conservativehome--2020-01-09--Henry Hill: Carlaw sets out his stall as the Scottish Tory leadership contest begins

Jackson Carlaw , the interim leader of the Scottish Tories , has launched his bid to win the position full-time with a warning to members about the extent to which the Party might need to change to win power .
The Daily Telegraph reports his saying that “ even some well-established ” policy areas might need to be jettisoned ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021 .
Plans to set out a ‘ blue-collar ’ agenda could include dropping the Conservatives ’ long-standing opposition to free tuition fees in Scotland , despite the s Although Carlaw does not support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structures , especially the link to the British Tories , he has won the backing of MSPs sympathetic to such ideas such as Murdo Fraser and Adam Tomkins .
Senior party figures were reportedly hoping crown Carlaw in order to avoid spending three of the remaining 15 months before the Holyrood elections focusing inwards .
However Michelle Ballantyne , the party ’ s shadow social security minister and a former nurse , has declared her intention to run if she can get the requisite 100 nominations from the membership .
Writing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life experience gives her the very ‘ blue-collar ’ credibility which Carlaw intends to strive for .
He remains the overwhelming favourite to win .
The real question is how he intends to fight the 2021 elections , and whether any candidates who have kept their powder dry this time might push for the leadership in the event of a disappointing result .
…as Scotland makes its present felt in the Labour leadership battle The launch of the Labour leadership contest was remarkable , in part , for the almost complete absence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s election defeat and its path back to power .
Happily this is no longer the case , but the resultant debate has put a spotlight on a long-standing but growing division within the party about – or indeed , whether – to combat Scottish nationalism .
In an interview on Good Morning Scotland Jess Phillips set out her opposition both to Scottish independence and to another referendum on the question .
She added that , in her view , Labour has suffered for not having clear stances on key issues such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware that the party ’ s remaining Scottish vote leans heavily towards the Union .
Another strongly pro-UK candidate , this time for the deputy position , is Ian Murray , the MP for Edinburgh South .
He has held his seat amidst two Scottish Labour wipe-outs in part by distancing himself from the wider party – at least one of his leaflets apparently featured endorsements from the Spectator and the Daily Telegraph but not the Labour logo .
Murray has actually refused to rule out creating a separate Scottish party , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This idea has been more forcefully advocated by Monica Lennon , the Scottish Labour health spokesperson , who believes that the reason for the party ’ s poor performance is that it is a ‘ branch office ’ of the UK party .
There is frankly not much evidence for this , but an external scapegoat for political woes is not normally a difficult sell .
Clive Lewis has gone even further .
Writing in the pro-independence National newspaper , he backed not only a separate Scottish party but also argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way of another independence referendum should the Scottish Government seek one .
Meanwhile a Scottish trades union leader has urged Labour to go so far as backing independence .
The Prime Minister has hit out at the Scottish Nationalists , accusing them of fixating on independence in order to distract from their “ abundant failures ” in government north of the border .
Boris Johnson highlighted critical areas such as schools and education where the Scottish Parliament has overseen falling standards .
Meanwhile Alister Jack , the Scottish Secretary , has confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second referendum from Nicola Sturgeon .
However he has reportedly said that it would be “ completely wrong ” to give the Scottish Parliament authority to hold binding votes on separation whenever it wishes , arguing that this would lead to a series of ‘ neverendums ’ wherein the SNP simply re-staged the vote until they finally won .
This is correct , but the case against actually runs deeper than that .
As I have written previously , granting Holyrood the power to quit the Union whenever it wishes actually undermines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the UK ’ s core functions : the pooling and sharing of resources .
The fate of the British State must always ultimately rest in the hands of the British Parliament .

Carlaw kicks off Scottish Conservative leadership contest…
Jackson Carlaw, the interim leader of the Scottish Tories, has launched his bid to win the position full-time with a warning to members about the extent to which the Party might need to change to win power.
The Daily Telegraph reports his saying that “even some well-established” policy areas might need to be jettisoned ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021. Plans to set out a ‘blue-collar’ agenda could include dropping the Conservatives’ long-standing opposition to free tuition fees in Scotland, despite the s
Although Carlaw does not support radical change to the Party’s structures, especially the link to the British Tories, he has won the backing of MSPs sympathetic to such ideas such as Murdo Fraser and Adam Tomkins.
Senior party figures were reportedly hoping crown Carlaw in order to avoid spending three of the remaining 15 months before the Holyrood elections focusing inwards. However Michelle Ballantyne, the party’s shadow social security minister and a former nurse, has declared her intention to run if she can get the requisite 100 nominations from the membership. Writing in the Telegraph, she set out how her life experience gives her the very ‘blue-collar’ credibility which Carlaw intends to strive for.
He remains the overwhelming favourite to win. The real question is how he intends to fight the 2021 elections, and whether any candidates who have kept their powder dry this time might push for the leadership in the event of a disappointing result.
…as Scotland makes its present felt in the Labour leadership battle
The launch of the Labour leadership contest was remarkable, in part, for the almost complete absence of Scotland from analysis about the party’s election defeat and its path back to power.
Happily this is no longer the case, but the resultant debate has put a spotlight on a long-standing but growing division within the party about – or indeed, whether – to combat Scottish nationalism.
In an interview on Good Morning Scotland Jess Phillips set out her opposition both to Scottish independence and to another referendum on the question. She added that, in her view, Labour has suffered for not having clear stances on key issues such as independence and Brexit – and is probably aware that the party’s remaining Scottish vote leans heavily towards the Union.
Another strongly pro-UK candidate, this time for the deputy position, is Ian Murray, the MP for Edinburgh South. He has held his seat amidst two Scottish Labour wipe-outs in part by distancing himself from the wider party – at least one of his leaflets apparently featured endorsements from the Spectator and the Daily Telegraph but not the Labour logo.
Murray has actually refused to rule out creating a separate Scottish party, although he has not ruled it in either. This idea has been more forcefully advocated by Monica Lennon, the Scottish Labour health spokesperson, who believes that the reason for the party’s poor performance is that it is a ‘branch office’ of the UK party. There is frankly not much evidence for this, but an external scapegoat for political woes is not normally a difficult sell.
Clive Lewis has gone even further. Writing in the pro-independence National newspaper, he backed not only a separate Scottish party but also argued that the UK party should not stand in the way of another independence referendum should the Scottish Government seek one. Meanwhile a Scottish trades union leader has urged Labour to go so far as backing independence.
Johnson stands firm against Sturgeon’s referendum demand
The Prime Minister has hit out at the Scottish Nationalists, accusing them of fixating on independence in order to distract from their “abundant failures” in government north of the border. Boris Johnson highlighted critical areas such as schools and education where the Scottish Parliament has overseen falling standards.
Meanwhile Alister Jack, the Scottish Secretary, has confirmed that he has received a request for a second referendum from Nicola Sturgeon.
However he has reportedly said that it would be “completely wrong” to give the Scottish Parliament authority to hold binding votes on separation whenever it wishes, arguing that this would lead to a series of ‘neverendums’ wherein the SNP simply re-staged the vote until they finally won.
This is correct, but the case against actually runs deeper than that. As I have written previously, granting Holyrood the power to quit the Union whenever it wishes actually undermines what even the most mercenary federalist deems one of the UK’s core functions: the pooling and sharing of resources. The fate of the British State must always ultimately rest in the hands of the British Parliament.


conservativehome--2020-01-09--Does Downing Street want Today to have no tomorrow?

