Soho Politico
A blog on UK politics, written from a liberal perspective, plus LGBT issues.
Articles
Labour's electoral system needs urgent reform
2010-09-26 04:21:00
By writing this I imagine I will be accused of being a sore loser. I did, after all, back the other Miliband. However, my objection to Labour's electoral system isn't about who won, but the manner of his winning. All Labour members have an interest in ensuring that the party leader wins clearly and unambiguously. That is not what has happened with the election of Ed Miliband. The electoral college system was designed to ensure that the leader of the party is acceptable to, and has the support of, the various party stakeholders - MPs, rank-and-file members, and affiliates/unions. However, it failed, in this case, to produce a result that looked like a consensus between these groups. Instead, the system pitted them against each other. The electoral college system promotes the appearance of factionalism within the party. It has given us a leader whom, it can be claimed without obviously distorting the truth, owes his victory to one constituency, when the othe
2010-09-26 04:21:00
By writing this I imagine I will be accused of being a sore loser. I did, after all, back the other Miliband. However, my objection to Labour's electoral system isn't about who won, but the manner of his winning. All Labour members have an interest in ensuring that the party leader wins clearly and unambiguously. That is not what has happened with the election of Ed Miliband. The electoral college system was designed to ensure that the leader of the party is acceptable to, and has the support of, the various party stakeholders - MPs, rank-and-file members, and affiliates/unions. However, it failed, in this case, to produce a result that looked like a consensus between these groups. Instead, the system pitted them against each other. The electoral college system promotes the appearance of factionalism within the party. It has given us a leader whom, it can be claimed without obviously distorting the truth, owes his victory to one constituency, when the othe
Does the Times/Populus poll vindicate the Balls approach to the deficit?
2010-09-14 05:59:00
Sunder Katwala has details of this latest poll, which shows the public rejecting the Coalition's hell-for-leather deficit reduction policy: Populus asked the public to identify which of three deficit reduction plans they agree with most, without identifying which party or group was advocating each position. Over a third of voters, 37 per cent, say they prefer Labour’s position [i.e. the Darling plan, taken forward by David Miliband - SP] to halve the deficit by the next election and deal with it over ten years. The same number [37 per cent] say that protecting the vulnerable and keeping unemployment as low as possible should be bigger priorities than reducing the budget deficit. Only one in five voters, 22 per cent, agree with the coalition plan to deal with the deficit by the next general election, in five years’ time. Whose policy did Populus have in mind in asking about the second policy option, which prioritises jobs and protecting vulnerable people over the deficit?&nb
2010-09-14 05:59:00
Sunder Katwala has details of this latest poll, which shows the public rejecting the Coalition's hell-for-leather deficit reduction policy: Populus asked the public to identify which of three deficit reduction plans they agree with most, without identifying which party or group was advocating each position. Over a third of voters, 37 per cent, say they prefer Labour’s position [i.e. the Darling plan, taken forward by David Miliband - SP] to halve the deficit by the next election and deal with it over ten years. The same number [37 per cent] say that protecting the vulnerable and keeping unemployment as low as possible should be bigger priorities than reducing the budget deficit. Only one in five voters, 22 per cent, agree with the coalition plan to deal with the deficit by the next general election, in five years’ time. Whose policy did Populus have in mind in asking about the second policy option, which prioritises jobs and protecting vulnerable people over the deficit?&nb
'Will Mr Ratzinger listen to a rap singer?'
2010-09-13 05:49:00
Following on from Tim Minchin's Pope Song earlier this year, now Dan Bull has a go at bashing the bishop over child abuse: NSFW, on grounds of language. Though if you're listening with headphones, co-workers may just think you're typing an email!
2010-09-13 05:49:00
Following on from Tim Minchin's Pope Song earlier this year, now Dan Bull has a go at bashing the bishop over child abuse: NSFW, on grounds of language. Though if you're listening with headphones, co-workers may just think you're typing an email!
Sunny Hundal on the deficit
2010-09-13 04:36:00
Responding to my post from yesterday about the Labour leadership candidates and the deficit, Sunny tweets: 'there's little evidence to support that. Polling actually shows Labour started losing when they started accepting Tory args' First and foremost, this merely repeats what I have stressed to be untrue, namely that DM's deficit plan relies on/replicates Tory arguments. Sunny's repeated claims to this effect are not helpful to the cause of accurate analysis. Leave that aside, though. When did Labour start accepting Tory arguments on the deficit, according to Sunny? Apparently in around March 2010 (i.e. around Darling's last budget). Sunny points me to an older post of his on LabourList, in which he produces a graph, produced by Ipsos Mori, which shows a point in March 2010 when voters seem to have begun to agree in greater numbers that 'there is a real need to cut spending on public services in order to pay off the very high national debt we have
2010-09-13 04:36:00
Responding to my post from yesterday about the Labour leadership candidates and the deficit, Sunny tweets: 'there's little evidence to support that. Polling actually shows Labour started losing when they started accepting Tory args' First and foremost, this merely repeats what I have stressed to be untrue, namely that DM's deficit plan relies on/replicates Tory arguments. Sunny's repeated claims to this effect are not helpful to the cause of accurate analysis. Leave that aside, though. When did Labour start accepting Tory arguments on the deficit, according to Sunny? Apparently in around March 2010 (i.e. around Darling's last budget). Sunny points me to an older post of his on LabourList, in which he produces a graph, produced by Ipsos Mori, which shows a point in March 2010 when voters seem to have begun to agree in greater numbers that 'there is a real need to cut spending on public services in order to pay off the very high national debt we have
Who do the Tories want to win the Labour leadership?
