Memories of the Falklands
- 2 Apr 2007
What follows is an updated version of the introduction to my book MEMORIES OF THE FALKLANDS, which was published five years ago. Twenty five years ago today I was on holiday, visiting friends, the Weber family, in the German spa town of Bad Wildungen. I was 19, and was on a...
EDP Diary: Be Nice to Canvassers
- 31 Mar 2007
The chances are that at some point over the next five weeks you will hear a knock on your door from a representative of one of the political parties. It’s local election time! Before you let out a volley of abuse at your doorstep canvasser just spare a thought for them. ...
Telegraph Column: Is Cameron's First Defection About to Come Over?
- 29 Mar 2007
Political commentators have become so obsessed by opinion poll leads as the best sign of political success that they have stopped looking for other signals. The revelation over the weekend that George Osborne had made a serious attempt to lure the LibDem Work & Pensions sp...
EDP Diary: Margaret Beckett, Trident & Languages
- 15 Mar 2007
The men who spent 18 years in prison for the murder of newspaper boy Carl Bridgewater, but were later cleared of, have been told that they will have to pay back 25% of their compensation money to cover the cost of their "board and lodging" while in prison. Surely to God if the...
My Stance on Climate Change & Why I Remain a Tory
- 12 Mar 2007
I suppose if you stick your head over the political parapet, you deserve to get it shot off from time to time. My post on Al Gore BELOW has caused a certain frisson on some blogs. Tom Watsonthinks it very rude. Devil's Kitchen wonders why I remain in the Tory Party. More on th...
Telegraph Column: What Should Cameron Do About the Special Relationship?
- 8 Mar 2007
Since 1917 Britain’s relationship with the United States has been the most important component of our foreign policy. When former US Ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer was told by Number Ten to “crawl up the backside of the White House and stay there” he became merely the latest...
EDP Diary: Visiting my Favourite City
- 3 Mar 2007
I have spent the last week in my favourite city in the world – Washington DC. It’s a city with a buzz, a mecca for those of us who love to obsess about politics. And it’s a city full of culture, history and entertainment. The fact that it’s an appallingly run city and a v...
Wednesday in Washington
- 1 Mar 2007
It's nearly midnight here in Washington and I'm exhausted as I type this. I've just come back from a dinner held by the Anglosphere Institute at the Metropolitan Club. It's the sort of place where you just happen to stand next to Henry Kissinger at the urinal. Which I did. And...
A Visit to Foggy Bottom
- 28 Feb 2007
Earlier today my colleague Shane Greer and I went to the State Department to meet the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs (could she have a longer job title?!) Colleen Graffy. We were rather early so we stood outside the building in the morning sunshine on a...
Anecdotes from the Thatcher Statue Unveiling
- 27 Feb 2007
A word of praise for James Hardy of the BBC. His report on last night's unveiling of Margaret Thatcher's statue struck just the right tone. Having been a journalist on the Daily Mirror, I suspect that James is not a card carrying Tory, but he capture the mood of the occasion b...
My Day in DC
- 27 Feb 2007
For those who have absolutely no interest in my activities in the capital of the free world, feel free to scroll down. I spent Saturday and part of Sunday with some old friends Mark & Jane Milosch who live in Silver Spring. I worked with Mark when he was an intern in the C...
Responding to Frederick Forsyth
- 24 Feb 2007
I am honoured that Frederick Forsyth has written a letter to the Telegraph commenting on my article on Wednesday. Here it is... Sir - Iain Dale ("Tories' Champagne should stay on ice", Comment, February 21) tells us that David Cameron "wanted to make Lib Dem voters feel th...
Telegraph Column: Is David Cameron in Touch with the Mood of the People?
- 20 Feb 2007
Following years of flatlining, you could forgive Conservative Party strategists if they had all got blind drunk after hearing of their nine point poll lead in yesterday’s ICM poll. But there’s a good reason why the champagne glasses were still dry in the pine dressers of Notti...
EDP Diary: Philanthropy and Theft
- 15 Feb 2007
Defections from one political party to another always spark interest in the media, so the revelation that the Conservatives have been courting various LibDem MPs generated a considerable number of column inches. It’s also produced some predictable splutterings from local Norfo...
Let the Blogwars Cease
- 12 Feb 2007
Over the last few weeks a huge amount of damage has been done to the British blogosphere. Blogwars have broken out between various parties which have made us all appear like obsessive schoolschildren who have nothing better to do with our time than flame each other. It's devel...
Book Review: The David Blunkett Diaries
- 10 Feb 2007
Well, put up the bunting, my three month nightmare is over. I have finally, finally completed reading the 870 pages of David Blunkett's diaries. Many of you have wondered why I bothered to start reading it in the first place. I suppose the real reason is because I wanted to se...
Telegraph Column: Who is David Cameron's Willie?
- 8 Feb 2007
If, as Margaret Thatcher believed, every Prime Minister needs a ‘Willie’, it is not unreasonable to think that a Leader of the Opposition needs one too. Thatcher was, of course referring to her trusted deputy, Willie Whitelaw, who gave her total loyalty, wise counsel and spoke...
EDP Diary: Unfit to be President?
- 7 Feb 2007
Ten days ago the LibDems said all British troops should be out of Iraq by the end of October. It got them a few headlines and Ming Campbell attacked Tony Blair in Prime Minister’s Question Time. To me, it was the very worst kind of political headline grabbing stunt. US Preside...
The Changing Face of Farming
- 3 Feb 2007
I'm spending most of this weekend in Devon, hence the lack of posts yesterday. The thing that has struck me here is how much I miss this kind of lifestyle. I was brought up in a very rural area in North Essex and never imagined I would spend much of my working life in Londo...
Is Yasmin Right? Does Blogging Impoverish Democracy?
- 2 Feb 2007
I don't mind admitting I enjoyed myself yesterday on Sunday AM. The only other time I have been on the programme I did a paper review with Polly Toynbee and was extremely nervous. I remember locking swords with her on the Iraq war and her looking shocked that I should dare to ...