By Steve Parkhurst, Senior Editor, USDR.
Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.
8-31-15
If we do nothing about Syria, then the refugees will keep on coming
With its economy in shreds and its heritage in ruins, the country’s past and its future are both in jeopardy. We have to do something
Greek holiday island of Lesbos ‘overwhelmed’ by 13,000 refugees and migrants
Aid agencies say they are being pushed to breaking point by thousands arriving each day by boat from Turkey
The Party has duties to us – and we have duties to the Party too
We need a bigger Conservative movement, and I believe we should build it using the only economic system that really works – private enterprise.
Jeremy Corbyn’s first move as leader? Remove the Labour whip
The country is crying out for a more open politics, and getting rid of this centuries-old practice could transform Westminster
Blair has more wise words about Corbyn, while Tessa Jowell apparently doesn’t need to know
Plus: Cameron’s texts to Boris, and congratulations to Rebekah
8-30-15
Jeremy Corbyn’s politics are fantasy – just like Alice in Wonderland
In last week’s Observer, a young Labour supporter made an impassioned argument in favour of Jeremy Corbyn as the man to take the party forward. One former leader was reading with interest…
Slippery Sturgeon isn’t flawless
When will Scotland end Nicola Sturgeon’s honeymoon, and start to realise her and her party’s glaring deficiencies?
Jeremy Corbyn’s groupies are heading for oblivion
Labour has never been so far Left as Mr Corbyn would take it. That he could lead it to victory at an election beggars belief
8-29-15
Don’t write off Corbyn, his insane ideas might be popular in a crisis
Tories can’t be complacent that the bearded Bolshevik’s message will always fall on deaf ears
Network Rail gets a huge pay rise
The latest rail subsidy figures show Network Rail was given 7% more in 2014-15 as operating grant compared to the previous year. In addition it received £6.4 billion of Treasury guaranteed/subsidised loans for its capital spending programme. When Parliament returns I will want to ask more questions about value for money, progress with curbing inefficiency, and prospective returns on investment.
The scale of Britain’s (and Osborne’s) exposure to China
The Chinese economy is a study in what can happen when stimuluses run out.
8-28-15
The scale of Britain’s (and Osborne’s) exposure to China
The Chinese economy is a study in what can happen when stimuluses run out.
Revealed: Wikipedia’s panic over Shapps fiasco
During the election campaign a cloud hung over Grant Shapps, the then chairman of the Conservative party. In April, he was accused of editing his own Wikipedia profile and those of other politicians by Richard Symonds, a Wikipedia member of staff and Lib Dem activist. Symonds claimed that Shapps ‘or someone acting on his behalf’ used an anonymous account ‘Contribsx’ to make edits that appeared to be to Shapps’ benefit. But there has been no hard evidence Shapps edited the pages and Symonds has been censured by Wikipedia for his actions.
Action on migration
On Tuesday I had a conversation with Mr Brokenshire following his letter to me. He came over as a someone seriously trying to grapple with a genuinely difficult set of problems. I have no doubt he wants to deliver the Prime Minister’s promise of getting net migration down to tens of thousands, and is pushing his officials to come up with ways of limiting the numbers of people coming in under various regulations.
Iain Dale: The police are wrong to have ruined the life of Harvey Proctor
Plus: The UKIP London Mayoralty selection – latest rumours and plots.
8-27-15
Gun control wouldn’t have stopped the Virginia shooting. We need to talk about mental health
Bryce Williams passed a background check before shooting Alison Parker and Adam Ward. America must look instead at its failing medical system
Corbyn is lining up with racists and neo-Nazis
His rabidly anti-American and pro-Putin world view is alarming and make him unfit to be Labour leader
Delayed justice is no justice at all
The investigations into child abuse and the Iraq War both have the same failing.
8-26-15
The abuse of Harvey Proctor
This egregious tale of the ruining of an innocent man is yet another reminder (as if we needed one) of the diminished condition of the police.
China can ride out this crisis. But we’re on course for another crash
Market mayhem is the product of the aftershocks of 2008. No wonder calls for alternatives are growing
Dear Britain: it’s time for you and your Queen to let Australia go
I welcome a new push to say farewell to the monarchy and make Australia a republic. There’s just one problem: most of us don’t care
I used the women-only train carriages in Tokyo, for good reason – and I’d welcome them in the UK too
Instead of acting as though we live in a sexism-free utopia, perhaps we should implement this sensible strategy that will actually make women safer
8-25-15
Are we about to see another financial collapse?
There’s no need to stock up on baked beans just yet, as Black Monday is not a big threat to the UK – in the short-term at least
China’s ‘Black Monday’ is just the start
One-party states are rarely any good at admitting to any form of blunder. It is certainly the case with China’s prickly political leaders, who love to flood domestic media with jolly tales of fashion shows and bamboo-chomping pandas – anything to divert people’s attention from a flagging economy and rising unemployment.
If Britain bends to pressure, where would we put a quota of migrants?
EU leaders are left flapping around as they struggle to establish a solution to the growing immigration crisis
Gordon Brown appoints Yvette Cooper as his political heir
Gordon Brown has announced he is backing Yvette Cooper in the Labour leadership contest. In a statement on his website, the former Prime Minister has revealed Cooper will be his first preference vote, while Andy Burnham will be number two and Liz Kendall number three.
Enemies of Jeremy Corbyn’s politics should not be delighted by his rise
Mr Corbyn may well win the election for the leader of the Labour Party. Whether there will be a recognisable Labour Party capable of government in ten years time is a very different matter.
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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