Wednesday 27th January 2010

6.15pm WATCH: Lord Goldsmith tells the Chilcot Inquiry what led to him change his view on the legality of the Iraq War in March 2003

6pm LeftWatch: The Liberal Democrat MP with the smallest majority admits that she doesn't have a mind of her own

5.15pm New posts on CentreRight:

• Iain Murray: Climategate Chickens Coming Home to Roost?
• Nick Bosanquet: Short term expenditure vs. long term growth

5.15pm Closing the deal 10/10: Make 'Cameron the movie'

4.15pm Closing the deal 9/10: Team Cameron need to build better relationships with MPs, journalists and other key friends

4.15pm WATCH: William Hague slams Labour's economic record and seeks Harriet Harman's support for banking reforms proposed by President Obama

4pm Parliament: Conservative MPs demand that Home Information Packs be abolished - but the Labour minister defends them, saying "thousands of jobs" now depend on them

2.30pm Alex Deane on CentreRight gives his take on the Tory Crime Manifesto

1.15pm Andrew Haldenby on CentreRight: How to save the saver

12.30pm ToryDiary: Harman and Hague clash at PMQs on Afghanistan and banking regulation

ToryDiary: The recent talks with the UUP and DUP were all about trying to bolster peace and security in Northern Ireland

Tim Loughton MP on Platform: Ed Balls' pathetic response to the Edlington torture case is a tragedy

LeftWatch: Labour failed in its mission to narrow the gap between rich and poor as inequality hits a 60-year high

Seat and Candidates Search for 100 Peers: Shami Chakrabarti

Local Government:

• Hounslow freezes Council Tax for fourth year running
• How should councils cope with Freedom of Information requests?

WATCH: In an interview with Jeremy Paxman yesterday, Alistair Darling tries to claim credit for bringing the country out of recession

How a double dip recession could emerge a fortnight before the election

"Gordon Brown was last night facing the prospect of going into this year's general election with Britain's economy back in recession. The spectre of such a "double dip" downturn was being discussed as a realistic possibility after official figures showed that Britain's economy was barely in positive territory in the fourth quarter of last year... Ministers are nervous that the initial figures for the first quarter of this year could show the economy slipping back into negative growth due to the withdrawal of the Government's fiscal stimulus programme and the need for household debt to be repaid. They will be published on 23 April, just two weeks before the expected election date of 6 May." - The Independent

"Output figures for the last quarter of 2009, released early yesterday, were expected to show a return to growth but the margin of 0.1 per cent was far smaller than predicted... Shadow chancellor George Osborne added: "Let's be clear – this is about as weak growth as you can get." He said the figures had shown up as "nonsense" claims by Prime Minister Gordon Brown that the UK was better prepared than other nations to tackle recession. "We were badly prepared for this recession and we're badly prepared for recovery," he said." - The Herald

"Our recession lasted longer than our main competitors: six quarters, against four. The scale of our collapse – we shrunk by 6 per cent – was much greater than in America (down 3.8 per cent) or France (down 3.5 per cent) but not as bad as Germany (down 6.7 per cent) or Japan (down 8.6 per cent). The UK was the only G7 country to stay in recession in the third quarter of last year and lagged the US, Euro area and Japan in the fourth quarter. We got the least bang for our buck when it comes to spending taxpayers’ money, monetary activism and currency depreciation." - Allister Heath in City AM

If the Conservatives win the election, they will inherit an even sicklier economy than previously anticipated. - David Prosser in The Independent

> Yesterday's ToryDiary: The British economy is out of recession... and big drum roll... is growing by 0.1%

Ken Clarke and Lord Mandelson debate the economy

"In a TV first, the former chancellor and current business secretary clashed on a series of issues - from spending to national debt and the prospect of tax hikes - with Jon Snow at one point being forced to "call a truce". In almost comical scenes, the arch-enemies accused each other of "irrelevance" and "nonsense" as Mandelson insisted that, at root, they were in agreement." - Channel Four News

> Yesterday's ToryDiary

Tories propose to encourage running businesses from council homes

"David Cameron wants to remove tenancy agreement restrictions that prohibit the inhabitants of the four million homes run by registered social landlords or councils from setting up an office. In the past most landlords were reluctant to condone businesses in council homes because these often involved noisy or disruptive practices such as car maintenance, wholesale trading using big vans, or rag and bone work. In some cases tenants were involved in black market dealings. However, Grant Shapps, the Shadow Housing Minister, said that most council tenants now wanted to use phones or the internet to carry out their business." - The Times

