May has the strength of character to make a success of 2017
- 5 Jan 2017
For those who think politics does not matter last year provided a rebuke. Politics matters. Politicians matter. How we chose them and who we chose to elect matters. The year ahead will be one of great year of change and the outcome will rest on political leadership. Do our l...
British persistence: One hundred years ago, one hundred years on
- 23 Dec 2016
One hundred years ago Britain was preparing to celebrate the third Christmas of the First World War. 1916 had been a difficult year. The great battles of the Somme and Jutland had been fought. Neither had been lost, but neither quite won either. Overall victory was not yet in ...
An oath of allegiance to British values is an absolute stinker of an idea
- 19 Dec 2016
Christmas is nearly here and everyone is tired and distracted. The last year and a half has been a tumultuous one for British and international politics, and in the UK MPs, Peers, Ministers and their officials are all looking forward to a break. Many are still trying to come t...
The Cabinet Office: required reading for all students of government
- 16 Dec 2016
Over the festive period, Reaction authors are writing in with their favourite books from 2016 that they feel would make perfect gifts for Christmas or ideal New Year reading. Publisher Iain Dale has a keen eye for a good book. His current ‘day job’ as a presenter of LBC mig...
In defence of Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy
- 14 Dec 2016
First Nick Timothy and now Fiona Hill are having their role as Theresa May’s Joint Chiefs of Staff examined. Not surprisingly there is intense media interest in the two people who are the Prime Minister’s closest assistants and advisors. Their every move and action is scrutini...
The Supreme Court and British Values have had a good week
- 8 Dec 2016
The UK will leave the EU. The UK’s membership of the European Union will stop. Article 50 will be invoked. The overwhelming vote of support for this to happen by MPs though not legally binding gave further very fair political wind to its invocation. Both of these things ...
Time to shrink the House of Lords and introduce radical reform
- 8 Dec 2016
The House of Lords voted unanimously this week to reduce the number of members of the House Lords. This was victory for the still relatively new Lord Speaker – the former Cabinet Minister and MP Norman Fowler. From the start of his time on the Woolsack he has understood very c...
President Erdogan could well determine the future of Europe and Brexit
- 7 Dec 2016
The focus across Europe is on the result of the Italian referendum on constitutional reform, and looking ahead to the Austrian, French and German general elections. The Italian poll is taking place against the backdrop of a deepening crisis in Italian banks and more of the ...
The Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Office at One Hundred
- 30 Nov 2016
“The Cabinet Office, like many important British institutions that wield considerable power, is hardly known about outside. It is only the initiates who fully appreciate how powerful it is.” – Peter Hennessy This month marks one hundred years since the role of Secretary...
Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement: elegant, focussed and effective
- 25 Nov 2016
Underlying the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement is the sobering fact that UK National Debt is heading for a record high – 90.2 per cent of GDP. He acknowledged this last Sunday on the Andrew Marr show when he described the level of UK National Debt as ‘eye watering’. The rising l...