Jackie Ashley

Profile: Full name: Jacqueline Ashley Area of interest: The Labour Party, the media, politics, public services, trade unions, women's issues Journals/Organisation: The Guardian Email: jackie.ashley@guardian.co.uk Personal website: Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jackieashley Blog: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jackie_ashley Representation: Networks: http://twitter.com/jackieashley

Biography: About: Education: Rosebery Grammar School, Epsom, Surrey; St Anne's College, Oxford: Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Career: BBC trainee, 1979/1981; BBC Newsnight: Newsreader and Producer, 1981/1984; TV-AM: Reporter; Channel 4: producer and reporter, 1984/1986; ITN: Political correspondent, 1986/1999; New Statesman: Political editor, 2000/2002; The Guardian: Columnist and political interviewer, 2002- Current position/role: Columnist; Political interviewer also writes/has written for: Other roles/Main role: Other activities: Vice-chair of the Hansard Society's commission: Members Only? Parliament in the Public Eye, working alongside the commission's chair, Lord Puttnam Disclosures: Viewpoints/Insight: Broadcast media: Video: Regular contributor on television and radio current affairs programmes Presenter on Radio 4's Week in Westminster BBC Breakfast with Frost interview with Lord Tebbit and Lord Bell, 2nd May 2004 (transcript) Controversy/Criticism: (Jackie Ashley meets Melanie Phillips): The multicultural menace, anti-semitism and me The Guardian, 16th June 2006 Awards/Honours: Scoops: Other: Married to Andrew Marr; Daughter of Jack Ashley (Baron Ashley of Stoke)

Books & Debate: Latest work: Speaking/Appearances: Debate:

The Guardian: Column name: Remit/Info: Government and Politics, Society and Values Section: Comment & Debate Role: Commentator Pen-name: Email: jackie.ashley@guardian.co.uk Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jackieashley Commissioning editor: Day published: Monday, plus frequent Comment is free blogs Regularity: Weekly Column format: Average length: 1100 words

Articles: 2013 As Britain's coalition plods on, the fight is Labour's to lose - I almost feel sorry for David Cameron, relaunching for the umpteenth time. Now is the opposition's chance - 7th January

Articles: 2012 2012 was the year of cycling. Now we need a revolution - As bike use reaches critical mass we must keep up the momentum, for our health and for the good of the environment - 31st December The lesson of Plebgate? Beware the rush to judgment - While 'outrage inflation' has become endemic in public life, the real work of monitoring the powerful is left undone - 24th December Labour can afford to push harder on immigration - Miliband must convince voters that these vast changes are being handled fairly and openly by politicians - 17th December Older women are the nation's great untapped resource - Skills and experience are going to waste. Labour is a taking a lead, but the other parties ignore this demographic at their peril - 10th December Firms must pay their fair share of tax – this is war - A report by MPs on the tax dodges employed by multinationals is incendiary – and ought to unite politicians to act - 3rd December A brief glimpse of a better Europe, then back to reality - David Cameron knows the value of working with the EU, but his hands are tied by Tory Europhobes and Ukip - 26th November Does the Corby byelection matter? We'll know by next spring - Labour's byelection win and one-nation message could lead to big battles on Europe and division within the coalition - 19th November The BBC just needed a bit of a slap. And it got one - Bad management isn't new at the corporation, but let's keep things in perspective. There's no reason it can't rebuild - 12th November Labour must not let Britain drift into a European exit - After last week's political opportunism, Ed Miliband has to ensure his party counters the nation's growing anti-EU sentiment - 5th November Neither Keynes nor the market will save Labour - Ed Miliband needs a clear economic alternative. His emphasis should not be on regulating business, but on democratising it - 28th October It's been a week of low farce for the Tories. Yet little has really changed - Coalition troubles don't mean improving Labour fortunes: the economy and the eurozone still offer Cameron a chance - 21st October Andrew Mitchell should be gone by Wednesday - David Cameron can't sit this one out. The 'pleb' row has changed how voters see his day by day turning into a calamity - 15th October The Tories are too hardline to accept a centrist shift - Spooked by Ed Miliband, David Cameron must choose which direction to take. The only obstacle will be the rest of his party - 8th October Ed Miliband has got answers, so stop asking the wrong questions - The leader's biggest task will be to tackle the despairing belief most British people have that nothing will ever really change - 1st October The Liberal Democrat conference has given fantasy a leading role - The party sees itself as ready to squeeze the rich and green the nation, but it's part of a rightwing, Tory-led regime - 24th September Cameron and Clegg are too weak for a major reshuffle - One slip and the whole coalition edifice will fall. And any policy shift towards growth will simply imitate Labour - 3rd September A third runway, Boris Island, better rail? Please, just decide - Prevarication over aviation policy breeds a dangerous mistrust. The cabinet must take a firm decision, and act on it - 27th August The U-turn on social care is a small step towards a better Britain - Capping care costs will ease a terror felt by many. But leaders must beware: disaster lurks in promises the coalition can't keep - 19th August The Paralympics offer an even greater moral lesson - As disability hate crimes rise, the Paralympics are a reminder that difference and diversity should be celebrated, not targeted - 13th August London 2012: Britain's Olympic gold rush provides a lesson for politics - The work ethic, sacrifice and sense of belonging of our athletes should remind our leaders there is a different Britain - 6th August Hurrah for Bradley Wiggins! Now we must make our roads safe for cyclists - His Tour de France triumph will inspire many of us to take to two wheels. It's time to take bold action against cars - 23rd July Beware the coming storm: cuts will break this coalition - Forget Lords reform and boundary changes. Tories and Liberal Democrats are most likely to fall out over their spending plans - 16th July How Lords reform became a game about fantasy politics - For Lib Dems securing it means saving face with the electorate, for Tories defeating it means saving face in the coalition - 9th July How to fund care for the elderly – that is Britain's most urgent challenge - After months of delay, the white paper on social care will be published within a fortnight. Disastrously, it will be a fudge - 2nd July Housing benefit: Cameron is showing how he'd rule without the Lib Dems - In calling for under-25s to lose housing benefit, the Tory leader is shoring up his rightwing credentials to appease his party faithful - 25th June The last thing Labour needs now is a settling of scores - A bastion of Blairism is under attack by unions. But none of this would matter if the party's position was clearer - 18th June Europe should be Labour's grand project for our times - The Tories' European fantasies will never come to pass. The left must lead an honest conversation about what happens next - 11th June A wise reshuffle could leave Ed Miliband with a winning hand - To revive David Cameron's fortunes will take more than musical chairs, but Miliband has a chance to truly invigorate his team - 14th May The vote shows people are ready to look again at Labour - The Labour party did better than expected in local elections and has won breathing space. All now depends on what Ed Miliband does with it - 7th May Women will need more than a spread in Grazia magazine to vote Tory - Female voters have been hit hard by public sector cuts and NHS changes, so the budget's gender effect deserves close scrutiny - 19th March Women will need more than a spread in Grazia magazine to vote Tory - Female voters have been hit hard by public sector cuts and NHS changes, so the budget's gender effect deserves close scrutiny - 19th March A coalition breakdown may come sooner than we think - The NHS row, mansion tax v tycoon tax, Lords reform: the Tories and the Lib Dems look to be heading for an all-out war - 12th March Steve Hilton's exit signals the slide of David Cameron into fuzziness - The blue-skies thinker was an asset in the bold early days of power. But now the cloud cover of government has rolled in - 4th March John Bercow is changing the House of Commons. Credit to him - Bercow will never be popular, but the Speaker's reforming zeal is slowly ridding parliament of its thuggish tendencies - 27th February Only fear of losing face keeps this mad NHS gamble going - The bill is a wreck, but the Tories are pushing on regardless. Miliband may be right to think it'll cost them the next election - 20th February Civil servants of Sir Humphrey vintage were amusing: but Whitehall's changed - Sniping between Whitehall and MPs prompted by revelations over spending goes to the heart of government - 6th February We've been far too polite to these snake-oil diet sellers - Yes, body confidence is politicians' business. It's time to address the commercial drive behind making people feel bad - 30th January What the Scots can teach us about England's radical soul - Talk of a referendum on Scottish independence should prompt Labour to think about what it means to be English too - 23rd January The left is dismayed, but Ed Miliband retains his radical sense of purpose - Rapprochement with Ed Balls, economic realism, talk of new rules for business: Ed Miliband is making Labour credible again - 16th January Fat cat pay: even David Cameron can see that the economy needs morality - The Tories have caught the mood of dismay over executive pay, but their switch could be good for Labour in the long term - 9th January

Articles: 2011 The return of left-right politics in the UK will make 2012 fascinating - The centrist politics of Blair and Cameron left an angry public. This is a moment for Miliband to capture the national mood - 2nd January In this age of anxiety, we'll need the 2012 Olympic spirit - The delight that greeted the Games in London seems far away. But in July, with our heroes, the nation will feel hope again - 26th December Ed Miliband is a decent leader. But he needs help. All leaders do - It's obvious that he is not doing well enough. But if he can present his vision more clearly and boldly his troubles will go away - 19th December Can Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband unite over Europe? - The Lib Dems are the writhing hostages of Tory Europhobia. But Labour can offer a way forward - 12th December Eurosceptics, beware: the euro crisis is bad for you too - Over the next few years voters will be terrified at the prospect of leaving the EU entirely. Calling for a referendum is daft - 5th December The coalition's Plan P (for panic) owes a lot to Labour - The eurozone crisis has brought Ed Balls and George Osborne closer than they care to admit, and Lib Dems to the fore - 28th November How Europe propped up the buffoon Berlusconi - Italian politics was a joke. But, within the security blanket of the eurozone, most people simply shrugged their shoulders - 14th November Cynics' distrust of e-petitions no longer serves democracy - The fact that public pressure can prompt an EU referendum debate heralds a new chapter in British politics - 24th October Despite Liam Fox's demise, the Tory right is on the rise - The right believes it has the answers to Britain's economic troubles. It will be a challenge for Cameron to control - 17th October Write off Ed Miliband's sharp team and radical rethink? Far too glib - Miliband's frontbench of diverse and youthful voices should serve him well – as long as he can persuade voters to listen - 10th October Nobody thinks you're an 'all right luv' sort, David - Cameron has missed the point. A cabinet with more women round the table would surely have angled cuts differently - 3rd October In Liverpool you can feel the change in Labour's chemistry - Under Ed Miliband, the party is moving away from the Whitehall-knows-best culture, and towards a new bottom-up politics - 26th September The Lib Dems love power – but the price will be high - For now, they are in a blissed-out conference bubble, but the bad times ahead could see them crushed by right and left - 19th September Conference seasson: where is the economic urgency – or the plan? - The economic outlook is dire, and social crisis will ensue. The left must fight back with a new strategy for growth and hope - 12th September Alistair Darling's memoir shows the danger of big-man politics - Gordon Brown's bullying was symptomatic of a wider cultural malaise – too many yes-men and too few