David Cameron: teach children to treat gay people equally

"Schools should teach children that homosexuality is normal and civil partnerships have as much value as marriage, David Cameron has said. The Conservative leader said that equal treatment for homosexual people should be “embedded” in teaching." - Daily Telegraph

John Redwood: don't jail burglars and car thieves

"John Redwood, a former Cabinet minister, said that non-violent thieves and fraudsters should be made to pay compensation and fines instead of spending time in prison. Mr Redwood, an influential figure on the Tory right, said the policy would help the government cut its spending on prisons, and do more to help the victims of theft." - Daily Telegraph

The days of the "shy Tory" are over

"The public's reaction against Labour's record of tax and spend, together with the impact that the party has had in changing people's views on the value of equality, has created a Britain that looks to be ready for a Conservative government once more – so long as it is prepared to recognise how Britain has changed socially since the party was last in power. For the first time in 20 years, it is even the case that more people are prepared to declare they are "a Conservative" than acknowledge being a Labour supporter. The days of the "shy Tory" seem to be over." - John Curtice in the Daily Telegraph

> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Britain moves to the Right (and NOT away from the poor)

> On CentreRight yesterday, Mark Wallace concluded that the new Social Attitudes Survey showed Britain becoming broadly libertarian

Conservative prospects in Wales analysed

"The coming general election promises considerable political change for Wales... Should David Cameron become Prime Minister, his contingent of MPs from Wales will be the largest for some years, but will also be the most inexperienced." - Western Mail

Tories must talk about the next generation - Daniel Finkelstein in The Times

Gordon Brown to miss PMQs today for Northern Ireland talks - Sky News

Mandelson says Blair will campaign at the election - Reuters

Lord Goldsmith appears before the Chilcot Inquiry today - The Guardian

Science tsar: Impact of global warming has been exaggerated - The Times

Voters "prefer attractive politicians" - Daily Telegraph

And finally... The Sun has obtained embarrassing footage of Boris on the dance floor

"It's a night-mayor on the dance floor — and Boris is definitely killing the groove! This hilarious video shows London Mayor Boris Johnson showing off his two-step at the London City Hall Christmas bash. The clip — taken by a partygoer on a mobile phone — shows the gaffe-prone Mayor grooving on a 70s style disco dance floor with a colleague. Boris's moves, made to the disco hit Boogie Nights, clearly made the right impression with the ladies though — attracting a bevy of female co-workers to the stage." - The Sun

Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary and visit PoliticsHome.com for breaking political news and views throughout the day.

100 days until the General Election*

* Assuming 6th May

5.15pm Mark Wallace on CentreRight: Britain is becoming broadly libertarian

4.30pm Tim Montgomerie on CentreRight: I don't care about international law

4pm ToryDiary: Watch Clarke beat Mandelson in first TV clash of the big beasts

12.30pm ToryDiary: Benedict Brogan on Northern Ireland

Noon Local government: Mayor of Camden investigated for benefits fraud

10am ToryDiary: The British economy is out of recession... and big drum roll... is growing by 0.1%

ToryDiary: Britain moves to the Right (and NOT away from the poor)

Rob Wilson MP on Platform: Is Brown the hero of this recession as he claims to be?

Parliament: Tories defeat Government attempts to force religious bodies to employ gay people

Local government: Tory councillors pull out of the EPP and Demand for more grammar schools has not gone away

Melanchthon on CentreRight discusses social attitudes to homosexuality and cohabitation

WATCH: Highlights of State of the Union speeches from America's Presidents

Tory lead up to 11% - Guardian | Yesterday's evening's ToryDiary

Recession expected to be declared over today - BBC

"The Tory leader hopes to convince voters that Mr Brown is behaving recklessly with the nation’s finances, comparing the British deficit with the one in Greece, which has sharply pushed up the country’s borrowing costs. He said the UK could be hit by higher long-term interest rates that would be passed on to the nation’s borrowers and mortgage-holders." - FT

"By the time of the election, will the prospect of Osborne's emergency budget seem to voters like a threat or a promise? The answer will determine the outcome." - Steve Richards in The Independent

"The survey of 185 business leaders by ComRes found that the proportion who detected signs of economic optimism in their sector rose from 36% last month to 48% this month." - Independent

Channel 4/ ICM survey suggests Labour WILL NOT benefit from end of recession

Cameron offers support for faith schools

"'I support faith schools, I think they have a lot to bring to education. I'm in favour of choice and discretion. I think that actually drives up quality and standards in our education system. Faith schools often bring a culture and an ethos to a school that can help them improve. I'm a supporter politically and personally." - David Cameron quoted by the Daily Mail

