Book Review by Alex Marsh - An Encounter With The Blogfather
- 12 Jan 2013
Excuse the self indulgence, but I’ve never read a book review of any of my books which “gets” what I was I was trying to achieve with a book like this one. It’s written by Alex Marsh, Professor or Public Policy at the University of Bristol, and originally appeared on his blog,...
Tory MEP Slags Off Cameron Euro Speech Before He Knows What's In It
- 11 Jan 2013
I first met David Campbell-Bannerman when he was head of the Bow Group, and an aspiring Conservative MP. He then defected to UKIP and became a UKIP MEP. Not that long ago he left UKIP and re-defected to the Conservatives, and now sits as a Tory Euro MP for East Anglia. Having...
Have I Joined the Establishment?
- 11 Jan 2013
Earlier this year I got a letter from A & C Black, the publishers of Who’s Who to say they wanted to include me in their 2013 edition. To be honest I had mixed feelings about it. Why? because there’s an assumption that if you’re in Who’s Who, you’re definitely part of the...
Call Clegg - Did It Work?
- 10 Jan 2013
If you missed Call Clegg on LBC 97.3 this morning, I’m going to repeat it from 7pm on my evening show Those of you who don’t listen to talk radio much may well wonder what all the fuss is about. But for a Deputy Prime Minister to commit to doing a half hour radio phone in eve...
Why It's My Final Sky News Paper Review Tonight
- 9 Jan 2013
Twelve or so years ago I started doing late night paper reviews on Sky and the BBC News Channel. I gave up doing the BBC ones two years ago, when I started doing my LBC show because the timings didn’t work. Earlier I tweeted that tonight, at 11.30pm, I will be doing my final ...
UKIP Youth Leader Fired
- 8 Jan 2013
Twitter was abuzz with rumour and counter rumour about the sacking of UKIP’s youth wing leader Oliver Neville tonight. The story was apparently that he had been sacked because he dared to oppose the official UKIP line on gay marriage. In other words he was being the true liber...
Look, I Just Don't Like David Bowie
- 8 Jan 2013
Look, I just don’t like him, OK? It’s a free country. We’re all entitled to our opinion. I thought I’d get that out of the way before I come to my main point. Cue the drum roll… I really don’t like David Bowie. I’m sure he is a very nice man but I can’t stand his music and n...
Mark Pack v Iain Dale on Sky News
- 7 Jan 2013
This is the video of a discussion I had with Mark Pack this afternoon on Sky News, reacting to the Coalition mid-term review. courtesy of @liarpoliticians
A Bit Of a Do In Downing Street
- 7 Jan 2013
There was something a little underwhelming about the event at Downing Street this afternoon. There they were, the bride and groom (I’ll let you decide who’s screwing who) renewing their vows after only two and a half years, both leaving the impression that they had very few t...
A Face Value Resignation?
- 7 Jan 2013
It’s rather sad to see Lord Strathclyde stepping down from the government. He’s a very charming, likeable and affable character and he’s done good job since he took over the leadership of the Tories in the Lords from Lord Salisbury. Inevitably there will be speculation about ...
Instead of Insulting UKIP Voters, Cameron Needs to Hug Them Close
- 6 Jan 2013
He’s like someone with an itch who just can’t stop scratching it. Why is it that the Prime Minister just can’t help himself? You’d think he would be trying to attract support from as many people as possible, yet he delights in insulting UKIP members and supporters. A few year...
Will Britain Lose It AAA Rating & Does It Matter?
- 6 Jan 2013
This morning on Andrew Marr David Cameron sidestepped a question on the likelihood of Britain losing its AAA credit rating this year, almost as if he was accepting the inevitability. An hour later I interviewed Ed Balls on my LBC show and much to my surprise he failed to make...
Sunday Morning From 10am...
- 5 Jan 2013
A new feature on this blog will go live tomorrow at 9.59am. Instead of the book banner above, you’ll see a banner which tells you what is on my LBC show and a LISTEN LIVE button, so you can read the blog and listen to me live. For those of you who don’t know I present a radio...
That Labour Health Policy Making Process In Full...
- 5 Jan 2013
You can just imagine the scenario around the table in Portcullis House… Andy Burnham: Right guys, Ed’s said we have to come up with an eye-catching policy to grab the headlines in the new year. Let’s have a brainstorm. Researcher 1: Increase spending on the NHS by 10%? Re...
In Loving Memory of Mary
- 4 Jan 2013
A couple of days ago I was emailed by a friend who wanted to draw my attention to an appeal launched by 25 year old Duke Safo. He wants to raise £5,000 in order to be able to finance, er, his mother’s funeral. His Mum died in November at the very young age of 48. He is auctio...
Six Pounds Down, Eight To Go!
- 4 Jan 2013
As readers of old will know, I have constant battle with my weight. A couple of weeks before Christmas I had my flu jab and promised the doctor I’d get down to 16 and a half stone by mid March. That would entail losing a stone. Having been ill most of Christmas and the New Ye...
West Ham Player Appears On Cover of Gay Magazine
- 3 Jan 2013
It really is something that there is not a single ‘out’ footballer in the world of professional football, not just in this country but throughout Europe and probably the world. West Ham winger Matt Jarvis is this month’s cover boy on Attitude Magazine, the UK’s leading glossy...
Mark Pack Reviews My New Book, 'The Blogfather'
- 3 Jan 2013
Mark Pack has reviewed my new book THE BLOGFATHER on his own blog. He’s kindly given me permission to repeat it here, warts and all. A selection of Iain Dale’s blog posts from 2004-2012, The Blogfather is a potted history of one of the pioneering political blogs in the UK wh...
Anyone Would Think That Rail Fare Rises Were New!
- 2 Jan 2013
Watching Labour Transport spokeswoman Maria Eagle touring the TV studios today, you’d think Labour had never put rail fares up during their time in office. If only that were true. Since 2004 fares have risen by inflation plus 1% under a formula put in place by, yes, you guess...
Book Review: My Fight With Life by Leon McKenzie
- 2 Jan 2013
No one thinks of footballers as people who are likely to be suffering from depression, but after the suicides of Gary Speed and Robert Enke, people are waking up to the fact that even people earning tens of thousands of pounds a week and seen as heroes can suffer from depress...