The Ministerial boycott of Today continues as Downing Street is suspected , by some , of seeking to weaken the lobby system by changing its daily briefing procedure .
During the election , Boris Johnson was criticised for his refusal to be interviewed by Andrew Neil .
To cut a long story short , Number Ten stands accused of seeking to ensure that the Government avoids legitimate scrutiny .
What is Team Johnson ’ s side of the story ?
And what should we make of it all ?
The different elements need disentangling .
First , Downing Street is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the programme is Londoncentric , reflexively left-leaning , staffed by Guardian readers ( “ they must account for 20 per cent of the paper ’ s sales ” ) and incapable of thinking outside its own bubble .
If you want to get a sense of what Team Johnson thinks , read this article by a former senior member of…Team May .
Robbie Gibb was her Director of Communications and is a former head of BBC Westminster – so he has played , as it were , for both teams .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the election with endless outside broadcasts in universities , full of interviews with Left-wing , entitled , virtue-signalling students , ” he wrote .
Number Ten speaks in much the same terms .
Second , it says that the Government is not seeking to avoid scrutiny – no surprises there – though it admits to making exceptions of Kay Burley ( with whom there is a stand-off over her treatment of James Cleverly ) , Piers Morgan ( its view is that he simply provides “ TV clips for Twitter ” ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s worth noting that Boris Johnson was interviewed on the programme by Nick Robinson during last year ’ s Conservative conference .
“ We knew that although the interview would be tough it wouldn ’ t be an exercise in Gotcha Journalism , ” this site was told .
Number Ten ’ s account of the daily lobby briefing is that it wants a more formal process and that the change of venue will allow lobby journalists to have more briefings from advisers and officials .
The Lobby correspondents ’ committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venue , which has been moved to 9 Downing Street .
Third – and most interestingly in our view – Team Johnson wants an overhaul of the Government ’ s communications .
This should be seen in the light of the Prime Minister ’ s call in Cabinet this week for “ the slaughtering of sacred cows ” – i.e : the culling of spending programmes .
The Conservative election campaign showed how alert the Party now is to getting its message out on Facebook and YouTube .
This site was told that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education Department , there was a cull of press officers ” .
There is a belief that government can get a better bang for its buck with fewer staff .
Whether civil servants can or should be able to operate like Topham and Guerin – see Johnson ’ s campaign tea break interview or the Love Actually parody – is an interesting question .
But Downing Street believes that Government communications are ripe for radical change and new thinking .
So what to make of it all ?
The place to start is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given a rough ride by much of the media – which is just as it should be .
The reason isn ’ t primarily that these were hostile to him ( though bits were ; others parts , of course , were hostile to Jeremy Corbyn ) .
Rather , it is that journalists believe that politicians , and those who work for them shouldn ’ t dictate the terms of election campaigns .
The collective view of our fellow hacks was that control of December ’ s should lie with them – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was seen as the front runner throughout , pretty much .
So there is a strong sense at the top of the Conservative Party that the election found much of the media wanting .
It wanted to focus on whether , for example , the Prime Minister hid in a fridge – or on his response to the story of a sick child who had to sleep on the floor of a Leeds Hospital .
The mass of voters by-passed nearly all of this , and gave Johnson a near-landslide .
No wonder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ministerial boycott of Today is sustainable .
More broadly , it wants the Prime Minister to do less media and other Ministers to do more .
This is a familiar refrain from the centre at the start of a new Government .
But it just may be that Johnson ’ s response to the Iran crisis – namely , to let Dominic Raab and Ben Wallace take the public strain – turns out to be the part of a sustained shift .
Downing Street is in a mood to take complaints about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It knows very well that fewer people are reading newspapers ; that younger people don ’ t consume TV news in the way that older people do , and that social media continues to change the way people consume politics .
The site suspects that the rumpus over Today and that Andrew Neil non-interview are the wave of the future .
And we confess to having mixed feelings about it .
On the one hand , the broadcasters can get too big for their boots .
( As a non-broadcaster , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biased . )
Some behaving as though , for example , TV debates should frame election campaigns .
They shouldn ’ t – and nor should interviews with politicians degenerate into variations of Gotcha Journalism .
Unless we want political journalism in Britain to vanish into a perpetual Fake News row .
A Michael Gove ’ s Channel 4 interview during the campaign , in which precisely that happened , may be a sign of things to come .
On the other hand , Johnson ducking the Neil interview was ominous .
Admittedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latter ’ s public challenge to the Prime Minister during the campaign .
After all , no-one has elected Neil , for all his merits as an interviewer , to run the country .
But there is an impalpable yet powerful benefit to having impartial broadcasters who hold politicians to account in ways that command public consent – and can pull big audiences .
Unless we want a culture in which people of different political views consume news that exists only to inflame their own prejudices .
The danger for the BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this consent will erode if it can ’ t adapt to the coming post-Brexit Britain .
Particular since it depends on a form of funding , the licence fee , whose level is soon up for negotiation – and which is unsustainable even in the medium-term .

The Ministerial boycott of Today continues as Downing Street is suspected, by some, of seeking to weaken the lobby system by changing its daily briefing procedure. During the election, Boris Johnson was criticised for his refusal to be interviewed by Andrew Neil.
To cut a long story short, Number Ten stands accused of seeking to ensure that the Government avoids legitimate scrutiny. What is Team Johnson’s side of the story? And what should we make of it all?
The different elements need disentangling.
First, Downing Street is excoriating about Today. Its take is that the programme is Londoncentric, reflexively left-leaning, staffed by Guardian readers (“they must account for 20 per cent of the paper’s sales”) and incapable of thinking outside its own bubble.
If you want to get a sense of what Team Johnson thinks, read this article by a former senior member of…Team May. Robbie Gibb was her Director of Communications and is a former head of BBC Westminster – so he has played, as it were, for both teams.
“[Today] spectacularly misread the politics of the election with endless outside broadcasts in universities, full of interviews with Left-wing, entitled, virtue-signalling students,” he wrote. Number Ten speaks in much the same terms.
Second, it says that the Government is not seeking to avoid scrutiny – no surprises there – though it admits to making exceptions of Kay Burley (with whom there is a stand-off over her treatment of James Cleverly), Piers Morgan (its view is that he simply provides “TV clips for Twitter”)…and Today.
Talking of which, it’s worth noting that Boris Johnson was interviewed on the programme by Nick Robinson during last year’s Conservative conference. “We knew that although the interview would be tough it wouldn’t be an exercise in Gotcha Journalism,” this site was told.
Number Ten’s account of the daily lobby briefing is that it wants a more formal process and that the change of venue will allow lobby journalists to have more briefings from advisers and officials. The Lobby correspondents’ committee is pressing for a compromise over the venue, which has been moved to 9 Downing Street.
Third – and most interestingly in our view – Team Johnson wants an overhaul of the Government’s communications. This should be seen in the light of the Prime Minister’s call in Cabinet this week for “the slaughtering of sacred cows” – i.e: the culling of spending programmes.
The Conservative election campaign showed how alert the Party now is to getting its message out on Facebook and YouTube. This site was told that “when Dominic Cummings was at the Education Department, there was a cull of press officers”. There is a belief that government can get a better bang for its buck with fewer staff.
Whether civil servants can or should be able to operate like Topham and Guerin – see Johnson’s campaign tea break interview or the Love Actually parody – is an interesting question. But Downing Street believes that Government communications are ripe for radical change and new thinking.
So what to make of it all? The place to start is with the election campaign. Johnson was given a rough ride by much of the media – which is just as it should be. The reason isn’t primarily that these were hostile to him (though bits were; others parts, of course, were hostile to Jeremy Corbyn).
Rather, it is that journalists believe that politicians, and those who work for them shouldn’t dictate the terms of election campaigns. The collective view of our fellow hacks was that control of December’s should lie with them – not Isaac Levido. Particularly since Johnson was seen as the front runner throughout, pretty much.
So there is a strong sense at the top of the Conservative Party that the election found much of the media wanting. It wanted to focus on whether, for example, the Prime Minister hid in a fridge – or on his response to the story of a sick child who had to sleep on the floor of a Leeds Hospital.
The mass of voters by-passed nearly all of this, and gave Johnson a near-landslide. No wonder that Number Ten seems to think that the Ministerial boycott of Today is sustainable. More broadly, it wants the Prime Minister to do less media and other Ministers to do more.
This is a familiar refrain from the centre at the start of a new Government. But it just may be that Johnson’s response to the Iran crisis – namely, to let Dominic Raab and Ben Wallace take the public strain – turns out to be the part of a sustained shift. Downing Street is in a mood to take complaints about Johnson’s holiday in its stride.
It knows very well that fewer people are reading newspapers; that younger people don’t consume TV news in the way that older people do, and that social media continues to change the way people consume politics. The site suspects that the rumpus over Today and that Andrew Neil non-interview are the wave of the future.
And we confess to having mixed feelings about it.
On the one hand, the broadcasters can get too big for their boots. (As a non-broadcaster, by and large, this site is doubtless biased.) Some behaving as though, for example, TV debates should frame election campaigns.
They shouldn’t – and nor should interviews with politicians degenerate into variations of Gotcha Journalism. Unless we want political journalism in Britain to vanish into a perpetual Fake News row. A Michael Gove’s Channel 4 interview during the campaign, in which precisely that happened, may be a sign of things to come.
On the other hand, Johnson ducking the Neil interview was ominous. Admittedly, there was something slightly absurd about the latter’s public challenge to the Prime Minister during the campaign. After all, no-one has elected Neil, for all his merits as an interviewer, to run the country.
But there is an impalpable yet powerful benefit to having impartial broadcasters who hold politicians to account in ways that command public consent – and can pull big audiences. Unless we want a culture in which people of different political views consume news that exists only to inflame their own prejudices.
The danger for the BBC as a public service broadcaster is that this consent will erode if it can’t adapt to the coming post-Brexit Britain. Particular since it depends on a form of funding, the licence fee, whose level is soon up for negotiation – and which is unsustainable even in the medium-term.


conservativehome--2020-01-09--New developments at ConservativeHome, as we build on the success of another record-breaking year