A unique chance to choke demand for ivory once and for all - Nick Herbert in The Independent

Alan Duncan: Prison works policy “repulsively simplistic” - Express

Gordon Brown believes Conservatives endangering Northern Ireland peace

"One senior government source said: "We are simply astonished at what the Tories are doing. The Northern Ireland peace process has been strengthened by the bipartisan approach between all the major parties at Westminster. Holding talks at a country estate – and excluding the nationalists – is absolutely not within that spirit."" - Guardian

The modern Tory party ignores the advice of rightwing writers - Aditya Chakrabortty in The Guardian

Labour leads on Twitter

"Judged by volume alone, Labour MPs and activists dominate the political sphere on Twitter, a year-long study of the short-form communication site has found." - FT

> Yesterday's ToryDiary: David Cameron should join Twitter

UKIP threatens Tory candidate's chances of ousting Scottish Secretary - Herald

Tony Blair, the former prime minister, is to be paid thousands of pounds by a hedge fund whose founder is a major donor to the Conservatives - Telegraph

Reviewing Newsnight's review of its thirty years of broadcasting, Charles Moore highlights the underlying biases - Telegraph

Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary and visit PoliticsHome.com for breaking political news and views throughout the day.

Monday 25th January 2010

6.45pm ToryDiary: Tory lead up 2% to 11% in new ICM/ Guardian poll

6pm Robin Simcox on CentreRight: 0% of US citizens face political persecution

5.45pm ToryDiary: Hague, Boris and Osborne favourites to be next Tory leader

5pm WATCH: David Cameron responds to Tim Montgomerie's encouragement to join Twitter

4pm Closing the deal 8/10: Lively campaign websites for key voter groups

3pm Closing the deal 7/10: Cameron should join Twitter and soon

1pm Closing the deal 6/10: Big regional roles for the big beasts

1pm Closing the deal 5/10: Distinctive policies on crime, political ethics and tax

12.45pm WATCH: David Cameron compares Brown's borrowing to a credit card debt (we start repaying now or pay a lot more later)

Noon Closing the deal 4/10: Define the limit on net immigration

Local government: Call to give directly elected Mayors extra powers.

11.30am ToryDiary: Highlights from David Cameron's monthly press conference

11am Closing the deal 3/10: Set out five clear principles for budget reduction

10am Closing the deal 2/10: Prepare, prepare and prepare for the debates

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Closing the deal 1/10: This election is a choice between a hung parliament and a strong Conservative government

ToryDiary: Northern Ireland is going to be a time-consuming issue for the current Prime Minister - and his likely successor - in the coming months

LeftWatch: "The Tory party's intellectuals are clambering on the "global warming isn't caused by mankind" bandwagon with as much enthusiasm as they used to speak up for apartheid South Africa."

Zehra Zaidi on Platform: The winds of change blow an unsteady course in Iran

Local government:

• Tory councillors attack Michael Gove's Free Schools policy
• Mark Wallace: Defending freedom of information

Seats and candidates: Countdown to the Salisbury selection meeting and It's been a week of campaigning, court appearances and a christening for Erewash PPC, Jessica Lee

International: Nine observations on the Republican comeback

Ben Rogers on CentreRight: A brief history of Islamism

Election debates run into trouble

"Plans have been thrown into chaos after the leaders demanded only the hosts should be allowed to pose questions for fear members of the public might make fools of them. The prime minister also wants the audience packed with twice as many Labour supporters as Tories, to match his Commons majority. But Mr Cameron insists there should be more Conservative voters to reflect his lead in opinion polls." - Daily Mail

George Osborne: Britain needs a new economic model

"Government must help with a modern planning system, encouraging green investment, and providing modern transport infrastructure. Above all, with a record one in five young people out of work, government must provide the education, training and welfare reform we need to get Britain working." - George Osborne in The Times

Outcry by military top brass forces Cameron to delay General Sir Richard Dannatt's appointment as Tory peer - Daily Mail

> James Forsyth: "One of the biggest mistakes David Cameron has made as leader of the opposition was the announcement at Tory party conference that Sir Richard Dannatt was to become a Tory peer and would likely serve in a Tory government. It devalued all of Dannatt’s previous criticisms of the government over its treatment of the army and the equipment shortages in Afghanistan."

