The Bright Blue blog

Monday 28th November 2011

Fraser Nelson writes powerfully in the Daily Telegraph that the issue of British poverty renders labels such as 'Left' and 'Right' almost meaningless. He also condemns the leaders of all parties for forgetting about the riots as a new issues began to dominate the media, and calls on politicians to look again for the reasons behind the riots, to make sure that they do not happen again.

One politician who has not abandoned this responsibility is David Lammy, whose own constituency saw some of the worst violence. Indeed he has written a book in response to the summer's events called Out of the Ashes. In an interview with the Spectator, Lammy repeats the book's central conclusion: that the last fifty years in Britain have seen the breakdown of society - with the state, New Labour and the Church of England all partially responsible.

A new report by Demos explores the role of patriotism in modern society. By attempting to move the definition of patriotism beyond outdated and unfair stereotypes, the report looks at how national pride can foster stronger communities.

Before the election David Cameron managed to restore the public's trust over the Conservative Party's handling of the NHS, only to lose it again when in power. Against this backdrop, Policy Exchange Deputy Director David Skelton asks what is next for the NHS reforms? Skelton looks at some of the difficulties of achieving any reform, whilst arguing for the need to cut costs and offer greater patient choice.

During a recent speech at the Institute for Government, the charity's Director Andrew Adonis made the case for Roy Jenkins as one of the greatest parliamentarians of the 20th Century. Adonis's speech offers a thoughtful and persuasive argument that Jenkins' brief time as Home Secretary transformed our country for the better.

David Frum, the former speechwriter to George Bush, looks at the Republican Party candidates for the Presidential election and asks: when did the GOP lose touch with reality? Writing in the New York magazine, Frum argues that the contest has been taken over by ever more shameless and extreme candidates, and as a result the party is failing to represent the American public.

Monday 21st November 2011

Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator for the Financial Times, begins a two-part series on Radio 4 examining how the world has changed since the financial crisis in 2007. Talking to a number of prominent figures from the worlds of economics and finance, he asks what the long-term consequences of the crisis will be for Europe and the rest of the world.

The Coalition was formed over the need to tackle the deficit. Indeed its central aim remains to reduce this over the life of the parliament. However, a recent report 'Thinking the Unthinkable' by Tim Morgan of brokers Tullett Prebon, argues that is no longer possible. Indeed, poor growth mean figures mean that the deficit reduction plan could fall £100 billion short

Economist Robert Frank delivered a recent lecture at the LSE arguing that Darwin was a greater economist than Adam Smith. Using the model of natural selection, Frank attempts to counter the libertarian tendencies of many in America and elsewhere by making the case for a strong state in improving competitive advantages.

Jesse Norman is one of the most thoughtful members of the 2010 Conservative intake. Since entering parliament he has campaigned against the Private Finance Initiative. Arguing in the Telegraph that PFIs result in a toxic legacy of debt for future generations, he celebrates the government's decision to end the scheme.

Chris Nicholson urges the government to lift one million people out of income tax next April. Drawing on two recent Centre Forum reports that propose limits on tax relief for the better-off, Nicholson makes the case at Conservative Home that the Chancellor should raise the personal tax allowance to £10,000 at the next budget.

Writing in Prospect, Jonathan Ford argues that we need to show greater imagination in tackling the world's financial crisis. He calls on politicians in the West to lead the way on reform and international cooperation - or else the terms of the new economy will be dictated by the new economic superpowers.

Monday 14th November 2011

Philip Gould played a pivotal role in New Labour's success. Following his death last week, commentators from all sides of the political spectrum paid tribute to the huge influence he had over polling and campaigning. John McTernan worked with him for many years, and came to value his methods and insights, as he records in the Telegraph

Matthew d'Ancona also celebrates Philip Gould's achievements in the Evening Standard. Arguing that Gould's central realisation - that politics without empiricism is no better than politics without values - transformed both Tony Blair's Labour Party and David Cameron's Conservatives. But d'Ancona also warns that in the face of unprecedented change, empiricism is needed now more than ever.

With what he sees as the end of Western ascendancy going on all around us, Niall Ferguson has become an increasingly outspoken critic of politicians on both sides of the Atlantic. However, he reserves true scorn for the economists who failed to predict the current financial crisis, and have since failed to present any credible solutions either. Ferguson is also an early adopter of the op-vid: part-lecture, part-animation - will it change the format of column-writing forever?

