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Were these really “golden days”? Comparisons are starting to be made with the last time Labour had to elect a leader while in government in March 1976 following the resignation of Harold Wilson. That contest produced an extraordinary array of contenders all of who could be considered to be “big beasts”. They were – Employment Secretary Michael Foot; Tony Crosland the Environment Secretary;Tony Benn, the Energy Secretary; Home Secretary Roy Jenkins; the Chancellor Denis Healey and the Foreig Secretary Jim…

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If you type “Tony Blair jail” into Google Image search the above picture of Blair in the Oval Office is the ninth result. Mike Smithson

Has his reaction to BNP trial made John Reid look more liberal? Gordon Brown is not yet Prime Minister yet his widely reported call for tougher race hate laws following the dismissal of the BNP case has been widely seen as a Government policy statement – an impression that was reinforced by other cabinet minsters rushing to back up the man most likely to be their future boss. Yet the person on whose territory this is, the Home Secretary, John…

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Is the Education Secretary planning a big double-cross? With great fanfare yesterday Alan Johnson launched his campaign for Labour’s deputy leadership with solid statements of his support for Gordon Brown as leader and his belief that the Chancellor should get the job unopposed. Johnson also launched his deputy campaign website and a rather different picture starts to emerge. For the materials on show do not look as though they are from a man who is content to be a number…

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The Muslim vote Clementswood in Redbridge is one of the most strongly Muslim wards in London (31%, according to the 2001 census, a proportion which is likely to have risen since then). It was also, until last night, one of Labour’s safest wards in the Capital, giving Labour a majority of nearly 1,000 in May. Last night, the Liberal Democrats, who came fourth in May, won a by-election there, on a gigantic swing, perhaps indicating that Muslim voters are turning…

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Gordon’s coronation comes one step nearer The Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, this afternoon confirmed what has seemed likely for a few weeks – he will not be standing against Gordon Brown in the coming Labour leadership contest but will run for the deputy job instead. His position had seemed in doubt following the October Populus poll when he did not seem to be making a mark compared with Brown against Cameron. In this month’s Populus Poll Gordon’s position against Cameron…

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Surely this isn’t the way to shore up marginal seats? Before I came on holiday I was cycling past what I thought was part of my local NHS hospital when I noticed the above sign outside. Gone were the boards saying “Bedford Hospital – North Wing” and in their place were these for what is now, apparently, our local “health village”. Now I have no idea what a “health village” is but clearly it is not a hospital because if…

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