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Gove’s removal was correct cowardice
Leave a commentJuly 16, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
The big news in the education sphere in the Cabinet reshuffle yesterday was the moving of Michael Gove from Education …
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The ‘hidden voters’ could make a mockery of the opinion polls in the Scottish referendum
Leave a commentJuly 15, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Two months before the 2011 Scottish Assembly election, opinion polls put the Labour Party 15% ahead of Alex Salmond’s SNP. …
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Data Retention and Investigation Powers Bill – ‘Then they came for me…..’
Leave a commentJuly 13, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Not being a fan of censorship of any form, my thoughts when I heard about the fast-tracking of the Data …
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Uxbridge would be a perfect constituency for a Boris, but he shouldn’t run
Leave a commentJuly 11, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
If ever there were an example of someone that David Cameron would prefer to be ‘standing inside the tent pissing …
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We need to separate the legitimacy of strike action from the legitimacy of the strike ballots
Leave a commentJuly 10, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
As public sector workers stage a mass walkout on a scale rarely seen since the 1926 general strike, there are …
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Cybernats should understand that going for the person not the argument weakens their case
1July 9, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
I have a rule I follow when it comes to debate. If someone has resorted to personal attacks it’s because …
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What does it mean when the Labour Party is uninterested in preparing for government?
Leave a commentJuly 7, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
There was an interesting clue the other day as to how seriously Ed Miliband and his advisers are taking their …
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Austerity 2 – you ain’t seen nothing yet
Leave a commentJuly 6, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
The UK has one of the largest budget deficits in the world. The amount that our government spending exceeds our …
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George Osborne – the UK’s next Foreign Secretary
Leave a commentJuly 5, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Should the Conservatives win the next election, you should expect to see George Osborne become Foreign Secretary. It is believed …
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The “Right to be Forgotten” – the implementation devil rears its head
Leave a commentJuly 4, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
When the European Court of Justice (ECJ) made its “Right to be Forgotten judgement” back in May I warned …
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Do we want state funding for 50p per voter, or do we want to complain about bankers and unions buying influence?
Leave a commentJuly 3, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Last night at the Hurlingham Club in Fulham and next week at the Roundhouse in Camden the Conservative and Labour Party …
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Now the hackers are facing the full might of the law – we must be wary of further attempts to muzzle press freedom
Leave a commentJuly 2, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
A £100m phone hacking trial has just finished. There are more to come as the law works its way through …
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Why Rebekah Brooks floated back to the surface at last week’s Salem hacking trial
2July 1, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
At the Salem witch trials near the end of the 17th century, if the accused sank and drowned, they …
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Without Andy Coulson we would probably be in our 17th year of Labour government
Leave a commentJune 30, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
It was back in 2007 when David Cameron decided to hire as his Director of Communications a man who had …
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The N-H-S – Cameron’s 2010 priority should become Labour’s 2015 focus
Leave a commentJune 29, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
David Cameron, in the run-up to the 2010 General Election, said that his priorities could be summed up in three …
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EU must be joking?
Leave a commentJune 28, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
I enjoyed this video – it tries to explain how the EU works for anyone who doesn’t understand the difference …
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GM food – how long will we ignore science and let people starve?
Leave a commentJune 27, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Despite my wish to provide a balanced view on economic or political issues, I have to admit to finding it …
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Universal Credit and Iain Duncan-Smith, doomed to failure?
Leave a commentJune 26, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
There are numerous books and articles written about the concept of “government failure”. Governments intervene – mostly with the best …
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If you think nothing was gained from invading Iraq, remember the purple finger
Leave a commentJune 25, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
I’ll never forget the minute Moussa (not his real name) walked into my classroom with a smile on his face …
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‘HS3’ – Osborne sells the benefits of a global northern powerhouse
2June 24, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
One of the problems of being, you know, a properly functioning democracy is that governments need to try and …
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Iraq shows what happens when democracy is overrun by the Tyranny of the majority
Leave a commentJune 23, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
As the situation in Iraq escalates, it is useful to see what we can learn about how it has come …
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50,000 people assembled in Parliament Square to protest against austerity: why wasn’t the BBC interested?
2June 22, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Despite the complaints I have made about the dangers to pluralism in this country (click here and here), I am …
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What we can learn from Jason Millard disqualifying himself from the biggest golf tournament in his life.
Leave a commentJune 21, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
The best way to judge someone’s true character is how they behave when no-one is looking. Another way to test …
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Youth jobs and skills plan – how I know Ed Miliband’s onto something good
Leave a commentJune 20, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Yesterday, Ed Miliband announced a new plan to tackle youth employment that addresses the short term problems of youth unemployment …
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Dr Sarah Wollaston – the type of person who gives MPs a good name
Leave a commentJune 19, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Dr Sarah Wollaston is the answer I give to anyone who lazily tells me that MPs are all the same …
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How do you solve a problem like Tony Blair?
