Comments

Brian Moylan

2009-04-21 02:17:17

It's not the first time that the police may have overstepped the mark in policing a summit of this kind. http://www.brianmoylan.info/genoa/ I will agree that a difficult job has to be done, but some images speak too well for themselves.

Terry Evans

2009-04-20 23:30:57

AC come on now. The story that gets the coverage is the one that the editors think we all want to read. We are all manipulated by the media. There are so many people out there who believe what they read and a story of bad cops beating up innocent bystander walking home from work,gets the juices flowing more than brave cop slayed in the line of duty. We have the media we deserve when our best selling newspapers are comics promoting topless celebrities rather than proper news.

CPW

2009-04-20 22:58:34

Alastair, would you mind awfully shoving that prism of yours where the sun doesn't shine. It's an empty and boring catch-all that describes nothing more than your own ignorance. Where the hell is the insight and perspective one might expect of someone with experience of the upper echelons of public and PR life? All the prism leitmotif tells us is that you havent a bleeding clue what sets news agendas and how public oponion is actually formed.

Anyone who wants insight and informed analyses of the G20 protests and its attendant policing should watch Charlie Brooker's News Wipe, BBC4. One the main reasons that focus has fallen on the police as it did on the general meandering and sporadic violence of the crowd was because there is no intellectual appetite in this country for debate of consequential narrative. The news networks – especially Sky news – believe their audience has the attention span of a gnat and none its intelligence. Indeed, on the day good old Tony Benn was the voice in the wilderness, suggesting to Sky News’s Dermot that they should perhaps train their cameras on some of the speeches.

They didn’t. They persisted with Skycopter and Skyboat – it fed an appetite, but not an intellectual one. And so we’re left with one dead newsagent and a few police shambockings. No wonder the public are confused and angry.

Give the story perspective and it obviates that bloody prism of yours.

James Legge

2009-04-20 22:41:23

While no one would think that the Police Officer who attacked Mr Tomlinson should be treated to anything less than the full extent of the law, I wonder why the "fundamental questions" are only being asked on the side of the authorities.

It seems to me that those who organise large prostests and therefore necessitate a large police presence, need to look at their own practices as well and ask how they are helping the situation and society as a whole (which they would claim is their aim). When the excercising of a democratic right is placed in direct opposition to the security of a city, then real compromise and subtlety is required. While we will rightly demand these attributes from our Police force, we can only hope that they are exhibited by those demonstrating.

gavin montana

2009-04-20 18:37:35

i am in the middle of the blair years and was wondering if alistair thought that david milliband would of been a better successor to tb, after tb style of pm i myself would of preferred someone live david milliband to take on david cameron rather then gb who i thought made a better chancellor then pm

james

2009-04-20 17:41:19

I'm afraid you've missed the point - the prism for most stories of this type is formed by video (ideally mobile phone) footage, which is what gets viewers, and the media forms the story to fit the footage. If there had been no footage of the G20 protests would any of this had been news? Of course not. If instead there existed footage of the protesters spitting unprovoked on the police, would the story have been about the police bravely standing tall to protect democracy against the anarchist mob? Of course it would. The slant in the prism is caused randomly by the nature of the footage, nothing more, nothing less.

Not sure about the readacross to politics. It's all very well to say that all politicians shouldn't be tarred by Damian's brush, but Damian was not some random SpAd - he had a seat at the top table. The risk to Labour is not that people think that all politicians are bad, but that the PM's judgement is faulty in employing him in the first place.

Caroline Hett

2009-04-20 15:54:55

I have just picked myself up from the floor after fainting....I agree with everything you say about balance and the dangers of sweeping generalisations.

I know you are not a politician, but if you were required to cosy-up on Andrew Neil's ('This Week') sofa with a Tory, who would you choose? And why?

Em

2009-04-20 15:08:48

Alina, I have marched for what I believe in and no term could describe me less accurately than "tree hugger". You can't blame people for condemning police officers and social workers wholesale when you do the same for protesters. Also, I disagree with your assessment that "tree-huggers" always get good press. Quite the contrary. And, you are right, the press loves to cover the pump and fanfare of a police officer's funeral.