Anti-Semitism is on the rise, which makes memorial day all the more vital - Michael Gove in The Telegraph

David Miliband: Tories stand for abolishing inheritance tax, bringing back fox-hunting and isolating Britain in Europe - FT

Harriet Harman's law 'will force churches to hire gays' - Daily Mail

The Financial Times attacks Tory marriage policy as the wrong social justice priority.

Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie under fire for £10,000 travel expenses bill - Herald

Liberal Democrats are set to gain the most from Iraq inquiry - Times

Three in four people want still tougher crackdown on bankers’ pay and salaries - FT/ Harris poll

Public services could cut costs by 15% - Guardian

And finally...

Boris Johnson on the depressing contradictions of Avatar - Telegraph

Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary and visit PoliticsHome.com for breaking political news and views throughout the day.

Sunday 24th January 2010

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7pm Ben Rogers on CentreRight: Stop the preachers of hate

5.30pm ToryDiary: Chris Grayling backs an extension of "Sarah's Law"

4.30pm WATCH: David Davis - and Tony Benn - speak at last week's launch of Big Brother Watch

2.45pm Ruth Lea on CentreRight: Three cheers for technical Academies

1pm WATCH: Kwasi Kwarteng's winning pitch to the voters of Spelthorne at last Friday's Open Primary

12.30pm Seats and Candidates: The 46 Labour and Lib Dem MPs in Tory target seats who will avoid the electorate's verdict at the general election

11.30am WATCH: Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth lets slip that the election is scheduled for May 6th

ToryDiary: Ken Clarke warns George Osborne against making "great cuts with calamitous consequences"

LeftWatch: "Avowed atheist David Miliband sends son to Church of England school"

Philip Booth on Platform: The Conservatives must give their proposed Swedish-style "free schools" a lot more freedom

Seat and Candidates: Esther McVey's Labour MP opponent throws in the towel

Local Government: Birmingham Council plans to raise £6 million advertising revenue over 10 years

Parliament:

• Conservatives bid to save the remaining hereditary peers
• Peter Bone brands Returning Officers wanting Friday election counts as "tin-pot, upstart little town clerks"

WATCH: Gerry Adams calls for urgent talks on devolving policing and justice powers in Northern Ireland

Different polls tell different stories this morning

"David Cameron is set to sweep Gordon Brown aside and secure at least a 38-seat majority in the General Election, a shock poll reveals today. The ICM poll carried out for the News of the World shows the Conservatives have managed to secure a thumping 8.5 per cent swing in key marginal seats across the country." - News of the World

"The unfair Westminster voting system means the Tories could win five million more votes, but still barely control parliament. The poll shows that, in the all-important marginal seats, Tory supporters outnumber Labour supporters three to two. But it doesn’t matter how much the Tory vote goes up in seats that the Tories don’t actually take. Result? Cameron looks set to pull off the biggest pro-Tory swing since 1935 — yet may still barely have enough MPs to pass laws." - Fraser Nelson in the News of the World

"The Tories are now on 38 per cent – nine ahead of Labour’s unchanged rating of 29 per cent, with the Lib Dems flatlining on 19 per cent. If repeated at the General Election, the figures in our Sunday Mirror/ComRes survey would mean a hung Parliament, with the Tories five seats short of what they need to get in to Downing Street." - Sunday Mirror

> Last night's ToryDiary: Tories 9% ahead in new ComRes poll and heading for majority of 38 in ICM/ News of the World marginals survey

> Paul Goodman recently wrote on ConHome that fairer seat size must be a Conservative priority

"The lessons of the Edlington torture case will never be learnt unless the Serious Case Review (SCR) is published, the Conservatives have claimed. They stepped up pressure on Children's Secretary Ed Balls to accept the need for "openness" and reveal the results." - BBC

"We urgently need to reform and improve child protection in this country. Every year, new cases of scarcely imaginable horror hammer at the nation's conscience. Governments pledge that lessons must be learnt, but the documents that contain those lessons are kept under lock and key, censored by the establishment." - Michael Gove quoted in The Observer

"Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, pointed out that the brothers jailed indefinitely for the torture and abuse of two boys were the sons of married parents – undermining the Tory leader's case that bolstering the institution of marriage was essential to mending the problems in society." - Independent on Sunday

"It is probably asking too much of an opposition leader that he refrain from riding waves of moral outrage. But Mr Cameron should be careful how he describes the country he wants to govern. He needs to be more precise about where the fractures lie and how Conservative remedies will mend them." - Observer editorial

