Yay for Sir Patrick Cormack! OK, I’ll admit here I’m biased as I used to work for the man, like him personally and still meet him for a drink on a semi-regular basis, but top work! “By this time, and … Continue reading →

According to Fareed Zakaria (the editor of Newsweek International, but writing in Foreign Policy), Europe is “the only other player with the resources and tradition to play a global role… U.S. and European goals on most issues are quite similar. … Continue reading →

Looks like the European Constitution debates are going to continue to hot up. The upcoming Labour conference could see a clash between the pro and anti camps within the party come into the open. This could be a good thing, … Continue reading →

Gerry Adams, the leader of the IRA’s political wing Sinn F�in, writes in the Guardian about his hopes and doubts for the new Northen Irish peace talks due to take place later this week, nearly twenty years after the IRA … Continue reading →

Most US news sources seem, understandably, preoccupied with coverage of the third anniversary of the World Trade Center disaster. Having said that, there is a good deal of coverage of other major events, from scary rumours of an imminent North … Continue reading →

Poor old Gordon Brown. First he sees a bunch of his ministerial allies disappear back to the backbenches, then he sees the return of Alan Milburn to the Cabinet in an apparent challenge to Brown�s control over Labour�s election strategy, … Continue reading →

The man�s quite possibly the biggest tit in Britain. The UK Independence Party (I refuse to call them UKIP on principle, and certainly refuse to pronounce it in the particularly stupid way they seep to prefer) is a pathetic enough … Continue reading →

Was having a chat in the pub last night with a friend of mine, who seems pretty upbeat about Kerry’s chances come November. He’s been ‘doing the electoral college math’ and finds the good senator from Massachusetts coming in with … Continue reading →

A bit too much focus on the US and Russia for the last few days means I’ve neglected to mention that: The EU has appointed a new ambassador to the US, the former Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) John Bruton. He … Continue reading →

By now we all know about Bill Cinton’s hospital bed advice to Kerry to focus on the economy. He’s paid attention: “$200 billion for Iraq, but they tell us we can’t afford health care for our veterans. $200 billion for … Continue reading →

“Throughout that long, stately, overtelevised week in early June, items would appear in the newspaper discussing the Republicans’ eagerness to capitalize (subtly, tastefully) on the outpouring of affection for my father and turn it to Bush’s advantage for the fall … Continue reading →

Why oh why can’t this country have a decent opposition any more? As much as we may moan about the state of the US, at least America has a proper two-party system. Britain has no opposition party, and no viable … Continue reading →

Le Monde seems to be engaging in a spot of wishful thinking. In an article about Bush’s current apparent lead over Kerry in the polls, dear old W is referred to as “sortant”. This, according to both my basic grasp … Continue reading →

Will Hutton, former Observer editor and author of the 1995 best-selling (though highly flawed) political analysis The State We’re In – a genius or pretentious arse depending on your point of view – argues in his old paper that Europe … Continue reading →