To pick up on your phrasing, one day the public is blamed for being numb and indifferent, the next day they are accused of overreacting and indulging in their own indignation. The death of Ian Tomlinson was indeed outrageous and it would have been a sad comment on our society had people not been appalled by the death of Baby P.. I agree that outrage is sometimes misdirected, I understand that social workers are over-worked and underpaid. That being said, it's clear that something went awfully wrong and those accountable should face the consequences of their (in)action.

It's not just the press that targets its crowds, we readers choose the sources we read (and may I add that you and AC are whole responsible for making me read tabloids ;-)), and the sources I choose did not blame all social workers for that tragedy.

I support Labour but I'm not going to pretend that this government, its policies, police officers and other "interveners" are anywhere near perfect.

Going back to AC's point about the police state: in a convo last week, I told a friend how in NA, the idea that a police officer would be charged for manslaughter so readily is unimaginable. I would expect the police P.R. machine to go on the attack & blame the public with their usual lines "you hate us until you're in danger and you need us", "we put our lives on the line every single day for you" and the other emotional blackmail cops use when they feel a vague of public discontent raise against them. Here, the cop would get away with it. Friend said, "true, but here we don't get detained without charge for 90 days (sic) and our every moves aren't photographed 300 times a day." Touché.

The extension of incarceration without charge was demanded by the cops. As they become all powerful, police officers shouldn't turn around and whine because they are under greater scrutiny. The more power they hold, the more accountable they should be and the less we should tolerant of their mistakes.

Mark M

2009-04-20 14:58:44

re: Disproportionate media coverage

Consider how many column inches go into detailing successful police operations. Very few indeed. If the police do a good job then they are not noticed, that is how it should be.

If a policeman is injured in his line of work, he gets a mention. In proportion to the amount of column inches taken by day-to-day police work, it is quite a large amount of coverage.

The Tomlinson case got lots of coverage because it wasn't 'criminal killed by brave police', it was 'police attack bystander - leads to death'. It also received coverage because the police lied about what happened, and have changed their story four or five times, basically whenever evidence comes out to show they are lying.

If you really think that isn't worthy of column inches then you are scarily deluded.

Brian Hughes

2009-04-20 14:27:35

It's a curious reversal of the media prism during the miners' strike. Then the police were generally portrayed as our brave boys holding the line against protesting thugs. Perhaps that marks some sort of progress but a more likely driver at present is that bashing the police by implication also bashes the Labour government.

I guess the simplicities of the prism stem partly from the pressures on those in the media as much as from mankind's desperation to simplify everything. Life can perhaps appear more comprehensible if all policemen are classed as x, all politicians y, all celebrities z, all bankers w, all journalists v etc. etc.

The less you know of someone the easier it is to categorise and/or stigmatise them. By contrast the people we know well are almost impossible to categorise.

Most members of our species are not very rational (he types and thereby neatly categorises more than eight billion of his fellow humans)...

rod whiting

2009-04-20 14:00:51

You make an interesting point here. I was accused of toadyism for taking a similar line on my programme. The story becomes a focal point for antipathy towards authority generally and people feel empowered by joining in the clamour for heads to roll. I imagine the lynch mobs in the Wild West felt the same. There is such a thing as due process. The problem is however, people have lost faith in it after blatant abuse of due process by (I'll be even-handed here)successive governments.
RW

Eve

2009-04-20 13:23:56

Couldn’t agree more re: the police. My younger sister (lets call her Helen) is a member of the Police force in Northern Ireland (the PSNI to give then their official ridiculous title – what is it with Northern Ireland and acronyms?). She is dedicated, hard working and absolutely loves her job. She does it with integrity and pride. The recent killing of a Police Constable and 2 soldiers in Northern Ireland has yes scared her but it hasn’t stopped her from leaving her house every morning, checking under her car with a mirror and getting the hell on with it. She even managed to turn teaching her husband to check under his car with a mirror into a thing of farce and, typically Helen, a very funny story. Having grown up in Belfast I’ve most certainly witnessed my fair share of bad behaviour by the police which is why I was so pleased and proud when Helen joined – we needed more people like her. Everywhere does. Yes incidents such as the tragic death of Ian Tomlinson should be reported upon and seriously investigated but lets not demonise all police, they do a difficult job (especially that day) and an awful lot of them, in my opinion, do it very well. I dread to think what all the negative press is doing to the efforts to recruit young, educated people but I’m pretty sure it hasn’t helped. I suppose that’s the point I’m trying to make to all the negative commentators. Put bluntly if you’re fed up with bad police then stop discouraging good people from joining. Finally I’m guessing all those doing the bitching at the moment at certain times in their lives have been mighty glad to have them on the end of the phone or on their streets I know I have.