Tory plan to reveal pupil truancy rates

"Schools will be required to tell parents their truancy rates, the number of applications they receive, and their success in winning university places, under plans being considered by the Conservatives. The scheme would be part of plans to increase the information given to parents to help them choose which state school their children should attend if the Tories win the next election." - Sunday Times

Alan Duncan says it is "repulsively simplistic" to say that "prison works"

"David Cameron’s proposed crackdown on law and order was in chaos last night after a revolt by his outspoken Shadow Prisons Minister Alan Duncan. In a series of highly controversial remarks, Mr Duncan reportedly told a prisons conference it is ‘repulsively simplistic’ to say that prison works; ‘Lock ’em up’ is ‘Key Stage 1 politics’; and prisoners should be ‘met at the gate’ on release from jail. In addition, Mr Duncan is said to have privately voiced opposition to a new plan by Mr Cameron to use prison ships to incarcerate more criminals." - Mail on Sunday

Prison ship policy shock splits Tories - The Observer

> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Prison ships are being considered by the Conservatives as a way of meeting capacity

Liam Fox praises Armed Forces after 250th British soldier is killed in Afghanistan

"It is very clear that the insurgents and terrorists on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border present not only a threat to the security of the region, but also to Western countries, including the UK. We are fortunate to have volunteer Armed Forces willing to defend our national security, even at the cost of their lives." - Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox quoted in the Mail on Sunday

Army block top Tory job for Richard Dannatt - News of the World

David Davis: I'm all for matrimony, but we must not forget those who are divorced, widowed or abandoned

"I want to see the tax system recognise and reinforce marriage. This is not, for me, an issue of morality. People's moral choices are nothing to do with the state. It is simply an issue of reinforcing what works best for most children in most circumstances... It is clear the Conservatives favour reinforcing marriage. It should be clear that we do not intend to do so in a way that compounds the misfortune of the widow, the divorcee, the abandoned mother." - David Davis MP writing in The Observer

Boris: Banks are vital to London

"Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has issued a fierce defence of financial services in today's Observer, insisting that the capital "needs a banking sector that is big, dynamic and willing to experiment with new products." - The Observer

Brown steals Tory clothing on protecting householders

"Gordon Brown has sent out a clear message to Britain's courts to be fairer and show more "mercy" to householders who confront burglars... The Conservatives have pledged to review the law if they win power, with "grossly disproportionate" force one of the benchmarks they are considering." - Sunday Telegraph

> Tuesday's ToryDiary: Tories launch the crime chapter of the draft manifesto

Ken Clarke pledges Cadbury visit

“I am prepared to believe Kraft have bought this business in order to develop it and not to damage it,” he added. “I hope to visit Birmingham shortly to receive such assurances as I can that the traditions of the company and the workforce will be preserved by its new owners.” - Shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke quoted in the Wolverhampton Express and Star

"Ken Clarke, the shadow secretary for business, accused the government of "neglecting" Britain's manufacturing industry and allowing it to fall into a downward spiral." - The Observer

Gordon Brown's right-hand Whitehall mandarin to be kept on by Tories

"David Cameron would retain Gordon Brown's top civil servant as his right-hand man in Downing Street if the Tories won the general election – as part of plans aimed at ensuring a quick, efficient transition to a Conservative government. The Tory leader, who is desperate to avoid squandering his first term in office, intends to reappoint Sir Gus O'Donnell – the mandarin who has been more closely associated with Brown than any other in Whitehall – as cabinet secretary for his entire first term in office... Cameron is also understood to have reassured his shadow ministers that they will retain their current portfolios in government unless they commit serious blunders between now and the election, expected on 6 May." - The Observer

Annabel Goldie to stop billing taxpayer for first class travel - Sunday Herald

Foreign Office officials thought Iraq war 'illegal' - Independent on Sunday

Iraq war was illegal, top lawyer will tell Chilcot inquiry - The Observer

Labour MP pretended daughter was landlord  in £13,000 expenses scam - Sunday Times

Party leaders want TV debate audience to be silenced - News of the World

And finally... Government says people heavily in debt can pay off bailiffs with credit cards

"Bailiffs have been given permission to collect debts by credit card from people who are already struggling with monthly bills... Grant Shapps, the shadow Housing minister, said: “You couldn’t make it up. Labour ministers have actually given the go-ahead for aggressive bailiffs to collect debts by credit cards. This callous approach will give the green light for aggressive bailiffs to demand credit card payments with menace, pushing some of the most vulnerable in our society deeper into debt." - Sunday Telegraph 

Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary and visit PoliticsHome.com for breaking political news and views throughout the day.