The price for Lords reform
Lib Dem ministers are privately telling Conservatives that they deserve Lords reform in return for boundary changes in the Commons, which would see the third party lose up to ten seats. Initially, Nick Clegg accepted the plans in exchange for a referendum on electoral reform. But the “no” vote last year means the Lib Dems still feel short-changed. Now, they are threatening to vote against the boundary changes unless David Cameron whips Tory MPs into agreeing to his plans for an elected second chamber.
Clegg is staking much on ensuring Lords reform features in the Queen’s Speech on 9th May. The Lords Reform Bill is pencilled in to go through parliament in the 2012-13 session. The Lords are certain to reject it, whatever happens in the Commons. Therefore the question will be whether the Parliament Act will be invoked in the 2013-14 session to force it through. This decision would be taken at roughly the same time as the vote on the Boundary Commission’s final proposals for the 2015 election.
Boris’s next move
On 7th March, Boris Johnson visited the offices of the Evening Standard, whose editor, Geordie Greig, is leaving to take over at the Mail on Sunday. Approaching the editor’s chair, Johnson joked: “Is this my new desk?” As it happens, Johnson may need a new job if, as it now seems more possible, he loses the mayoral election in May. But to the dismay of Cameron and George Osborne, he is likely to stay in politics, and seek a safe Tory seat from where he can build up a bid for the party’s leadership.
Could Vince go?
It has seemed unthinkable, but could Vince Cable be pushed out as business secretary? Distrust among Cabinet colleagues was not alleviated by his pre-Budget fight for the mansion tax and a leaked letter to Cameron and Clegg criticising the coalition for lacking a “compelling vision.” Clegg, the most right-wing Lib Dem minister, could gain from Cable’s departure which would leave the deputy prime minister looking more moderate. Meanwhile, one figure tipped for promotion is Jeremy Browne, a junior foreign office minister who’s on the advisory board of the centre-right think tank Reform.
Tony, Cherie and Rupert
Tony Blair recently held an informal chat with a few newspaper executives. According to one, he said he didn’t know about his wife Cherie’s plan to sue Rupert Murdoch’s News International until the story was about to break. Blair is godfather to the second youngest of Murdoch’s six children, Grace, after attending her baptism in 2010 on the banks of the River Jordan.
Sun sets on Sentamu?
The decision by John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, to write a column for Murdoch’s new Sun on Sunday caused dismay at Lambeth Palace, base of the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Sentamu did inform Lambeth of the move through officials, though in the eyes of church liberals it has damaged his chances of succeeding Williams, believed to be standing down as Archbishop of Canterbury later this year. When it comes to the succession, Prospect’s money is still on Graham James, the amiable Bishop of Norwich we tipped in February.
Whose Swedish model?
It’s probably still safe to talk about “the Swedish model” in English, but Den Nordiske Modellen has become a registered trademark owned by the Swedish Social Democrats. The party wants to prevent the term from being hijacked by centre-right parties in Europe, including the Conservatives in Britain who have sought to emulate Sweden’s “free schools.” But the Swedish SDP may have its work cut out: the first item that comes up after a Google search is “theswedishmodel.org”—an organisation of independent record labels.
Article shortlisted
Carl Djerassi’s article “The pill: no heir apparent” (September 2011) has been shortlisted for the 2012 Rosemary Goodchild Award for sexual health journalism.
Lib Dem ministers are privately telling Conservatives that they deserve Lords reform in return for boundary changes in the Commons, which would see the third party lose up to ten seats. Initially, Nick Clegg accepted the plans in exchange for a referendum on electoral reform. But the “no” vote last year means the Lib Dems still feel short-changed. Now, they are threatening to vote against the boundary changes unless David Cameron whips Tory MPs into agreeing to his plans for an elected second chamber.
Clegg is staking much on ensuring Lords reform features in the Queen’s Speech on 9th May. The Lords Reform Bill is pencilled in to go through parliament in the 2012-13 session. The Lords are certain to reject it, whatever happens in the Commons. Therefore the question will be whether the Parliament Act will be invoked in the 2013-14 session to force it through. This decision would be taken at roughly the same time as the vote on the Boundary Commission’s final proposals for the 2015 election.
Boris’s next move
On 7th March, Boris Johnson visited the offices of the Evening Standard, whose editor, Geordie Greig, is leaving to take over at the Mail on Sunday. Approaching the editor’s chair, Johnson joked: “Is this my new desk?” As it happens, Johnson may need a new job if, as it now seems more possible, he loses the mayoral election in May. But to the dismay of Cameron and George Osborne, he is likely to stay in politics, and seek a safe Tory seat from where he can build up a bid for the party’s leadership.
Could Vince go?
It has seemed unthinkable, but could Vince Cable be pushed out as business secretary? Distrust among Cabinet colleagues was not alleviated by his pre-Budget fight for the mansion tax and a leaked letter to Cameron and Clegg criticising the coalition for lacking a “compelling vision.” Clegg, the most right-wing Lib Dem minister, could gain from Cable’s departure which would leave the deputy prime minister looking more moderate. Meanwhile, one figure tipped for promotion is Jeremy Browne, a junior foreign office minister who’s on the advisory board of the centre-right think tank Reform.
Tony, Cherie and Rupert
Tony Blair recently held an informal chat with a few newspaper executives. According to one, he said he didn’t know about his wife Cherie’s plan to sue Rupert Murdoch’s News International until the story was about to break. Blair is godfather to the second youngest of Murdoch’s six children, Grace, after attending her baptism in 2010 on the banks of the River Jordan.
Sun sets on Sentamu?
The decision by John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, to write a column for Murdoch’s new Sun on Sunday caused dismay at Lambeth Palace, base of the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Sentamu did inform Lambeth of the move through officials, though in the eyes of church liberals it has damaged his chances of succeeding Williams, believed to be standing down as Archbishop of Canterbury later this year. When it comes to the succession, Prospect’s money is still on Graham James, the amiable Bishop of Norwich we tipped in February.
Whose Swedish model?
It’s probably still safe to talk about “the Swedish model” in English, but Den Nordiske Modellen has become a registered trademark owned by the Swedish Social Democrats. The party wants to prevent the term from being hijacked by centre-right parties in Europe, including the Conservatives in Britain who have sought to emulate Sweden’s “free schools.” But the Swedish SDP may have its work cut out: the first item that comes up after a Google search is “theswedishmodel.org”—an organisation of independent record labels.
Article shortlisted
Carl Djerassi’s article “The pill: no heir apparent” (September 2011) has been shortlisted for the 2012 Rosemary Goodchild Award for sexual health journalism.