Alina Palimaru

2009-04-20 13:22:37

The G20 police stories were framed this way because those were the only stories that would grab attention and sell papers. If it bleeds, it leads! This angle developed in the anticipation of the protests, and on the day of the events it was quite obvious that a situation that brings tree-hugging protesters and cops (associated with the establishment) together would elicit public sympathy for the protesters. As such, any policing incident would be magnified to overwhelm every other variable that contributed to the incident. In this case, too many recalcitrant cops, overreacting to anything the 'innocent' protesters did was the official line.

The papers are writing stories to suit the emotions of their targeted crowds. Today, it's bad cop day taken to extremes. Tomorrow, if a policeman dies in the line of duty, it's national hero day taken to another extreme. The reasonable middle-ground vanished. As you pointed out AC, the same is applicable to social workers. Just like a mob, press coverage has abandoned reason in favor of visceral fluctuations between "long live!" and "down with!"

Em

2009-04-20 13:21:16

Some cops are bad but we should remember that some cops are good? Ok.

It shouldn't be surprising to you that some tragedies have better P.R. than others. Why are we so moved by the Shoah but not by the Armenian genocide?

I'm not sure one prism is better than another. It is a tragedy every time a policer officer dies, and when a man dies at the hands of a police officer it's an entire society that is at fault and at risk. I see myself as the guardian of my fellow human beings, cop or not, but I'm more concerned about the victim who wasn't carrying a stick and who didn't have all the apparel, training, and weight of the law behind him. I tend to side with the underdog, but that's just me.

Friend copper of mine loves it when public and the media attacks racism, brutally and all the negatives in the force which, according to him, are mostly attributable to the old guard. This isn't the kind of culture that the "kids" can change from the inside at as reasonably fast pace. So, I'd like people to keep in mind that external pressures can serve not only to save lives in the public but save the lives of other policer officers and improve their work within the force.

Two sides to police story

2009-04-20 11:39:54

I've talked before about how sometimes a prism forms over a story, so that after a while only one side gets heard. It happens most often to politicians, usually those in power, most intensely when a situation develops with all the ingredients to show them in a bad light. But enough of Damian McBride.

It seems to be happening to the police as well. Anyone with anything bad to say about their handling of the G20 Summit - or, even better, with mobile phone footage to show the badness - will find a ready and willing media and political audience. But any balance in the coverage seems to be being lost.

It is true that the vast bulk of protesters were peaceful. It is also right that there should be an inquiry into the treatment of Ian Tomlinson, and into allegations of violence by police against protesters. It is right that Parliamentary committees are taking an interest in broader issues of public order policing.

But it is also fair to point out the scale of the challenge the police faced on the day, and the fact that most did a difficult job well.

You sometimes hear civil liberty campaigners complaining that we live in a police state. The fallout from the Summit suggests strongly otherwise. The police, it seems to me, are the ones facing the most intense questioning and under the greatest pressure, far more than those who, also surrounded by people taking pictures on phones and camcorders, were committing acts of criminal damage by smashing in the windows of a bank. If the prism were in a different place, people would be asking what was happening to the investigations into that.

Back to the comparisons with politicians. There are bad ones amid the good. It does not make them all bad. And if we all end up thinking that all politicians are terrible people, all cops are bent or violent, all social workers are useless (more of that around today I see), all teachers politically correct, all businessmen only interested in getting rich, and most journalists thinking the only story worth writing is one which shows one or all of the above in a terrible light, we risk painting a far more negative picture of our society than truly it deserves.

There has to be some relationship of trust between police and public. Of course the police, every single one of them, has to help in that. But the public has a role too. In recognising the breadth of challenges they face. In supporting them in their basic aim of preventing and dealing with crime. In recognising too - not least in the area of race relations - that where there have been problems, they have made real efforts to address them.

