Cameron must accept immediate cross-party talks ensure a meaningful statutory register of lobbyists.

Cameron must accept immediate cross-party talks ensure a meaningful statutory register of lobbyists.
The recent revelations regarding the lobbying of parliamentarians are, regrettably, the latest in a long line of similar scandals. Such disclosures serve to undermine public trust in parliament and bring both Houses into disrepute. There is a real danger of adding to the growing perception that parliament is out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people.

I have been calling, on behalf of the opposition, for progress on the introduction of a statutory register of lobbyists along with a clear code of conduct since the start of this parliament. It is now more important than ever before.

Labour must create a rupture with the past 30 years to win in 2015

I was elected to Leeds city council during the miners’ strike, perhaps the defining domestic event in her period of office and I became leader in 1989. I was there when she left office having tackled head-on her assault on local government and communities, most notably the poll tax.

All who were politically aware, as I was, at the end of the 1970s understood the relevance of WB Yeats’ celebrated line “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold”.

Concerns raised over proposed HS2 route

It is a positive development that the HS2 proposals show that there will be links through Yorkshire that will bring economic growth in the area and jobs to local people.

However, I do have grave reservations about the exact alignment and route of the proposals.

Cameron’s hiring and firing of civil servants is wasteful, inefficient and ineffective

The coalition government have broken their promise to deliver a more efficient and effective government. At a time when the government is introducing a strivers’ tax on hard working families it is absolutely astounding that they are continuing to spend millions on recruitment agencies whilst simultaneously paying out millions in redundancy pay to civil servants.

The Tories’ systematic cuts have left the Big Society in tatters

Labour’s historical and intellectual roots lie in the values of mutualism and reciprocity as a means of building social justice and strong communities. 

It is self-evident in a complex society like ours that public services will be provided by a wide range of organisations from the central state in some instances, and in others local government, or free standing institutions which are taxpayer funded. In the non-state sector, private companies operating in the market place equally provide some services as do many charities, community groups and voluntary organisations.

The reshuffle will lead to a record number of special advisers

This Tory-led Government is not doing what it promised it would. The number of special advisers, or “SpAds”, has risen to a staggering 85 and it now looks like this number will increase even further.

As a result of the Government reshuffle last week, it is clear that there will be more politicians in the Cabinet. It is very likely that this will also lead to the appointment of new special advisers.

I have written to Francis Maude to ask how many special advisers there were before the reshuffle and  how many new special advisers will be appointed as a consequence of the reshuffle.

The Tories sink deeper into the mire

Arrogance, incompetence and now infighting; this is what has defined the Conservative-led government.

Brutally honest debates on the ConservativeHome blog give fascinating insights into just how badly things are going for the Tories.   David Cameron is battling for the survival of his administration as a purposeful government with a clear political agenda. But more importantly it is increasingly apparent that – as I have previously written – the Conservative Party is facing an existential crisis (available here)

The Conservative Dilemma

Beneath the blue silk ties, Savile Row suits and faux bonhomie, tribal hatreds threaten to consume sections of the leadership of the Conservative party. Flashes of the venom occasionally spill over into the public domain.

Francis Maude allowed his frustration to show for an instant when he said: “The Conservative party will always suffer if it is seen as trying to turn the clock back to an imagined golden era.” Who else could he have been turning his fire on but Thatcherites such as Liam Fox and Norman Tebbit?

The Government are Creating a Cabinet Office Empire

Today was Oral Questions to the Cabinet Office, which is a chance for the Opposition to question the Government on current issues and policies.

In Cabinet Office Oral Questions today Francis Maude once again boasted about mythical savings, this time from the apparent reduction of the government estate.

What the Minister disguised as a government efficiency drive seems to actually be a sneaky attempt to build the Cabinet Office’s empire. Cabinet Office agencies had 23,000 Sq metres of offices in 2011, which has now more than doubled to a staggering 56,000 sq metres.

The Government’s contempt and disregard for charities is not just arrogant, it’s dangerous.

The Government’s attitude towards the voluntary and community sector (VCS) has been exposed for what it really is by the ongoing chaos of the last several weeks. Their disastrous Budget introduced the infamous ‘charity tax’ and revealed that the Chancellor did not consider it necessary to speak to even his own Cabinet Office team in advance of the decision, let alone consult with the sector itself.

It is clear that the gap between the Government’s ‘Big Society’ rhetoric and the harsh reality of their policies is widening. Time and time again we see new evidence that the Government’s policies are hitting the sector hard and resulting in instability and uncertainty.