2010-09-12 11:59:00
Are the right praying for a David or an Ed victory? That is the question Sunny Hundal on Liberal Conspiracy keeps returning to lately. He has more than once claimed that the Conservatives would prefer a David Miliband victory, and are more worried about the prospect of facing his younger brother. His evidence? Well, that is somewhat murky. Some indications in the press say that the Tories, including David Cameron, fear David Miliband the most. Sunny's response has been to suggest this is a reverse ferret, designed to confuse the left into supporting the wrong candidate. So for instance, when the Guardian ran the story that David Cameron is most concerned by the prospect of a DM victory, Sunny said that this was an 'obvious ruse', put about by someone 'who wants the Labour Party to believe this stuff'. On Twitter, he also says today, 'If you want to know who Tories fear - look at who they disparage, not who they admire and praise.' All of which w
2010-09-12 11:59:00
Are the right praying for a David or an Ed victory? That is the question Sunny Hundal on Liberal Conspiracy keeps returning to lately. He has more than once claimed that the Conservatives would prefer a David Miliband victory, and are more worried about the prospect of facing his younger brother. His evidence? Well, that is somewhat murky. Some indications in the press say that the Tories, including David Cameron, fear David Miliband the most. Sunny's response has been to suggest this is a reverse ferret, designed to confuse the left into supporting the wrong candidate. So for instance, when the Guardian ran the story that David Cameron is most concerned by the prospect of a DM victory, Sunny said that this was an 'obvious ruse', put about by someone 'who wants the Labour Party to believe this stuff'. On Twitter, he also says today, 'If you want to know who Tories fear - look at who they disparage, not who they admire and praise.' All of which w
According to the Tories, the country has voted for Gordon Brown
2010-05-08 11:44:00
Remember this poster? This was the Tories' effort towards the end of the campaign, when they decided to run against the 'Hung Parliament Party'. The message? That a vote for a hung parliament was a vote for five more years of Gordon Brown. The country has now voted for a hung parliament. Presumably, then, the Tories think voters have opted for five more years of Gordon Brown. Perhaps someone should ask David Cameron to confirm whether it is indeed, as the poster implies, the view of the Tories that the voters have chosen Brown.
2010-05-08 11:44:00
Remember this poster? This was the Tories' effort towards the end of the campaign, when they decided to run against the 'Hung Parliament Party'. The message? That a vote for a hung parliament was a vote for five more years of Gordon Brown. The country has now voted for a hung parliament. Presumably, then, the Tories think voters have opted for five more years of Gordon Brown. Perhaps someone should ask David Cameron to confirm whether it is indeed, as the poster implies, the view of the Tories that the voters have chosen Brown.
David Cameron's Head on a Stick - behind the scenes
2010-05-05 11:50:00
I should have posted this excellent video from Tim Ireland some time ago, but better late than never: See also Tim's post on the technicalities of making of the video here. You may or may not be interested to know that I had a small but very fun role in the filming of this video. Tim asked me to lend him a hand one evening in London, which in a nutshell involved followed him around whilst he was in the persona of David Cameron, complete with creepy mask, and filming as he asked members of the public in Soho, Picadilly Circus, and nearby areas to pose with him for his 'campaign video'. Some of the footage we filmed shows up in the video at, e.g., 1.53 mins in, and again at 2.33 or so. Reactions, as you can imagine, were varied! Some people jumped out of their skins when they saw the mask, others burst out laughing (and others still did both). Some passers-by somehow came to the conclusion that we were making a film for the Conservative Party, and this was the only thing that occasional
2010-05-05 11:50:00
I should have posted this excellent video from Tim Ireland some time ago, but better late than never: See also Tim's post on the technicalities of making of the video here. You may or may not be interested to know that I had a small but very fun role in the filming of this video. Tim asked me to lend him a hand one evening in London, which in a nutshell involved followed him around whilst he was in the persona of David Cameron, complete with creepy mask, and filming as he asked members of the public in Soho, Picadilly Circus, and nearby areas to pose with him for his 'campaign video'. Some of the footage we filmed shows up in the video at, e.g., 1.53 mins in, and again at 2.33 or so. Reactions, as you can imagine, were varied! Some people jumped out of their skins when they saw the mask, others burst out laughing (and others still did both). Some passers-by somehow came to the conclusion that we were making a film for the Conservative Party, and this was the only thing that occasional
Further allegations against Philippa Stroud emerge
2010-05-03 05:39:00
