The need for a federal senate instead of the house of lords
The UK has become a semi-federation as a result of devolution to three of the four UK nations, but we still lack most of the institutions and safeguards that a federal system needs and...
Category: Politics
Scotland, an English parliament and the Labour Party
My letter in the Guardian of 18 May 2011 questioned Madeleine Bunting’s description, also in the Guardian, of the option of an English parliament as “unappealing” and her fear that if England had its...
Is this the end of the United Kingdom? It needn’t be, if only…
Easily the most significant and daunting feature of last week’s elections and AV referendum was the sensational victory of the Scottish National Party, with an unexpected overall majority in the Scottish parliament and a...
A postscript to my last word on AV
PS: Dear M***, I can’t resist quoting your succinct remarks on AV: ‘I would vote for AV if we were only electing MPs. But we’re electing a govt and I want to be able...
A last word on AV: Letter to a mathematician
Dear *****, I hope you saw my tweet: Maths Prof D Broomhead demolishes some AV myths, eg that AV ends need for tactical voting and that AV or PR can be fair: http://j.mp/f3NPpX. You’re...
In defence of Britain’s decolonisation record
It’s an article of faith among some good folk on the left, Guardian readers every one, that the British empire was a rat’s-nest of racism, oppression and exploitation, and that its eventual dissolution was...
For and (mainly) against AV: a dialogue
A letter of mine opposing AV (the Alternative Vote electoral system) prompted an exchange with an AV fan which explores some of the arguments, good and (especially) bad, for and (especially) against. This is...
The strong case for the Libyan intervention, and two reservations
OpenDemocracy has published online two excellent articles stating the case for the current humanitarian intervention in Libya from a left-of-centre, reasoned and humane point of view: one by Anthony Barnett (the founder of openDemocracy...
Libya: Fine, but why Britain?
David Cameron had earned generous tributes to his success in securing a tough Security Council resolution on Libya, authorising an air war against Gaddafi: but why did he (and most of the media and...
Libya: ten unpopular reflections for the weekend
Reading the papers and the blogs on Libya this week, I find myself increasingly going against the liberal bien-pensant grain. For example, — 1. I strongly disagree with the widespread sentiment voiced in last...