It is not very fashionable to say any of that at the moment, because of where the prism rests. But I was struck, and in part moved to write this blog, by a letter in The Guardian today which ends 'On 18 April you ran a front-page article and photograph about the death of Ian Tomlinson and then inside there was a double-page spread, again with photographs. In contrast, the sad death of PC Gary Toms, who was injured on 11 April in the course of his duties, merited only a 7in column on Page 10. This shows the other side of policing and, in the interests of balance, more could be made of this. An emphasis on the risks police officers take and the fear a lot of them must feel would perhaps partly explain, although certainly not excuse, the outrageous behaviour of some of them at the G20 demonstration.'

Morale in the police is unlikely to be terribly high as a result of the G20 fallout. But is worth remembering that the prism can change, albeit slowly. Two pages back from the letter, Jackie Ashley is singing the praises of Peter Mandelson. That really was a surprise.

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Hit the Mail where it hurts

Publish date: 2009-10-16 16:36:02

Talking Cameron and Obama with US Democrats. Progressive Convervatism? No, he can't

Publish date: 2009-10-16 10:02:40

Inspired by kids' green passion

Publish date: 2009-10-14 18:24:13

Good news on leukaemia, good news on student activism

Publish date: 2009-10-13 08:24:21

Musings from Bertie Ahern, and how I won the Nobel prize for literature

Publish date: 2009-10-12 09:26:18

Continuing double standards in the media

Publish date: 2009-10-11 11:36:21

The best policies in Cameron's speech were those of Labour Big Government

Publish date: 2009-10-08 17:07:40

Tongues slipping all over the place

Publish date: 2009-10-08 09:00:07

Cameron confuses strategy and tactics and puts Union at risk

Publish date: 2009-10-07 10:29:26

Osborne inspires apathy at BBC Leeds

Publish date: 2009-10-06 16:01:59

Let's see more of the Tory candidates please

Publish date: 2009-10-06 09:23:11

Labour needs to fight on record to stop Tory vandalism

Publish date: 2009-10-05 14:28:40

VacuDave goes all peevish at difficult questions. Bring on the debates

Publish date: 2009-10-04 23:33:52

Lots of joking around in Jersey, though nothing as hysterical as Dave's Europe position

Publish date: 2009-10-03 10:31:22

On The Sun, Obama in Copenhagen and Alistair McGowan on the loo

Publish date: 2009-10-01 10:59:49

Sun switches ain't wot they used to be

Publish date: 2009-09-30 10:17:14

Darling and Mandelson show what I mean by authenticity

Publish date: 2009-09-28 16:28:18

Serious Politics 1 Low Journalism 0

Publish date: 2009-09-27 11:55:54

Media's love for Cameron should be turned into a weakness

Publish date: 2009-09-26 10:30:03

Time for ministers to stand up and fight

Publish date: 2009-09-25 09:40:26

Today's media double standards watch

Publish date: 2009-09-24 09:29:45

Breaking News - GB wins award, Lib Dems face all ways

Publish date: 2009-09-23 09:43:49

Why authenticity is the key to comms, and why Merkel will win

Publish date: 2009-09-22 08:29:13

Why I love NHS walk-in centres

Publish date: 2009-09-21 12:13:03

Here goes with the smoked Salmond

Publish date: 2009-09-20 10:40:21

Breaking News - Cameron's vacuousness an impersonator's nightmare

Publish date: 2009-09-19 11:06:09

Cameron has an army of spin doctors - aka journalists

Publish date: 2009-09-18 10:07:06

On Scottish independence, Cameron's short-termism, and Jimmy Carter being right

Publish date: 2009-09-17 09:56:56

Is Cameron Alex Salmond's Trojan Horse?