An anonymous comment left on my previous post about Philippa Stroud links to the comments section of a story on the Pink News website from July 2009. The Pink News story concerns the Centre for Social Justice, of which Stroud is the head, and its past proposals to give gay non-biological parents a lesser status, and fewer rights, than their heterosexual counterparts. One of the comments left about this piece is from an 'Abi1975', and was posted on 18th July, at 5.59 a.m. The details of this person's story seem to suggest that she is the same 'Abi' whose experiences are described in the original Observer article. However, the 2009 comment also contains some further allegations: Philippa Stroud is the executive director and one of the founders of The Centre for Social Justice. She is a hard core evangelical christian who's husband is a pastor and leader of the Newfrontiers group of churches who practice extreme American evangelical Christianity. She will be standing for
2010-05-03 05:39:00
An anonymous comment left on my previous post about Philippa Stroud links to the comments section of a story on the Pink News website from July 2009. The Pink News story concerns the Centre for Social Justice, of which Stroud is the head, and its past proposals to give gay non-biological parents a lesser status, and fewer rights, than their heterosexual counterparts. One of the comments left about this piece is from an 'Abi1975', and was posted on 18th July, at 5.59 a.m. The details of this person's story seem to suggest that she is the same 'Abi' whose experiences are described in the original Observer article. However, the 2009 comment also contains some further allegations: Philippa Stroud is the executive director and one of the founders of The Centre for Social Justice. She is a hard core evangelical christian who's husband is a pastor and leader of the Newfrontiers group of churches who practice extreme American evangelical Christianity. She will be standing for
These slippery Tory non-denials over Stroud will only fuel further suspicions
2010-05-02 17:35:00
By now, many people will have read both the original allegations against Tory PPC Philippa Stroud in today's Observer, and her rather curious non-denial denial. Stroud's statement reads: I make no apology for being a committed Christian. However, it is categorically untrue that I believe homosexuality to be an illness and I am deeply offended that The Observer has suggested otherwise. However, what Stroud here denies in not what The Observer alleges. The Observer alleges that Stroud either believes or once believed that homosexuality and gender identity issues are caused by demonic possession, and that prayer, by driving out the demons, can 'cure' the possessed person. And the newspaper further avers that Stroud has herself attempted to cast a demon out of a teenager who was sent to her by evangelical parents: Abi, a teenage girl with transsexual issues, was sent to the church by her parents, who were evangelical Christians. "Convinced I was demonically possessed, my
2010-05-02 17:35:00
By now, many people will have read both the original allegations against Tory PPC Philippa Stroud in today's Observer, and her rather curious non-denial denial. Stroud's statement reads: I make no apology for being a committed Christian. However, it is categorically untrue that I believe homosexuality to be an illness and I am deeply offended that The Observer has suggested otherwise. However, what Stroud here denies in not what The Observer alleges. The Observer alleges that Stroud either believes or once believed that homosexuality and gender identity issues are caused by demonic possession, and that prayer, by driving out the demons, can 'cure' the possessed person. And the newspaper further avers that Stroud has herself attempted to cast a demon out of a teenager who was sent to her by evangelical parents: Abi, a teenage girl with transsexual issues, was sent to the church by her parents, who were evangelical Christians. "Convinced I was demonically possessed, my
Tim Montgomerie normalises homophobia (again)
2010-04-28 04:46:00
As has now been widely reported, the Conservative Party has, uncharacteristically, taken action on homophobia in their ranks by... erm, suspending a Scottish PPC who was contesting a seat that he had absolutely no chance of winning anyway (at the last election Labour won secured 43.9% of the vote, with the Tories trailing on 18.4%). Compare and contrast the suspension of Philip Lardner with the cases of Chris Grayling and Julian Lewis, a Shadow Cabinet member and Shadow Minister respectively, who are still in jobs, and about whom David Cameron has studiously avoided comment. Iain Dale has written a post saying 'good riddance' to Philip Lardner. This is an open goal for him, giving him the chance to burnish his credentials as a champion of gay rights without actually having to stand up to his party - after all, the Scottish Tories had already suspended Lardner, so all Dale had to do was applaud their decision. As I have noted here before, Dale's record on calling out T
2010-04-28 04:46:00
As has now been widely reported, the Conservative Party has, uncharacteristically, taken action on homophobia in their ranks by... erm, suspending a Scottish PPC who was contesting a seat that he had absolutely no chance of winning anyway (at the last election Labour won secured 43.9% of the vote, with the Tories trailing on 18.4%). Compare and contrast the suspension of Philip Lardner with the cases of Chris Grayling and Julian Lewis, a Shadow Cabinet member and Shadow Minister respectively, who are still in jobs, and about whom David Cameron has studiously avoided comment. Iain Dale has written a post saying 'good riddance' to Philip Lardner. This is an open goal for him, giving him the chance to burnish his credentials as a champion of gay rights without actually having to stand up to his party - after all, the Scottish Tories had already suspended Lardner, so all Dale had to do was applaud their decision. As I have noted here before, Dale's record on calling out T