honest debates - 5th September This public nervousness lets young people down - After a summer of riots, consider what happens when teenagers are treated well by their elders and their communities - 29th August Is this the start of a lurch to the right by the coalition? - David Cameron is embarking on a dangerous and potentially divisive social experiment. We'll soon discover if he's a Macmillan or a Thatcher - 22nd August Phone hacking scandal: The sleepwalk into a state of winks and nods must end - If Miliband's bravery is emulated by Clegg and others, there is a chance to break with Britain's long politics of collusion - 18th July Issues like care for older people cry out for a genuine coalition - In offering to work with the Tories and Lid Dems, Ed Miliband grasps that some things are too big to be left to partisan politics - 4th July Gove's collision course with teachers spells trouble for all - If ministers don't keep good people teaching, all the fiddling with school charters and exams won't help to raise standards - 27th June Politics is personal – that's the lesson Ed needs to learn - The Labour leader looks lonely at the top. He needs to widen his circle of allies – and that has to include his brother - 13th June Bring back the F-word if you want to do more than worry about girls - There's no hope of an honest discussion about the sexualisation of young girls without a feminist perspective - 6th June Ed Miliband shouldn't crow. It's time to move closer to Clegg - The NHS cuts fiasco offers an opportunity for the Labour leader. By working with the Lib Dems he can reshape the reforms - 29th May Nick Clegg has found his voice on the NHS. It's a start - Clegg's speech on health policy gave a measured, progressive view of NHS reform – but this is a bill that's beyond fixing - 26th May Labour has a self-confidence problem, not an Ed Miliband one - The party leader's getting many things right and is leading in polls. It's time for others to get stuck in and be more assertive - 22nd May Yes, we owe our armed forces – but Cameron's leaky law is not enough - Cameron's promise of a legally binding 'military covenant' means little if spending cuts and ill-advised wars continue - 16th May Only a real game-changer can reverse Tory entrenchment - David Cameron's evident pride may come before a fall. A Labour-Lib Dem rapprochement is now a distant inevitability - 9th May Few would weep for Colonel Gaddafi, but targeting him is wrong - In war, international law is all we have. If we cast it aside, there'll be nothing left but might-is-right, arms, oil and profits - 2nd May A general election this year? It's no longer impossible - Labour is still rebuilding, and the Lib Dems are falling apart. An early vote could see the Tories win with a decent majority - 25th April With a tartan twist, this AV vote could end up riveting - Never has a duller issue caused so many to sound insane with rage. But the referendum might have some spectacular results - 18th April Britain needs to end its love affair with the world stage - While we pull in our belts at home, our leaders get carried away abroad. It's time we turned our backs on our imperial past - 11th April This pension reform benefits women, but has one big blot - A flat-rate, simplified pension is good news, as is not penalising mothers and carers. But a key promise has been broken - 4th April Weekend marching is fine, but Labour must win over those who stayed home - It's all right for Ed Miliband to address the anti-cuts demonstration, but his real job is to convince the wider public that his own vision is credible - 28th March Budget 2011: Guardian columnists' verdict - 24th March To do their job on Libya, scepticism is MPs' best weapon - Instead of cheering on Cameron, the Commons must reassert itself after its gung-ho disgrace over Iraq and Afghanistan - 21st March To survive, the Lib Dems must start pulling to the left - Nick Clegg cannot let the game of coalition-making override his party's true spirit. He must heed the instincts of its members - 14th March The Arab spring requires a defiantly European reply - Be it a refugee crisis or intervention, we can't go it alone. Labour must bar any retreat to pessimism and xenophobia - 7th March New inflation will hammer pensioners and the low-paid - Scarred by the 1970s, Labour flinches from discussing it – but rising prices are set to become a red-hot issue - 21st February A big society cannot emerge from the 'creative destruction' of the state - David Cameron's big idea depends on altruism, but from his actions it's difficult to believe that we're all in this together - 14th February The Speaker is politics' whipping boy - John Bercow has ruffled feathers, but his reforms are vital: they serve only to improve parliament and its MPs' reputation - 7th February MPs must grasp this chance for a better kind of politics - The expenses scandal traumatised parliament, but calls for a more open politics are at risk of being forgotten - 31st January The Andy Coulson affair raises the question – who runs Britain? - The deafening silence from political leaders reveals the grip Murdoch's empire has over the establishment - 24th January The Tory embrace may well split the Lib Dems in two - Many left-liberals can't stand what is happening to their party and will be tempted by Ed Miliband's repositioning of Labour - 17th January The biggest question from Oldham will be for Nick Clegg - If the Lib Dem candidate doesn't win, it will be because people no longer know why they should vote for the party - 10th January Pungent, angry and decisive: Margaret Thatcher still dominates the Tory party - The former prime minister will become 'hot' this year. David Cameron defers to her cult, and the rebels still see her as their spiritual leader - 3rd January

Articles: 2010 David Cameron's NHS reforms may leave him feeling sick - Over-optimistic efficiency savings and bureaucratic mayhem do not bode well for the health service - 28th December Lib Dem-baiting won't work: the Tories' free ride must end - While Labour ignores its real enemies, Cameron has been able to pursue an aggressive Tory cuts agenda with impunity - 20th December Angry Liberal Democrats can be part of Labour's future - Miliband must move quickly to exploit the deep divisions in Clegg's party and lead a wider opposition movement - 13th December This Lib Dem hokey cokey on fees will cost us all dearly - Yes, the party is harmed by its university funding farce. But our economy needs higher education to bring us back to growth - 6th December To see how fascism can be throttled, look at Barking - Housing and benefit fraud drive xenophobia here and across Europe. Politicians must listen to people's real concerns - 29th November Right now, the Labour party needs Ed Miliband's Zen socialism - Labour's leader should not listen to the goading of the coalition and media. He needs thinking time to plan the fightback - 22nd November Labour can't ignore electoral reform – it is in their interest - Next year's referendum on the alternative vote system will be just as crucial for Ed Miliband as it will be for Nick Clegg - 15th November On workfare, maybe the coalition really wants to help the jobless - The plan to force the jobless into unpaid work depends entirely on the detail. Labour is right not to howl with outrage - 8th November Politics needs insults – they keep democracy afloat - Some people are licensed to be ruder than others, as Harriet Harman has found. But humour is the best weapon in debate - 1st November This war on public service is a featherbedded caricature - The coalition's new political narrative has swiftly demonised the state. But binmen can be wealth creators too - 25th October Policy shouldn't be decided by those who shout loudest -The government has so few women in it that it's no surprise their interests are absent from debates about the cuts - 18th October A graduate tax ain't going to happen. But Ed Miliband can make tuition fees fairer - I see why Ed Miliband opposes a fee increase. But if he's clever and changes tack, he could achieve a crucial victory - 11th October A sharply defined Miliband can pierce a fuzzy coalition - Cameron's laid-back regime lacks the clarity of real leadership. The new man in opposition has to fashion a different path - 4th October Under Ed Miliband's lead, Labour's new generation must step up - Ed Miliband can easily squash the line that he is the unions' man. But he'll need all of his party to alter the political agenda - 27th September Clegg could have more clout in government than the caricaturists realise - We are living in a time of momentous political realignment. The Lib Dem gamble could pay off – but it probably won't - 20th September The decline of the north will victimise more generations - Nearly 50 years ago my father witnessed the effects of mass unemployment. The most vulnerable look set to suffer again - 13th September First Big Brother, now Little Brother, and both are deadly - Post-9/11 surveillance, phone-tapping, William Hague … it is time to decide what is justly private, and what is not - 6th September David Miliband would have to alter his persona. That's very hard - In the battle for the Labour leadership, both Miliband brothers have weaknesses. But Ed's are a little easier to overcome - 30th August By playing nasty, Labour is wrecking its own chances - The public likes the shift in tone to more amiable, co-operative politics, but Labour's leadership hopefuls are acting tribal - 23rd August This coalition has yet to show us what it believes in - Without a coherent ideology, it is hard to give shape to government; and without shape, it's hard to convey direction - 26th July The PM's American trip is a ritual with all substance lost - Now the legacy of 9/11 is fading, Britain is too small a player to matter. To the Tories' unease, the real talk is at EU level - 19th July Labour must now stop this self-flagellation and regroup - As the party prepares for a breakout of diary wars, it risks being dangerously distracted when the real fight is for its future - 12th July These cuts won't only hit the scroungers. We'll all suffer - Millions believe Britain is being held back by single mothers or immigrants. But the pain will be felt by 'us', not just 'them' - 6th July If the coalition is serious it will rethink the death tax - Andy Burnham's plan to provide free social care for all elderly people is still the most realistic and civilised solution - 26th June Cutting disability benefits is not 'fair' - Osborne's softening-up process worked – but cutting disability allowance without improving the social care system is wrong - 24th June The left cannot afford to get bored by the defence debate - We face too many threats to allow military matters to remain the preserve of the same old – mostly male – voices - 14th June The teamwork is admirable. But it will kill the Lib Dems - If the coalition sustains its honeymoon, Tories will reap the rewards; if it fails, Labour will. Clegg needs to push voting reform fast - 7th June Sex and shopping are no worse than gadgets or guns - Critics of Sex and the City assume that male fantasy life is somehow more worthwhile. But we all need a holiday from ourselves - 31st May Do women leaders have to be childless fortysomethings? - Not one female former cabinet minister entered Labour's leadership race. But in London Oona King is bringing diversity - 24th May This contest can keep alive Labour's sense of possibility - The party could revive if the leadership race opens up radical debate, shows some lost fraternity and reconnects with its roots - 17th May Nick Clegg has proved he is no pushover - In the coalition agreement the Lib Dems have wrung concessions on policy, but have lost out on big cabinet roles - 13th May This was the better Gordon Brown saying goodbye - Behind the mask of anger, and the caricature monster hated by the press, was a decent man - 11th May Prepare for a big progressive moment - in the rematch - If Cameron does his deal, Labour needs urgently to change leader, embrace voting reform, and get ready to fight an election - 9th May (Cif at the polls) Election 2010: A bittersweet dawn - With parliament hung and the Lib Dems disappointed, what will Nick Clegg do now? - 7th May Office has rotted Labour, but it doesn't deserve to die - The party is fighting for its life. And despite Tory cockiness, local tremors mean nobody can take the outcome for granted - 3rd May s]) A Conservative-Lib Dem coalition is most likely, but it's not sustainable - Labour voters switching to Clegg will probably put Cameron into No 10. But there will be huge strains on the new government - 26th April One week in, I don't know who Cameron really is - We have never had the culture wars politics of America in this country, but thanks to the Tories that may all change - 12th April If they can't offer something new, the Tories will blow it - With the rightwing media in full cry the election is theirs for the taking – yet Cameron still gives no clear alternative vision - 29th March 