by Martin Shapland / 11 Jul 2012
The first skirmish ended in stalemate, reports Martin Shapland. Now, the long, bloody entrenched war of attrition on Lords reform begins and a referendum may be both inevitable and desirable
by Martin Shapland / 13 Jun 2012
No one should be surprised by Clegg’s refusal to back Cameron over Jeremy Hunt. It’s a mess of Tory making, says Martin Shapland
by Martin Shapland / 30 Mar 2012
The Conservatives have made mistake after mistake this week but Labour's opposition has been vacuous at best, says Martin Shapland
by Martin Shapland / 09 Mar 2012
Liberal Democrats have a choice this weekend. They can either trumpet their efforts to make the NHS bill better, or they can succumb to Labour's siren calls of outright opposition
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by Martin Shapland / 13 Feb 2012
Martin Shapland wonders if the growing number of pressure groups within the Liberal Democrats is a sign of the party's coming of age or a prelude to a nasty post-coalition split
by Martin Shapland / 24 Jan 2012
Today’s Telegraph ‘exclusive’ that the higher education bill is about to be ‘indefinitely postponed’ should be good news for students and academics – shouldn’t it?
by Martin Shapland / 05 Jan 2012
Welcome to the first Twitter storm of 2012, over Diane Abbott’s alleged racism in a tweet claiming that white people ‘love to divide and rule’
by Martin Shapland / 21 Nov 2011
The average age of the first time home buyer is pushing 40 and deposits and rents are at an all time high. Building new homes and making housing affordable is of the utmost importance
by Martin Shapland / 21 Oct 2011
The poor timing of Monday's vote on an in-out referendum on Europe is toxic for the coalition and potentially destabilising for the economy, says Martin Shapland, and that’s why it will fail
by Martin Shapland / 30 Sep 2011
Watching the Labour Party conference this week Martin Shapland detects something deeply unreal about it all
by Martin Shapland / 21 Jun 2012
No one in Westminster is quite sure what the education secretary's 80s-throwback is all about – that goes for the Conservatives as much as Lib Dems, teachers and pupils, says Martin Shapland
by Martin Shapland / 06 Jun 2012
So the Queen has long reigned over us. Great. When are we going to have a Festival of Britain that celebrates all that it is to be British?
by Martin Shapland / 23 Mar 2012
Try as he might, Martin Shapland just can't share your 'Granny Tax' pain
by Martin Shapland / 02 Mar 2012
Twitter can be a minefield for the politically active aide. Here's Martin Shapland's guide to steering your way safely through it
by Martin Shapland / 06 Feb 2012
When it comes to tax and spend, be it a £26,000 benefits cap, executive pay, bankers bonuses or civil servant largesse, the government needs to tackle abuse and avoidance at every income level
by Martin Shapland / 13 Jan 2012
Is the end nigh for the leader of the opposition? Martin Shapland wonders whether it would kinder if 'Edmageddon' came sooner rather than later
by Martin Shapland / 02 Dec 2011
Striking was acceptable in the 1980s, but the decade called and she wants her laboured exaggeration back, says Martin Shapland
by Martin Shapland / 02 Nov 2011
It’s time for the coalition to come out fighting for a global financial transaction tax
by Martin Shapland / 07 Oct 2011
Catgate isn’t a row about who’s right, or whose rights, it's political bluster on the Conservative right over Europe and immigration designed to mask a system that isn't right on any level
by Martin Shapland / 20 Sep 2011
Despite the dire warnings of impending implosion and attacks from both left and right, the mood at the Liberal Democrat conference is upbeat and confident
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"The prime minister has said he does not believe that statutory legislation is necessary to achieve the principles outlined by Leveson."
"The prime minister has said he does not believe that statutory legislation is necessary to achieve the principles outlined
"We have a growing relationship with the EU as an institution, which has an increasing voice in the world,
"Just one day after their botched relaunch, even people at the very heart of Cameron's government are losing faith
"The number one priority now is reducing the deficit that they [Labour] left us - the biggest deficit since
"Our mission is clear: to get Britain living within its means and earning its way in the world once
"Since then, Britain, the colonial power, has refused to return the territories to the Argentine Republic, thus preventing it
"The central premise of my campaign for president was to change the tax code that was too skewed towards
"We have paid a very heavy price but I think the reason for coming here in the first place,
"Public servants should not be rewarded for failure. But that was exactly what happened when the BBC Trust paid
