A year ago today: an extract from ‘Nothing Has Changed’
May 17, 2018
One year on, this is my diary account of the most extraordinary day. … More A year ago today: an extract from ‘Nothing Has Changed’
Category: politics
Nothing Has Changed
February 24, 2018
My first book is an account of the extraordinary 2017 General Election as seen by me. It was an election like no other and I hope I’ve given some sense of the excitement, energy and sometimes downright bafflement involved in covering it. You can buy ‘Nothing Has Changed’ directly from the Parthian books website here. Here’s … More Nothing Has Changed
Adam Dant, Election Artist 2015
November 29, 2015
This is my photo of the finished artwork by Adam Dant from the UK General Election of 2016, ‘the Government Stable’ which is on display in Portcullis House in Westminster. You can read more about it and see explanations of what all of it means on Parliament’s website here and you can see all his sketches from … More Adam Dant, Election Artist 2015
Andy Beckett, ‘Promised You a Miracle’
October 11, 2015
Far from another exercise in eighties nostalgia, this book is a fascinating closer examination of a couple of years that apparently changed Britain forever. It’s fair to say that Beckett is uncertain about the value of this change although he’s open-minded enough to acknowledge the many benefits it brought as well as recognising the human … More Andy Beckett, ‘Promised You a Miracle’
‘In It Together’ by Matthew D’Ancona
August 11, 2014
If you have the slightest interest in the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, this book is essential reading. It explains how the coalition came about (and how much secret preparation had been made in the run-up to the 2010 election despite public disavowals) and how it continued to exist despite some severe internal and external … More ‘In It Together’ by Matthew D’Ancona
‘Diary of an Unsmug Married’ by Polly James
February 22, 2014
If you’ve ever read the Mid Wife Crisis blog you’ll know what to expect from this book because it’s based on that blog although it’s much more than a collection of unconnected posts. One of the things the blog did well was present this story as if it were happening in real time. Events were … More ‘Diary of an Unsmug Married’ by Polly James
‘Ad and Wal’ by Peter Hain
February 7, 2014
This post isn’t a full review of this book because I’ll be reviewing it for a forthcoming edition of Wales Arts Review. For now, all I’ll say is that its subject matter is a remarkable story of two remarkable people. Actually they think they’re utterly unremarkable which is why what they did raises so many … More ‘Ad and Wal’ by Peter Hain
Patrick Hannan, ‘Wales Off Message’
September 11, 2013
I recently re-read Patrick Hannan’s ‘Wales Off Message’. Published in 2000 the events and misadventures in Welsh politics it recounts are all familiar to me although he always managed to find a new angle from which to view those events or a undiscovered nugget of fascination, such as Rhodri Morgan’s unprecedented tidying of his sock … More Patrick Hannan, ‘Wales Off Message’
Groom of the Stool: Robert Shepherd, ‘Westminster: A Biography’
July 30, 2013
Robert Shepherd’s ‘Westminster: a Biography’ covers the whole lifespan of the marshy island which became the centre of power and government in Britain. For me, Westminster has become a workplace and I often forget the history behind the buildings which have shaped the form of government operating in Britain. As a result of this book, … More Groom of the Stool: Robert Shepherd, ‘Westminster: A Biography’
Party leaders interviews
October 31, 2012
Despite the title of this blog, there’s always just a little bit of politics floating around. I’m still recovering from the UK’s political parties’ conference season. Over the course of three weeks, I had short interviews with each of the three UK party leaders. You can see my interview with the Prime Minister David Cameron in Birmingham … More Party leaders interviews
