No spin. No waffle. Just politics.
Politics is all around us. From the price of a bus ticket to decisions on climate change, education and defence. For many people, especially young people, politics can feel distant, confusing, irrelevant and boring. This blog is here to help change that because the more we’re involved, the better it will be.
THE BLOG
- Robbins should be reinstated – Starmer must go
Foreign Affairs Committee: Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB As expected, Sir Ollie gave straightforward and clear evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee about some complicated and unusual circumstances. His evidence confirmed that he had personally and the FC&DO had institutionally… Read more: Robbins should be reinstated – Starmer must go - BLUSTER 10 – 0 ANSWERPrime Ministerial Statement: Security Vetting We conclude from the Prime Minister’s statement (and replies) in the Commons this afternoon that either Sir Keir really is not very clever, or that he over-rode the written advice of his Cabinet Secretary to… Read more: BLUSTER 10 – 0 ANSWER
- The Week in UK Politics #53
Many headlines this week were understandably diverted towards Donald Trump’s possible reincarnation as Jesus and troubling suggestions from the renowned Bible scholar Vice-President James “JD” Vance that “it’s very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks… Read more: The Week in UK Politics #53 - The Commons Weekly #8
Following Tuesday evening’s Edward Heath Lecture in Salisbury by very fed up Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, it was not astonishing that Kemi Badenoch (North West Essex, Conservative) LoTO focused all six of her questions on Defence Spending. LoTO rose… Read more: The Commons Weekly #8 - The Week in UK Politics #52
It has been James Vance Week, or for fans of Édith Piaf, “Semaine Je Regrette Tout.” With Westminster largely silent while Parliament was in Easter recess, British politics spent the week reacting to events elsewhere. The most consequential development was… Read more: The Week in UK Politics #52 - The Week in UK Politics #51
Another week in which British politics found itself waiting on events elsewhere. Iran continued to set the strategic tempo, Washington oscillated between negotiation and escalation by the hour and Westminster responded largely by adjusting language rather than making decisions. Several… Read more: The Week in UK Politics #51 - The Week in UK Politics #50
Waiting for imaginary negotiations abroad, preparing for inflation at home and governing in the shadow of events with no clear purpose. Welcome to Britain 2026. The Israel–US confrontation with Iran continues to set the UK political tempo. Domestic policy development… Read more: The Week in UK Politics #50 - The Commons Weekly #7
It was with the greatest difficulty that I persuaded the Editorial Board (in this massive global organisation of 1) not to make the pic of the PM with his head in his hands at PMQs the photo lead today. It’s… Read more: The Commons Weekly #7 - The Week in UK Politics #49
Wait for it! Another week dominated by Iran, but not entirely determined by it. Westminster continues to move in its familiar pattern: modest domestic announcements, internal Labour positioning and foreign policy events imposing themselves faster than ministers can respond. British… Read more: The Week in UK Politics #49 - The Commons Weekly #6
The Prime Minister almost succeeded in breaking PMQs on 18th March. Backbencher Andrew Snowden (Fylde, Conservative) summed up the problem: “Every week the Prime Minister comes here and reads out this pre-scripted nonsense that bears no resemblance to the questions… Read more: The Commons Weekly #6
