Despite his progressive positions in many areas, David Cameron is bidding to become the most identifiably upper-class Prime Minister for more than 40 years.
British MP expenses scandal
Why the public finds any MP expense frivolous
When you compare what the British general public think are acceptable costs to run a home with the MP expenses for their second home, it’s no surprise that MPs are seen as money-grubbing.
Brown gets slapped with £12,000 bill
The British MP expenses scandal is finally costing the MPs actual dough, with PM Gordon Brown forking out £12,000 in retrospective expenses.
A Tory experiment worth studying
Foreign observers shy away — with good cause — from the US’s creaky, dysfunctional electoral process. But the British example serves to remind us that primaries are also well-known in Europe.
British MPs should be quaking in their boots
With public trust in politicians at an all-time low, being an incumbent MP in Britain will be a huge liability in the next election, says Michael Brown.
Sour grapes threaten legitimate investigative journalism
Politicians are using the News of the World phone-hacking scandal as a chance to hit back at journalists for the MP expenses scandal. Not so fast, says The Times.
PODCAST: Have British MPs lost touch?
The expenses scandal said a lot, but the BBC has more with this podcast detailing political group think, justifying bad behaviour in Britain’s ruling class.
MP expenses the Musical!
The Queen’s composer, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, is writing a comic opera about the MPs’ expenses scandal that “outraged”him. And yes, it may feature duck houses and moats.
Guardian harnesses people power for MP expenses investigation
Almost 20,000 have answered The Guardian’s call for a hand to sort through the 457,153 pages of British MP expense claims.
UK MP expenses published online
Millions in MPs’ expenses claims were published online yesterday. Everything from a 39p paper clip to £147.50 for silk business cards.
Blowback: sins of the British Empire hitting home
The collapsed British Empire’s 300-year plunder of the rest of the world is now coming home to roost, says George Monbiot.
Memo to Labour: real change only comes via an election
The Labour Party is determinedly unwilling to believe that its electoral sickness is terminal, says Dominic Lawson. But there is really only one cure.
European elections: long, dark night of humiliation for Labour
From bad, to worse, to nadir for Gordon Brown. Writes Patrick Wintour: the European elections were “a dramatic night of unremitting gloom for Downing Street”. The Tories appear to have pulled more than 10 points ahead of Labour. In fact, Labour was trounced even by the EU-sceptics at Ukip.
Labour Party in trouble
Gordon Brown started his counter-attack before his party knew how bad Thursday’s European election results were for his party. And they are dreadful — the worst national results in 90 years.
Brown cops a beating in local elections
Let’s be clear who’s inflicted the real damage on Gordon Brown this weekend… the voters of Britain. In the local elections, they’ve given Labour a hammering, says Mark Austin.
Departing female MPs make it hard to rally to their cause
Witnessing the dramatic flounces and tantrums, brooches and satin frocks of some New Labour Ladies, ardent feminists do wonder (and then feel guilty) whether it was worth the long struggle to get them them into positions of power, says Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.
It’s crazed men destroying Labour
Labour MP Caroline Flint didn’t get a promotion in Brown’s reshuffle, felt betrayed and wrote a letter that discusses Brown’s treatment of women within the Cabinet. I am inclined, from what I have seen, to believe what she says, argues Suzanne Moore.
Blair: the darkness in Brown’s heart
Publicly, Tony Blair has kept out of the MP expenses row and ensuing leadership battles. However, The Mail on Sunday discloses that “privately he shares the view held by Labour rebels that Mr Brown will lead the Party to a disastrous defeat at the next Election.”
Gordon Brown’s nail-biting week
A coup attempt, a flurry of cabinet resignations, Labour’s miserable local election results, Gordon Brown has had one helluva week (check out his fingernails). Now, there’s disquiet in the backbench.
Revealed: the plot to oust Brown
The resignations of Cabinet ministers, seemingly unrelated, were in fact a co-ordinated attempt to force PM Gordon Brown’s resignation, reveals The Sunday Telegraph. With friends like these…
Only one man in the running to replace Gordon Brown
It’s worth considering how the PM-in-waiting has positioned himself. In fact, have you noticed that there is one, and only one? writes Benedict Brogan. That man is Health Sec, just named Home Sec in reshuffling: Alan Johnson.
How this could all end
James Forsyth casts his eye towards possible next step scenarios, asking what outcome would be worst for Labour, best for the Tories and vice versa?
Crikey Says: Britain v Australia: a tale of two MP scandals
Crikey is normally shy of the crass nationalism so readily found in the mainstream media. But for once, it’s worth pondering the effectiveness of the Australian political system…
So what now?
Daniel Finkelstein and Collin Phillips discuss what’s next for Brown, his supporters and detractors.
Departing MP implores Brown: please stand aside
Read departing British MP James Purnell’s letter of resignation to embattled PM Gordon Brown.