Jonathan Sumption is one of the most able legal minds of his generation. As he prepares to take up a seat in the Supreme Court, his recent F. A. Mann lecture makes a critical assessment of the democratic role of judges. Sumption worries that the judiciary are beginning to play a part in deciding policy, and urges judges to respect the role of Parliament.

At Conservative Home Alistair Thompson argues that students would have far more power as consumers rather than protesters. Whilst criticising the student fees as a middle-class rip off, Thompson makes the case that protest marches are an outdated way to fight a campaign that has already been lost. Instead, the cost of university education gives students a new level of influence over the quality of the education they receive.

Robin Harris's new history of the Conservative Party asks what qualities unite such disparate ideologies and personalities as the likes of Disraeli, Lord Salisbury and Thatcher. Reviewing the book in the Telegraph, Charles Moore echoes Harris's conclusion: that a desire for greatness, and one founded not in dogma but in the people of this country, brings the many strands of the Conservative Party together

Monday 7th November 2011

The criminal justice system has to cope with many of society's most challenging issues - including efforts to reduce crime and tackle drug use. A Policy Exchange report looks at some of the promising projects from the US and UK that have experimented with policing, prohibition and crime prevention in an effort to bring innovation to the criminal justice stystems of both countries.

As prisons approach maximum capacity, the need for reform is greater than ever. Writing in the Guardian Zoe Williams welcomes the RSA's proposal for 'John-Lewis jails', as well as the coalition's commitment to a 'rehabilitation revolution'. However, she warns that opening the prison system up to the private sector risks charities being priced out of the process.

The International Institute for Labour Studies have published their annual 'World of Work' report. They warn that it will be impossible to recover fully from the recession without addressing inequality across society. Furthermore, they warn about the dangers of unrest in the Eurozone and elsewhere if pro-growth policies do not focus on social justice as well.

With Saint Pauls still surrounded by anti-capitalism protests, the Archbishop of Canterbury has called on the G20 leaders to introduce a Robin Hood Tax. In an interview with the BBC, he argues that there is a moral, social, and financial case for charging a levy on financial transactions.

Both the Red Tory and Blue Labour philosophies were influenced by John Ruskin. Equally, the Occupy movements in the UK and US draw much from the Victorian author's efforts to found markets in morality. As David Barnes argues in the Guardian, there are many lessons to learn from his passionate and righteous writing.

In the Telegraph Matthew d'Ancona warns that EU politicians and the people of Europe are at odds.. Remembering that Europe was first and foremost a political project, he argues that the very optimism and ideological certainty that brought the nations of Europe together is also driven them to destruction.

Monday 31st October 2011

Stephanie Flanders' new BBC R4 series Stephanomics  asks what the economic news headlines will mean in ten years time. In the latest episode she speaks to a number of prominent economic thinkers - including billionaire investor George Soros - and debates who is to blame for the current global financial crisis.

The Occupy protests remain camped outside Saint Pauls, to the frustration of many - especially those on the Right. However Matthew Parris argues in the Times that for every protester, there are many more who share their anger with the City of London and the super-rich. If Tories dismiss those protesting outside the cathedral, they risk ignoring a wider grievance.

Nick Clegg has referred to Ken Clarke as the sixth Liberal Democrat in the Government. He came into Government pledging to lower the prison numbers, as well as increase the emphasis by our justice system on rehabilitation as well as retribution. However, as the Guardian leader argues this week, a series of U-turns and policy amendments has stalled this process.

Last week's Commons debate over the possibility of a referendum on our role in the EU has unsettled many modernising Tories, who are anxious that their party will become introverted and self-destructive over Europe. However, as the leadership has maintained, Europe is not top of the agenda for many voters. With this in mind, Will Straw investigates Euroscepticism in the UK for IPPR.

With the Leveson Inquiry looking at broader ethical issues around the media, many newspapers have taken the opportunity to defend the freedom they currently enjoy. Although the media are a vested interest like any other, as Geoffrey Robinson argues in Prospect, it is worth remembering that a free press is crucial to the meaning of freedom of speech.

Britain has a diverse and impressive history in creative industries such as music, fashion and advertising. However many in government still view these areas as too risky to form a central role in the UK's economic strategy. But a Demos report argues that with greater understanding of this sector, government policy could work to encourage its growth.

Monday 24th October 2011

Julian Glover is leaving the Guardian to become a member of David Cameron's speechwriting team. In his last column for the newspaper, Glover is cautious about the future of his craft, arguing that the appetite for strong opinions and heated debate from the media is at times too inflexible, and so reflects unfairly on the political process.