2019 was another amazing year for ConservativeHome .
We covered a stunning General Election , a leadership election , a new Brexit deal , a packed Party Conference agenda , the emergence of a new generation of Conservative MPs , and all the various political crises which marked the end of the May years .
The hard work involved in providing that coverage produced the biggest year for the site ever in terms of traffic : 3.34 million people visited ConservativeHome at least once , over 1.3 million ( 68 per cent ) more than in 2018 .
We received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million ( 58 per cent ) .
And we enjoyed over 25.4 million pageviews , over 9.5 million ( 60 per cent ) more than the year before .
ConservativeHome has always been as much about which people read us as about how many .
But those are remarkable achievements for a small team producing political news and analysis .
They show that the site is even more relevant , and more widely read , than ever before .
The new majority Conservative government opens a whole new range of topics for us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times for all of us on the centre right .
ConservativeHome has thrived in the nearly 15 years since it was founded , thanks to a dedicated team , a committed and growing readership , and a generous proprietor .
But the figures we report help to confirm that we have outgrown the structure which has supported the site for at least the last five years .
So given our continued growth , and the new opportunities and challenges presented by what is really the first truly stable Conservative majority in the site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making some changes to ensure that the business can build on its success , and that the editorial team are properly supported to make the site as best as it can be .
Essentially , we are establishing a leadership structure for the business as a whole , in addition to the editorial leadership of the site , as follows : We ’ re pleased to announce that Mark Wallace will become Chief Executive of ConservativeHome .
This is a newly-created role .
Mark has been Executive Editor of the site since 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the principles that it champions , as well as anybody .
He will still write for the site , but his primary responsibility is now leading the company , setting its direction and strategy , and overseeing its development in order to secure its long-term future .
We ’ re also pleased to announce that Paul Goodman will remain Editor of Conservative Home , as at present .
Paul has been Editor of the site for the same period , and under his editorship ConservativeHome has flourished .
He retains editorial independence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its media channels cover and how .
We will continue to do what we have always done best : providing our readers with excellent journalism with a campaigning edge , standing up for grassroots Tories , and serving as a critical friend to the Conservative Party .
As an editorial team , we have worked together every day for the last six and a half years , and are pleased to continue doing so , albeit in a new structure .
2020 is set to be the start of a new chapter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for ConservativeHome , too .
With the support of you , our readers , this site has achieved great things in the last 15 years ; we hope you will join us as it achieves yet more in the years to come .
P.S .
Should you be interested in joining the ConservativeHome editorial team , please see the advert for a new Deputy Editor here .

2019 was another amazing year for ConservativeHome. We covered a stunning General Election, a leadership election, a new Brexit deal, a packed Party Conference agenda, the emergence of a new generation of Conservative MPs, and all the various political crises which marked the end of the May years.
The hard work involved in providing that coverage produced the biggest year for the site ever in terms of traffic: 3.34 million people visited ConservativeHome at least once, over 1.3 million (68 per cent) more than in 2018.
We received over 14 million visits, up 5.1 million (58 per cent). And we enjoyed over 25.4 million pageviews, over 9.5 million (60 per cent) more than the year before.
ConservativeHome has always been as much about which people read us as about how many. But those are remarkable achievements for a small team producing political news and analysis.
They show that the site is even more relevant, and more widely read, than ever before. The new majority Conservative government opens a whole new range of topics for us to examine, and these are exciting times for all of us on the centre right.
ConservativeHome has thrived in the nearly 15 years since it was founded, thanks to a dedicated team, a committed and growing readership, and a generous proprietor. But the figures we report help to confirm that we have outgrown the structure which has supported the site for at least the last five years.
So given our continued growth, and the new opportunities and challenges presented by what is really the first truly stable Conservative majority in the site’s history, we’re making some changes to ensure that the business can build on its success, and that the editorial team are properly supported to make the site as best as it can be.
Essentially, we are establishing a leadership structure for the business as a whole, in addition to the editorial leadership of the site, as follows:
We’re pleased to announce that Mark Wallace will become Chief Executive of ConservativeHome. This is a newly-created role.
Mark has been Executive Editor of the site since 2013. He knows what ConservativeHome does, and the principles that it champions, as well as anybody. He will still write for the site, but his primary responsibility is now leading the company, setting its direction and strategy, and overseeing its development in order to secure its long-term future.
We’re also pleased to announce that Paul Goodman will remain Editor of Conservative Home, as at present. Paul has been Editor of the site for the same period, and under his editorship ConservativeHome has flourished. He retains editorial independence, controlling decisions on what the site and its media channels cover and how.
We will continue to do what we have always done best: providing our readers with excellent journalism with a campaigning edge, standing up for grassroots Tories, and serving as a critical friend to the Conservative Party.
As an editorial team, we have worked together every day for the last six and a half years, and are pleased to continue doing so, albeit in a new structure. 2020 is set to be the start of a new chapter for the UK, for conservatism, and for ConservativeHome, too. With the support of you, our readers, this site has achieved great things in the last 15 years; we hope you will join us as it achieves yet more in the years to come.
P.S. Should you be interested in joining the ConservativeHome editorial team, please see the advert for a new Deputy Editor here.


conservativehome--2020-01-09--Job vacancy: ConservativeHome seeks a Deputy Editor

The UK ’ s most influential Conservative-supporting news and analysis website seeks a new full-time Deputy Editor .
This is a rare opportunity to take on a senior role in a fast-developing outlet at a very exciting time for the site and centre right political journalism .
The ideal candidate will be a skilled writer , with political insight and experience , capable of turning their hand to the varied tasks involved in planning and producing a daily high-quality online publication .
Responsibilities of the role include , but are not limited to : • Writing daily news , opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK politics ; • Commissioning and editing articles from outside contributors ; • Supporting the Editor in planning and producing ConservativeHome content , and maintaining quality and consistency in output ; • Aiding the Editor in the management of a small and experienced team of journalists ; • Fulfilling Duty Editor shifts ( these include the production of a comprehensive round-up of the morning ’ s newspapers and our morning newsletter for 9am , and require an early start ; the Deputy Editor would normally do around two such shifts a week ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party Conference and providing expert analysis at ConservativeHome events ; • The ability to prioritise and work under pressure .
• Journalistic experience .
You will have written for established print or online outlets , produced a blog for yourself or an organisation , ghost-written newspaper articles for others , or similar .
You know how to develop an argument , and what is and is not a story .
• Drive and initiative .
You are full of ideas for stories and articles , and are able to work independently , reacting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the basis of your own judgement .
We mostly work remotely .
• Political knowledge/experience .
You are excited by political events , have excellent contacts , and are keen to develop further .
Perhaps you have already worked in a Westminster newsroom , campaign team or Parliamentary office .
• Understanding and experience of social media , particularly Twitter .
• Sympathy with the values and aims of ConservativeHome .
Very competitive , dependent on experience and ability .
The role would start as soon as feasibly possible , dependent upon the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close at 6pm on Monday 20th January , with interviews to take place in London very shortly afterwards .
To apply , please send a one-page cover letter and a CV to development @ conservativehome .
com Links to examples of writing , social media output and broadcast experience are welcome , within reason , to illustrate skills and experience .

The UK’s most influential Conservative-supporting news and analysis website seeks a new full-time Deputy Editor. This is a rare opportunity to take on a senior role in a fast-developing outlet at a very exciting time for the site and centre right political journalism.
The ideal candidate will be a skilled writer, with political insight and experience, capable of turning their hand to the varied tasks involved in planning and producing a daily high-quality online publication.
Responsibilities of the role include, but are not limited to:
Writing daily news, opinion and analysis articles on the subject of UK politics;
Commissioning and editing articles from outside contributors;
Supporting the Editor in planning and producing ConservativeHome content, and maintaining quality and consistency in output;
Aiding the Editor in the management of a small and experienced team of journalists;
Fulfilling Duty Editor shifts (these include the production of a comprehensive round-up of the morning’s newspapers and our morning newsletter for 9am, and require an early start; the Deputy Editor would normally do around two such shifts a week);
Chairing ConservativeHome events at Conservative Party Conference and providing expert analysis at ConservativeHome events;
Representing ConservativeHome in the broadcast media;
Managing social media channels.
Key skills, experience and qualities
Excellent written English.
The ability to prioritise and work under pressure.
Journalistic experience. You will have written for established print or online outlets, produced a blog for yourself or an organisation, ghost-written newspaper articles for others, or similar. You know how to develop an argument, and what is and is not a story.
Drive and initiative. You are full of ideas for stories and articles, and are able to work independently, reacting to events and following editorial instructions on the basis of your own judgement. We mostly work remotely.
Political knowledge/experience. You are excited by political events, have excellent contacts, and are keen to develop further. Perhaps you have already worked in a Westminster newsroom, campaign team or Parliamentary office.
Understanding and experience of social media, particularly Twitter.
Sympathy with the values and aims of ConservativeHome.
Desirable skills, experience and qualities
Experience of using WordPress.
Experience of managing and supporting junior colleagues.
Video editing skills.
Broadcast media and/or podcasting experience.
Salary
Very competitive, dependent on experience and ability.
Start date and interviews
The role would start as soon as feasibly possible, dependent upon the successful candidate’s availability. Applications close at 6pm on Monday 20th January, with interviews to take place in London very shortly afterwards.
Applications
To apply, please send a one-page cover letter and a CV to development@conservativehome. com
Links to examples of writing, social media output and broadcast experience are welcome, within reason, to illustrate skills and experience.


conservativehome--2020-01-09--Rachel Wolf: Where education reform has succeeded – and where it has failed

