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May 28th, 2011

Growing tensions over the NHS, Obama’s in town, and the Big Society re-launches (again): round up of political blogs for 21 – 27 May

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Blog Admin

May 28th, 2011

Growing tensions over the NHS, Obama’s in town, and the Big Society re-launches (again): round up of political blogs for 21 – 27 May

0 comments

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Chris Gilson, Paul Rainford and Amy Mollett take a look at the week in political blogging

Huhne/cabinet reshuffles

Guido Fawkes opens up a ‘second front’ on Chris Huhne with allegations of spending over election limits, but Mark Pack says these allegations are ‘threadbare’ Mike Smithson at politcalbetting.com notes that it is the third week running that Huhne has dominated the political news. Peter Wrigley at Keynesian Liberal wonders why Liberal Democrat cabinet ministers have been so accident-prone.

The Big Society re-launches

Samira Shackle at The Staggers contemplates whether David Cameron’s Big Society re-launch will be the ‘fourth-time-lucky’ for the policy. Later, Liberal Conspiracy provides polling evidence to suggest that it has fallen flat again, as Dr Jonathan Rowson at Left Foot Forward believes that the PM failed once more to effectively communicate his big idea.

Ed Miliband and Labour

Liberal Conspiracy previews Ed Miliband’s speech to the annual Progress conference, where he will say that Labour can no longer chase either Liberal Democrat or Conservative voters; they must look for both.

Post speech, Mike Smithson at polticalbetting.com says that while Miliband outlined a positive vision for voters, it was sorely lacking in specifics. Sunder Katwala at Next Left also has a good summary of the speech, feeling that Miliband ‘challenged’ his audience saying that simply opposing the coalition’s cuts would not be enough. Liberal Conspiracy’s Sunny Hundal wonders if Ed Miliband’s three pillars for Labour can save the party.

The NHS and health reform

The Staggers covers the growing coalition tensions over NHS reforms, and Sunny Hundal at Liberal Conspiracy considers whether the NHS Bill could end up hurting Labour’s prospects.

Jennie Bristow at Left Foot Forward questions the appointment of anti-abortion organisation LIFE to the new government advisory group on sexual health, and Women’s Views on News also cover the growing unease about the future of sexual health services.

Superinjunctions

Politicalbetting.com’s Mike Smithson wonders if MP John Hemming’s naming of Ryan Giggs in parliament today was an abuse of parliamentary privilege.  Paul Goodman at thetorydiary believes that John Hemming did Britain a service by revealing Ryan Giggs as the footballer at the centre of the super injunction debacle in the House of Commons, but Political Scrapbook notes that one judge has describes the Lib Dem MP’s behaviour as ‘shocking’. The Staggers provides a visual round up of the next day’s front pages.

The economy

We are now a poorer country’, says Vince Cable to the Guardian (noted by Sophie Elmhirst at The Staggers). Peter Wrigley at Keynesian Liberal reckons that these comments could be the beginning of Vince Cable’s rehabilitation, but Adam Ramsay says Cable ‘lacks vision’, and is deeply worried about what we will do should the government’s economic recovery plans fail.

Richard Murphy at Tax Research UK argues that Osborne’s economic policies are posing a serious threat to the UK’s GDP, and Matthew Pitt at Left Foot Forward suggests that the Chancellor’s weakness on banking reform risks another financial crisis. Tim Morgan at False Economy looks at why lower personal debt means bad news for the economy.

Nicola Smith at the TUC’s Touchstone Blog has concerns that there will be more childcare cuts under the proposed Universal Credit.

News breaks that April’s public borrowing figures were at record levels, challenging the government’s stated objective of cutting the deficit. Sunny Hundal at Liberal Conspiracy outlines why Osborne’s plan isn’t working and Alexandra Kemp at Labour List offers up a Plan B. Even the OECD are getting jittery about the UK’s prospect for growth.

Paul Waugh at Politics Home comments on the controversy caused by Vince Cable’s assertion that Greece should default on its debt.

Obama’s visit

The Staggers’ Sophie Elmhirst has five things to look out for on the eve of the Obama’s visit to the UK. Thetorydiary reviews the highlights of the Obama-Cameron press conference, and John Redwood discusses the newly crowned ‘essential’ relationship.

Political Scrapbook provides a cheeky reminder of just whom Cameron backed for the American presidency and The Staggers notes that Obama has responded in kind by refusing to back the Tories’ deficit reduction plan. Left Foot Forward summarises the reaction to the visit in America.

Jonathan Isaby at thetorydiary outlines the ways that David Cameron is attempting to make Britain more like America, mostly through encouraging national pride and philanthropy.

And finally…

Anthony Wells at UK Polling Report says that the latest polling shows that the coalition is seen as being less tough on crime than the last government.

Left Foot Forward’s Daniel Elton says that between Nadine Dorries’ views on sex education, David Cameron’s “calm down dear” gaffe, David Willett’s comments on feminism, and Ken Clarke’s on rape, the Tories keep ‘screwing up’ on gender equality.

The Coffee House discusses the potential benefits of David Campbell-Bannerman’s defection from UKIP to the Conservatives.

Labour Uncut discusses the politics of Gordon Brown’s IMF bid.

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