In the Telegraph Policy Exchange Director Neil O'Brien looks at the 'squeezed middle'- a phrase which has become the new political battle ground. By looking at who is included in the squeezed middle, and why their cost of living has increased so much, O'Brien asks whether politicians' promises of support will be matched by action.

Steve Richards hosted the most recent BBC R4 Week in Westminster, and reflected on the role of lobbying in government, as well the best way for a Minister to resign. Most interesting, he invited two of the 2010 Conservative intake's brightest stars - Dominic Raab and Jesse Norman - to debate whether the Tory Right is on the rise.

Author Will Self asks whether race or class is a more considerable barrier to progress? Self argues in the BBC magazine that over the past few decades race, or gender, or sexual-identity, have trumped class as a perceived disadvantage. But as a result our definition of fairness has become broader and weaker.

David Brooks heralds the work of Phillip Blond in the New York Times. Blond, author of Red Tory and Director of the think tank ResPublica, has been on a lecture tour of the US, arguing that the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements are manifestations of the same problem, and that the US and UK economies should embrace communitarianism.

Allister Heath, editor of City AM, has become a prominent voice in the debate over how to get the economy growing again. His lecture on behalf of the Centre for Policy Studies makes the case for greater deregulation, and calls on the government to back their pro-growth rhetoric with action.

Monday 17th October 2011

So much seems to have happened since the Conservative Party Conference at the beginning of the month, it is hard to remember just what went on in Manchester. However, The Economist provides a clear summary of the event, emphasising the short-term challenge of the economy, and the long-term effort to bring the party's modernisation project back to life.

Meanwhile Ian Birrell makes the case for immigration in a passionate piece for the Evening Standard. Looking at the way that immigration has supported the NHS, Birrell calls on the Prime Minister to re-assert his own moderate position in opposition to many of those within the Conservative party.

Sam Mclean, director of public participation at the RSA, has written recently about the charity's Citizen Power programme, that seems to have taken off where Big Society intiatives have failed. By working to build more positive bonds among citizens, community groups and public agencies in Peterborough, they attempt to create the conditions for community-led responses to some of the big social issues facing the city. 

Michael Owens asks in the Independent: what makes a city? Looking at the fact that this summer's riots occurred largely in areas of the city that have been sites of regeneration, he warns that governments cannot make communities, though they can foster the conditions in which they break down.

Michael Gove's free schools policy looks set to become one of the government's most successful policies, though opposition to the idea has been strong and widespread. In Standpoint Oliver Lewis and Jamie Martin look at the success of the KIPP charter school programme in the US to ask who will win the battle for the soul of English education?

With the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations spreading to London, many on the Right have been looking at the limits and shortcomings of capitalism. Phillip Blond, founder and director of the think tank Res Publica, argues in the New Statesman that David Cameron must tackle the excesses at the top of society if he is to improve conditions for those at the bottom.

Monday 10th October 2011

For many people cynicism and suspicion is their automatic response to politics. However, on BBC R4 Professor Matthew Flinders stands up for politicians, and dares to suggest that by attempting to excite and indulge this cynicism the media may be damaging our political process.

However, Peter Oborne argues in the Telegraph that a lack of political engagement is caused by a disconnect between party leadership and ordinary members. To Oborne the modern party conference, crowded with advisers, lobbyists and hacks, is emblematic of the increasingly removed status of the political class

Following the Conservative Party Conference, Tories would be forgiven for feeling a little confused as to where they stand on Europe. On the one hand, the Eurosceptics seem triumphant. On the other hand, the leadership has once again committed themselves to making sure that the Eurozone survives its current crisis. The Economist's Bagehot untangles this contradiction

Meanwhile, Bright Blue spokesman Ryan Shorthouse argues in Total Politics that the Tories need a long term relationship with liberalism. If the party want to remain relevant to the public, and secure a majority at the next election, then they must embrace Liberal Democrat causes and policies.

At the New Local Government Network, Local Government Minister Bob Neil writes that the coalition will be looking to local government leaders to push forward its decentralisation agenda. Recognising that Whitehall must engage with council leaders, he also calls for a debate about the role of council leaders to further localism.

Rory Stewart - the former diplomat, Harvard academic and Governor in Iraq - has recently published a book asking 'Can Intervention Work?' Stewart makes the case in the Guardian that by looking at both Bosnia and Afghanistan, we learn that the key to success is doing less rather than more.