Rachel Wolf is a partner in Public First .
She had co-charge of the 2019 Conservative Manifesto .
She was an education and innovation adviser at Number 10 during David Cameron ’ s premiership and was founding director of the New Schools Network .
A while ago my company did two in-depth projects looking at the attitude and understanding of parents with children at primary and secondary school .
Most of the people we talked to were “ C1 C2 D ” – in other words , the people who just voted Conservative .
These terms can seem a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ C1 and a D is very large ) so here are a a few examples : one of the men was a joiner and another drove a van ; quite a few of the women had part-time administration jobs in local small businesses and a couple worked in shops .
I have been very involved in school reform for the past decade – including founding and running the main Free School organisation , New Schools Network .
The conversations were an eye-opening measure of where we had succeeded and where , to date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summed it up .
The first was with a group of enraged parents in Yorkshire .
Their school was in special measures and there were no local alternatives .
They had been told their school was a failure , that their children ’ s futures were probably blighted , but that they could do nothing .
No one else seemed to be fixing the problem either .
This is exactly what the academy programme was designed to address – it has worked brilliantly in some parts of the country , but we still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over schools and turn them round in others – primarily outside of the South East and our major cities .
This is why Ofsted has just published a report on ‘ stuck schools ’ ( those that have remained poor despite continued interventions and new leadership ) with a proposal to do more to support them .
Academies have not , at least yet , worked everywhere .
But it was noticeable that many of those stuck schools blamed parental disengagement ( Ofsted made clear they couldn ’ t verify if this were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think I ’ ve ever had a conversation with a school leader where the parents weren ’ t considered inadequate in some way – either too disengaged or too nagging .
Of course some schools must cope with suffering children with very troubled families .
But most parents are not troubled , and in the case of the Yorkshire school they were neither disaffected or disengaged .
They were impotent .
The second group was in London .
It was a different world .
Many of the parents fell over themselves to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have moved from being among the worst in my childhood to being the best in the country .
A huge proportion of the schools that consistently get kids from very disadvantaged backgrounds ( often from ethnic minorities ) into elite universities are in London .
Free Schools , the project I was involved in during the coalition years , are one reason for this triumph , indeed what was striking about the London groups was how many parents could name individual free schools .
Many of the best schools in the country are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those – probably too many – are in London .
The third discussion was in the East Midlands .
The parents we spoke to didn ’ t have children at terrible schools .
But they weren ’ t particularly good either .
All the schools were quite similar in standards and approach .
Those parents weren ’ t miserable – they didn ’ t know anyone who sent their kids to schools that were markedly different ( private schools are another , foreign , world for these groups and are irrelevant in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dutifully did all the homework the school suggested .
They were competent and loving – like almost every parent in the country .
But we knew , looking at the data , that the children at these schools could be doing much , much , better .
These are the parents we have , in my view , most consistently failed in the last decade , and where we continue to have the least to say .
We ’ ve done some important things – the children in those schools , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better and more effective methods than a decade ago .
But we haven ’ t empowered the parents to demand more for their children .
The NHS has been on a ten year drive to help people take charge of their own health – including developing their own exercise programmes and detailed nutrition guides for children .
We need the same in education .
What should your children know ?
How do you hold your school to account ?
What is happening to pupils in other parts of the country ?
Nor have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original plan for Free Schools – which was to deliver new schools and therefore offer real choice– was supposed to help these areas and these parents .
Instead , they focused on areas with population growth ( mostly London and the South East ) .
In this next five years , I really hope that this quiet majority of parents and pupils are the focus of our new Conservative government .
As I said in my last column , we have to remember – as we so often fail to do in education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the elite nor in troubled families .
We should measure our success in the next five years not only on whether we help the most disadvantaged , but on how much better things are for most families in most areas of the country and opportunities that all children have to succeed .

Rachel Wolf is a partner in Public First. She had co-charge of the 2019 Conservative Manifesto. She was an education and innovation adviser at Number 10 during David Cameron’s premiership and was founding director of the New Schools Network.
A while ago my company did two in-depth projects looking at the attitude and understanding of parents with children at primary and secondary school. Most of the people we talked to were “C1 C2 D” – in other words, the people who just voted Conservative. These terms can seem a bit meaningless (and the difference between a C1 and a D is very large) so here are a a few examples: one of the men was a joiner and another drove a van; quite a few of the women had part-time administration jobs in local small businesses and a couple worked in shops.
(If this sounds sexist it is not meant to – it is just a fact that women with children from these backgrounds tend to work part time and get jobs to fit.)
I have been very involved in school reform for the past decade – including founding and running the main Free School organisation, New Schools Network. The conversations were an eye-opening measure of where we had succeeded and where, to date, we had failed.
Three discussions summed it up.
The first was with a group of enraged parents in Yorkshire. Their school was in special measures and there were no local alternatives. They had been told their school was a failure, that their children’s futures were probably blighted, but that they could do nothing. No one else seemed to be fixing the problem either. This is exactly what the academy programme was designed to address – it has worked brilliantly in some parts of the country, but we still struggle to get enough people to take over schools and turn them round in others – primarily outside of the South East and our major cities.
This is why Ofsted has just published a report on ‘stuck schools’ (those that have remained poor despite continued interventions and new leadership) with a proposal to do more to support them. Academies have not, at least yet, worked everywhere.
But it was noticeable that many of those stuck schools blamed parental disengagement (Ofsted made clear they couldn’t verify if this were true). I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with a school leader where the parents weren’t considered inadequate in some way – either too disengaged or too nagging.
Of course some schools must cope with suffering children with very troubled families. But most parents are not troubled, and in the case of the Yorkshire school they were neither disaffected or disengaged. They were impotent.
The second group was in London. It was a different world. Many of the parents fell over themselves to talk enthusiastically about particular schools. London schools have moved from being among the worst in my childhood to being the best in the country. A huge proportion of the schools that consistently get kids from very disadvantaged backgrounds (often from ethnic minorities) into elite universities are in London.
Free Schools, the project I was involved in during the coalition years, are one reason for this triumph, indeed what was striking about the London groups was how many parents could name individual free schools. Many of the best schools in the country are now Free Schools. But a lot of those – probably too many – are in London.
The third discussion was in the East Midlands. The parents we spoke to didn’t have children at terrible schools. But they weren’t particularly good either. All the schools were quite similar in standards and approach.
Those parents weren’t miserable – they didn’t know anyone who sent their kids to schools that were markedly different (private schools are another, foreign, world for these groups and are irrelevant in their mind). The primary parents dutifully did all the homework the school suggested. They were competent and loving – like almost every parent in the country. But we knew, looking at the data, that the children at these schools could be doing much, much, better.
These are the parents we have, in my view, most consistently failed in the last decade, and where we continue to have the least to say. We’ve done some important things – the children in those schools, for example, will be taught to read using better and more effective methods than a decade ago. But we haven’t empowered the parents to demand more for their children. The NHS has been on a ten year drive to help people take charge of their own health – including developing their own exercise programmes and detailed nutrition guides for children. We need the same in education. What should your children know? How do you hold your school to account? What is happening to pupils in other parts of the country?
Nor have we given them alternatives. The very original plan for Free Schools – which was to deliver new schools and therefore offer real choice– was supposed to help these areas and these parents. Instead, they focused on areas with population growth (mostly London and the South East).
In this next five years, I really hope that this quiet majority of parents and pupils are the focus of our new Conservative government. As I said in my last column, we have to remember – as we so often fail to do in education – that most people are neither part of the elite nor in troubled families. We should measure our success in the next five years not only on whether we help the most disadvantaged, but on how much better things are for most families in most areas of the country and opportunities that all children have to succeed.


conservativehome--2020-01-09--Gary Ridley: Labour’s decade of failure in Coventry

Cllr Gary Ridley is Leader of the Conservative Group on Coventry City Council .
He contested Coventry North West in 2010 and Coventry South in 2015 .
He works in communications and public affairs for a leading UK transport charity .
From an early age , children in Coventry learn about Lady Godiva .
Almost a thousand years ago , she rode naked through the city in protest at unfair taxes .
Her husband , Earl Leofric reversed the tax hike and the protest was victorious .
The story is often recited as an example of personal sacrifice in pursuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows that successful leaders can ’ t ignore the will of the people forever .
Back here in the 21st Century , Jeremy Corbyn could play the part of Earl Leofric .
He took Labour ’ s heartlands for granted and ignored their “ unfashionable ” views on Brexit .
He paid a heavy price for this , as Labour ’ s ‘ red wall ’ collapsed across the country .
Here , it came within a few hundred votes of crumbling , as thousands voted Conservative for the first time .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Firstly , we can win in areas we least expect with the right message .
Secondly , we must never take our voters for granted in our own heartlands .
The experience has made us determined to translate this near miss into success in May .
We must secure the re-election of Andy Street as Mayor of the West Midlands and make gains on the council .
In Coventry , Labour has been in power for a decade .
It ’ s a decade which has brought higher taxes and profligate spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ a local hotel at a cost of £9 million .
Throughout , the Conservatives have been a convenient scapegoat for tough decisions .
It ’ s true that Gordon Brown ’ s recession meant less funding from central government .
Yet , Labour failed to safeguard local services over vested interests during this period .
For instance , why do they continue to fund a Trades Union Facility Time agreement ?
It costs the taxpayer £1 millon a year .
Why did they pay for a delegation of councillors to attend a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And why did they spend almost half a million pounds on gagging orders in three years ?
Their mismanagement of a local music festival in 2018 was astounding .
On a budget of £150,000 they managed to run up an overspend of £450,000 .
On other bread and butter issues they ’ ve been found wanting .
The RAC slammed them for the state of the roads and they have presided over a 44 per cent rise in fly-tipping .
In light of this , it ’ s not surprising that people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job .
And there ’ s evidence that the electorate realise Labour would rather blame the Tories than tackle vested interest .
For instance , we bucked the trend in last year ’ s local elections by holding our position .
Despite enormous losses nationally , not seen since 1995 , we denied Labour a single gain .
That ’ s despite their boast that they would win every seat !
This time around we are defending four of the 18 seats available under the election by thirds system .
In two other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out on another by just 57 votes last year .
So we are confident we can make gains .
Dramatic increases in employment , and tax cuts for many , will have contributed to our performance .
So will the record levels of investment by the Government and Andy Street as Mayor .
Next year we will play host as the City of Culture 2021 with the transformative benefits that it can bring .
Already , it has brought massive investment from the West Midlands Combined Authority and could bring millions of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investment by the Conservatives our city is on the rise .
It ’ s enabled us to rejuvenate tired public spaces with the chance to regenerate our city centre .
Soon we ’ ll have a new railway station with the possibility of two new local stations .
We ’ re also planning for the jobs of tomorrow with significant investment into electric car battery technology and autonomous vehicles .
We know that people are sick and tired of political point scoring , so we have always tried to be a responsible opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless we have a viable alternative .
So we have set out a detailed five-year plan for the city which has been popular on the doorstep .
It identifies extra resources for services by tackling waste and vested interest .
Interests such as the unions and unjustified rises in members ’ allowances .
More still could be saved by reducing council debts which cost the city £11m a year in interest payments .
Our vision for the city prioritises the creation of jobs and the regeneration of the city centre .
On housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliver thousands of new homes on brownfield sites .
We ’ ll also take steps to prevent existing properties being converted into student accommodation .
As the sun sets on Labour ’ s decade of failure , our plan shows that a better way is possible – and within our grasp .
And our team stand ready , united , and determined to bring the fight to Labour .
We ’ re aware of how tough this fight will be , but we ’ ll face it together with determination .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s spirit is stirring .
There ’ s never been a better time to be a Conservative .

