Best of the Politics Blogs

The Nats are biting

The Scottish Government faced the British Government and won - when the SNP candidate, John Mason, emerged victorious in the Glasgow East by-election, early in the hours of Friday morning. But while nationalists got some hard-earned sleep, Not a Sheep complained bitterly that the BBC’s coverage of the by-election was seen “through a Labour prism”.

Seeing it through a Labour prism, On Liberty Now ... read more

Get the message, with Dave Cameron

David Cameron’s declaration that black dads need to stop shirking their paternal duties raised a few eyebrows this week. Lib Dem Linda Jack was irked by Dave’s apparent lack of understanding of the complex issues at play, and argued that: “what we want are political solutions not moral ones”. She went on:

“…if he has to start moralising I would have a lot ... read more

Faith in the City

What is more interesting – tackling ingrained poverty or securing our beautiful liberties? Both get me warmed up, and likewise Britain’s bloggers seemed pretty turned on by both Haltemprice and Glasgow. Turning his attention to the by-election in Glasgow’s East end Jock Coats spun back the clock to explore century-old arguments over the potential of land value taxation to ease the city’s woes. He mused:

Bevan Above

Walking past Westminster Abbey on Wednesday, I noted large numbers of Police officers and road cordons. It transpired that the church was hosting a service to mark the 60th Anniversary of the founding of NHS. It seems odd to be celebrate socialised medicine by praying – and much more sensible to mark it by blogging. Likable geek Alan Williamson had words of praise for the NHS, having ... read more

Harvest of Thorns

The eyes of the world’s bloggers this week turned with swelling revulsion on the brutality, hunger and violence engulfing Zimbabwe. Widely promoted was the Friends of Zimbabwe blog, which has provided daily coverage of the ongoing crisis.

Bloggers from across Africa scrutinised the continent’s approach to Mugabe, and many found it wanting. South African Michael “Traps” Trapido posited that: “perhaps Africans might want to assess ... read more

Liberty XXX

It was the great foreign secretary Austen Chamberlain who claimed that our diplomats in China had often heard the curse “may you live in an interesting age”. And what a cursed age it is for our nation’s political classes – as Liberty chief Shami Chakrabarti (and as blogger Sadie has it, “winsome khol-eyed heroine”) threatened to sue a Labour Minister for flippantly suggesting that she had used ... read more

Days like these

42 days in clink without a charge. What rotters would pursue such a vile infringement of our ancient liberties? The answer is: Ann Widdecombe, the DUP, our old friend Bob Spink and most of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Bloggers now regularly make waves, but rarely do they get quoted by the Prime Minster. During firey exchanges at this week’s PMQs, ahead of the crucial 42 ... read more

Pole Dancing

Many bloggers felt that Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski had gone bonkers this week, after launching into a rant at John Humphries live on the Today programme, in which he blamed the BBC for violence against Polish people in the UK. Virtual Stoa helpfully provides a transcript.

His tirade was described variously as “crackpot,” “bizarre,” and a “joke”. The latter comment came from James ... read more

Driving me crazy?Small hauliers took direct action this week to protest at the rising fiscal burden, which some say will soon force them out of business. Perhaps predictably, John Redwood railed against fuel taxes and Vehicle Exercise Duty. He reckoned that this week’s protests would be a wake-up call, writing:

“…it is likely the government will come to understand finally that it has driven the motorist into sullen ... read more

Duncampaigning?

The last time the Tories won a by-election, Madness’ House of Fun was top of the charts. Happily for Brown, parliamentary recess will spare him the trial of facing braying victors in the House, though it seems likely that the Conservatives will still have some fun at his expense.

And Iain Dale used the aftermath of Edward Timpson’s victory to have a dig at the NS’  read more

By-Curious

The by-election in Crewe and Nantwich was causing a stir this week, whilst candidates were being slotted into place for the contest in the Henley-on-Thames seat vacated by Boris Johnson. Labour desperately need to hold Gwyneth Dunwoody's former constituency, but some activists vented their anger at the tone and content of the party's literature. Writing on Labour Home, For the Union was enraged by both the class ... read more

A ban: not a whimper

The Borisphere, that is to say the vocal libertarian bloggers who fizzed with hope for Boris Johnson, appeared a little sheepish this week - as the new Mayor of London kicked off his administration by banning alcohol on public transport. Leader of the pack Guido Fawkes initially bit his tongue, before soberly warning Boris that: "… if you go to Beijing to hob-nob ... read more