Conservative Party Conference 2011

Many commentators pitched this year's Conservative Party Conference as a debate between the Tory traditionalists and the Cameroon modernisers. Bright Blue was a leading voice, with Nick Boles MP making the case at our Conference Drink Tank that the party has to work far harder to win the trust of the electorate.

Meanwhile Ian Birrell in the Guardian called on David Cameron to bring back the optimism with which he won the party leadership. Given anxiety over the economy and concerns over the programme of cuts, The Prime Minister must emphasise our sense of shared responsibility, but also find something hopeful to say about the future.

However, with increased political participation as well, this optimism cannot be translated into electoral success. This is the argument that Stephan Shakespeare makes at Conservative Home, asking whether the Conservatives should risk radicalism to win a majority in 2015. He makes the case that there is an appetite for fundamental change among the people, but that it can only be realised through committed political will.

Finally, despite talk of rival political factions at the party conference, the overall tone was one of unity. Indeed, Janet Daley went some way to settling the perception of divisions within the party, arguing in the Telegraph that the modernisers and the mainstream are one.

Monday 4th October 2011

Ed Milliband's speech at the Labour Party Conference set the Conservatives a challenge. He has begun to present a critique of capitalism that will position him strongly to the left of the government on economic policy. In the Independent Steve Richards celebrated this growing ideological confidence that has brought about a genuine battle of ideas between the parties.

Responding to this challenge, Nick Boles - a key figure in David Cameron's inner circle and a member of the Bright Blue advisory board -  argues in the Telegraph that the electorate want the Party to stay in the centre-ground, or else they risk moving into opposition.

Nick Boles' argument is a response not only to Ed Miliband, but also to the more traditional wing of the Conservative Party. Conservative Home editor Tim Montgomerie and YouGov founder Stephan Shakespeare make the case in the Telegraph that although continued modernisation is necessary for the party to win the next election, they must also reach out beyond their metropolitan comfort zone, and find policies that can be sold on the doorstep of working class and northern voters. 

With this in mind the Financial Times has collected a number of prominent political and public figures to offer advice to the government. With a host of contributers from John Redwood to Joan Collins, they present a varied set of arguments for the future direction of the party and the country.

Over the past week the Centre for Policy Studies has come under much attention for Peter Oborne's publication 'The Guilty Men'. However, more important in terms of policy was the CPS pamphlet 'It's the economy' by Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee Andrew Tyrie. He warns the leadership that an incoherent economic policy will damage the government's chances of success.

But what if the economy is fundamentally flawed? Since the beginning of summer several prominent figures on the Right have asked whether global economic challenges have exposed the failures of neoliberalism, even capitalism. On BBC Radio 4 Michael Portillo explores whether capitalism makes us greedy and divided or rich and free.

Monday 26th September 2011

With the beginning of the Labour Party Conference in Birmingham, Ed Milliband's leadership is once again under attention. In an interview with Mehdi Hasan in the New Statesman, Milliband brings back the themes of shared responsibility and the squeezed middle, while also attempting to prove his radical zeal.

But, Philip Collins in The Times warns that by attempting to be all things to all people, Ed Miliband risks confusing himself and the electorate. Instead, he calls on Milliband to clearly differentiate himself from Gordon Brown, and to give people a reason to vote Labour.

Meanwhile, at the leading progressive think tank the IPPR, Marc Stears attempts to move centre-left politics forward. He argues in Everyday Democracy that we need a democratic transformation to build new community relationships.

Staying in the centre-ground, Lord Ashcroft has released new polling from marginal constituencies. The polling finds that public opinion has remained remarakably stable since the election, and therefore the Conservative party has more to do to win over voters in swing seats, as he argues at ConservativeHome.

The Cabinet Office Behavioural Insight team (or the "nudge unit", as policy wonks delight in describing it) was set up by the Coalition to find 'intelligent ways to encourage, enable and support people to make better choices for themselves'. In their first annual report, the team attempt to show how this translates into meaningful government action.

The riots continue to influence public thought and debate. Philosopher and commentator Jamie Whyte asks on BBC Radio 4: Why don't we riot more often? By considering the subject of civil obedience, Whyte attempts to offer a modern definition of social justice.

Monday 19th September 2011

The big story of last week was the Boundary Commission's proposals. The basic aim - that each constituency should have an even number of voters - seems a simple and fair one, yet the response has come close to hysteria. Julian Glover summarises the proposed changes in the Guardian.  