Cllr Gary Ridley is Leader of the Conservative Group on Coventry City Council. He contested Coventry North West in 2010 and Coventry South in 2015. He works in communications and public affairs for a leading UK transport charity.
From an early age, children in Coventry learn about Lady Godiva. Almost a thousand years ago, she rode naked through the city in protest at unfair taxes. Her husband, Earl Leofric reversed the tax hike and the protest was victorious.
The story is often recited as an example of personal sacrifice in pursuit of a worthy aim. It also shows that successful leaders can’t ignore the will of the people forever.
Back here in the 21st Century, Jeremy Corbyn could play the part of Earl Leofric. He took Labour’s heartlands for granted and ignored their “unfashionable” views on Brexit. He paid a heavy price for this, as Labour’s ‘red wall’ collapsed across the country. Here, it came within a few hundred votes of crumbling, as thousands voted Conservative for the first time.
I took two big lessons from this experience. Firstly, we can win in areas we least expect with the right message. Secondly, we must never take our voters for granted in our own heartlands. The experience has made us determined to translate this near miss into success in May. We must secure the re-election of Andy Street as Mayor of the West Midlands and make gains on the council.
In Coventry, Labour has been in power for a decade. It’s a decade which has brought higher taxes and profligate spending. They’ve even ‘nationalised’ a local hotel at a cost of £9 million. Throughout, the Conservatives have been a convenient scapegoat for tough decisions. It’s true that Gordon Brown’s recession meant less funding from central government. Yet, Labour failed to safeguard local services over vested interests during this period. For instance, why do they continue to fund a Trades Union Facility Time agreement? It costs the taxpayer £1 millon a year. Why did they pay for a delegation of councillors to attend a “peace conference” in Russia? And why did they spend almost half a million pounds on gagging orders in three years?
Their mismanagement of a local music festival in 2018 was astounding. On a budget of £150,000 they managed to run up an overspend of £450,000. On other bread and butter issues they’ve been found wanting. The RAC slammed them for the state of the roads and they have presided over a 44 per cent rise in fly-tipping.
In light of this, it’s not surprising that people are wondering whether we would do a better job. And there’s evidence that the electorate realise Labour would rather blame the Tories than tackle vested interest. For instance, we bucked the trend in last year’s local elections by holding our position. Despite enormous losses nationally, not seen since 1995, we denied Labour a single gain. That’s despite their boast that they would win every seat!
This time around we are defending four of the 18 seats available under the election by thirds system. In two other wards we already hold representation and missed out on another by just 57 votes last year. So we are confident we can make gains.
Dramatic increases in employment, and tax cuts for many, will have contributed to our performance. So will the record levels of investment by the Government and Andy Street as Mayor. Next year we will play host as the City of Culture 2021 with the transformative benefits that it can bring. Already, it has brought massive investment from the West Midlands Combined Authority and could bring millions of people to the city.
Thanks to this investment by the Conservatives our city is on the rise. It’s enabled us to rejuvenate tired public spaces with the chance to regenerate our city centre. Soon we’ll have a new railway station with the possibility of two new local stations. We’re also planning for the jobs of tomorrow with significant investment into electric car battery technology and autonomous vehicles.
We know that people are sick and tired of political point scoring, so we have always tried to be a responsible opposition. Our mantra is not to criticise unless we have a viable alternative. So we have set out a detailed five-year plan for the city which has been popular on the doorstep.
It identifies extra resources for services by tackling waste and vested interest. Interests such as the unions and unjustified rises in members’ allowances. More still could be saved by reducing council debts which cost the city £11m a year in interest payments.
Our vision for the city prioritises the creation of jobs and the regeneration of the city centre. On housing, we have a bold new plan to deliver thousands of new homes on brownfield sites. We’ll also take steps to prevent existing properties being converted into student accommodation.
As the sun sets on Labour’s decade of failure, our plan shows that a better way is possible – and within our grasp. And our team stand ready, united, and determined to bring the fight to Labour.
We’re aware of how tough this fight will be, but we’ll face it together with determination. In this ‘Labour heartland’ Godiva’s spirit is stirring. There’s never been a better time to be a Conservative.


conservativehome--2020-01-09--The Withdrawal Agreement Bill passes – the UK is leaving the European Union

There have been times , over the past few years , when it felt as if it would never reach @ @ @ @ @ saw the Commons deliver Theresa May some of the most crushing defeats in parliamentary history @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of the Conservative Party ’ s victory at last month ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Agreement Bill has passed third reading and is heading to the statute book – which @ @ @ @ @ for the exit door on January 31 .
Of course there remain hugely important negotiations @ @ @ @ @ UK ’ s future relationship with the European Union , and we have seen some @ @ @ @ @ in today ’ s papers .
Nonetheless , this vote means that Boris Johnson will @ @ @ @ @ country that he has kept his promise to “ get Brexit done ” .

There have been times, over the past few years, when it felt as if it would never reach the statue books. It saw the Commons deliver Theresa May some of the most crushing defeats in parliamentary history.
But this afternoon, in the wake of the Conservative Party’s victory at last month’s general election, the Withdrawal Agreement Bill has passed third reading and is heading to the statute book – which means that Britain is heading for the exit door on January 31.
Of course there remain hugely important negotiations about the shape of the UK’s future relationship with the European Union, and we have seen some of the opening salvos fired in today’s papers. Nonetheless, this vote means that Boris Johnson will be able to tell the country that he has kept his promise to “get Brexit done”.


conservativehome--2020-01-09--Reviving our high streets must mean working with the market

