James Clayton | Total Politics

The hilarious state of the nation

by James Clayton / 07 Feb 2012

Dave Cohen has been a scriptwriter for Have I Got News For You for 10 years. He talks to James Clayton

Have I Got Views For You

by James Clayton / 18 Nov 2011

Dave Cohen, writer for Spitting Image, the Eleven O’Clock Show and Have I Got News for You talks to James Clayton about why we're entering a new era of political satire

It's no surprise reforming the NHS is complicated

by James Clayton / 27 Oct 2011

Criticising the Health and Social Care Bill for being complicated is meaningless. You try reforming something as vast as the NHS in fewer than 300 pages

Calling all politicians: grow your moustache proudly

by James Clayton / 19 Oct 2011

It used to be the facial accessory of the elite, but now top lip facial hair is passé. James Clayton calls on all politicians to channel their inner Lloyd George and grow a moustache for charity

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Politicians and their inaccessible language

by James Clayton / 19 Sep 2011

It's time for politicians to start speaking in ways people understand, says James Clayton, and he's got a recipe for how they can do it

Labour and The Smiths

by James Clayton / 30 Aug 2011

One of Manchester's finest bands fought against the establishment - that includes Labour as well as the Conservatives

Why written parliamentary questions are an MP's best friend

by James Clayton / 17 Aug 2011

It's an underused tool, but the written parliamentary question can be used to great effect by MPs to hold the government's feet to the fire, says James Clayton

Even bad jokes are good for democracy

by James Clayton / 08 Aug 2011

Our politicians' attempts at humour might not always be laugh-out-loud funny, but at least they're trying. Making politics less stuffy is good for us all in the end, argues James Clayton

What's really in a red box?

by James Clayton / 02 Aug 2011

We've all seen ministers swing them around, but what's really lurking inside those red boxes? James Clayton delves inside

The hilarious state of the nation

by James Clayton / 27 Jan 2012

Dave Cohen has been a scriptwriter for Have I Got News For You for 10 years. He talks to James Clayton

Larry the cat is No 10's greatest asset

by James Clayton / 15 Nov 2011

The PM should be eternally grateful to the No 10 cat. Larry secures more positive press coverage for the government than any minister

Just how did the NHS reforms come into being?*

by James Clayton / 26 Oct 2011

(*as imagined by James Clayton)

Liberal Democrat Tory-bashing awards 2011

by James Clayton / 21 Sep 2011

James Clayton hands out the gongs for the Lib Dem ministers who managed to trash their Conservative colleagues most effectively during their party's conference in Birmingham

But how can they know that?

by James Clayton / 02 Sep 2011

Think tanks and politicians constantly make long-term predictions about the gender pay gap, the economy and a host of other things. But are these actually any more than hunches or guesses?

The waning power of the whips

by James Clayton / 25 Aug 2011

Since their zenith in the 90s, the whips have lost many of their most powerful bargaining tools. But, as James Clayton explains, some of the 2010 intake of MPs are still keen to do as they're told

What are the motives behind these riots?

by James Clayton / 10 Aug 2011

There are a lot of theories flying round, but what really lies behind this violence?

What's in a name?

by James Clayton / 05 Aug 2011

Why do the Conservatives allow the use of the derrogative term 'Tory'? If they're ever going to 'detoxify' successfully, they have to stop saying it about themselves, says James Clayton

The guide to political drinking

by James Clayton / 27 Jul 2011

Parliament offers a wide range of drinking spots, but choosing one can be a political minefield. James Clayton's got the guide to where on the parliamentary estate you'll find your political soulmates (and a pint)