The 2010 “Questions to Which the Answer is No” Awards

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Saturday, 1 January 2011 at 3:21 pm After a mid-year round-up of the best to date of the series of Questions to Which the Answer is No, I am now in a position to announce the best of 2010. 457. Has Marilyn Monroe been reincarnated as a shop assistant called Chris? The Committee was unanimous, one …

Left hand: Make work pay; Right hand: Not

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Saturday, 1 January 2011 at 4:28 pm Chris Grayling, Employment minister (right), said it again yesterday: We are reforming the welfare system to ensure that work always pays. Perhaps someone could ask him how that principle is compatible with Nick Clegg’s wizard scheme to pay tuition fees, worth up to £18,000, to students …

How the Baby Boomers Stole Their Children’s Future

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Sunday, 2 January 2011 at 2:35 pm I have an article in The Independent on Sunday in which I observe that David Willetts, who started the year as author of The Pinch, a polemic subtitled How the Baby Boomers Stole Their Children’s Future, ended it as universities minister, engaged in stealing our children’s future and requiring …

Watch this, er, space

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Sunday, 2 January 2011 at 4:29 pm Grant Shapps, the housing minister (right), does not emerge well from the application of the principle that “Everything before the ‘but’ is bullshit”: This government absolutely supports people’s aspiration to own a home. But we also believe that [property] should be primarily thought of …

Deer Fairs

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Sunday, 2 January 2011 at 11:36 pm Some things on the internet at which I looked today: Christian Wolmar, on the “steep rale fare rises”,* which he seems to accept will not stop the growth in rail use, especially with petrol so expensive. Fraser Nelson, on why Lib Dems can save …

Ed Balls and Kneejerk Magnacartaism

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Monday, 3 January 2011 at 2:08 pm Ed Balls, on the detention of nine terrorist suspects, talking sense in the midst of a kneejerk magnacartaist meltdown. What was clear back in 2005 is there were people who were a real threat but couldn’t be charged. And what did you do? And …

Advice for Ed Miliband: Don’t Fall Off the Roof

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Monday, 3 January 2011 at 3:50 pm There is more stuff on the internet today: Alastair Campbell, on hype. “Provided he doesn’t fall from a roof, he [Ed Miliband] should get a fair hearing” for his speech in Oldham today. (Photograph of Miliband on roof: Martin Argles, Guardian.) Paul Corrigan, the Labour …

Is Ed Miliband becoming the IDS of Labour?

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Tuesday, 4 January 2011 at 4:03 pm The Daily Mail asks this question rather belatedly — Ipsos MORI put out that news release on Friday. I have put it down as number 476 of my Questions to Which the Answer is No, because at least the Conservatives got rid of Iain Duncan Smith. Several people, …

The Tories: a party in terminal decline?

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Tuesday, 4 January 2011 at 5:30 pm Number 477 of my Questions to Which the Answer is No, asked by Left Futures, which seems to be a vehicle for Jon Lansman’s ancient Bennite left in the Labour Party. Thanks to Rob Marchant.

Flaps, Dizzie, Ziggy or Buzzie

By John Rentoul Eagle Eye Tuesday, 4 January 2011 at 9:42 pm The Saudi Arabians have intercepted a vulture suspected of working for Mossad. First a shark; now this. Thanks to Gabriel Milland. (Photograph of Egyptian vulture by Hakan Perek.) Other stuff I saw on the internet today: Iain Martin awards George Osborne a diploma in Advanced Tony Blair Studies. …