Just after the General Election , a member of Boris Johnson ’ s team was quoted in The Sun setting the following challenge : “ If Darlington high street isn ’ t visibly better in four years ’ time , we ’ ll be in trouble.
” It is an important test .
A report from the Royal Society for Public Health went so far as to suggest that if the high street dies then the local inhabitants do too – life expectancy being two and half years lower : “ Its architecture and design affects how we use our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we enjoy being or areas we avoid ; whether they foster community and social interactions or encourage us to walk away quickly , eyes down until we reach our destination .
Levels of traffic , how accessible it is for pedestrians and how safe we feel , determine whether we choose to visit our high street or prefer to sit at home making purchases over the internet instead.
” Unfortunately , the high street challenge will be a tricky one to meet .
That is because , as Margaret Thatcher famously reminded Nigel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ago I wrote that we had twice as many shops as we needed .
It is no surprise that since then the trend has continued .
The vacancy rate for shops is up .
Footfall is down .
Online spending continues to grow .
The decline is not evenly spread .
High Streets in Darlington and Sunderland are struggling far more than those in York or Harrogate .
It follows that for the high street to flourish the rest of the town needs to be doing well .
The suggestion that HS2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for smaller alternative projects .
Grant Shapps , the Transport Secretary , has backed reversing the Beeching axe , in places where this would be viable .
We also learn today that “ towns across England will be able to compete in a new Town of the Year competition.
” It will “ celebrate towns ’ achievements , including in areas such as entrepreneurship , technology , community , enterprise , and integration.
” Robert Jenrick , the Communities Secretary will visit all of the 100 areas receiving funding under the £3.6 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ambition “ to restore the fabric of our towns and cities and give local people far more control in how they are invested in.
” “ Our plan to unleash the North ’ s potential will deliver real , visible change in local communities.
” Even to halt , let alone reverse , the decline will sound to many an impossible ambition .
We have already had various initiatives which have failed to do the trick .
Some may question why the attempt is even made .
What business is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should do our shopping ?
Or complain if we wish to switch from drinking beer in pubs to drinking wine at home ?
Apart from the obvious electoral calculation , there are two reasons why the battle is worth fighting .
First of all , there are social as well as economic considerations .
Walking past boarded up shops is depressing .
Secondly , there are some forms of state intervention which are currently distorting the market in a way that makes matters worse .
Business Rates is an obvious one .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut the burden of tax on business by reducing business rates .
This will be done via a fundamental review of the system .
As a first step , we will further reduce business rates for retail businesses , as well as extending the discount to grassroots music venues , small cinemas and pubs .
That means protecting your high street and community from excessive tax hikes and keeping town centres vibrant.
” That is welcome so far as it goes .
But how much will Business Rates be cut ?
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth £1.2 billion , which is cutting bills by half .
A sensible start would be to make it 100 per cent .
It should also be applied for all small premises – including those that are part of chains .
Brexit will mean that the restrictions on state aid would not apply .
That means that if the Government wanted to adjust the tax system to help the high street , the scope to do so will be there .
The other key change would be to have greater flexibility in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shops and a housing shortage .
Thus people walk along a decayed high street to their overcrowded home .
It should be much easier to obtain a change of use to turn shops into homes .
It ’ s not all gloom .
Aristotle spotted that “ man is by nature a social animal.
” There are 25,000 coffee shops in the country – twice as many as a decade ago .
So our high streets do still serve an important need .
The Government should seek ways to help them that work @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Just after the General Election, a member of Boris Johnson’s team was quoted in The Sun setting the following challenge:
“If Darlington high street isn’t visibly better in four years’ time, we’ll be in trouble.”
It is an important test. A report from the Royal Society for Public Health went so far as to suggest that if the high street dies then the local inhabitants do too – life expectancy being two and half years lower:
“Its architecture and design affects how we use our high streets, whether they are places we enjoy being or areas we avoid; whether they foster community and social interactions or encourage us to walk away quickly, eyes down until we reach our destination. Levels of traffic, how accessible it is for pedestrians and how safe we feel, determine whether we choose to visit our high street or prefer to sit at home making purchases over the internet instead.”
Unfortunately, the high street challenge will be a tricky one to meet. That is because, as Margaret Thatcher famously reminded Nigel Lawson in a different context:
“You can’t buck the market.”
A year ago I wrote that we had twice as many shops as we needed. It is no surprise that since then the trend has continued. The vacancy rate for shops is up. Footfall is down. Online spending continues to grow.
The decline is not evenly spread. High Streets in Darlington and Sunderland are struggling far more than those in York or Harrogate. It follows that for the high street to flourish the rest of the town needs to be doing well. The suggestion that HS2 might be ditched would allow substantial funding for smaller alternative projects. Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, has backed reversing the Beeching axe, in places where this would be viable. We also learn today that “towns across England will be able to compete in a new Town of the Year competition.” It will “celebrate towns’ achievements, including in areas such as entrepreneurship, technology, community, enterprise, and integration.”
Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary will visit all of the 100 areas receiving funding under the £3.6 billion Towns Fund to set out the government’s ambition “to restore the fabric of our towns and cities and give local people far more control in how they are invested in.”
Jake Berry, Northern Powerhouse Minister, promises:
“Our plan to unleash the North’s potential will deliver real, visible change in local communities.”
Even to halt, let alone reverse, the decline will sound to many an impossible ambition. We have already had various initiatives which have failed to do the trick. Some may question why the attempt is even made. What business is it of politicians to tells us how we should do our shopping? Or complain if we wish to switch from drinking beer in pubs to drinking wine at home?
Apart from the obvious electoral calculation, there are two reasons why the battle is worth fighting. First of all, there are social as well as economic considerations. Walking past boarded up shops is depressing. Secondly, there are some forms of state intervention which are currently distorting the market in a way that makes matters worse.
Business Rates is an obvious one. The Conservative Manifesto said:
“We will cut the burden of tax on business by reducing business rates. This will be done via a fundamental review of the system. As a first step, we will further reduce business rates for retail businesses, as well as extending the discount to grassroots music venues, small cinemas and pubs. That means protecting your high street and community from excessive tax hikes and keeping town centres vibrant.”
That is welcome so far as it goes. But how much will Business Rates be cut? So far we have Small Business Rate Relief, worth £1.2 billion, which is cutting bills by half. A sensible start would be to make it 100 per cent. It should also be applied for all small premises – including those that are part of chains. Brexit will mean that the restrictions on state aid would not apply. That means that if the Government wanted to adjust the tax system to help the high street, the scope to do so will be there.
The other key change would be to have greater flexibility in the planning system. We have too many shops and a housing shortage. Thus people walk along a decayed high street to their overcrowded home. It should be much easier to obtain a change of use to turn shops into homes.
It’s not all gloom. Aristotle spotted that “man is by nature a social animal.” There are 25,000 coffee shops in the country – twice as many as a decade ago. So our high streets do still serve an important need. The Government should seek ways to help them that work with the grain of human nature.


conservativehome--2020-01-10--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Chair of the VisitEngland advisory board –

Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Chair of the VisitEngland advisory board – and more

Seven years ago , the TaxPayers ’ Alliance reported that “ in the last year , five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories ” .
Since then , the figures have varied , and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts .
Nonetheless , it remains the case that , since it took office in 2010 , our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments .
One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply don ’ t apply in the same number as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , every week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies , so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented .
“ The Groceries Code Adjudicator ( GCA ) is a corporation sole which is operationally independent of Government .
The Secretary of State for Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy ( BEIS ) is responsible for appointing the GCA .
The GCA will carry out the following functions : advise large retailers and suppliers on the Groceries Code ; publish guidance on when and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be used and the criteria it intends to adopt in deciding the amount of any financial penalty ; investigate possible breaches of the Groceries Code by large retailers ; where an investigation finds that a large retailer has breached the Groceries Code , decide whether to make recommendation to the retailer , require it to publish information about the investigation or impose a financial penalty on the retailer… ” “ David Jamieson , elected Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands is seeking to appoint Independent Panel Members to join the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Panel for police misconduct hearings .
These hearings preside over serious misconduct cases in what is an important aspect of the disciplinary rules that govern the police in England and Wales.Successful candidates will also join the list of people for Panels in West Mercia , Staffordshire and Warwickshire , and the work will therefore be varied across the entire region .
Police and Crime Commissioners have the challenging role of ensuring that the people of the West Midlands are served by an efficient and effective police force .
Transparent , fair and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an important way of inspiring public confidence in the high professional standards and ethical values of our police.
” “ The Chair will be responsible for the proper running of the Homes England Board .
They will guide and influence the Agency at a strategic level providing confident , clear and consistent leadership .
They will also lead the Agency ’ s relationship with the Secretary of State for Housing , Communities and Local Government , who they will meet on a regular basis .
The Chair will act as an ambassador for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helping to build and develop collaborative strategic partnerships that support and promote Homes England ’ s core mission .
The successful candidate will influence and network with key decision makers and stakeholders and explain how the organisation is transforming… ” Time : Up to two days per week .
“ Our national tourist board , the British Tourist Authority ( BTA ) , plays an important role in delivering the Government ’ s tourism agenda , including the Sector Deal .
The BTA Board is advised on English tourism by the VisitEngland Advisory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VEAB Chair also sitting on the BTA Board .
The Chair of the VEAB ’ s term ends in March 2020 and the Secretary of State for Digital , Culture , Media and Sport wishes to appoint a new Chair .
The BTA Board Chair public appointment process is being run in parallel with this position .
The Chair will be supported by a non-executive Board in providing expert advice to the Chair and Board of the BTA , and in representing English tourism to the tourism sector and public.
” Time : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average .
Remuneration : £340 per day .
Up to £16,320 per annum plus reasonable expenses .
“ The chief responsibilities of the new BTA Chair will be to : ensure that any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with , that all expenditure is in accordance with Treasury rules for the management of public money and that the BTA maintains high standards of corporate governance at all times .
The BTA Chair has an important role to play in supporting the organisation ’ s Accounting Officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probity ; provide effective leadership of the Board and support to the Chief Executive to deliver on the aims and objectives agreed with DCMS ; Act as an ambassador for British tourism , working across Government to further the promotion of Britain as part of the GREAT campaign and through commercial partnerships… ” “ The Greater Lincolnshire LEP works with the public , private and voluntary sectors to drive sustainable economic growth .
We help our businesses increase productivity and innovation , create new employment opportunities , and develop infrastructure solutions that support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the local business community , ensuring that the economic interests of the area are properly represented .
We believe that Greater Lincolnshire is alive with opportunities and a truly great place to live , work and do business and is emerging as the intelligent choice for investors.
” Time : Around four days per month .
“ CITB is the statutory skills body for the construction industry in Great Britain and its purpose is to make better provision for the training and maintenance of skills in the industry .
CITB raises around £200m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works closely with employers and the Government to ensure national construction skills needs are met .
CITB seeks to create the culture and conditions that will deliver new ways of working , embracing new technologies , creating a demand in construction for more skills , new skills and higher level skills .
CITB aspires to be at the forefront of effective commissioning and grant practice and is undertaking a high-profile transformational reform programme in order to achieve this .
”