Meanwhile, Westminster has emptied out again for the party conference season. With the Lib Dems starting things off at their Birmingham Conference,Steve Richards argues that Nick Clegg is stronger than ever. The Lib Dem's disappointment following the AV referendum has been used to turn the party's fortunes around.  

With this in mind, Matthew d'Ancona argues in the Telegraph that the Lib Dems are being transformed from a party of opposition into a party of power. Crucial to this has been the willingness of both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems to assert their differences.

Meanwhile, at Conservative Home, YouGov founder, Stephan Shakespeare, believes that political influence is becoming less visionary and more inclusive. In an increasingly networked age, government must become more collaborative in its approach, with leaders no longer rewarded for their individualism. 

James Morris MP, also writing for Conservative Home, returns to the idea that the modernisation of the Conservative Party should not be described in terms of Left and Right. Instead modernisation is about a more fundamental change in order to better reflect public concerns, and so gain voters' trust.

Finally, Simon Jenkins in the Guardian makes the case that new planning reform proposals are a recipe for civil war. This is a difficult one for Tories: the preservation of rural England being pitched against the economic arguments to build more property. One thing is certain: things cannot stay the same. 

Monday 12th September 2011

Congratulations to Toby Young, who has been a leading advocate of Free Schools from the start. The West London Free School that he helped to set up opened its doors last week. Celebrating the school's first day in the Telegraph Young explains how letting parents set up a school in their area also strengthens local communities.

Meanwhile, in the Evening Standard Education Secretary Michael Gove responds to critics who argue that Free Schools will entrench privilege while taking resources from schools most in need. Instead, many Free Schools have been set up in deprived areas to help the poorest communities, while forcing local authorities to raise standards in all schools.

Ben Rogers at Demos makes the case that there is a jobs crisis in London. He argues that a chronic shortage of jobs are pushing young people into long-term unemployment - and nowhere is this problem more acute than in the capital.

With this in mind the Economist asks just how big a role policy-makers can play in helping to create jobs. Looking at a range of ideas from America, it argues that the best thing governments can do is try to encourage that most elusive of economic factors: innovation.

On a similar theme, Ed Howker - author of Jilted Generation: How Britain has Bankrupted its Youth - asks 'Do young people deserve their reputation?' on BBC Four Thought. He argues that the Baby Boomers must take some of the responsibility for the riots, because they have front-loaded their lives and left enormous bills for the next generation to pay.

Finally, in ResPublica's latest essay collection Changing the Debate: The Ideas Redefining Britain, Toby Blume presents the case that economic power must be devolved alongside social and political. However, until our centralised economic structure is broken apart, true localism will be impossible.

Monday 5th September 2011

Politicians are back in Westminster and term has started again. And this September the first Free Schools opened to both criticism and acclaim. Michael Gove's education reforms met with some difficulty at the outset, but they now look set to become one of the government's proudest achievements. In the Indepdendent Richard Garner cautiously asks what does the future hold for Michael Gove's free schools? Click link

Meanwhile Bright Blue spokesman Ryan Shorthouse argues at ConservativeHome that high quality early years education is critical. Unlike primary education, pre-school education is not yet free at the point of use. However, the SMF's proposal of childcare loans could provide children with that crucial support early in their lives: Click link

In the Financial Times Danny Kruger makes the case for political figures to bring back a sense of moral virtue. He argues that in an effort to appear modern, politicians have abandoned not only the language of virtue, but also the sense of ethical responsibility that comes with such qualities as duty and fortitude: Click link

On the other hand, Matthew D'Ancona urges the Prime Minister to keep up the project of modernising the Conservative Party. He reminds Tories that the election was not won because the Party had not gone far enough to convince voters that they had changed. The conference season gives Conservatives the opportunity to renew that aim: Click link

With this in mind, James Forsyth in the Spectator introduces a new social category: the undeserving rich. He recognises that, although the Conservatives are the party of entrepeneurs and wealth-creation, the public is increasingly calling for those at the top to set the best example. Crucially, he observes that a reckless and removed class of high-earners break down a sense of social cohesion, leaving those beneath feeling resentful: Click link

Social breakdown is also the theme of Philip Blond's recent article in Die Presse. He draws a parallel in the shared sense of nihilism at the top and bottom of society. Blond goes on to blame the self-serving liberalism that has resulted in the loss of moral perspective and community identity: Click link

Monday 29th August 2011

Many see the downfall of Gaddafi as vindication of David Cameron's leading role in the international response. However, Daniel Finkelstein offers a compelling case that the Prime Minister was right to take action whatever the outcome - that it was Gaddafi's threat to his own people that justified the intervention: Click link

