Best of the Politics Blogs

Quick Exit It wasn’t the finest week for the boys in blue. When not pointlessly trying to reprimand me for helping myself to the unsold newspapers outside Starbucks, they appear to keep busy by knocking the public around and fatally undermining their own dawn raids. The Guardian’s release of video footage showing non-protester Ian Tomlinson being pushed to the ground, after which he suffered a ... read more

The gathering of the clans

Glencoe was the sight of the massacre of the MacDonalds - so it was perhaps not the most prudent name for the police operation to manage demonstrations marking the convergence of G20 leaders on London this week. Black humour in Scotland Yard perhaps?

On the eve of the protests, Socialist Unity predicted police brutality. Recalling Gleneagles, John Wright wrote: “It was inevitable that ... read more

A thin silver pencil

I was pleased to knock back some free plonk at the Orwell Prize debate on Wednesday, at which the shortlist for the inaugural blog award was announced.

The wonderful Alix Mortimer was first “dumbfounded, and a little shuffly,” in response to her shortlisting – and then irked by Nick Cohen's eccentric behavior during the subsequent debate. Ignoring the proposition (that political parties ... read more

Blogger shall speak peace unto blogger

In an interview with the Times a few years ago, Jonathan Dimbleby took something of a risk by saying of his employers: “The BBC produces wonderful programmes; it also produces a load of old rubbish”. He went on: “Until it gets rid of the rubbish, the pressure will always be there for people to ask, "Why pay this poll tax?". Why indeed.

Former ... read more

Responding to murder

It's been more than ten years since peace in the country has experienced such violent hiatus – and the murders of army and police personnel by republican terrorists in Northern Ireland has dominated the blogosphere this week.

John Wright, writing on Socialist Unity, was unsurprised by the Antrim attack, believing that it exposed underlying flaws in the peace process.

“It involved throwing money at the ... read more

Baron Greenback

Politicians ought to be used to having things hurled at them by now. Purple powder at Blair, shoes at Bush, an egg at John Prescott. This week, Lord Mandelson became the latest victim of wordless but eloquent protest – and was drenched in green gunge.

Leila Deen was angry at Mandelson's support for the Heathrow expansion, according to Plane Stupid's Richard, whose blog documents some of ... read more

Mr JusticeJack Straw may have changed his name to invoke a peasant's revolt leader, but his decision to block the publication of minutes from key cabinet meetings in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq has stirred popular uprising among bloggers.

The tireless Chris Ames, posting on the Index on Censorship Free Speech Blog, neatly summarises the situation. Commenting on Conservative position on Straw's decision, he noted ... read more

Some sunny day

A shaft of light pierced the darkness last week; news that Dame Vera Lynn is mulling over court action against the British National Party, for failing to secure her consent to use 'The White Cliffs of Dover' and 'All alone in Vienna' on a fund-raising album. The cloudy issue of rights ownership aside, bloggers generally regarded it as a pleasing and symbolic rebuke to the far right.

Liberty and Lords

Thursday 12th was an unlucky day for Dutch politician Geert Wilders, whose absurd hairdo and appalling film-making skills were sent packing at Heathrow.

While few had any time for 'Fitna,' the crude and offensive film that Wilders was hoping to screen in the House of Lords, as a liberty-loving bunch, bloggers were almost universally dismayed by the decision to ban him from entering the UK. The role ... read more

Too schooled for cool

When faced with the dilemma of my education, my parents poured over the prospectuses for Poshington College and Gasworks Comprehensive. After much anguished hand-wringing, they came to the right decision. David Cameron has been similarly wrestling with the knotty issue - and has now decided to send his sprogs to London comps (“pathetic!” barked the rather mean Labour Boy).

While the headlines focussed on ... read more

Making a living: the Conway

In this week's Friday report we bring turn back the clock. One year ago, Tory bad-boy Derek Conway was at the centre of a hullabaloo over his improper use of our money to pay his louche and eccentric sons as researchers, despite their apparently not having conducted any research.

Marking the anniversary, Conway was this week further rebuked the Standards and Privileges Committee – and ... read more

Dawn breaking

Like many people, I drank a six-pack of Coors to celebrate the inauguration of President Obama this week. His elevation to leader of the free nations may have be causing ripples around the world – but he could hardly have anticipated the impact it would have on the streets of Brent.

Boundary changes have left sitting MPs Dawn Butler and diminutive Lib Dem Sarah Teather engaged in an ... read more