Lib Dems aren’t modifying Tory policy. They are allowing it.
As the European elephant in the cabinet room finally rears and strains the Clegg-Cameron bonds, many Liberal Democrats are once again questioning why they are in government at all. And…
Bingo! Osborne’s Autumn statement: fun for all the family
Thought the pre-budget report was going to be enraging? Worried that watching it will set you on a trajectory which will inevitably lead to the need for a new TV,…
Tory Women: why “female” and “feminist” aren’t interchangeable
The current government's spending cuts disproportionately affect women. That's not my opinion; it's fact. Women make up 65% of the public sector workforce, so are more likely to be affected…
Lower Than Vermin
Maggie, Maggie, Maggie! Die, die, die! This was one of the most enthusiastic chants I heard outside the Tory party conference on Sunday; two decades later, protesters in Manchester haven't…
Stop Lying About the Nation’s Credit Card
We’re making sure that this generation does not bankrupt the next. Not saddling them with our debts, not maxing out on the nation’s credit card, but building a better future for…
Abortion Rights: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
There's a certain irony to promoting “non-directive counselling” as a means of reducing the abortion rate. But I'm starting to think that the coalition government doesn't really understand irony. The…
Why We Have A Welfare State
David Cameron thinks that the only way to save our public services is by harnessing the opposing forces of volunteerism and capitalism. I'd like to think that history proves him…
The Cost of Efficiency Savings
Of all the dirty tactics that the Conservatives have deployed since coming to power, using the localism agenda as a cover for massive austerity measures has to be one of…
Tory MEPs wreck vote to upgrade EU emissions targets.
A report calling on the European commission to move "as soon as possible and before the end of 2011" to increase CO2 emissions reduction targets from 20% to 30% by…
The Dependency Paradox
Personal responsibility is a recurring theme in Conservative rhetoric, although they tend to use the more down-to-earth expression of “doing the right thing”. David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith in…