Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.
4-23-12
Voters have lost patience with the culture of spin and fakery
The politics of message manipulation that served Clinton and Blair so well will not rescue Cameron, argues Iain Martin.
House of Lords should be 80% elected – MPs and peers’ report
A reformed House of Lords should be 80% elected and there should be a referendum before any change is made, a parliamentary committee has said.
Benjamin Harris-Quinney: Almost 50% of black students believe that their pathway to government is blocked by discrimination
The Bow Group produced its first research paper in 1952, entitled “Coloured People in Britain”. It served as a study into the British Afro-Caribbean community, and the issues and barriers that were faced by these citizens, to integrate and succeed in British society.
4-22-12
Clegg on House of Lords, Budget taxes and Michael Brown
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was challenged over Lords reforms, the fallout from the Budget, political donations from Michael Brown and his own future in the Sunday Interview with Andrew Neil.
The House of Lords is working fine – don’t fix it
The upper chamber contains a very significant body of expertise that the lower one cannot match.
4-21-12
“Conservatives are on your side” – the Conservative party political broadcast for the English local elections (Video)
4-20-12
Ken Livingstone admits using private healthcare
Ken Livingstone admitted that he uses a private healthcare company rather than the NHS for an annual health check, it emerged today.
Cameron ‘committed’ to Lords reform amid Tory unease
Prime Minister David Cameron is “committed” to House of Lords reform, Downing Street says, despite the prospect of a rebellion by his own MPs.
Bruce Anderson: “After such knowledge, what forgiveness?”
Is it always interesting to observe the process by which a politician becomes an elder statesman. A number of criteria must be met.
John Stevens: The Conservative Party cannot be the Conservative Party until it deals with the issue of Europe
Paul Goodman’s recent commentary of whether the rise of UKIP in the polls is primarily about “Europe” or “Conservatism” (following the interesting research undertaken by James Bethell, whose father was one of the finest Conservative MEPs, a true hero of the Cold War and its aftermath) has encouraged me to question the linkage, or lack of it, between the two.
4-19-12
The Right-wing agitators out to get David Cameron
The Prime Minister is besieged by Conservative critics oblivious to the man on the street.
Listen up, Nick Clegg – some mothers do want to hold the baby
It’s high-quality nurseries, not 65,000 imaginary nannies, that mothers need the most.
Minimum wage is least carers deserve
If we really care about elderly people, the practice of paying carers less than the minimum wage must be stamped out
Steve Bell on the Lib Dems seeking an alternative to cuts – cartoon
Nick Clegg’s aides to put forward other options rather than sign up to planned £10bn round of welfare cuts by Conservatives
4-18-12
The Lib Dems stumble while UKIP surge
Nigel Farage’s party is going from strength to strength, but will their success be at the expense of the Lib Dems?
Why I’m suing the US government to protect internet freedom
The NDAA means the US military can put anyone under suspicion of being a terror threat and detain them for ever
The UKIP vote isn’t so much a Euro-sceptic vote as an anti-politics vote
With UKIP narrowly ahead of the LibDems with YouGov, there is much focus on howpeople are supporting the party and on which people are supporting the party but surprisingly little discussion about why people are doing so.
4-17-12
Treasury troubles
George Osborne is Chancellor and his party’s chief political strategist and not doing either job particularly well.
George Osborne puts the fabric of Britain at risk with the ‘heritage tax’
Levying VAT on repair work is a very bad idea, whether for cathedrals or country cottages.
Across The Pond is edited daily by Steve Parkhurst. Steve is a political consultant, a writer at his blog as well as a Senior Editor here at US Daily Review. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveParkhurst
