Category: Assisted Dying
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RECESS AGAIN This 4-week conference recess seems creakily antique. Has no-one ever thought of having all the party conferences in the same week? There can be very few people other than journalists who want to attend more than one (and journalists have colleagues…) Tuesday 15th September On the last day of term, Yvette Cooper (Pontefract, Castleford &…
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Welfare Reform Proposals. Kemi Badenoch delivered a fairly surgical question at PMQs on Wednesday, questioning the new Chancellor’s own declared reasons for resigning as Defence Secretary just 13 weeks ago: “Is the Prime Minister unable, or is he just unwilling,to get that money by 2030?” The PM offered the classic deflective response, revealing far more…
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Erosion of authority is rarely dramatic. It is cumulative: decisions that do not settle arguments, dismissals that do not resolve questions, explanations that do not explain. That process now appears to be entering a new phase for the Prime Minister, who surreally promises to lead Labour in to the next election in 2029 (Aletha Adu…
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Papers & Processes The week began with the next episode of the already boring Mandelson affair. After the drama of the Humble Address, the release of the files related to his errant Lordship’s appointment proved simultaneously more mundane and yet more revealing than expected. Meanwhile, the Iran war/ “special military operation” dominates the international agenda,…
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Preparation, hesitation, correction, reposition This past week has seen a (leaky) raft of claims about the Government’s preparations for the US-Israeli attack on Iran, hesitation and uncertainty in response, hardly disguised at all by post hoc (and very definitely therefore not ergo propter hoc) announcements claiming that everything is under control. On the home front…
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Suicide Assistance Enabled On Friday the Commons voted by 314 votes to 291 to pass Kim Leadbeater’s private member’s bill to legalise medical assistance for suicide for people with fatal illnesses judged likely to have less than six months life remaining. The clumsily named Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was introduced by Kim…
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It’s been one of those weeks in UK politics where the leakers and the sneakers conspire together to “warm the pot” on some issues that will boil over in the coming weeks before the House rises and Westminster moves to the South of France on 22nd July. Leaving aside the Starmer Arson, which has all…