Publish date: 2009-09-15 10:13:42

On the TUC, Roy of the Rovers and Anna Wintour

Publish date: 2009-09-14 11:04:46

Memo to Apple boss Steve Jobs

Publish date: 2009-09-13 17:36:31

A day in the life of a (crap) City trader

Publish date: 2009-09-11 17:52:25

Defend record with pride, attack Tories with gusto

Publish date: 2009-09-10 11:06:36

Cameron's Conservatism beyond parody

Publish date: 2009-09-09 10:38:00

On transforned cities, and tales of Princess Di and Laura Bush

Publish date: 2009-09-08 09:45:54

Labour should put minister up against Griffin on Question Time

Publish date: 2009-09-06 12:39:56

School speech the latest source of right-wing frothing at Obama

Publish date: 2009-09-05 08:23:02

More horse's mouth, less Beeb blah please

Publish date: 2009-09-04 22:49:20

Real respect for sport can be Olympic legacy

Publish date: 2009-09-04 09:27:34

First ladies watch out for Japanese bombshell

Publish date: 2009-09-03 10:47:19

TV debate - good idea in theory, but ...

Publish date: 2009-09-02 15:37:43

'No worries' - the new response to thanks

Publish date: 2009-09-01 12:25:19

Tremors of Japanese political earthquake will be felt far and wide

Publish date: 2009-08-30 15:50:54

Pressure on Ed Miliband can help get a climate change deal

Publish date: 2009-08-28 13:39:08

Why Tories and media cannot stomach GCSE success story

Publish date: 2009-08-27 16:03:34

Exposing the absurdity of Chris Grayling

Publish date: 2009-08-26 13:20:19

Joy and beauty and a night of magic

Publish date: 2009-08-20 10:55:11

Twitter NHS backlash good for Obama

Publish date: 2009-08-14 15:44:49

A lifetime's ambition fulfilled

Publish date: 2009-08-08 16:59:02

Breaking the blog-a-day spell as warm up to holiday

Publish date: 2009-07-20 17:44:49

No hiding place from Twitter, me on the bike, JP in DC

Publish date: 2009-07-17 18:17:09

At last - something Obama cannot do well

Publish date: 2009-07-16 10:05:47

Will MPs take the lead in the debate on euthanasia?

Publish date: 2009-07-15 12:30:01

Berlin brothel leads the way to a greener world

Publish date: 2009-07-14 10:57:25

A time for GB to explain the whole picture

Publish date: 2009-07-13 12:37:54

All hail Monty, Jimmy and Collie!

Publish date: 2009-07-12 20:06:36

First triathlon of the summer for me, education award for Fiona

Publish date: 2009-07-12 09:43:06

Of Burnley's friendly and Obama's wandering eye

Publish date: 2009-07-11 12:38:52

Two great early morning moments

Publish date: 2009-07-10 10:27:07

Cameron had better be sure he's right

Publish date: 2009-07-09 11:06:22

Guardian scoop has big questions for press, cops and Cameron

Publish date: 2009-07-08 20:40:54

Divisive legend: Lance Armstrong

Publish date: 2009-07-07 10:38:23

First hug a hoodie, now grab a gay

Publish date: 2009-07-06 12:57:09

Mail on Scumday's wonderful account of Lansley's kipperdom

Publish date: 2009-07-05 13:14:51

Ecclestone undermines his own success with alarming views on Hitler

Publish date: 2009-07-04 14:04:04

When the conmen move more quickly than the council

Publish date: 2009-07-03 10:19:52

Andrew Lansley done up like a kipper

Publish date: 2009-07-02 10:10:52

A day spent interviewing footballers, then being interviewed by a transvestite comedian

Publish date: 2009-07-01 14:47:40

When the power of black eyes fades

Publish date: 2009-06-30 09:24:59

Farewell to Henry Hodge

Publish date: 2009-06-29 20:41:12

Honouring the power of sport to do good

Publish date: 2009-06-29 14:49:42

Andy Murray is a winner. Is that why some Brits don't like him?

Publish date: 2009-06-28 09:19:20

New Parliament will look very different. The younger the better

Publish date: 2009-06-27 17:34:26

Two nice surprises, sad end to day

Publish date: 2009-06-26 09:16:33

Apology from the Spectator on Iraq boosts Henry Hodge fund

Publish date: 2009-06-25 19:57:26

Thanks to Mr Harper on mental health, rebuttal of Mr Hague on Iraq

Publish date: 2009-06-24 23:47:54

Glad to find Eric Cantona in a quiet cinema ...

Publish date: 2009-06-24 00:46:23

By Dave's friends shall we know him?

