Diary: 29 November - 2 December Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    05 December 2005 Voting at 16, writing to Ruth Kelly and talking to headteachers. Read more...   Selling Educashun Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    25 November 2005 No wonder the Whips objected so strongly to my letter to Grimsby Heads. The "Tool Kit" for Labour MPs shows what I should have done to sell the Educashun White Paper. Read more...   How socially inclusive are Academies? Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    17 November 2005 No one would accuse Education Minister, Jacqui Smith, of terminological inexactitudes in her letter to the Guardian to refute Matthew Taylor’s claim that Academies are less socially inclusive because they’re admitting fewer free school meals pupils than their predecessors. But to claim that the schools were both admitting more pupils and becoming more comprehensive was a New Labour truth. Read more...   The Long Farewell: Week Two (of several) Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    17 November 2005 Our lovely Party looks more and more like the USS Caine. Captain Queeg on the bridge clicking balls, looking more and more tense, becoming more assertive and messianic. Crew divided and worried. Majority anxious to maintain Naval regulations and support the captain. Read more...   The beginning of the end? Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    14 November 2005 The pundittieri have got Tony’s defeat wrong. Not the beginning of the end. Just a change in his situation which he’s only just beginning to understand. Read more...   YP in Exile: Dateline Grimsby Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    03 November 2005 What is happening to the People’s Tone? His star quality has helped us to power and him to popularity. His brilliant presentation, inspired by Alistair Campbell (RIP), made our government triumphant. We have adored him for five years or more, a record for Labour, because we’ve no staying power in love. Read more...   Still not the Yorkshire Post - just smarter Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    28 October 2005 Last week’s vote on ID cards and particularly the amendment to make them voluntary had the whips rattled to a degree I’ve not seen before and unnecessarily as it turned out. Read more...   The real Tony Blair Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    28 October 2005 Before he finally ascends to the higher realms of house prices we should be told who the real Tony Blair is. He’s a star. He still twinkles and looks nice. He took Labour to victory. But what’s inside? Read more...   Mergers and abolitions Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    28 October 2005 In the summer lull the Tonyite vandal squad has snook in and bashed a lot of structures around. Change has become the only constant for a Prime Minister in legacy mode, anxious to be remembered for something other than Iraq. Everything is being thrown up into the air before the last lot of changes have even settled in. Read more...   Back to the blog Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    24 October 2005 Once more unto the blog, Dear Friends. The nation has waited impatiently for the revival of Britain’s most honest blog site. The people have begged and pleaded. Some have been reduced to reading and re reading the joys of the first bloggy election. Others have written to Tony asking him to make me a bloggy minister. Most have relapsed into sobbing and misery. Read more...   PEOPLE'S POST: THE BLOG THE HACKERS CAN`T STOP Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    26 August 2005 Robin Cook’s death is a sad loss to a Parliamentary Labour Party which isn’t exactly overflowing with talent. It`s an even bigger loss to the quality of debating. Robin was not only a great debater but the best forensic debater around. His logic was always as powerful as Enoch Powell`s, but unlike Enoch Robin’s speeches were laced with savage humour. Read more...   ID Cards Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    04 July 2005 The ID Cards Bill is one of those things that are easy to rush into but which get disastrous later. The crucial issue is cost. Government estimates are low at the moment. They know that the higher the charge the more public opinion will turn against it. Read more...   News from the Office of Austin Mitchell Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    23 February 2005 "There's plenty of trouble still to be made and I want to play my part in making it" Read more...   New BLOG! Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    25 November 2004 Bonjours les bloggeurs du Paradis. New session (so HM told me o­n Tuesday) new blog, With apologies for the old o­ne’s degeneration into incoherent musings o­n the future of mankind. Like a Blair speech. Read more...   Letter to Alan Johnson MP (Minister for Higher Education) re: University Fees Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    08 December 2003 Dear Alan Like much of the Party I`m worried about top-up fees, or whatever name we`re now giving to the post paid fees for university education which were trailed in the Queen`s Speech. So I`d very much appreciate a briefing on the issue. In particular I`d like the answers to some specific questions which arise. I hope these could be answered before the briefing so that they can be further discussed at it. Read more...   Dear Tony........ Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    18 September 2003 Dear Tony As your next question session with MPs from my part of the alphabet isn`t until next year, I`ll put this in writing. You should think of stepping down. The Hutton Report will exonerate you. It may not be totally believed but will extricate you from present difficulties. That should let you step down next year in the glow of making us the natural party of government and walking on water for seven years. Not a bad record. Which is another reason to go. Before it gets tarnished and the water gets choppy. Read more...   September Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    27 August 2003 We Labour loyalists should ignore Hutton. If he can’t tell us who did the dossier then he’s useless. Leave him to the media junkies and the peaceniks who want a re-count on a game they’ve just lost. So why not bring in Mandy, give him a useful role in life clearing up the dog dirt and let the real people forget it. Read more...   MANDY - A NATION MOURNS Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    01 February 2001 We’re the Masters of the Spin Universe. We dole out every Treasury fiver three times. We’ve boosted a minimalist agenda of change as a triumphant revolution. When we go to the country on 3rd May on a platform of Read more...   Thanks New Labour, and goodbye Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    01 January 2001 Moving to an election is like parachuting. Descent is slow and serene at first. Then suddenly the ground whizzes upwards at breakneck speed. Now after three several years of looking and feeling impregnable, May 3rd is whizzing towards us. Its impact won’t be as traumatic as my own painful parachuting. We’ll land safely. Yet it’s only then that the traumas begin because to govern successfully we then must jettison the New Labour identity assumed to win in 2001 and tackle Labour’s real job. Which we’ve postponed so far.. Read more...   Save manufacturing: Steel yourself Gordon Opinions Written by Austin Mitchell    01 October 2000 More Euro nonsense is talked about CORUS than it produces steel. For four years Corus has been warning that the pound is grossly over-valued. Government has done exactly nothing about it. Now the consequences have hit home with imports increasing and production being unprofitable and government suddenly blames Corus. Read more...

<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>

Results 21 - 40 of 41