Seven years ago, the TaxPayers’ Alliance reported that “in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories”.
Since then, the figures have varied, and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts.
Nonetheless, it remains the case that, since it took office in 2010, our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply don’t apply in the same number as Labour supporters.
To help remedy this, every week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented.
– – – – – – – – – –
Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Groceries Code Adjudicator
“The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is a corporation sole which is operationally independent of Government. The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is responsible for appointing the GCA. The GCA will carry out the following functions: advise large retailers and suppliers on the Groceries Code; publish guidance on when and how investigations will proceed, how enforcement powers will be used and the criteria it intends to adopt in deciding the amount of any financial penalty; investigate possible breaches of the Groceries Code by large retailers; where an investigation finds that a large retailer has breached the Groceries Code, decide whether to make recommendation to the retailer, require it to publish information about the investigation or impose a financial penalty on the retailer…”
Time: 2-3 days per week.
Remuneration: £125,000 to £135,000, pro rata.
Closes: 05 January
– – – – – – – – – –
West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner – Independent Panel Members
“David Jamieson, elected Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands is seeking to appoint Independent Panel Members to join the list of people able to sit on the Panel for police misconduct hearings. These hearings preside over serious misconduct cases in what is an important aspect of the disciplinary rules that govern the police in England and Wales.Successful candidates will also join the list of people for Panels in West Mercia, Staffordshire and Warwickshire, and the work will therefore be varied across the entire region. Police and Crime Commissioners have the challenging role of ensuring that the people of the West Midlands are served by an efficient and effective police force. Transparent, fair and robust arrangements for police officer discipline are an important way of inspiring public confidence in the high professional standards and ethical values of our police.”
Time: Contract will run until 2021.
Remuneration: £215 per diem, plus expenses.
Closes: 06 January
– – – – – – – – – –
Homes England – Chair
“The Chair will be responsible for the proper running of the Homes England Board. They will guide and influence the Agency at a strategic level providing confident, clear and consistent leadership. They will also lead the Agency’s relationship with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who they will meet on a regular basis. The Chair will act as an ambassador for the Board and for Homes England, helping to build and develop collaborative strategic partnerships that support and promote Homes England’s core mission. The successful candidate will influence and network with key decision makers and stakeholders and explain how the organisation is transforming…”
Time: Up to two days per week.
Remuneration: £95,000 per annum.
Closes: 08 January
– – – – – – – – – –
VisitEngland Advisory Board – Chair
“Our national tourist board, the British Tourist Authority (BTA), plays an important role in delivering the Government’s tourism agenda, including the Sector Deal. The BTA Board is advised on English tourism by the VisitEngland Advisory Board (VEAB), with the VEAB Chair also sitting on the BTA Board. The Chair of the VEAB’s term ends in March 2020 and the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport wishes to appoint a new Chair. The BTA Board Chair public appointment process is being run in parallel with this position. The Chair will be supported by a non-executive Board in providing expert advice to the Chair and Board of the BTA, and in representing English tourism to the tourism sector and public.”
Time: Maximum of 4 days per month on average.
Remuneration: £340 per day. Up to £16,320 per annum plus reasonable expenses.
Closes: 08 January
– – – – – – – – – –
British Tourist Authority – Chair
“The chief responsibilities of the new BTA Chair will be to: ensure that any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with, that all expenditure is in accordance with Treasury rules for the management of public money and that the BTA maintains high standards of corporate governance at all times. The BTA Chair has an important role to play in supporting the organisation’s Accounting Officer in delivering high standards of regularity and probity; provide effective leadership of the Board and support to the Chief Executive to deliver on the aims and objectives agreed with DCMS; Act as an ambassador for British tourism, working across Government to further the promotion of Britain as part of the GREAT campaign and through commercial partnerships…”
Time: Average of two days a week.
Remuneration: £40,000 per annum plus reasonable expenses.
Closes: 08 January
– – – – – – – – – –
Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership – Chair
“The Greater Lincolnshire LEP works with the public, private and voluntary sectors to drive sustainable economic growth. We help our businesses increase productivity and innovation, create new employment opportunities, and develop infrastructure solutions that support this. We are the voice of the local business community, ensuring that the economic interests of the area are properly represented. We believe that Greater Lincolnshire is alive with opportunities and a truly great place to live, work and do business and is emerging as the intelligent choice for investors.”
Time: Around four days per month.
Remuneration: None.
Closes: 20 January
– – – – – – – – – –
Construction Industry Training Board – Board Trustee
“CITB is the statutory skills body for the construction industry in Great Britain and its purpose is to make better provision for the training and maintenance of skills in the industry. CITB raises around £200m annually via a training levy, and works closely with employers and the Government to ensure national construction skills needs are met. CITB seeks to create the culture and conditions that will deliver new ways of working, embracing new technologies, creating a demand in construction for more skills, new skills and higher level skills. CITB aspires to be at the forefront of effective commissioning and grant practice and is undertaking a high-profile transformational reform programme in order to achieve this.”
Time: Around 16 hours per month.
Remuneration: Expenses.
Closes: 28 January


conservativehome--2020-01-10--HS2’s financial case gets weaker and weaker – but has its political justification held up any better

HS2’s financial case gets weaker and weaker – but has its political justification held up any better?

Those think-tanks and analysts who were publicly sceptical of HS2 ’ s over-optimistic budget early on were not thanked for questioning the official figures .
In 2013 , the Institute of Economic Affairs estimated the true cost to be around £80 billion .
In 2017 , the TaxPayers ’ Alliance forecast a low-range bill of £90.8 billion .
Their reward was for various figures in Government , and supposed specialists in the sector , to pooh-pooh these concerns .
If only the sceptics had been listened to , because they have turned out to be correct .
The Transport Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was set to run to between £81 billion and £88 billion , meaning that the official estimate is now a figure strikingly similar to the supposedly unhelpful IEA/TPA numbers .
It gets worse – to the extent that those foresighted critics might yet prove to have been too optimistic .
Lord Berkeley , the former Deputy Chairman of the Government ’ s official review of the project , has now issued a minority report estimating the true cost to be £107 billion .
He argues , not unreasonably , that the original budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliberately misleading Parliament in order to secure consent for the project .
The question of what will actually happen to HS2 is becoming more political and less economic , however .
That Berkeley felt the need to go rogue with his own number implies that outright opposition to the line is not a very popular view in Government .
The argument – bolstered by energetic campaigning by Andy Street , the imminently up for re-election West Midlands Mayor , among others – appears to be that HS2 is totemic of a Government commitment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so decisive in the general election .
I ’ m not sure it ’ s quite so simple .
There are undoubtedly some places , and some strata of society in various areas , which are specifically set to benefit from HS2 .
If it runs to your door , or aids your sector , then great ; likewise , if it helps your re-election campaign , then you ’ ll go great guns to back it .
But that leaves quite a lot of people for whom the project isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these early days of Westminster learning again where the North of England is and how large it is , we still hear people talk of HS2 “ connecting the North to the South ” without realising how inaccurate ( and therefore annoying ) that is .
It connects some bits of the North , but a railway to Leeds and Manchester is essentially irrelevant to the North East , where people get understandably peeved at being bundled in with places miles away , and thereby overlooked .
Dualling the A1 north of Newcastle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent blogpost – would change more lives , more quickly , in the North East than faster trains from London to Sheffield .
That also links in to the question of whether improved connections down to London are really the biggest need ; bigger than , say , links within and across the North of England itself .
With HS2 ’ s costs rising all the time , a growing number of more modest , more localised schemes look affordable compared to its massive bill .
Sometimes the debate on HS2 sinks into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s popular or unpopular .
The fact is that it has supporters and detractors , but they are not evenly distributed .
Even more confusing , there still seems to be only limited insight into who and where they are .
I reported back in 2018 that Michael Gove was operating on the basis of private polling which suggested that there was political mileage in potential swing seats in the idea of cancelling it and reallocating the money elsewhere .
With the political map redrawn by the the recent general election , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of important areas – not least the West Midlands and the Tees Valley – coming up , there is surely new work to be done to find out if the political case for HS2 has held up any better than its financial plans .

