ConHome Diary: Conservatives Are Failing to Make the Case for Capitalism
- 19 Jan 2018
The collapse of a company like Carillion was always going to result in Jeremy Corbyn attacking the whole concept of ‘contracting out’ – or ‘privatisation’ as he would say. He conveniently ignores the inconvenient fact that it wasn’t Carillion’s public sector contracts which ca...
The Government Needs to Reverse a Thirty Year Policy and Start Increasing the Number of Hospital Beds
- 13 Jan 2018
A lot has been written and said about the crisis in hospitals this January. Much of it repeats what was written last January. And yet it shouldn’t have been like this. The Health Secretary and the Prime Minister and various NHS managers continue to insist that planning for the...
WATCH: CNN Talk - Is Donald Trump a Racist For Calling Some Countries 'Shitholes'?
- 12 Jan 2018
Watch out for a sparky row between me and Ayesha a few minutes in… And watch how I can’t bring myself to say ‘shitholes’ on live TV!
ConHome Diary: A Reshuffle With No Narrative & Why No Jobs for JRM & Kwasi Kwarteng?
- 12 Jan 2018
“It’s all going terribly well, isn’t it?” was my opener to a friend in Downing Street on the afternoon of the Cabinet reshuffle. I was going to devote this whole column to an in-depth analysis of the reshuffle but I think enough has been said already. Paul Goodman’s analysis o...
I've Reason to Know What a Good & Thorough Journalist Michael Wolff Is
- 6 Jan 2018
Now, dear reader, bear with. This blogpost is really about Michael Wolff, but it takes a little time before we get to him… Back in June 2004, when I was Conservative candidate in North Norfolk I remember telling my good friend Keith Simpson, MP for the neighbouring constituen...
CNNTalk: How Seriously Should We Take the Allegations in Michael Wolff's Book?
- 5 Jan 2018
A dramatic moment on CNN Talk today when Michael Wolff’s book FIRE & FURY was delivered live on set!
ConHome Diary: How I Know Ann Widdecombe Snores & How I Became a Victim of Crime
- 5 Jan 2018
If I had a pound for every time Ann Widdecombe has said in my presence that she’s never, ever, EVAH appear on Celebrity Big Brother, then I’d certainly have more money than the undoubtedly large fee which persuaded her to do it this year! Between 2001 and 2010 our theatre sho...
My New Year's Resolutions for 2018
- 31 Dec 2017
I didn’t do any new year’s resolutions last year so I thought I would do so for 2018. I wonder how many I will achieve. To be consistently under 16 stone by the end of the year. I’m 16 1/2 at the moment and have been for some time. To say ‘no’ more often, and not feel ...
My Predictions for 2018
- 31 Dec 2017
I don’t know why, but last year I didn’t do any predictions for 2017, which was probably just as well, as I doubt any of them would have come true. Here are my predictive offerings for 2018. There won’t be a general election in 2018. Theresa May will still be Prime Minis...
WATCH: CNN Talk Review of the Year
- 26 Dec 2017
The CNN Talk crew take a look back on the big stories of 2017.
My Top 200 Tweeters of 2017
- 17 Dec 2017
Each new year I compile a list of people whose tweets I have most enjoyed during the previous 12 months. I follow about 2600 people on Twitter, which is far too many to be honest, but I whenever I try to cull the number I end up giving up because it’s so difficult. Anyway, the...
ConHome Diary: Weebles Wobble But They Don't Fall Down
- 15 Dec 2017
It’s difficult to know what the consequences of Wednesday evening’s government defeat in the Commons will be. It certainly undermines Theresa May as she goes into the next stage of negotiations and probably means that an agreement needs to be reached a little earlier than befo...
Keith Simpson's Christmas Reading List
- 12 Dec 2017
By Keith Simpson MP Over the past few weeks as the EU (Withdrawal) Bill grinds its way slowly through the Chamber of the House of Commons it has been noticeable that many MPs take refuge in the library to read and to sleep. This litany will continue for many, many months. Ch...
Political Interviewing: It Shouldn't Be About Confrontation & Newslines - We're Shortchanging the Public
- 10 Dec 2017
This is an article I wrote for the Saturday edition of the ‘i’ newspaper on Saturday. It was published HERE. ‘It’s all about you, isn’t it?’ wrote the rather angry listener who texted my LBC radio show. ‘How dare you question the Prime Minister like that!’ How dare I, indeed....
ConHome Diary: Would You Like a '**** Jeremy Corbyn' T Shirt?
- 1 Dec 2017
Following his ill-judged retweets of three Britain First tweets, Donald Trump is now turning his ire onto Theresa May. He tweeted yesterday: “@Theresa_May don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive radical Islamic terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We a...
Interview with Boyz Magazine
- 1 Dec 2017
- Can you tell us about your career and the history of Biteback Publishing? I started Biteback in 2009 having sold my previous publishing company, Politico’s, in 2003. There seemed to be a gap in the market again for a niche political publisher so I decided to fill it. We p...
ConHome Diary: The Housing Minister Should Be In The Cabinet & Why Brexiteers Need to Up Their Game in Exposing Remain Lies
- 24 Nov 2017
Well that wasn’t exactly a knicker-gripping budget, was it? In a week’s time if you asked people if they could remember one measure announced in a budget, the abolition of stamp duty for first time buyers for properties under £300k is probably all that they will remember. Ther...
Settling the Account - A Tale of Davis & Barnier
- 23 Nov 2017
I was sent this earlier today. No doubt it’s doing the rounds, but it has a few echoes of truth, doesn’t it?! David Davis is at the golf club returning his locker key when Mr Barnier the membership secretary sees him. “Hello Mr Davis”, says Mr Barnier. “I’m sorry to hear you...
ConHome Diary: Have we Got Leaking Whips & Why I Have Been in Prison
- 17 Nov 2017
At the weekend I went to prison. Luckily only for a couple of hours, but it was an experience nonetheless. The only time I’d been inside a prison before was to visit someone who was serving 25 years for murder. He wanted to write a book when he came out. For various reasons it...
ConHome Diary: Not a Priti Week
- 10 Nov 2017
On a personal level it is always sad to see a political resignation. I’ve known Priti Patel for the best part of twenty years and she’s one of those people who by nature is an optimist. She always has a twinkle in her eye and is very good company. However, I’ve always thought ...