Publish date: 2009-06-23 11:30:20

The Speaker has to balance tradition and change - but defend Parliament

Publish date: 2009-06-22 11:58:44

Less a blog than an apology for not having done one

Publish date: 2009-06-21 20:07:43

The day Lions skipper Paul O'Connell took my trousers down

Publish date: 2009-06-20 11:48:28

On the Iraq inquiry, Independent article wrong

Publish date: 2009-06-19 20:28:24

Thank you to three readers, now please get involved

Publish date: 2009-06-19 09:13:35

A tribute to a lovely man

Publish date: 2009-06-18 17:19:40

Bad times in Belfast, great day for Burnley, odd statement from Ed Balls

Publish date: 2009-06-18 10:04:47

A plea for five-figure cyber-donations

Publish date: 2009-06-17 07:40:42

On two inquiries

Publish date: 2009-06-16 08:57:39

From India to Iran to Labour wit

Publish date: 2009-06-15 10:13:17

Memories of Princess Diana

Publish date: 2009-06-14 09:54:55

A House Divided?

Publish date: 2009-06-13 02:53:47

A humbling NHS experience, a media row and a good GB speech

Publish date: 2009-06-12 10:48:46

Psychiatrists heading for relegation in 'disease prestige' league table

Publish date: 2009-06-11 10:25:35

The shrinks await

Publish date: 2009-06-10 09:44:16

As Obama fights for healthcare, let's celebrate the record here

Publish date: 2009-06-09 12:52:55

Anger at BNP seats must be turned into activism

Publish date: 2009-06-08 14:11:10

Can today be as frenzied as Friday?

Publish date: 2009-06-07 10:31:04

Take heart from a win in Lambeth

Publish date: 2009-06-06 18:46:40

JP is right there was no proper campaign but Tories still weak

Publish date: 2009-06-05 13:47:20

Do we care more about the NHS or moats?

Publish date: 2009-06-04 00:21:23

Guardian of social justice or attention-seeker?

Publish date: 2009-06-03 10:19:33

Who says Britain can't deliver the best?

Publish date: 2009-06-02 08:08:38

Mainstream has a duty to vote against BNP

Publish date: 2009-06-01 11:03:29

Let Diversity inspire a vote against the hate-filled BNP

Publish date: 2009-05-31 12:24:20

White House whack at UK media well-timed but sure to be ignored

Publish date: 2009-05-30 13:41:00

Elvis has a plan to make MPs King again

Publish date: 2009-05-29 12:09:44

At least there's a campaign on in Italy

Publish date: 2009-05-28 09:04:32

A blow to gay rights and a boost for Cameron's short-termism

Publish date: 2009-05-27 11:27:41

It's my blog and I'll be a big kid if I want to

Publish date: 2009-05-26 23:25:58

Highs feel better after so many lows

Publish date: 2009-05-26 10:13:12

Only one present counts

Publish date: 2009-05-25 11:05:46

Contrast Cheney and Bush

Publish date: 2009-05-24 12:11:45

Sex (or at least the female form) obsessed Britain

Publish date: 2009-05-23 20:49:57

Sport at both ends of the financial spectrum

Publish date: 2009-05-23 09:57:23

Stronger together - whether Scotland or expenses

Publish date: 2009-05-22 10:22:36

Back to Number 10, familiar faces, familiar arguments

Publish date: 2009-05-21 10:14:34

Speaking up for Parliament

Publish date: 2009-05-20 11:44:17

Peace in the Middle East - yes he can

Publish date: 2009-05-19 09:37:35

Breaking news - one frenzy at a time

Publish date: 2009-05-18 10:34:30

Getting a good look at Vince Cable

Publish date: 2009-05-17 09:36:55

How do you solve a problem like Silvio?

Publish date: 2009-05-16 09:32:21

It was the internet wot won it

Publish date: 2009-05-15 10:04:57

There now follows ... a good whack at Cameron

Publish date: 2009-05-14 17:21:28

They got their kit off - so you get your cash out

Publish date: 2009-05-14 07:41:11

Expenses row must not obscure Tory intentions on minimum wage

Publish date: 2009-05-13 16:12:08

We love you Burnley, we do ... what a night

Publish date: 2009-05-13 02:37:17

A tweet cannot express the wonders of TGV

Publish date: 2009-05-12 08:48:31

It's Mind week - Get it off your Chest with me and Stephen Fry

Publish date: 2009-05-11 06:29:15

Hate the Mail, love Obama

Publish date: 2009-05-10 10:04:00

Burnley 1 Reading 0 - a biased report

Publish date: 2009-05-09 21:26:32

MPs expenses - time for party leaders to meet again

Publish date: 2009-05-09 09:50:19

Should happiness replace prosperity as national goal?

