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December 10th, 2011

Europe leaves Britain behind, In The Black Labour makes a splash, and inequality rises fast: round up of political blogs for 3 – 9 December

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Blog Admin

December 10th, 2011

Europe leaves Britain behind, In The Black Labour makes a splash, and inequality rises fast: round up of political blogs for 3 – 9 December

0 comments

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Avery HancockDanielle Moranand Paul Rainford take a look at the week in political blogging.

 Eurozone Crisis

Jon Snow senses that Cameron is about to face a major backlash for his decision to give up the UK’s seat at Europe’s top table, as Conservative MPs tell their leader to “toughen up” in his dealings with Brussels. Tim Montgomerie at The Tory Diary looks at Britain’s options now that Europe has left Britain behind, and Bagehot at the Economist is not surprised at Britain’s predictable fallout from the EU.

The Green Benches outlines 10 reasons why Cameron will gain politically from his European veto and The Coffee House declares that this move will “come to define him as a leader”, although, not surprisingly, Liberal Conspiracy believes that the Prime Minister and his party are simply impotent.

The Staggers asks what Nick Clegg, the most pro-EU cabinet minister must be thinking, while Left Foot Forward wonders if there are policies on which the Deputy Prime Minister won’t backtrackLiberal Democrat Voice calls for the party to “nail their colours to the mast” in support of Europe, as Labour List tell Ed Miliband to not only push for a referendum on the EU, but to lead the charge for a Yes vote. Political Betting questions if Brits really would chose to stay in the EU.

Left Foot Forward argues that Cameron should think again if he believes he has sated his party’s Eurosceptic appetite, and Liberal Conspiracy warn that a tactical opening may have appeared for the Eurosceptic Conservative Right. Channel Four’s Gary Gibbons questions the role that lone foreign minister, William Hague, might have played in negotiations. The Coffee House wonders if Britain could have done more to win goodwill, and appear as less of a nuisance to European leaders, and The Adam Smith Institute Blog suggests that the Eurozone crisis is turning into one big game of chicken.

Summing up, Richard Murphy, writing for Open Democracy, writes that the Merkel/Sarcozy plan will destroy the European Left. Paul Mason, writing for BBC Blogs, believes that the Euro deal has rendered expansionary fiscal policy illegal, and The Staggers’ Owen Jones argues that the treaty is another attack on European democracy.

The Parties

UK Polling Report discusses the latest ICM poll result that puts the Tories two points ahead of Labour, while The Staggers cautions that Cameron shouldn’t be too smug about this result.

Paul Goodman at The Tory Diary discusses the future for compassionate conservatism, and Alex Marsh at Liberal Democrat Voice expresses a sense of deep frustration at therightward drift of his party in coalition. 

The Policy Network’s ‘In the Black Labour’ report made a big slash by arguing Labour should appeal to fiscal conservatism, with Hopi Sen rounding up the reaction to this new initiative from across the board.  Labour Uncut worries the party’s social democratic values will be undermined, and Liberal Conspiracy finds at least four problems with the argument.

Education

Academies and free schools are not far away from coming under direct control of Whitehall, writes Liberal Conspiracy, as Left Foot Forward covers the debate over promoting religious morals in free schools’ curriculum. Elsewhere, Guido Fawkes unveils the numbers of interns working for the Conservative party for free, noting that “exploiting slave labour goes to the very top of government”.

NHS

The Coffee House analyses David Cameron’s plans to promote private sector investment in pharmaceutical research,  and The Tory Diary makes the case for joining research labs with the NHS.

Environment

The Staggers criticises the government’s green record amid claims it has been the most environmentally destructive government since birth of modern green movement.

The Tory Diary urges Green campaigners to look past Osborne’s rhetoric and appreciate the actual work of Chris Huhne.

Inequality

The Staggers analyses new OECD figures showing inequality has risen in Britain faster than any other rich country. Liberal Conspiracy asks if the UK can reduce inequality without redistribution, while Labour MP Roberta Blackman-Woods warns we are heading for a generation of NEETS in the North East of England.

The New York Times has got the wrong picture of austerity in Britain, writes The Coffee House.

And finally…

Left Foot Forward shows how the latest lobbying scandal involving PR firm Bell Pottinger have direct links to the Prime Minister and The Coffee House calls for a register of lobbyists.

Liberal Conspiracy presents the memo from the City of London Police in which #OccupyLSX protestors were branded domestic terrorists.

The Tory Diary reports from the Bonn conference on the future of Afghanistan while The F Word argues women must be involved in the peace process.

Robert Peston wonders whether the Treasury is gearing up to squish bank bonuses.

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