By Steve Parkhurst, Senior Editor, USDR.
Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.
10-19-15
Want to avoid a Brexit? Then run a campaign of fear
The case for Europe must be one of pragmatism
Can the Great British public be made to care passionately about the EU referendum?
Out or In, both sides of the campaign are going to have their work cut out
The anti-extremism strategy: What’s right, what’s wrong – and what’s missing
The test of Cameron’s announcement today is less one of words than deeds. It must be followed up across Whitehall and especially, at a local level, by the police.
10-18-15
In the long war over grammar schools, working-class children suffered most
The Left opposes selective education because it wants to stop the spread of aspirational middle-class values throughout society
Voters prefer Boris to George as Dave’s successor – poll
ComRes opinion poll for tomorrow’s Independent on Sunday puts the Mayor of London ahead of the Chancellor
Even Jeremy Corbyn can’t save Labour in Scotland
The SNP is still riding high in the polls, despite Labour electing an “anti-austerity” leader, suggesting the party needs a much broader message
10-17-15
OK: I’m convinced: one EU referendum might not be enough
The terms of our leaving should be put to us, just as the renegotiated terms of our staying will have been
Margaret Thatcher’s most surprising virtue: imagination
The key episode in Charles Moore second volume of Thatcher’s biography is her historic meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1984 — which eventually brought freedom to millions in Eastern Europe
If you’re not concerned about behind-the-scenes lobbying, you should be – it affects everything from the food you eat to the medicine you take
It’s not just the tobacco and car industries that go to great lengths to lobby for their interests, even when those interests are actively harmful to the wider public
Reform the NHS – or watch it fade and die
The NHS is on its last legs, and only by fundamentally reforming it and the way in which its most regular clients – the elderly – are looked after will it have any chance of survival at all
10-16-15
Beware: the money supply is growing too quickly
The last thing the economy needs is an even looser monetary policy
Scottish independence is not inevitable – or not yet
The SNP is riding high today, but if pro-union parties think strategically they can regain the initiative
Uber becomes an early battleground in the London Mayoral election
While Khan supports new red tape, Goldsmith is shifting to a more sceptical position – aware of the electoral possibilities.
Michael Gove is a liberal hero who everyone can get behind
He’s already got David Cameron to tear up a prison deal with Saudi Arabia and has reversed Chris Grayling’s ludicrous ban on books – what’s next?
10-15-15
Andrew Gimson’s PMQs sketch: Corbyn tries to tame the hooligans, but does not quite succeed
David Cameron’s hooliganism, which extends to stealing Labour policies in broad daylight, cannot long be shamed into silence by the new Leader of the Opposition.
Never forget: half of absent fathers pay nothing towards raising their children
Alison Sharland and Varsha Gohil might have more in common with footballers’ wives than those women using food banks, but their court victory is a victory for all single mothers
10-14-15
‘Safe havens’ for beleaguered Syrians would be a dangerous distraction
All the easy or neat options on Syria disappeared long ago. But even as Russia intervenes, there are four things that can – and must – be done
Is it really naive to think we shouldn’t be in bed with the Saudis?
Downing Street’s announcement that it’s cancelling a prison deal with Saidi Arabia is welcome, but I can’t understand why it was signed in the first place
EU Referendum: Is the In campaign funded by the EU?
The pro-EU side faces claims of financial backing from Brussels. What are the facts?
Tax credits – and why it’s time to raise property taxes on high-end owners from abroad
Any slowing-down of Osborne’s proposed changes must be offset by spending cuts or tax rises elsewhere. Here is a suggestion for a contribution.
10-13-15
Why Obama’s game of ‘patience’ is just shuffling the cards
What Americans call solitaire, we call “patience”. A single card-player places a shuffled deck of cards face down and tries, by turning them over and rearranging them, to end up with four columns, one for each suit, with cards ranked from ace to king.
We wouldn’t get rid of Parliament just because we don’t like the Tories, so why apply the same logic to Europe?
Our response to the problems with the EU must be to stay in and make the changes we want
We have made great strides among minority communities – now we can go even further
From the many role models at senior levels to a boom in grassroots support, our Party is reaching groups whose core values are Conservative.
Here’s some straight talking: John McDonnell is a dangerous, Left-wing, ideological clown
Despite spotting it, Labour’s shadow chancellor has jumped headfirst into George Osborne’s elephant trap
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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
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