Publish date: 2009-05-08 08:43:23

Musings from a sleepless night

Publish date: 2009-05-07 07:33:49

Darren Fletcher - an injustice that has to be righted

Publish date: 2009-05-06 09:52:29

Maggie's legacy not as great as she thinks

Publish date: 2009-05-05 08:33:02

Here's hoping Cardiff is metaphor for Cameron

Publish date: 2009-05-04 09:38:30

More Mr Benn and Co please

Publish date: 2009-05-03 10:03:00

Going Fourth with JP

Publish date: 2009-05-02 18:25:41

Journalism - print first, think later

Publish date: 2009-05-02 09:10:01

In praise of two poets

Publish date: 2009-05-01 10:26:36

JP hits the road again

Publish date: 2009-04-29 18:52:11

My night with Eddie Izzard

Publish date: 2009-04-29 10:53:25

Explaining the 50p top tax rate

Publish date: 2009-04-28 09:22:53

George Best and Martin McGuinness

Publish date: 2009-04-27 09:02:35

Cameron confused over indepdendence and impartiality

Publish date: 2009-04-26 12:20:56

Guide ro Marathon running part 2

Publish date: 2009-04-25 11:01:34

Good signals on coal and the Olympics

Publish date: 2009-04-24 10:45:28

Tips for the London Marathon

Publish date: 2009-04-23 17:29:27

Missed the Budget, saw why it mattered

Publish date: 2009-04-22 23:09:31

Football good, politics bad. Allegedly

Publish date: 2009-04-22 00:00:24

The Great Wall gets greater

Publish date: 2009-04-21 09:55:22

Budgets, Balls, billionaires and Susan Boyle

Publish date: 2009-04-19 12:31:45

Do muscles have memories?

Publish date: 2009-04-18 09:44:44

Bring back standing at football

Publish date: 2009-04-17 14:50:22

When Facebook friends fall out

Publish date: 2009-04-16 12:29:16

Guardian sightings and the email and bath plug agenda

Publish date: 2009-04-15 11:32:16

The spin is all in the prism

Publish date: 2009-04-14 09:22:41

A setback, not a crisis

Publish date: 2009-04-13 12:55:19

The real lessons from Damian McBride

Publish date: 2009-04-12 10:49:47

Will English always be the dominant language?

Publish date: 2009-04-11 10:02:02

On the pipes and what makes a Scot

Publish date: 2009-04-10 11:06:20

John Prescott lazy? NO WAY

Publish date: 2009-04-09 09:11:31

David Frost is seventy

Publish date: 2009-04-08 08:48:38

The Speaker, BBC2, tonight and tomorrow 8pm

Publish date: 2009-04-07 14:25:31

Obama, colds and being woken by Korean missiles

Publish date: 2009-04-06 11:59:24

When a call matters more than protocol

Publish date: 2009-04-05 11:33:42

Green Cities Champions League

Publish date: 2009-04-04 10:19:53

Could Cameron have delivered the G20 deal?

Publish date: 2009-04-03 10:11:59

Of Benn and Bono

Publish date: 2009-04-02 08:21:16

Memo to Sarko - allez vite a Londres

Publish date: 2009-04-01 08:46:17

Happy April Fool's Day

Publish date: 2009-04-01 01:44:05

Eurostar, Le Monde and a thought for the G20 sherpas

Publish date: 2009-03-31 09:17:22

Why Kevin Rudd made an impact

Publish date: 2009-03-30 10:24:41

Pre-G20 hype matters less than post-G20 process

Publish date: 2009-03-29 13:17:28

The Damned United

Publish date: 2009-03-28 10:37:04

A hobby horse, a plug and a bit of sport

Publish date: 2009-03-27 10:22:23

Cloughie - he had a lot to be big-headed about

Publish date: 2009-03-26 09:38:36

A sad sight of the old fearing the young

Publish date: 2009-03-25 17:03:07

Post-modern, post-structural, or bullshit?

