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January 22nd, 2011

Cameron won’t stand still on the NHS, the Lords are up all night, the return of ‘Team Brown’ and Coulson resigns: political blog round up for 15 – 21 January 2011

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Blog Admin

January 22nd, 2011

Cameron won’t stand still on the NHS, the Lords are up all night, the return of ‘Team Brown’ and Coulson resigns: political blog round up for 15 – 21 January 2011

1 comment

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Amy MollettAvery Hancock and Paul Rainford take a look at the week in political blogging.

Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th January

Sunny Hundal at Liberal Conspiracy looks to a ComRes poll showing a large proportion of voters feel they don’t know enough about the AV campaign.

Left Futures consider the history of trade unions in the UK, asking whether David Cameron will tighten the union laws as the protest movement grows.

The Spectator argue that the Liberal Democrats will not gain much even if they ditch Nick Clegg, as Left Foot Forward note Ed Miliband’s ‘hand of friendship’ extended to deserting Democrats.

Liberal Conspiracy blog on the consequences of confrontational activism as more arrests are made following anti-cuts demonstrations.

ToryDiary give praise to Michael Gove for his ‘big decisions’ concerning the baccalaureate-style changes to education.

Monday 17th January

As Nick Clegg announces an extension to paternity leave, The Spectator reacts with a pessimistic outlook by noting that ‘socially manipulative legislation’ can only go so far before it becomes counter productive for business. The Staggers however argues that the increased choice and flexibility which families will be given is an important step forward for gender equality.

Left Foot Forward highlight a new report from the think tank Demos which found that the Conservatives’ flagship ‘family values’ policy, the Married Tax Allowance, has little positive impact on the lives of children.

Left Futures look at how AV might help the Coalition parties much more than Labour, as the majority of Liberal Democrat supporters voice their preference for a Conservative government rather than a Labour one.

The Financial Times Westminster blog considers what impact the reforms to the NHS will have, after David Cameron announced that “standing still is not an option”.

Tuesday 18th January

The Home Office’s plans for a minimum price for alcohol amounts to government-sponsored drinking, according to Stumbling and Mumbling. Harry’s Place is sceptical that people can be taxed into good behaviour.

David Cameron’s appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today show to discuss plans to reform the NHS has been scrutinized by Liberal Conspiracy, who wonders where exactly the NHS savings will be coming from.

Staggers analyzes on Ed Miliband’s speech to the Fabian Society and finds main struggle to identify his audience; whether it is disillusioned Liberal Democrat supporters, community activists, or the working class. Westminster blog analyzes Miliband’s hope for a possible ‘rapprochement’ between Labour and the Lib Dems.

Nick Robinson reports on a challenge by Labour’s Jack Straw and the Conservative David Davis to block the government’s plans to grant prisoner’s right to vote in Westminster and European elections has been; a move that would defy a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.

Michael White covers the all-night sittings in the House of Lords in which Labour peers continued to filibuster the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Wednesday 19th January

At PMQ’s today focused on unemployment and the NHS; Miliband came out ahead even though he avoided the Educational Maintainance Allowance (EMA) ‘row,’ according to Iain Martin. But the Labour party is attempting to convince Simon Hughes to vote for the government to ‘rethink its decision’ on scrapping EMAs, while thousands of students are expected to take to the streets while MPs debate the issue.

Left Foot Forward continues its analysis of cuts to legal aid , finding that half a million fewer people would receive funded advice and representation each year.

Tory Diary sets out to correct myths and facts about the NHS reforms and argues the changes will produce much greater efficiency and better patient care, while the Adam Smith Institute wonders what a free-market health service would look like.

In his first post for Political Betting, former ICM polling head Nick Sparrow asks if the ‘LibDem collapse’ is fact or fiction.

Some interesting musings on cannibalism and prime numbers are emerging as the Labour filibuster continues, provided by Westminster blog.

Thursday 20th January

The Coffee House suggests that this was not a good day for the government, as news emerges that 28 days detention will simply lapse next Monday, Baroness Warsi lambasts the growing acceptance of Islamophobia in the UK and David Cameron is embarrassed by the testimony of a mother with a quadriplegic child. In addition, thetorydiary argues that the U-turn over prisoners’ votes highlights major weaknesses in the coalition government.

As Alan Johnson resigns as Shadow Chancellor, Tribune pays tribute to an old Labour stalwart, Though Cowards Flinch speculates as to whether two Eds are better than one and The Coffee House hails the return of ‘Team Brown’. Liberal Conspiracy spells out the reasons why the Labour left should welcome the change, although politicalbetting.com predict that Ed Miliband will be damaged by the whole affair.

Robert Peston wonders whether Jeremy Hunt can do a deal with Rupert Murdoch that might meet Ofcom’s concerns.

Stuart Wilks-Heeg at Left Foot Forward blogs on the problem with redrawing constituency boundaries and the AV Bill.

The Institute for Government asks whether Social Impact Bonds are the answer to the fiscal crisis.

Liberal Conspiracy notes the public’s concern about NHS restructuring.

Friday 21st January

After a night to reflect on Alan Johnson’s resignation, Next Left suggests ways in which Ed Miliband and Ed Balls must change in order to win over voters, and The Staggers points out what we can expect from Balls in his new role.

Events move quickly in Westminster – Andy Coulson offers his resignation as Downing Street communications chief as the News of the World phone tapping affair rumbles on. Peter Oborne believes that he shouldn’t have been appointed in the first place, Michael White suggests that these events have done nothing to loosen Cameron’s dependence on the red tops, and The Coffee House weighs up the potential damage to the government.

Tony Blair gears up to face the Chilcot enquiry again, and Left Foot Forward highlights some key questions that he needs to answer. Peter Oborne doesn’t think that Blair will be tripped up by the inquiry.

Left Foot Forward unveils evidence to suggest that immigrants are less likely to claim benefits than the general population.

The Adam Smith Institute Blog argue that its time to rethink Britain’s drug policy.

Liberal Democrat Voice celebrates the fact that the idea of identity cards is set to be officially scrapped tonight.

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This work by British Politics and Policy at LSE is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.