Monthly Archives: July 2008

We need your help for a briefing on Anthony Browne

Blog, Liberal Conspiracy, Our democracy

A week ago the director of the right-wing thinktank Policy Exchange, Anthony Browne, joined London Mayor Boris Johnson as his new policy director. He was replacing Nick Boles, also formerly of Policy Exchange, for screwing up over the Ray Lewis incident.

Put aside for a minute that the Charity Commission recently said (pdf) that: “there was no evidence of [Policy Exchanging displaying] party political bias towards the Conservative party or any other political party.”

After all, so what if James O’Shaughnessy, another former director of research at Policy Exchange, joined the Conservative Party as director of research. So what is one of Policy Exchange’s authors and fundraisers, Munira Mirza, is Boris Johnson’s director of arts? No connection, see?
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Is the era of mass membership parties over?

Blog, Realpolitik, Westminster

The news in today’s Telegraph that the Labour party’s membership is now at its lowest in a hundred years is a stark wake-up call for the governing party (and doubtless will in the well-worn cliché of tired journalistic prose “add to the pressure on the Prime Minister”). From 400,000 at the height of Tony Blair’s popularity to just 177,000 today – that’s some drop.

But let’s put to one side the tribal nonsense for a moment – not least because what’s happening to Labour is reflected more widely.

One of the (perhaps fortunately) ignored stories of the last leadership election was the realisation of how far the Lib Dems’ membership has dipped in the last decade. When the post-merger party was formed, in 1988, the Lib Dems had just over 80,000 members, reaching a high of over 100,000 by 1994. We were hit hard by the Blair effect – by 1999, membership was down by one-fifth, at almost 83,000 – and it has kept falling ever since: 72,000 by 2006, and just 64,000 today. (Figures available here).

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The season of reflection

Uncategorized

Back to the usual schedule, welcome to Thursday and the cusp of the best month in the year. You can check out my extended list that will be up on my blog, and I’m sure Jennie would encourage you to lambast me about my lack of ability to see the supposed sexism in the new Batman film. Tips to the usual place, or in the comments!

The bleeding heart show – Neil has a great insight in to the female side of our prison population
Neil Harding – Is it time for Labour to take hold of the English Parliament idea and run with it?
Peter Kenyon – Peter rues the missed opportunity for giving Brown credibility from the start.
Max Dunbar – Religion only does good, right?
Ministry of truth – It’s the Mark Brewer saga, and it’s still going. Let’s not forget this is still going on.
Open Democracy – The ongoing Ethiopia situation should perhaps shame some of those concerned over the rising cost of driving to work.
John Pugh – Watch out, the next scourge is coming. Time to ban exercise weights for the burden they place on the NHS.

Casting back:
Antonia’s blog (2005) – A look back at a view on school selection.