Publish date: 2009-03-25 08:18:02

Learning the right lessons from Obama

Publish date: 2009-03-24 08:53:15

Lazy Dave needs to keep an eye on lazy Ken

Publish date: 2009-03-23 11:16:14

Farewell favourite restaurant, hello hometown

Publish date: 2009-03-22 08:18:09

Dave, Danny and have the Tories really changed?

Publish date: 2009-03-21 08:55:13

Life beyond Dover ...

Publish date: 2009-03-20 10:11:21

My friends in The New Statesman - Fergie, Fiona, Tony, Sarah, Kevin, 'Dacre,' and a great GB idea for the G20

Publish date: 2009-03-18 10:38:22

Iraq, Iran, GB, Obama and diplomatic chess

Publish date: 2009-03-17 10:07:13

The Age of Stupid

Publish date: 2009-03-16 08:27:13

Is all change good?

Publish date: 2009-03-15 10:00:06

The pressure of being a post-modern sex god

Publish date: 2009-03-14 10:00:55

Cameron still hasn't sealed the deal with business

Publish date: 2009-03-13 09:21:49

Stand up for social workers

Publish date: 2009-03-12 08:31:17

Surely Malcolm Tucker could have told Armando Ianucci ... You can't spin a spinner

Publish date: 2009-03-11 10:58:25

Start of a new approach from Labour?

Publish date: 2009-03-10 09:54:12

A peace process still strong

Publish date: 2009-03-09 08:21:05

Day of destiny for the real footballer of the year

Publish date: 2009-03-08 09:21:06

Private advice to Peggy Mitchell - the leaked note in full

Publish date: 2009-03-07 08:17:21

Boris, the Tories and the tummy-tickling poodle press

Publish date: 2009-03-06 09:49:37

A day in the life of the self-obsessed TV reporter

Publish date: 2009-03-05 07:55:47

GB - good speech, well delivered

Publish date: 2009-03-04 19:31:05

Notes on the environment, a role in EastEnders

Publish date: 2009-03-04 10:58:56

She may be my 'wife' but it is time to rebut!

Publish date: 2009-03-03 10:52:59

Some speeches matter more than others

Publish date: 2009-03-02 12:04:45

Mental health and the Carling Cup Final

Publish date: 2009-03-01 09:08:17

Inside the chocolate factory

Publish date: 2009-02-28 10:23:59

GB on the G20, JP on Jeremy Kyle

Publish date: 2009-02-27 09:14:36

Charity and the credit crunch, please give generously!

Publish date: 2009-02-26 08:55:12

Why oh why are the Tories not home and dry?

Publish date: 2009-02-24 09:44:59

Me, Dermot and ten top songs

Publish date: 2009-02-23 10:02:19

Names round-up

Publish date: 2009-02-22 08:43:39

What's in a name?

Publish date: 2009-02-21 09:58:14

Editing the New Statesman

Publish date: 2009-02-20 11:42:36

Salute Peter M’s proper use of the F word

Publish date: 2009-02-19 09:58:58

Labour's communications challenge for the NHS

Publish date: 2009-02-18 10:34:39

In praise of Keighley

Publish date: 2009-02-17 14:33:57

A night at the Emirates

Publish date: 2009-02-17 00:06:51

When marriage is tested

Publish date: 2009-02-16 13:36:35

Spare me the myths and the whining

Publish date: 2009-02-15 13:29:50

Dave Cameron - is that all there is?

Publish date: 2009-02-14 11:11:55

Boris Johnson: F is for ...

Publish date: 2009-02-13 07:55:10

The Cameron vacuum

Publish date: 2009-02-12 14:48:33

Lincoln, Obama, Blair and the 24 hour media culture

Publish date: 2009-02-11 10:28:47

Eighteen interviews later ...

Publish date: 2009-02-10 19:24:45

Time to talk about Time to Change on Newsnight

Publish date: 2009-02-09 22:47:49

So that’s what they mean by online community?

Publish date: 2009-02-08 12:12:51

First blog

Publish date: 2009-02-05 15:23:57

Blog