2010 Post offices can kickstart Labour's radical agenda - A People's Bank would herald a new version of back-to-basics – valuing the reality of people's lives, and their institutions - 21st March The obsession with swing voters is strangling politics - Targeting marginals is logical sense for Ashcroft and Whelan. But the system sucks all fire and clarity from party lines - 15th March Lib Dems should refuse a coalition - The Lib Dems are getting boxed in. They should boldly say they will back the party with an economic plan closest to their own - 8th March Gordon Brown's powers of survival might outdo even Rasputin - The prime minister is bigger, tougher and more obsessive than anyone around him. This election struggle will have many twists - 1st March A month ago, this might just have buried Brown. Not now - The choices are big, the polls are narrow. That's what really grips, and it won't be derailed by news of titanic fury - 22nd February Let's take on the ads that fuel such waste, debt and misery - A first, practical step in altering the cycle of consumption and crisis is to rein in those who manufacture our wants - 15th February Politicians behaving badly at AV debate - ANew Politics: The Commons debate on electoral reform is a timid attempt to bring in the 'new politics' – and shows old politics at its worst - 10th February We should watch bankers as closely as we do politicians - Equality of scrutiny is needed – a bright lamp shining on tax havens and in boardrooms, as well as legislatures - 8th February Here lies New Labour – the party that died in Iraq - Chilcot is a reminder that the war led to poisonous infighting which has destroyed progressive politics for a generation - 1st February Zoom in on Team Cameron. At best it's a blotchy close-up - A mood for change has allowed vast holes in Tory policy to go unexamined. It is in everyone's interest to turn up the lamplight - 25th January The full, sapping cost of the Blair-Brown war is now clear - There are late signs of life but years of infighting have drained Labour of the energy, ingenuity and imagination to rule - 18th January Lack of leadership is driving Britain to despair - Instead of real argument on big issues, we get brittle, very boring election positioning. No wonder the public is already weary - 11th January Now the ball is in Brown's court - Those close to Brown have wrung their hands, but not his neck. He should be brave, and invite a secret vote on his leadership - 7th January Labour and the Tories want the same thing: Nick Clegg - As the gap between the main two parties narrows, the Lib Dem leader has changed status – from wallflower to hot date - 4th January

Articles: 2009 Gordon, Barack, Dave, here's how to be better in 2010 - Stop smiling, start worrying, be nicer. These new year resolutions would be good for our political leaders, and for us - 28th December Dogged Brown can still upset Cameron's enigma variations - The Tory leader wants to be all things to all people, but can't. If Labour found a new energy, we could see a hung parliament - 21st December This looming ageing crisis needs some grown-up solutions - It could be as serious a threat as climate change, yet so far politicians have barely considered what needs to be done about our aging population - 14th December Plan a 'make and do' Britain and Labour could flourish - Instead of arguing over the nature of cuts, No 10 should offer a positive vision of an economy less reliant on the bankers - 7th December This St Andrew's Day really matters. A split draws closer - Plans for a vote on Scottish independence are laid out today. They could change UK politics radically and forever - 30th November The next election winner will be a Harold Wilson, not a Tony Blair - The latest poll shows a narrowing gap between the parties: for the new prime minister it will be 1974 rather than 1997 - 23rd November David Cameron was wide of the mark - Tory predictions about the Queen's speech were way off. Instead we got a rather modest little package of bills - 19th November Let's tune in again. Our MPs are bringing big ideas back - Jackie Ashley: Just when we'd given up on politics, the likes of Cameron and Miliband start having real debates of vision and importance - 16th November Cameron's Eurosceptic wing will damage his government - Tories will suffer for their referendum divisions. But because of Labour's lack of confidence this will be after the election - 9th November Brown's Afghan fantasy of control - It's time for Gordon Brown to ditch the fine-sounding language, and work out how to leave Afghanistan – the sooner, the better - 7th November Expert enlisted. Speaks out. Gets sacked. It's a tradition - David Nutt is the latest in a litany of advisers cast out. It points to a wider puzzle for politicians: how to import talent - 2nd November Yes, President Blair really would be good for Europe - Does the EU want to assert itself in a world dominated by China and the US? If so, it should look to the former PM - 26th October The collapse of Royal Mail would be an utter disaster - It's time for ministers and managers to stop fuming and show they value posties' work. Otherwise, a vital lifeline will be lost - 19th October The expenses scandal is back and yes, there's a bright side - A messy ending looms, which will further ravage reputations. But this time parliament is brewing the medicine to cure itself - 12th October A Conservative speech that didn't set the hall alight - In his workmanlike address David Cameron attacked Labour – but he didn't explain why the Conservatives would be any better - 8th October Letwin's dream of decentralisation - They say it'll take 10 years, but the Conservatives are aiming for lighter regulation and more social responsibility - 7th October Cameron could well be the last ever UK prime minister - He loathes the idea, and is right to. But Tory cuts and a row with Europe only add momentum to Scottish independence - 5th October A revolution in care - Conference season 09: Setting up a National Care Service would be equivalent to the creation of the NHS – now to tell the public what social care is - 1st October Is Labour ready to fix the system? - The politicians have gone quiet on voting reform. Looks like they might be about to embrace it - 29th September It is the time to look again and back Labour once more - We've all kicked it up and down the newspaper columns and TV shows, but this remains a party with the right instincts - 28th September Clarke and Campbell united - Most influential Lib Dems see