Leave a commentJune 18, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
The problem with Tony Blair is that for a number of reasons people aren’t prepared to actually listen to anything …
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Nick Clegg’s press conference shows the problems for democracy of being in a coalition
Leave a commentJune 17, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
If you are ever in need of a primer in the problems of coalition government, you should look no further …
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Buying water cannon to stifle protest – not in my name
Leave a commentJune 16, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
I yield to very few in my belief in freedom of speech the importance of protest as a major aspect …
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ISIS and Iraq – a game of chess that isn’t a game anymore
Leave a commentJune 15, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
In an operation that has been ongoing for a week – the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Shams (ISIS) seized control …
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Lib Dems education policy – pushing them Ed-wards
Leave a commentJune 14, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
The most interesting aspect of the Lib Dems’ announcement this morning of a manifesto promise at the next election for all …
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Cameron vs Juncker – how to win with your hands tied?
Leave a commentJune 13, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
The Prime Minister has published an article this morning explaining the effort he has been making to block the accession …
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Black Cabs vs Uber – Monopoly power or consumer power?
Leave a commentJune 12, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
So, it’s time to get your tissues out because this story is likely to make you weep with sympathy. Here …
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Politics above economics in the energy market hurts consumers
Leave a commentJune 11, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
This should be an article about economics. However, it has an unavoidable political dimension. What is going on in the …
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Gove vs May: Genuine disagreement on confronting extremism – or something else?
2June 10, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
So let’s just be clear. Cabinet Ministers are allowed to disagree with each other. In fact, if they want they …
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All eyes on Seattle: A ‘proper’ minimum wage is set at last
Leave a commentJune 9, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
After a two year campaign driven by low-paid fast-food workers that had galvanised the electorate, Seattle’s newly elected mayor, Ed …
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The ECB set negative interest rates: What does this mean?
Leave a commentJune 8, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
On Thursday the European Central Bank announced that it was setting their interest rate at -0.1%. This is not a …
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Bowe Bergdahl: If you send someone into Afghanistan, you have to get them out of Afghanistan
3June 7, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
You wouldn’t come across many Bowe Bergdahls in London, England. Born in an area of the United States that people …
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Newark by-election result: An ungracious winner, a relieved loser
1June 6, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
So there we go – the Conservatives won the Newark by-election. They retained their 44th safest seat, a seat in …
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A Queen’s speech to keep the Coalition going until May 7th – nothing more
Leave a commentJune 5, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Every year the Queen’s speech heralds the State Opening of Parliament. Drawn up by the Government of the day, it …
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Newark by-election: Why does it matter so much to the Conservatives?
Leave a commentJune 4, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
In the 2010 General Election, Patrick Mercer got 54% of the vote in his Newark constituency, winning by over 16,000 …
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Democracy is broken – but WE have to fix it
Leave a commentJune 3, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Adrian Woolridge’s outstanding article in the Independent last week in which he asks whether Ukip’s success in the European elections proves …
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‘Collective pensions’: Another step towards defusing our demographic time-bomb?
Leave a commentJune 2, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
The government have widely trailed an initiative they are intending to put in Wednesday’s Queen’s Speech – to allow workers …
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Regulating the Energy market: Not as easy as it looks
Leave a commentJune 1, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Ed Miliband was right, and supported by ex-Tory Prime Minister John Major, to highlight that the market for gas and …
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2014 election focus: Conservatives must put long-term survival ahead of short-term power
Leave a commentMay 31, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Having lived much of my life under the belief that if you have low expectations of everything you are more …
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A2 Economics technique focus 6: And finally…the conclusion
2May 30, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
If you want to be able to access the higher level marks in economics A-level essays, an effective conclusion is …
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A2 exam technique spot 5: selecting the right question
Leave a commentMay 29, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
Whatever exam board you are taking over the next two weeks, the key choice is going to be that of …
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A2 Microeconomics technique spot 4 – How to write the perfect intro
Leave a commentMay 28, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
There is no hard and fast rule for introductions in essays. The mark schemes don’t actually even mention the word. …
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2014 election focus: We need to talk about Ed
Leave a commentMay 28, 2014 by Paul Goldsmith
I would like to talk about where the Labour Party go from here but I can’t, because first we need …
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Goldblog
Politics and Economics comment. Co-Author of How to Lose a Referendum – the Definitive Story of Why Britain Voted for Brexit [http://bit.ly/2ryynRG]. PhD Student KCL – Parliamentary Scrutiny of 2015 EU Referendum Act. Economics and Politics teacher in London. 18 years teaching experience. Prior to that a management consultant. All opinions here are my own.
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