Look Left – One week on from the referendum, one year on from the coalition
This week saw the first anniversary of the coalition government, and the now infamous Rose Garden love in between Nick Clegg and David Cameron.
Shamik Das
Kelvin MacKenzie, the Daily Mail and press freedom
How Kelvin MacKenzie and the Daily Mail undermine the case for press freedom.
Priced out of the playground: Tory Wandsworth to charge kids to play
Conservative-controlled Wandsworth council is planning to charge children £2.50 each to use Battersea Park adventure playground at weekends, reports Shamik Das.
Alexander: Labour should see Lib Dems “as the hors d’œuvre not the main course”
Douglas Alexander, in an interview with Progress, warns Labour that the real task is not just to capitalise on the Lib Dems’ travails, but to beat the Tories.
Balls: “Cutting too far and too fast creates a vicious circle”
Ed Balls has called the government’s private sector job creation policy a “total flop” – with the £1 billion ‘National Insurance holiday’ announced by George Osborne in his inaugural budget last June creating just 6,000 jobs.
Vote 2011: Bad for Clegg, better for Cameron, OK for Miliband
Shamik Das summarises the state of play in the English local elections, and the Northern Ireland, Scottish and Welsh devolved elections, and looks ahead to the AV referendum result.
Cameron fails to retract claim regulator will be able to cut fees
David Cameron failed to answer Ed Miliband’s questions on tuition fees and the fair access regulator at Prime Minister’s Questions today, reports Shamik Das.
The madness of Ken’s attack on Obama
Labour’s candidate for London Mayor Ken Livingstone has put his foot in it again today – saying the assassination of Osama bin Laden made President Obama look like “some kind of mobster”.
All eyes on Barcelona as racism rears its ugly head again
Barcelona v Real Madrid tonight has been overshadowed by accusations of racism, with Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets accused of calling Real left back Marcelo a “mono” – monkey.
Press freedom in peril: Another celeb injunction, and now a contra mundum
The right to freedom of expression suffered a further blow yesterday when the High Court imposed a contra mundum injunction in a privacy case for the first time.