Guardian on Ephems on Sir Ian Blair
The Guardian’s daily blog excerpts includes an old item of mine from last August [More >>>>]
Category: Politics
It couldn’t happen here
It couldn’t happen here. But that’s what we said before they abolished detention without trial, the presumption of innocence, double jeopardy…. [More >>>]
The Tory Davids face to face
Cameron vs. Davis in their television combat may have impressed their Tory grassroots target audience, but it was dispiriting for the rest of us: right-wing experience versus policy-lite charm. (More >>>)
David Blunkett’s downfall: the texts and the timing
Mr Blunkett’s difficulty in disentangling the obligatory from the optional in the Ministerial code of conduct is understandable in light of the relevant texts. His problem is with the timing. [More >>>]
Diplomatic immunity and the London congestion charge
The American embassy’s bizarre decision to join a few other diplomats in refusing to pay the London congestion charge (a form of road toll) has prompted renewed debate about diplomatic immunity and whether it can be abused with impunity (More >>>>)
American soldiers in Iraq
A brilliant piece from the NYT magazine by Dexter Filkins on US soldiers in Iraq, recommended by award-winning British journalist Stephen Grey, who originally exposed the scandal of ‘rendition’. (More >>>)
More EU enlargement: a modest proposal
The encouragement of democratic reform in Turkey is quoted as a main reason for offering EU membership to that country. But why confine it to Turkey? Other candidates spring to mind. [More >>>]
The World Affairs Group at Keele
A remarkable adult group assembles weekly at Keele University to hear a long talk on a current affairs subject, the brainchild of a very remarkable man — Owen Powell [More >>>]
The war against civil rights and terrorism: tell your MP ‘enough already!’
There’s just enough time to lobby your MP to urge him or her to vote against the oppressive and unnecessary provisions of the latest anti-terrorism Bill, and for repeal of the pernicious Control Orders [More >>>>]
Proportional Representation: the debate continues
Over at The Sharpener blog, the debate continues in the clearly argued comments on Jarndyce’s original piece [More >>>>]