The Loan Charge Scandal: Why The Treasury Must Embark on a U-turn
- 2 Nov 2018
This article first appeared in this week’s edition of The Spectator You probably haven’t heard of the Loan Charge. I hadn’t until a couple of months ago when I told listeners of my LBC radio show that I would soon be interviewing Mel Stride, the Financial Secretary to the Tre...
Honourable Ladies: I'm Looking For Some Women Writers...
- 1 Nov 2018
As you may know, in September Jacqui Smith and I published the first volume of HONOURABLE LADIES, a collection of 168 biographical essays of female MPs elected between 1918 and 1996. Jacqui and I are now commissioning essays for Volume 2, featuring all women MPs elected bet...
Why Tracey Crouch Must Not Resign & Why Philip Hammond Is Wrong on FOBTs
- 1 Nov 2018
UPDATE 5.30pm: Tracey has now resigned from the government, so that makes this article a bit redundant now! Just when you think this government can’t get any more incompetent, they prove to you that they can. And no, I’m not talking about Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes’s...
When it Comes to Injunctons, Sunlight is the Best Form of Disinfectant
- 25 Oct 2018
The rumour mills have been busy over the last two days, ever since the Telegraph were forced by an injunction to abandon printing their story alleging sexual harassment, racist remarks and bullying against a prominent businessman. Instead they printed the allegations on their ...
Are You or Have You Ever Been a Bisexual?
- 23 Oct 2018
Inside the mind of every bisexual is a gay man struggling to get out. At least, that’s the view of many. It’s a widely held view that bisexuals are people who either want the best of both worlds, or, who are still too scared to embrace their inner gayness because they are on h...
Forks in the Road: How My Life Might Have Turned Out Very Differently
- 22 Oct 2018
Have you ever made a decision that has turned out to completely alter the course of your life? Forks in the road or sliding door moments, call them what you will… Without them, you know your life would have been completely different. There have been quite a lot of those in my ...
In Defence of Nick Clegg - The Man Who Likes Taking Risks
- 21 Oct 2018
I remember back in around 2003 my friend Duncan Brack, a leading figure in backroom LibDem politics, told me about a Liberal Democrat MEP called Nick Clegg. “He’ll be LibDem leader one day,” said Duncan. Two years later Nick Clegg swapped the European Parliament for Westminste...
20 of my Favourite Places in the Whole Wide World!
- 20 Oct 2018
I love traveling, and in my younger days I’d be off somewhere at every opportunity. However, with the work I do now, it’s difficult to go away for any length of time and I’m married to someone who doesn’t like foreign holidays! And owning two dogs makes it quite difficult, as ...
Why I'm a Petrolhead & All the Cars I've Ever Owned
- 19 Oct 2018
This may be a blogpost that is of no interest to anyone else, but I’m going to write it anyway. This is a very unfashionable thing to admit nowadays, but I’m a petrolhead. I love cars. Not quite as much as my partner John does, given he has more than a dozen of them, but my ca...
What's New on My Podcasts?
- 19 Oct 2018
As many of you know, I have three weekly podcasts running at the moment and you’d do me an enormous honour if you’d try each of them out. And if you like them, subscribe so you’ll automatically get new episodes on your phone each week. Cross Question is a weekly programme th...
Would I Want to Join A Club That Would Want me As a Member?
- 18 Oct 2018
I’ve never been a very ‘clubby’ person. Maybe I’m not very clubbable either, but I’ve never felt the need to join one of these members only clubs. Well, when I say never, that’s not quite true. Around 20 years ago I joined the National Liberal Club, not because I was a Liberal...
Harry & Meghan's Baby: This Is Not News, It's Showbusiness, Yet We'll All Pretend Otherwise
- 15 Oct 2018
Today the world will go mad. A man and a woman are having a baby and that will now lead the BBC news, the LBC news and every other news. The plight of Jamal Khashoggi will be relegated to a footnote. The Brexit backstop? Nah, not so important. The government’s new Loneliness S...
My Top 100 Songs Of All Time 1-25
- 14 Oct 2018
Sunday evening used to be the time when we’d all listen to the radio and find out who the number one now. Nowadays no one really cares. It’s easy to forget what an appointment to listen it really was for anyone under the age of 30. Anyway, given I decided I wasn’t go to think ...
My Top 100 Songs of All Time 26-50
- 14 Oct 2018
To view 51-75 click HERE. And for 76-100 click HERE. To see 1-25 click HERE. 26. Denis Blondie 27. The Number One Song in Heaven Sparks 28. The Day Before You Came Abba 29. Search for the Hero Inside Yourself M People 30. I Like Chopin Gazebo 31. Into the Fire ...
My Top 100 Songs of All Time 51-75
- 14 Oct 2018
To see 76-100 click HERE. To see 26-50 click HERE. To see 1-25 click HERE. 51. Candle in the Wind Elton John 52. My Love, My Life Abba 53. Grow Kubb 54. Both Sides Now Clannad & Paul Young 55. American Pie Don McLean 56. Alone Heart 57. Our Town James Ta...
My Top 100 Songs of All Time 76-100
- 14 Oct 2018
Sunday evening used to be the time when we’d all listen to the radio and find out who the number one now. Nowadays no one really cares. It’s easy to forget what an appointment to listen it really was for anyone under the age of 30. Anyway, given I decided I wasn’t go to think ...
Interviewing a Hero - Kevin Keegan
- 13 Oct 2018
Over the years, I’ve got to interview quite a few major league celebrities, who have been vague heroes of mine. Joan Rivers is one that springs to mind. Joan Collins is another. I tried not to be too much of a fan boy, and by and large succeeded. Or at least, I think I did! H...
Two Ways Conservative Conferences Need to Change
- 10 Oct 2018
I’m getting heartily sick of conferences in Birmingham and Manchester. Because of the cost of accommodation many party members are put off attending. They just can’t afford it. One of the joys – if that’s the right word – of going to Bournemouth or even Blackpool was that anyo...
The Teachers Who Inspired Me
- 6 Oct 2018
I was flicking through Twitter this afternoon and came across a tweet from Jeremy Corbyn, which he posted on International Teachers Day, yesterday… On #InternationalTeachersDay I wanted to share this clip of Ian Wright talking about an inspiring teacher.It's incredibly moving...
The Three Podcasts...
- 2 Oct 2018
As many of you know, I have three weekly podcasts running at the moment and you’d do me an enormous honour if you’d try each of them out. And if you like them, subscribe so you’ll automatically get new episodes on your phone each week. ‘For the Many’ has been going for a ye...