a chasm between themselves and the Conservatives, not David Cameron's 'cigarette paper' - 23rd September The cuts debate is a gift to Tories. Labour must talk tax - If ministers had any real fight left they would join Clegg in shifting focus from budget slashing to a new fairness agenda - 21st September Can Lib Dems lead the left? - With Nick Clegg hitting his stride and Vince Cable topping the popularity polls, the party could even overtake Labour - 18th September Labour's cuts should start with the middle classes - As the unions gather, the party needs to shore up its core vote – and remove benefits from those who don't need them - 14th September A Tory dystopia looms, yet ministers meekly sit and wait - We're months away from a government the left will hate. But Labour, gripped by defeatism, is just going through the motions - 7th September Discipline has given way to the silence of the graveyard - Edward Goldsmith and Daniel Hannan may never be liberal heroes, but the left should recall the value of the shockers - 31st August The dodging ministers have made their own Libyan bed - Freeing the Lockerbie bomber could have been a time for open debate. Instead, Labour invited suspicion on itself - 24th August Why I welcome the decline of the twittering classes - The upside of cringe-making middle-aged cybermania could be to drive teenagers to try more genuine socialising - 10th August Trevor Phillips should go. But the whole body is misconceived - The head of the equalities commission inherited a project that assumed all minorities would share common views and goals - 27th July No joy from Norwich - Some sunshine for Cameron's Tories, another shower for Brown and Labour, but not a byelection to change the political weather - 25th July It's not just the tabloid past that puts Coulson's role at risk - There isn't much ideology around in Team Cameron. Some say that without a sharper media fixer his Toryism will fall to pieces - 13th July The battle for Labour's soul starts and ends with equality - The party's post-credit crunch stance on social justice and poverty will define its future for generations to come - 6th July Labour needs to ask – just who are these New Tories? - To focus on the unknown quantity in Cameron's team is a better strategy than the sham of playing investment against cuts - 29th June John Bercow's tall order - As the newly-elected Speaker, John Bercow faces a massive task in rebuilding the reputation of the House of Commons - 23rd June This is now a discredited House, not a reforming one - There are some changes coming. But do we see real signs of a cleansed parliament reconnected to the public? Not really - 22nd June Mr 10% talk is teen politics. Give us a grown-up debate - Balls, a Tigger, should pay heed to the Eeyore-ish Darling. Labour ought to bin the slogans and be open on tax and spending - 15th June To save Labour, Gordon, go with grace and go today - The stakes are huge, but by allowing for a full leadership election, Brown could put his party back on track - 8th June Gordon's gender issue - Unlike Blair, Brown has never exactly nurtured female talent at cabinet level – a blokeish instinct that could now cost him dear - 3rd June A decimated left may make Ashdown's alliance a reality - Labour's will to live has gone. The policies of a Cameron government will only be resisted by a new centre-left coalition - 1st June The Kirkbride defence falls - The failure of the Bromsgrove MP to justify her expenses by the demands of being a mum should not deter women from politics - 29th May Cameron has got the nerve to take Labour to pieces - His opportunism over expenses is amazing, he's a shameless mover and the country is more than likely to give him a go - 25th May New Speaker, new look - A new politics: Every aspect of the Speaker's role should change – including quitting as head of the House of Commons Commission - 20th May Speaker Martin's end could be just the beginning - The expenses scandal is an opportunity to end the days of parliament as an elite club and rejuvenate democracy - 18th May Things are so bad it's worth taking a risk with Ed or Alan - With Labour in meltdown, Miliband and Johnson may be the only ones with the moral authority to lead the party - 11th May This shambolic blame game is set to pull Labour apart - Brown's woeful week has his party panicked. Splits will intensify unless he – or Alan Johnson – can turn the polls around - 4th May McBride, Gurkhas, MPs' expenses: Brown's hat-trick of own goals - Ill-advised and out-of-touch, Gordon Brown is fast losing political authority. The comparisons with John Major are ominous - 1st May The answer isn't to alter the system - it's to stop fiddling - It looks as though Gordon Brown's grand plan to reform MPs' expenses is dead in the water. I hope so - 27th April Budget: Will the 50p tax gamble pay off? - Higher taxes for the rich is a stunning roll of the political dice, but its success depends on several factors - 23rd April As the clouds gather, Brown has to hug key allies tight - While factions obsess over the Great Thereafter, the prime minister needs to pay heed to Messrs Mandelson and Darling - 20th April Gordon Brown's vicious side is now clear to the whole country - McBride was Brown's sinister prop for years, and the loneliness of office is no excuse. This is a dreadful day for No 10 - 13th April This Jacobin mood can cull Labour and Tory MPs alike - Anti-government feelings are high with tales of politicians on the take. But demagoguery could derail Cameron's party - 6th April These protesters are ragged, but don't brush them aside - The world's governments have sounded uncertain about the wider meaning of the economic crisis. But so do the world's protesters - 30th March On grandparents, Whitehall is woefully old-fashioned - They are an increasingly crucial part of families, yet get scant recognition. A small few changes could transform lives - 23rd March If the BBC learns generosity, it can become untouchable - To survive the recession, the corporation must place itself at the centre of an unselfish cultural network - 16th March Why pick fights with friends? Brown must ditch his pride - Harman and Darling are the PM's most constant allies. He should let them speak out, rather than slap them down - 9th March The parties must end this mood of confusion and drift - On all sides there is everything to fight for. The dominance of the City types is over, and ideology matters again - 2nd March The digital revolution risks injuring the way we think - Be it