I don't often hope Dan F Hodges is telling it like it is, but... If the Tory party wants to turn its back on modernisation, fine. If it wants to marginalise issues like the environment and push Europe to the fore, great. If it thinks that Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless’s vision of the future of ...

Yep, the move to transfer ASR from the RAF to civilian contractors was begun under Labour and continues apace. The budgetary situation is quite complicated, as some of the funding comes from the Department of Transport who have a statutory requirement for the provision of rescue for civilian aircra...

Tristram Hunt facing the poisonous Kuernssberg on Newsnight and doing a pretty good job. Of convincing me that he might be worth a cabinet post, but not Education, about which he always sounds lukewarm.

Afternoon folks, Not directly related to the conference, but here's an interesting book about how social factors & stress can interact to affect morbidity & mortality. It's a bit technical in places, but skimming it you can find numerous mechanisms through which social inequality can have ad...

Oh, and morning folks.

Morning. So...how do Labour get out of this West Lothian trap I wonder? Unless Cameron realises it's a minefield and quitely drops it between now and the election. Turn the issue into a question of electoral honesty. The LibDems are already firmly established as liars who should be ignored. Milliba...

It's a shame that contributors to this blog have taken/caused offence, whether genuine or imagined. If this can happen between a group of like minded, tolerant & intelligent soul mates, then imagine what the aftermath in Scotland could be? There have been some serious divisions created and some ...

Anybody staying up for the results here tonight ? I'll probably listen on my little radio during the night, but Radio 5 reception is terrible in the early hours, not sure if Radio 4 will cover it as at least that is clearer/ Morning folks, I wrecked my ankle last time I was in the Cairngorms, and h...

RogerOThornhill wrote:Oh...

Rotherham PCC Shaun Wright resigns following abuse scandal. More details to follow…

What took him so long I wonder?

Unless there's something coming out that we haven't yet heard about.

Probably a good day to bury bad screws.

Pass the sick bag not the pop corn: US verdict on DWP’s privatised sick note service http://davidhencke.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/pass-the-sick-bag-not-the-pop-corn-us-verdict-on-dwps-privatised-sick-note-service/ Interesting, they sound like the typical American company. but not much about how they...

Alasdair Campbell: Had my run ins with the BBC, but organised protests like this going on now is beyond Tebbit, and not far off Putin. Vote Yes for intimidation. I fail to see whatever the result on Friday that things will go off peacefully. I have to agree. The divisions that have been created ove...

Afternoon folks, I've been a bit ambivalent about the referendum. In particular, the opportunity to make an anti-Westminster protest vote has a lot of resonance up here. However, something that's a real cause for concern is Salmonds economic warfare. In 2011, Amazon was planning to make a major inve...

Afternoon folks, We had the road minister up here yesterday, promising the A1 Western bypass would be widened within a few months and also promising a decision on dualling the A1 North within months. Now Clegg is promising decentralisation and devolution for the north east. You would think there was...

I was going to post a reasoned reply, but costcentre2 just hoyed his school blazer over (two days usage) for me to repair. Fortunately, I did Home Ec at my comp back in the '70s, unlike Mrs55 who went to a posh school. She knows the difference between the pluperfect and preterite tenses, but can't s...

One for Roger to give us the low down on, methinks. http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/sep/05/katharine-birbalsingh-regret-telling-tories-education-system-broken" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; They spent £170,000 before they deferred the opening in 2012, but it was ...

Morning folks, Talk about unintended irony. I was getting dressed this morning listening to the Toad pontificating about education (I believe in teacher, not child led education. It's important that children are told facts - the 5 continents, the seven seas, the kings and queens of England...). I we...

Edited to remove unwanted repeat post.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-councils-left-funding-shortfall-7693027 A very bleak account of how the bedroom tax is shafting councils across the North East, and some gloomy projections about the effects of further cuts. Lord Fraud gives a sympathetic quote, mind : “The ...

Morning. I'm going to be cheeky & post a referral link to yougov. Any of you joining the panel will 'earn' me 400 points instead of the usual 200 so please, feel free to click & sign up - I will not be offended if none of you do :lol: https://yougov.co.uk/account/register/" onclick=&qu...