Alastair's Blog

Last night I was speaking in Nottingham and was advised to ‘keep it short and funny’ by one of the organisers.  I did my best but it was a long way to go for a Monty Python sketch so I did 20 minutes, fifteen of them moderately amusing anecdotes about people as varied as TB, [...]

I sometimes go on about how Labour politicians tend only to get covered through a negative media prism. But they have it easy compared with social workers, again in the spotlight with the publication of the Laming Review which followed the Baby P disaster. Of course when something so dreadful happens, it is right to [...]

Perhaps I was wrong to twitter yesterday that I was about to sit down and watch a special screening of In The Loop, Armando Ianucci’s feature film based on his successful and often very funny TV programme, The Thick of It, but expanded into the story of the US-UK relationship in the run up to [...]

Greetings from a beautiful Hampshire countryside hotel where I am due to make a speech to business leaders about leadership.  So out early to the hotel gym and how refreshing it was to hear on the news that the government is unveiling the next stages of public service reform.  The main focus for the TV [...]

‘Saturday August 15 1998 (holiday, Flassan)  Wendy Abbs [Downing Street duty clerk] came through on the other line to say there had been a huge explosion in Omagh, 12 thought to be dead, the PM was just being told, having just arrived at the house in France … I asked her to fix a conference [...]

Unstoppable Manchester United have secured 65 out of a possible 81 Premier League points so far this season. But who comes second in the list of those who have taken most points (proportionately) from top flight opposition? Yes, you’ve guessed it, the club whose colours explain the claret and blue of this website, namely Burnley FC. [...]

I knew politics was sometimes dirty, but I cannot believe what has happened. Some dastardly sort has leaked to The Sun a private note I wrote to Peggy Mitchell as she continues her campaign for election to Walford Borough Council. An edited version appears on Page 8 of the paper today.  There has to be [...]

Imagine that Mayor Ken Livinsgtone had been in contact with, and made odd public comments about, a Labour MP at the centre of a police investigation? Imagine that this had led to an inquiry which, whilst saying Mr Livingstone was not in breach of the rules of the Greater London Authority and the Metropolitan Police [...]

If anyone wants a good illustration of the utter self-obsession of the modern TV journalist, they need look no further than the sad spectacle of Adam Boulton rebutting a JP blog from outside the White House. I mean, with all due respect to JP, whom I love dearly, did the Sky reporter not have better things [...]

I watched Gordon’s speech to Congress in the company of BBC journalists as I was commenting on it for The News Channel. Half way through, I could tell they were listening more intently than is often the case. Then when I heard Jon Sopel say ‘this is better than his usual…’ (as near as a politician [...]