Facebook or Twitter, new technologies deliver exciting new ways to engage. But we have to ask if there is a downside - 23rd February Let me pass on a story about a possible lifeboat for Brown - As Cameron's message about Labour's failings begins to get through, rumours about the future are starting up again - 16th February Justice must be absolute - Thalidomide victims are growing older and need support, but only the state can do this properly - 10th February To chop City bonuses, start by cutting the testosterone - All sides agree banking's disastrously aggressive, risk-taking culture has to change. More women in finance might be a start - 9th February Britain needs the wisdom of older workers more than ever - Employment ageism is rife in these tough times. But businesses will be much weaker if they rid themselves of experience - 2nd February A broader, brighter team of Tories would benefit us all - Of course Cameron wants his friends around him, but choosing public, not party, favourites is a bold and confident move - 12th January Brown must admit mistakes: hearing otherwise just jars - Labour's leader has the chance to create a fairer society. But he can't keep claiming his handling of the boom was well-judged - 5th January

Articles: 2008 In terms of spreading values, Mitchell mattered most - Of the three leftwing writers that died in 2008 Adrian Mitchell was the most successful - 29th December 2008 What Lord Mandelson can learn from Labour's rebels - A version of the future that can rival more of the same neoliberalism need not be technophobic or sentimental - 22nd December 2008 Austerity is in, class is back, and Labour can win again - Crisis politics is all about coping and seeming the part. Now the Tories look a bit too complacent and chubby to win an election - 15th December 2008 In this economic cauldron, a new Labour is being forged - In the minds of ministers a leftwing vision is replacing the dogmas of financial derivatives and pizza delivery - 8th December 2008 Queen's speech: Old Labour redux - Today's announcements were the work of an ageing party running scared of recession and terrorism - 3rd December 2008 Ignorance is no defence. Smith failed in her first duty - The Damian Green affair reflects a lack of interest in the constitution, and a gutlessness about taking responsibility for policing - 1st December 2008 Cameron is gambling that today's fiscal boost will fail - As Alistair Darling announces his plan to save our economy, two men opposite him know it could end their careers - 24th November 2008 In a crisis calling for big ideas, Osborne is woefully lacking - The shadow chancellor is suffering the contempt of the Nasty Party, but their current political failings aren't down to him alone - 17th November 2008 Brown's just been reminded that nothing is inevitable - Voters, from Glenrothes to the US, will listen to politicians who learn from their mistakes. But they do want the truth - 10th November 2008 Return of the prodigal Mandelson - Not all of Brown's bounce is down to the political Svengali, but he's certainly helped - 8th November 2008 The planet is the big loser in Brown's economic assault - Labour looks set to let airports expand in the name of fighting recession. And the new climate secretary is silent - 3rd November 2008 The recession means we must do politics differently - Rampaging markets and dull-eyed consumerism should take a back seat to fairness, fellowship and sustainable living - 27th October 2008 Serious politics is back, and Brown can stand tall again - The global financial meltdown has given the prime minister a new confidence and, at last, a sense of direction - 13th October 2008 Desperation strategy works. But for emergency use only - I doubt even Brown knows how to follow up his stunning, coup-stalling Mandelson recall. It will be a bumpy ride - 6th October 2008 The Tories still seem more Flashman than Gladstone - Cameron may have some distinctive policies, or he may be content to kick an unpopular government when it's down - 29th September 2008 Behind this false show of unity, the rebels are plotting - In the midst of a crisis, Brown is doing a little better. But his greatest strength is still division among his enemies - 22nd September 2008 The Labour party could be on the verge of destruction - Out of money, and facing an electoral smash and a massive factional fallout, it may not survive as a major political force - 15th September 2008 Until parties find real voices, the mavericks will flourish - Voters are tiring of the anodyne careerists who rule us now. Politicians choosing leaders should ditch the safe option - 8th September 2008 Nobody votes to spend more time with the undertakers - Unless Brown and his ministers can articulate an optimistic vision of what comes next, there is no chance of recovery - 1st September 2008 My broken-foot summer: an edifying trip into Oldie World - Months on crutches left me alert to the tough political choices in a silvery-grey Britain, and to the power of empathy - 25th August 2008 These Olympian feats can inspire our obese nation - The achievements of our sports stars can do more for our youngsters than any number of food education programmes - 18th August 2008 A principled, decent man, yes. But Brown has to go - David Miliband once seemed to be too fastidious for frontline politics, but suddenly he looks like a killer - 4th August 2008 Labour needs a new leader - even if that means a coup - Ministers must now act ruthlessly. The party lacks direction, and the public has already made up its mind about Brown - 28th July 2008 Equality is tricky, but women are in the workplace to stay - Despite the unintended consequences of greater maternity rights, there can be no way back to the old, male world of work - 21st July 2008 The Tory claim to be cleaner than Labour is already shot - 7th July 2008 Labour must decide. Sack or back him, deadline autumn - It can't go on like this. The top people need to make up their minds on Brown by conference time or the party will be in ruins - 30th June 2008 It's no longer populist to put jobs ahead of the climate - A bill to cut through the planning process for runways, motorways and nuclear power stations faces defeat this week - 23rd June 2008 It's risky, but there may yet be method in the maverick - Davis can make it much harder for Cameron to renege on civil liberties - and avoid being cast as the Tories' Frank Dobson - 16th June 2008 Europe hasn't gone away, and sceptics smell blood - The result