Meanwhile Bruce Anderson argues that David Cameron needs more realism. He praises the Prime Minister for the courage he showed in pushing for the intervention in Libya, as well as for the boldness of his national agenda, but urges Cameron to adopt rather more old-fashioned Tory pessimism: Click link

Neil O'Brien, Director of Policy Exchange, argues that David Cameron should press home his advantage over Labour, while also addressing its failures. In particular, he calls on the Prime Minister to focus on the 'squeezed middle' voters, and bring in policies that will win a new generation of potential Tories: Click link

In the London Review of Books, Slavoj Zizek offers an essay on the meaning of the recent riots. Echoing those who have tried to find cultural causes behind recent violence, the Slovenian philosopher points outs the opposition to the Establishment or status quo no longer presents an ideological alternative, but instead a meaningless outburst of violence: Click link

In the week of GCSE results, and the annual hysteria over grade inflation, there were two interesting contributions to the education debate in the Guardian this weekend. Both attempted to question the purpose of education, and ask where Britain's true priorities lie. At the MacTaggart lecture in Edinburgh, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt made the case that Britain has failed to capitalise on its record of innovation in science and technology: Click link

Meanwhile Tristram Hunt argued that learning history is essential to our sense of national identity: Click link

Finally, Martin Kettle asks if the cynicism of modern satire has a more deeply damaging impact on politics that we may realise: Click link

Monday 22nd August 2011

Tony Blair entered British political life again this week in order to share his analysis of the riots and their causes. He rejected the response of both the Right and the Left, denying that widespread moral decline or social deprivation were to blame. Instead the former Prime Minister argued that it was a specific problem, emphasising the few troubled individuals in communities: Click link

On the other hand, Iain Duncan Smith understands the causes behind the recent riots better than perhaps any other politician. His interview with the Spectator shows his confidence and determination, echoing the belief that this is the government's opportunity to push forward welfare and education reform in order to improve the lives of the poorest in society: Click link

Meanwhile, the Economist's Bagehot offered a broad historical perspective on the riots. The column attempted to demonstrate that comprable behaviour has gone on in this country for more than a century, so undermining the claims that recent events and policies are solely to blame. Click link

With this in mind, Christopher Hitchens makes the case that gratuitous violence has long been a feature of British culture. Though the recent emergence of gangs has brought a newfound sense of danger and civic alienation, the infamous expat argues that we Brits are not so polite as we pretend to be: Click link

John Gray is one of our most skilled political philosophers, drawing timeless lessons from current events. In this BBC broadcast, he argues that further fiscal integration of the European Union would be an epic act of collective folly: Click link

Finally, with Tripoli infiltrated by rebel forces and the fall of Gaddafi seemingly imminent, George Grant offers an optimistic vision for the future of Libya. However, he warns that compromises will have to be made, and that the international community must remember the lessons of Iraq: Click link

Monday 15th August 2011

The aftermath of the riots dominated coverage last week, and rightly so. For many on Right the events were a grim realisation of the social breakdown witnessed under Labour. In truth the most powerful response came not from the media but from the hundreds of people who went out to clean and repair their communities. Equally, the most valuable commentatry came from those who did not look for people to blame, but made clear the complexity of the issues we face.

Mary Riddell offered a moving description of the anger and abandonment felt by the underclass. She also called on the country to offer opportunity and security to this 'Lost Generation': Click link

From the outset David Aaronovitch has argued that there are far more important concerns than the political consequences of the riots. His column went on to make the point that we must try to respond without prejudiced fears or ideological agendas: Click link

Danny Kruger provided a compelling account of the moral collapse suffered by many communities. He writes that 'We have substituted welfare payments for relationships, rights for love, and the sterile processes of the public sector for the warm morality of living communities.' Click link

Though it is difficult to place the riots in a broader cultural or intellectual context, David Goodhart came close when he described them as 'post-political riots'. The phrase is a recognition of the fact that no explanation is sufficient - that the riots have no unifying cause, excuse or ideology: Click link

Since its founding, the Centre for Social Justice has tried to understand the challenges facing the poorest in our society. Much of the think tank's work has come under new attention of the past week, especially their 2009 report into the dangers of gang culture, which seems to be informing the government's current plan of action: Click link

Monday 8th August 2011

The entire country has been shocked and confused by the rioting that has taken place in London over the weekend. Local MP David Lammy has called it early and called it right in the Times, countering effort to make political capital out of racial divisions: Click link

