaviour at its heart. The Respect Agenda, which was launched after the…
Paul Richards' Conference Notebook Very flat, Brighton. Yesterday was the emptiest I have ever seen conference. You could get a drink at the bar, and get into the secure zone without queuing for hours. The Metropole and Grand had empty…
The Paul Richards column Next year marks an important political milestone: it will be 25 years since Peter Mandelson entered front-line Labour politics. This silver jubilee deserves street parties, at the very least. Leaving aside his time…
The Paul Richards column History was one of the few subjects I really enjoyed at school. I was taught it by a teacher called Dick Small. He went on to be a Tory election agent, but he can be forgiven for that ideological crime (although not…
The Paul Richards column With summer a fading memory, what will be occupying the minds of ministers and their advisers in coming days is the big conference speech. A conference speech is the chance for ministers to make or break their…
The Paul Richards column I was saddened to hear of the death this week of Senator Teddy Kennedy, who has died aged 77. He lived rather longer than Mary Jo Kopechne, who was only 28 when she drowned in the car Teddy Kennedy drove off the…
The Paul Richards column Like death, Labour going into opposition is one of those subjects people don't like talking about. Some people think that not talking about it makes it less likely to happen. Others consider any public discussion of…
The Paul Richards column Long ago Tony Benn warned us that Labour's conference was becoming so sanitised that all the politics would be removed. Instead of bringing resolutions, delegates would bring balloons, and it would end up like the…