of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty could well end up putting British membership in doubt - 9th June 2008 Ageism is no more tolerable than any other prejudice - Discrimination against old people is rife - and the government has the perfect chance to do something to reduce it - 2nd June 2008 The country wants a leader with style and swagger - If the electorate have turned decisively against Brown, it is doubtful his policies or personality can win them back - 26th May 2008 This fight really matters, and lays bare the big party divide - The embryo bill, with its ambush on abortion attached, crystallises the crucial clash: progressive Labour v reactionary Tory - 19th May 2008 No loser -nor yet a winner - Brown has been on the ropes, but today he rallied and came out fighting... - Labour has no easy answers, which gives Brown time for now. But if things stay bleak, MPs will revolt by autumn - 15th May 2008 Beware cosy deals between politicians and their pundits - Britain can learn lessons from the scandal of how the Bush administration used spin to sell the Iraq war to Americans - 12th May 2008 All Gordon can do is fight on - and hope his luck turns - Labour has no easy answers, which gives Brown time for now. But if things stay bleak, MPs will revolt by autumn - 5th May 2008 Are the Guardianistas rats? - Guardian commentators are accused of betraying Gordon Brown, but it's a mistake to view them as anyone's mouthpiece - 29th April 2008 Brown's retreat to his tribal comfort zone is suicidal - The Labour leader must acknowledge his own role in this mess - 28th April 2008 If the rebels prevail, Brown could be ousted in days - However noble the cause, Labour MPs up in arms over 10p tax must ask whether they want to inflict such grave damage - 21st April 2008 He may be disappointing, but Brown isn't a disaster - Ministers should make a better fist of defending the government, instead of calculating who will replace its leader - 14th April 2008 Brown has to get back in touch with Labour values - The Olympic torch was a great opportunity for him to stand up against a quasi-imperial power. It was completely muffed - 7th April 2008 Clarkson for prime minister? It's time women fought back - 31st March 2008 The ultimate taboo? - Nick Clegg seems more than willing to disclose his sexual exploits, but when it comes to drugs, politicians clam up. Why? - 1st April 2008 Fear and loathing in Downing Street - The infighting in Gordon Brown's cabinet seems to be spilling into the public domain: it's time for some new blood - 19th March 2008 We talked to the IRA, so why can't we talk to al-Qaida? - A former adviser to Blair says we should keep lines open to terrorists. It was rubbished by No 10, but he's right - 17th March 2008 Darling, doyen of dull - Budget 08: The chancellor came across like a dose of Night Nurse - soporific certainly, but soothing too - 12th March 2008 To tackle sleeze, parliament needs a chief executive - Our politicians are unaccountable and losing voters' trust. Only an independent outsider can clean things up - 10th March 2008 Brown needs to get his fists out if he is to beat the Tories - Labour seems short of energy and ideals. Tackling tax evasion might enthuse party - and voters - 3rd March 2008 The new faces of protest - Direct action is back. But with Labour being the new establishment, people power is coming from elsewhere - 28th February 2008 Martin has to go to restore public trust in parliament - MPs need a fresh start with a freely elected Speaker who promises to root out Westminster's culture of petty fraud - 25th February 2008 Tattoo too much? - Several hundred years ago, when I was a girl, it was simple. If someone had tattoos, it meant they'd been at sea - 21st February 2008 Richer but less happy, we are now a pill-popping people - It will take more than a change in prescription rules to break Britain's growing dependence on antidepressants - 11th February 2008 It's not a big idea but the old ideas that Brown needs now - More help for the poor is what we want to hear. The day this stops being a Labour issue is the day that the party is finished - 4th February 2008 Meaningless numbers - The statistics tell us our streets are getting safer, so why have the most furious exchanges in parliament this week been about violent crime? - 31st January 2008 Importing Olympic athletes isn't going to fool anybody - For British success to make us genuinely proud in 2012, there is no alternative to serious investment in sport - 28th January 2008 The national ID register will leak like a battered bucket - The record of lost data of the past few years should be a warning to us all: our personal details are safe in nobody's hands - 21st January 2008 Until all agree on funding, donor tales will run and run - Hain's stupidity is not grounds for resignation, but it shows again the need for clearer rules on political contributions - 14th January 2008 The US presidential race has exposed our blandness - We can no longer afford to feel smug superiority about the American system. They, unlike us, can thrill their voters - 7th January 2008

Articles: 2007 Brown must graciously accept this olive branch - 31st December 2007 Labour's yuletide U-turn suggests it has lost its way - 24th December 2007 Nick Clegg's narrow margin ensures the Liberal Democrats have a better leadership model than Labour or the Tories - 19th December 2007 Yes, we can act against the corruption of children's lives - 10th December 2007 Let them keep their heads - 5th December 2007 From deep in the mire come the first signs of a new dawn - 3rd December 2007 Down but not out - Gordon Brown's government - 28th November 2007 Summon the courage to be the man you promised us - Gordon Brown - 26th November 2007 To beat obesity, politicians must get serious about sport - 19th November 2007 Alex Salmond talks confidently of Scotland's independence, to the delight of the Tories. What should Labour do? - 14th November 2007 Britain must accept its role in the world is as a minor player - 12th November 2007 If the Queen voted, I doubt she'd plump for a pretty boy - 5th November 2007 This is what renewal means: turning geese into swans - 29th October 2007 The way we treat the old is both disgraceful and stupid - 22nd October 2007 This Brown-bashing, like the Gordolatry, is far overblown - 15th October 2007 He can survive being called a coward, but not a twister - 8th October 2007 Cameron's future now lies in the hands of the right - 1st October 2007

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