This brings a new angle on a damning report aboutThe Equality and Human Rights Commission from Civitas. 'Small Corroding Words' by Jon Gower Davies argues that the Commission contributes very little to equality in Britain today, and should therefore be abolished: Click link

One quality that distinguishes the coalition is the breadth and depth of new ideas around it. With this in mind the Economist's Bagehot features a sympathetic profile of Michael Gove. It celebrates the fact that he is one of the brightest and most interesting members of the coalition government - while recognising that those qualities may prevent him reaching the top of the Conservative Party: Click link

Last week also saw widespread panic as stock markets tumbled and the Eurozone moved closer to collapse. The most worrying thing is the lack of leadership - politicians seems powerless to reassure the markets. Writing in the Independent, Mary Ann Sieghart explores the crisis of politics vs economics: Click link

And from the other side of the Pond, Salon finally says what many on the Left has been thinking. Obama is not a weak politician - he is simply a pragmatist. If he has to give up progressive promises to get things done, then he will: Click link

Monday 1st August 2011

Blue Labour is running into trouble. Maurice Glasman - the founder of the movement and Ed Miliband's favourite thinker - has come under attack from all sides of the political spectrum for his emphasis on 'faith, flag and family'. Perhaps its most prominent critic is Lord Mandelson, who warns the Left of abandoning New Labour, and the danger of sentimentalising the traditional Labour movement: Click link

This theme is explored by Bright Blue's Ryan Shorthouse in Prospect. He argues that both Blue Labour, and its conservative counterpart, Philip Blond's Red Tory, rely on a nostalgic and misguided re-imagining of life in pre-war communities. Progressive politics starts with helping the society's most disadvantaged, not romanticising the past role of the working class: Click link

With this in mind, Steve Richards argues that optimism is the essential quality of the Conservative Party modernisers he has characterised as the 'Romantics'. While following a dry economic policy, Tory Romantics are pushing for bold social policy in order to further local empowerment and increase national wellbeing: Click link

On the other hand, Matthew d'Ancona warns that the Conservatives are facing an 'empathy deficit' because of their reluctance to show that they share and understand the public's pain as a result of cutting the deficit. He calls on David Cameron to make it clear that he feels the same frustrations as the voters do: Click link

However, empathy is not enough. Indeed, the entire programme of deficit reduction - the government's central objective - will only offer some political benefit if it comes hand-in-hand with a strategy for growth. ConservativeHome has joined the calls for George Osborne to get the economy moving again by putting together a growth manifesto, with suggested policies from many of the London think tanks: Click link

Finally, Douglas Murray has a thoughtful piece on what it means to be on the Right, and whether it has any relationship with extremism. He criticises those on the Left who suggested that Anders Beivik's was encouraged by the more aggressive corners of the right-wing blogosphere. We cannot respond to an act of terrorism by limiting people's freedom: Click link

Monday 25th July 2011

Following from the media hysteria around New International, many felt that the press had begun to lose perspective. Simon Jenkins argued in the Guardian that little will change in the wake of the crisis - except that Britain will be a poorer place without his Murdoch's innovative presence: Click link

Charles Moore has exceptional High Tory credentials: a former Telegraph Editor and Baroness Thatcher's official biographer. However, he is also Conservative Party moderniser and among the first to back the coalition. Continuing this theme, he asks if the abuses of capitalism mean the Left might actually be right: Click link

However, Tim Montgomerie responds in robust form, arguing that things have never been better - thanks in large part to the triumphs of capitalism: Click link

Tim is equally strong when defending what might be called the more traditional wing of the conservative party, making the point that strong leaders appeal to their core support as well as reaching out:Click link

The web has democratised cultural criticism, giving anyone with an Internet connection the chance to have a say. But Tim Adam's asks whether the online cloak of anonymity is responsible for the enormous amounts of hatred and bile that is posted there: Click link

Alvin Hall's new Radio 4 series tries to find out whether today's youth will be the first generation in memory to end up poorer than their parents. He looks at the growing requirement for internships at the beginning of many careers, and the harmful impact this has on social mobility: Click link

SIr Max Hastings delivered the Centre for Policy Studies 2011 Ruttenberg Lecture, re-assessing the 'Special Relationship'. He made the point that if Britain can no longer punch above her weight, that relationship may grow less and less important to America: Click link

Monday 18th July 2011

The paperback publication of Tony Blair's memoirs argued in their introduction that Britain has moved beyond political and class divisions. IPPR has recently echoed that argument with their new social groupings: Pioneers, Prospectors and Settlers. Bearing these groupings in mind, Allegra Stratton explains why Ed Miliband's condemnation of News International has been so well received: Click link

