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Articles tagged with Conservative Party
Helen Grant: ‘Gay marriage is actually very Tory’
05 Feb 2013 10:30
Ben Duckworth: Would you support the introduction of a marriage tax allowance if it provides a comfort to those MPs in your party who, thus far, have been horrified by the idea of introducing gay marriage?
Helen Grant: I think the government will bring forward proposals to recognise marriage in the tax system at some point in the future. So, at the appropriate time, I think that may well happen. The priority is to
Europe: What will Labour do?
by Alex MacDonald / 23 Jan 2013 14:57
Today the prime minister made his case for the future of Britain’s position in Europe: change, or Britain will leave. The PM spoke of five key reforms that he wanted to see inside the supranational body, which were: competitiveness, flexibility, reciprocal power flow between member states and the EU, democratic accountability, and fairness.
What we do now know is Miliband’s position on the European referendum. The leader of the opposition said: “My position
Autumn statement: Quotes of the day
by Josh White / 05 Dec 2012 15:22
The state of the economy:
Osborne: “So the economy is recovering. It’s recovering more quickly than many of our neighbours.”
Balls: “The longest double-dip recession since the second world war, now followed by the slowest recovery in the last hundred years.”
The causes of sluggish growth:
Osborne: “If, for instance, lower growth was the result of the government’s fiscal policy, they [the OBR ] would say so. But they do
Leveson report lands in Commons confusion
by Josh White / 04 Dec 2012 09:44
At times, the illusion of cross-party harmony was almost believable during yesterday's debate, the first opportunity MPs have had to investigate the Leveson report in detail. And matters seemed to be going Labour’s way: both David Blunkett and John Whittingdale announced climb-downs in their opposition to legislation and the unsure Maria Miller admitted in response to an intervention by Jack Straw that the government would initiate statute, if the worst came to the worst.
What do yesterday's by-elections mean for the future?
by Emma Burnell / 30 Nov 2012 09:53
Three Labour by-election holds in three very traditional Labour seats; low turnout on a very cold November day; resentment of the Government reflected in a traditional mid-term kicking. So far, so politics as normal. Looked at through traditional political filters, there’s not an awful lot to see here.
Of course those filters might be right. History is littered with glittering moments for small political parties declaring a breakthrough at by-elections before crashing under
Liam Fox interview: I want EU referendum timetable
by Rob Wilson / 07 Oct 2012 07:03
Liam Fox is a chuckler, a giggler, someone who likes to amuse those around him. His staff cram into his office and clearly love to be there with him, not just because he keeps them busy on all sorts of interesting projects, but because he is good fun. Fox has twinkly blue eyes and a slightly mischievous face that lights up when he smiles, which he does more frequently than your average politician.
Is there a brain drain from the Tories to UKIP?
by Christian May / 31 Aug 2012 12:20
Nothing excites UKIP quite like a defection, whether its an MEP, a Councillor or the droves of young Conservatives whose shifting allegiance seems to be behind a dramatic rise in the number of young UKIP members. What does this mean for the Tory party’s youth wing and what does it mean for the party more broadly?
Gawain Towler, UKIP’s long-serving spokesman and advocate, remembers what it was like before Nigel Farage’s brand of
The Conservative Party’s Project Umubano
by David Millican / 19 Jul 2012 17:31
What a difference a year makes in Gitesi. At the end of a bumpy track, the village is miles from the main road and far away from the bustle of Kigali, capital of Rwanda.
I am in the country as part of the Conservative Party’s Project Umubano, where I am offering business mentoring advice to small businesses.
With an annual GDP growth of around 10%, Rwanda grows from strength to strength - and
The key points from the local elections
by Caroline Crampton / 04 May 2012 10:24
There can be no doubt about it - last night was Labour's night. So far, Miliband's party has held onto the 28 councils they already controlled and taken a further 28. At the time of writing, with 99 of 181 councils declared, they have an additional 469 councillors to their ranks. The Conservatives have lost 277 seats so far, and to add to their woes, Nottingham, Manchester, Bradford and Coventry have voted against having
In defence of political parties
by Emma Burnell / 01 May 2012 13:25
Ok, let’s start with the obvious: Siobhan Benita is not going to be Mayor of London. Everyone knows this, including Benita herself. Whatever she does next (and my money is on a lucrative career as a pundit) it won’t be the difficult grind of being the Mayor of one of the largest and most complicated cities in the world.
The response to Benita’s candidature has been astonishing though. According to Mary Ann
Tories must admit they have a problem with UKIP
by Alexander Wickham / 13 Apr 2012 14:18
They say the first step is to admit that you have a problem. But when it comes to politics, it’s never quite that straightforward.
This week has seen something of a confused Tory backlash in the face of the threat that no one in the party wants to talk about: UKIP. Conservative apparatchiks have been doing the rounds in the papers and on the blogs dismissing out of hand the suggestion that the
Enterprise zones yet to give business the boost it needs
by Max Burman / 11 Apr 2012 14:13
Eric Pickles has today declared England's new enterprise zones operational. But, a year after the Chancellor unveiled the plans, it remains unclear what impact they have had.
On the surface there seems little to argue with. Tax breaks, reduced planning restrictions and ‘superfast’ broadband aren’t exactly dramatically contentious issues. Indeed, local councils have spent the last year queuing up to get in on the regeneration the policy promises.
At a national level,
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Quote of the Day
"The prime minister has said he does not believe that statutory legislation is necessary to achieve the principles outlined by Leveson."