Those think-tanks and analysts who were publicly sceptical of HS2’s over-optimistic budget early on were not thanked for questioning the official figures.
In 2013, the Institute of Economic Affairs estimated the true cost to be around £80 billion. In 2017, the TaxPayers’ Alliance forecast a low-range bill of £90.8 billion. Their reward was for various figures in Government, and supposed specialists in the sector, to pooh-pooh these concerns.
If only the sceptics had been listened to, because they have turned out to be correct. The Transport Secretary conceded in the Autumn that the bill was set to run to between £81 billion and £88 billion, meaning that the official estimate is now a figure strikingly similar to the supposedly unhelpful IEA/TPA numbers.
It gets worse – to the extent that those foresighted critics might yet prove to have been too optimistic. Lord Berkeley, the former Deputy Chairman of the Government’s official review of the project, has now issued a minority report estimating the true cost to be £107 billion. He argues, not unreasonably, that the original budget was so unreasonable as to amount to deliberately misleading Parliament in order to secure consent for the project.
The question of what will actually happen to HS2 is becoming more political and less economic, however. That Berkeley felt the need to go rogue with his own number implies that outright opposition to the line is not a very popular view in Government. The argument – bolstered by energetic campaigning by Andy Street, the imminently up for re-election West Midlands Mayor, among others – appears to be that HS2 is totemic of a Government commitment to supporting the swing areas which proved so decisive in the general election.
I’m not sure it’s quite so simple. There are undoubtedly some places, and some strata of society in various areas, which are specifically set to benefit from HS2. If it runs to your door, or aids your sector, then great; likewise, if it helps your re-election campaign, then you’ll go great guns to back it.
But that leaves quite a lot of people for whom the project isn’t of particular interest or relevance. In these early days of Westminster learning again where the North of England is and how large it is, we still hear people talk of HS2 “connecting the North to the South” without realising how inaccurate (and therefore annoying) that is. It connects some bits of the North, but a railway to Leeds and Manchester is essentially irrelevant to the North East, where people get understandably peeved at being bundled in with places miles away, and thereby overlooked.
Dualling the A1 north of Newcastle – mentioned by Dominic Cummings in his recent blogpost – would change more lives, more quickly, in the North East than faster trains from London to Sheffield.
That also links in to the question of whether improved connections down to London are really the biggest need; bigger than, say, links within and across the North of England itself. With HS2’s costs rising all the time, a growing number of more modest, more localised schemes look affordable compared to its massive bill.
Sometimes the debate on HS2 sinks into an uninformative row about whether it’s popular or unpopular. The fact is that it has supporters and detractors, but they are not evenly distributed. Even more confusing, there still seems to be only limited insight into who and where they are.
I reported back in 2018 that Michael Gove was operating on the basis of private polling which suggested that there was political mileage in potential swing seats in the idea of cancelling it and reallocating the money elsewhere. With the political map redrawn by the the recent general election, and with key local elections in a range of important areas – not least the West Midlands and the Tees Valley – coming up, there is surely new work to be done to find out if the political case for HS2 has held up any better than its financial plans.


conservativehome--2020-01-10--Job vacancy: ConservativeHome seeks a Deputy Editor


conservativehome--2020-01-10--Iain Dale: How Harry and Meghan sunk Barry Gardiner’s Labour leadership bid

Iain Dale presents the evening show on LBC Radio and is a commentator for CNN .
Rather predictably , Boris Johnson got a lot of criticism for being away at the time of the killing of Quasem Soleimani .
I mean , perish the thought that a politician should ever go on holiday .
And quite what he was supposed to be able to do in Downing Street that he couldn ’ t have done while away no one ever explained .
I imagine that Mustique has phones and the internet .
In the end , when the Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was pitch perfect , I thought .
Some may well have thought that he should have unreservedly rowed in behind Donald Trump and others that he should have distanced himself more , but in the end I thought he got it just right – as indeed he did in the Commons exchanges with Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister ’ s Questions this week .
Corbyn , on the other hand , did his usual thing of being anti-American and pro-Iranian , to the extent that he almost seemed to be an Iranian lobbyist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the house that Iran will – ” insert pro Iranian statement here .
He couldn ’ t even bring himself , in a disastrous interview , to call Soleimani a terrorist .
Instead , he referred to him as the head of Iran ’ s special forces , as if the Revolutionary Guard were somehow equivalent to the SAS .
What a disgrace the man is – and thank God the electorate was sensible enough to prevent him getting anywhere near the levers of power .
My producer exclaimed : “ OMG , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed to the TV screen .
Sky had just broken the news that Duke and Duchess of Suffolk were stepping back from their royal duties .
My heart sank .
In 15 minutes , I was due to go on air .
“ Give a damn , ” was my immediate thought .
I hate covering royal stories .
I just don ’ t care about them – but I knew this would dominate the whole evening , pushing everything else out of the spotlight .
I was gutted because I was very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gardiner ’ s nascent Labour leadership bid !
Scuppered !
Instead , I was staring in the face three hours of talking about Harry , formerly known as Prince .
Hey ho .
I always like a good binge over Christmas – no , not on babysham or egg nog , but on a box set or two .
Last Christmas it was Game of Thrones , which somehow I had avoided over the years .
I got to the end of Season Three , by which time I was thoroughly confused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and by the fact that the show has so many characters that I rather lost track of who they all were and who had been killed off .
This year I thought I ’ d try Madam Secretary , a US series about a female Secretary of State , obviously designed to be a replacement for the late lamented West Wing .
I was searching for it on Netflix when I came across another political series called Secret City , which is a Netflix Original and filmed in Canberra .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has a big spy element to it .
When I saw that my namesake Alan Dale , who played Jim Robinson in Neighbours was playing the Aussie Prime Minister in the show , I thought I ’ d give it a go .
It ’ s cliffhanger-tastic and runs over two series , and I can highly recommend it .
So I then moved on to Madam Secretary on Amazon Prime .
This ran for six series , and I was hooked right from the start .
As in West Wing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and talking but the plot lines are superb , and as in the West Wing they often run over more than one episode .
The main character , Elizabeth McCord , comes to the job after her predecessor ’ s plane crashes in the Atlantic .
She ’ s a former CIA agent who drifted into academia , and the thread that runs through the series is her battle with moral dilemmas .
She likes to think she runs an ethical foreign policy , but quickly realises that this is impossible .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of State and the conflicts that it poses with her family life and relationship with her husband , Henry , who also turns out to be a secret agent .
The story lines regarding Russia and Iran are superb , if sometimes a little far-fetched , and I was actually watching an episode about a potential war with Iran when I found out about the killing of Soleimani .
Madam Secretary runs over six series and 120 episodes .
I ’ m now on episode 40 !
It ’ s well worth @ @ @

Iain Dale presents the evening show on LBC Radio and is a commentator for CNN.
Rather predictably, Boris Johnson got a lot of criticism for being away at the time of the killing of Quasem Soleimani.
I mean, perish the thought that a politician should ever go on holiday. And quite what he was supposed to be able to do in Downing Street that he couldn’t have done while away no one ever explained. I imagine that Mustique has phones and the internet.
In the end, when the Prime Minister did make a public statement, it was pitch perfect, I thought. Some may well have thought that he should have unreservedly rowed in behind Donald Trump and others that he should have distanced himself more, but in the end I thought he got it just right – as indeed he did in the Commons exchanges with Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister’s Questions this week.
Corbyn, on the other hand, did his usual thing of being anti-American and pro-Iranian, to the extent that he almost seemed to be an Iranian lobbyist. “Will the Prime Minister assure the house that Iran will – ” insert pro Iranian statement here.
He couldn’t even bring himself, in a disastrous interview, to call Soleimani a terrorist. Instead, he referred to him as the head of Iran’s special forces, as if the Revolutionary Guard were somehow equivalent to the SAS. What a disgrace the man is – and thank God the electorate was sensible enough to prevent him getting anywhere near the levers of power.
– – – – – – – – – –
My producer exclaimed: “OMG, look at that,” as she pointed to the TV screen. Sky had just broken the news that Duke and Duchess of Suffolk were stepping back from their royal duties.
My heart sank. In 15 minutes, I was due to go on air. “Give a damn,” was my immediate thought. I hate covering royal stories. I just don’t care about them – but I knew this would dominate the whole evening, pushing everything else out of the spotlight.
I was gutted because I was very much looking forward to covering Whispering Barry Gardiner’s nascent Labour leadership bid! Scuppered! Instead, I was staring in the face three hours of talking about Harry, formerly known as Prince. Hey ho.
– – – – – – – – – –
I always like a good binge over Christmas – no, not on babysham or egg nog, but on a box set or two.
Last Christmas it was Game of Thrones, which somehow I had avoided over the years. I got to the end of Season Three, by which time I was thoroughly confused by the plot (is there one), and by the fact that the show has so many characters that I rather lost track of who they all were and who had been killed off.
This year I thought I’d try Madam Secretary, a US series about a female Secretary of State, obviously designed to be a replacement for the late lamented West Wing. I was searching for it on Netflix when I came across another political series called Secret City, which is a Netflix Original and filmed in Canberra. It’s more Bodyguard than West Wing, and has a big spy element to it.
When I saw that my namesake Alan Dale, who played Jim Robinson in Neighbours was playing the Aussie Prime Minister in the show, I thought I’d give it a go. It’s cliffhanger-tastic and runs over two series, and I can highly recommend it.
So I then moved on to Madam Secretary on Amazon Prime. This ran for six series, and I was hooked right from the start. As in West Wing, there’s a lot of walking and talking but the plot lines are superb, and as in the West Wing they often run over more than one episode.
The main character, Elizabeth McCord, comes to the job after her predecessor’s plane crashes in the Atlantic. She’s a former CIA agent who drifted into academia, and the thread that runs through the series is her battle with moral dilemmas.
She likes to think she runs an ethical foreign policy, but quickly realises that this is impossible. The action is split between her role as Secretary of State and the conflicts that it poses with her family life and relationship with her husband, Henry, who also turns out to be a secret agent.
The story lines regarding Russia and Iran are superb, if sometimes a little far-fetched, and I was actually watching an episode about a potential war with Iran when I found out about the killing of Soleimani. Madam Secretary runs over six series and 120 episodes. I’m now on episode 40! It’s well worth your attention.