The enormous amount of coverage around News International has distracted from the dangerous situation in Europe. Nonetheless Anthony Browne, a former director at Policy Exchange and Economic Adviser to Boris Johnson, made the case to Conservative Home for Britain staying in the EU. Despite the strong Euroscepticism of many MPs in the 2010 intake, pulling Britain out of Europe would derail everything else that the government wants to do: Click link

If the situation in Europe looks grim, then the situation at home is not much better. George Osborne created the Office of Budget Responsibility in order to take economic forecasting out of the government's hands. But their new report warns that the budget deficit is still on course to reach unsustainable levels without further spending cuts or tax rises: Click link

But spending cuts are not without their social cost. Bright Blue's Ryan Shorthouse argues in the Indepdent that strong civic institutions are central to the Big Society. However, those institutions - and the social mobility that they encourage - are at risk from the cuts: Click link

Lord Glasman in one of the Left's most influential thinkers, the driving force behind 'Blue Labour'. His central philosophy is to win back the working class - whose support he feels was taken for granted under New Labour. He is strongly critical of immigration, an Oxford-educated political class, and the obsession with modernisation: Click link

Finally, Bright Blue hosted a discussion this week on the defence of liberal values abroad. The panel warned that the democratic model cannot be imported without major challenges, and often loss of life. The uprising in Syria is an example of the sectarian violence that has accompanied the many of the democratic movements in the Middle East. Click link

Monday 11th July 2011

There is good reason to believe that Peter Oborne is the political columnist whose work will still be read in 50 years. Certainly the two of the biggest revelations of recent memory - MP's expenses and the phone hacking scandal - have given weight to his warnings about the 'Political Class'. On the latter story he was on suitably forthright form in this week's Spectator:Click link

This week sees the launch of the delayed Public Services White Paper - or the "Big Society bill" as it has been dubbed. Julian Glover makes the point that though the media storm around Murdoch will distract coverage, it is the paper's shared ambition that points the way forward for the coalition: Click link

That ambition to devolve power is the liberalism that unites many Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Julian Astle has consistently argued that the challenge for the Lib Dems in the coalition is as much professional as it is philosophical. Here he updates us on Nick Clegg's painful but necessary transformation of his supporters from a party of protest to a party of power: Click link

Meanwhile, that most neoliberal thinktank the CPS has released a paper arguing that it is not enough to simply get the economy 'back on track' after the recession. Ryan Bourne makes the case that instead the UK economy requires fundamental reforms in order to boost long-term productivity: Click link

Also thinking about the long-term Danny Finkelstein responds to the Dilnot Commission report on how we can fund care for the elderly, asking who it is who decides whether or not a policy is left-wing or right-wing:So leftwingers support this inheritance plan? Click link

And finally: why are political blogs dominated by men? This is the question asked by the Hansard Society in their Gender and Digital Politics paper, going on to argue that the fault lies with a wider political exclusion, rather than digital exclusion. In what might be described a moment of meta-blogging, you can read the report here: Click link

Monday 4th July 2011

Pensions were a cause of much debate this week. However, all sides agreed that demographic changes mean that the cost of pensions will increase. The think tank Reform took this argument further, arguing that an ageing population will defeat the government's efforts to reduce the deficit.Click link

This point was echoed by Steve Richards in the Independent, who made the case that although the argument over pensions is relatively straight-forward, the potential fallout from the strikes is explosive: Click link

Ed Milliband became the online hit of the week when his interview repeatedly condemning the strikes went viral. However, his efforts to work with the government on care for the elderly recognise that the challenge deserves a cross-party response, as Jackie Ashley argued in the Observer: Click link

Danny Kruger went from writing David Cameron's speeches to founding the arts charity Only Connect, which works with prisoners, ex-offenders and young people at risk of crime. In the last lecture of the Radio 4 series Four Thought he calls for a re-evaluation of the purpose of punishment, arguing that the current confusion between retribution and rehabilitation has harmed both victims and criminals: Click link

A test-case may be found in Brighton, where Caroline Lucas is pushing for a drug decriminalisation strategy that will prioritise treatment over punishment: Click link

Which brings us neatly onto Libertarianism. There was a time not so long ago when almost everybody's political preference on Facebook read 'Libertarian'. But the philosophy has its own damaging consequences, as its founder Robert Nozick came to realise: Click link