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Sat, 19 July 2025
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Articles tagged with: Tony Blair
Lord Maude reviews 'The Art of Delivery'
Books & culture
By Lord Maude
Lord Maude reviews 'The Art of Delivery'
Michelle Clement has produced a brilliant account of the creation of the No 10 Delivery Unit and the travails of the Blair government to implement its public service reforms
Tribute to Lord Lipsey: 'Extremely bright, though never arrogant with it'
Obituaries
By Lord Liddle
Tribute to Lord Lipsey: 'Extremely bright, though never arrogant with it'
A former special adviser, journalist and psephologist, David Lipsey was charming, independent and insightful. A man of remarkably diverse interests, he lived life to the full
The Professor Will See You Now: The Limits Of Prime Ministerial Power
History
By Professor Philip Cowley
The Professor Will See You Now: The Limits Of Prime Ministerial Power
As memories of Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher fade, so perceptions of the limitations of prime ministerial power increase
Labour MPs Step Up Campaign For Digital ID
Technology
Labour MPs Step Up Campaign For Digital ID
A group of Labour MPs is urging the government to adopt digital ID cards to help drive economic growth and improve public sector efficiency.
'It was a place of wit, which seems to have entirely disappeared': How the Commons has changed
History
By Tony Wright
'It was a place of wit, which seems to have entirely disappeared': How the Commons has changed
Former Labour MP Tony Wright reflects on how the atmosphere and behaviour of MPs in the House of Commons has altered over the years – for good and bad
'Parliament is already diminished': The mood of hereditary peers as they head for the exit
Parliament
By Daniel Brittain
'Parliament is already diminished': The mood of hereditary peers as they head for the exit
Tony Blair spared 92 hereditary peers in 1999 because he thought they would soon be swept out in a wider reform to the House of Lords. Daniel Brittain samples the mood of the hereditaries a quarter of a century later
Tribute to Lord Prescott – by Baroness Smith
Obituaries
By Baroness Smith of Basildon
Tribute to Lord Prescott – by Baroness Smith
Witty, passionate and down-to-earth, John Prescott was a natural communicator. He also made a real difference in government, leading a programme of change as deputy prime minister and a secretary of state
Tribute to the Marquess of Lothian
Obituaries
By Iain Duncan Smith MP
Tribute to the Marquess of Lothian
As deputy leader of the Tory Party and Northern Ireland secretary Michael Ancram was a pragmatic and courageous politician. A disarming man and good company, the country has lost a fine servant
Not for Tory eyes: Baroness Hayter reviews 'Keeping the Red Flag Flying'
Books & culture
By Baroness Hayter
Not for Tory eyes: Baroness Hayter reviews 'Keeping the Red Flag Flying'
Let’s hope the lessons outlined in this study of the long and factious periods the Labour Party has spent in opposition won’t be needed for many a year
Lord Newby reviews 'Serpents, Goats and Turkeys: A Century of Liberal-Labour Relations'
Books & culture
By Lord Newby
Lord Newby reviews 'Serpents, Goats and Turkeys: A Century of Liberal-Labour Relations'
Charting the twists and turns of over a century of Liberal-Lib Dem and Labour party relations, Coalition-era minister David Laws has produced an eminently readable book
Tribute to Frank Field – by Kate Hoey
Obituaries
By Baroness Hoey
Tribute to Frank Field – by Kate Hoey
Devout Christian, ascetic and principled, Frank Field was also a person of dry wit and humour. A bold and original thinker, most notably on poverty and welfare, he was a formidable opponent and a faithful friend
Tribute to Frank Field – by Bernard Jenkin
Obituaries
By Bernard Jenkin MP
Tribute to Frank Field – by Bernard Jenkin
A man of integrity and independence of mind, the former MP for Birkenhead changed the way we think about welfare. With over 40 years of fearless service in Parliament, we have lost one of the greatest in Frank Field
Tribute to Lord Hoyle – by Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Obituaries
By Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP
Tribute to Lord Hoyle – by Sir Lindsay Hoyle
A chair of the PLP and later a minister in the Lords, my father was a kind, old-school gentleman who taught me the importance of public service. Mad about cricket and rugby league, he was my wingman, and I was his
Former Northern Ireland Negotiator Says There Are Still Lessons To Learn From Bloody Sunday
Communities
Former Northern Ireland Negotiator Says There Are Still Lessons To Learn From Bloody Sunday
Jonathan Powell, an instrumental figure in the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement, has said the UK government must learn from Bloody Sunday and involve victims in truth and reconciliation processes in Northern Ireland.
Keir Starmer Urged To Bring Back 'GOATs' If Labour Win Election
Economy
Keir Starmer Urged To Bring Back "GOATs" If Labour Win Election
Labour peer Lord Paul Drayson, one of the so-called ‘GOATs’ – Government of All Talents – of New Labour, has said that if elected this year, a Labour government should emulate the model if it is to succeed in recovering and growing the economy.
Pagers, BlackBerrys And The PM's Email: Westminster Has Long Grappled With New Technology
Home affairs
Pagers, BlackBerrys And The PM's Email: Westminster Has Long Grappled With New Technology
Senior Government’s use of WhatsApp to discuss high level decisions, and all the associated accountability issues, has been a major talking point of 2023.
Starmer might see himself as Blair 2.0 but don’t expect a radical Labour government
Political parties
By Aaron Bastani
Starmer might see himself as Blair 2.0 but don’t expect a radical Labour government
Over recent decades it has become commonplace for politicians to underscore their radical credentials.
Starmer need not cosplay Blair – there is much to avoid from the New Labour conference playbook
Political parties
By Chris Mullin
Starmer need not cosplay Blair – there is much to avoid from the New Labour conference playbook
The annual conference speech is arguably the greatest ordeal a Labour leader must face, and never more so than when a general election is on the horizon.
Architects Of Good Friday Agreement Urge The DUP To Do 'What's Right' And Rejoin Stormont
Brexit
Architects Of Good Friday Agreement Urge The DUP To Do "What's Right" And Rejoin Stormont
Architects of the Good Friday Agreement have urged the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to end its boycott of Northern Ireland's political institutions at a major conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic peace deal.
Where are they now? Dame Joan Ruddock
Parliament
By Sophie Church
Where are they now? Dame Joan Ruddock
When Joan Ruddock became Lewisham Deptford’s Labour MP in 1987, she says she was one of only 41 female members elected to Parliament.
Conference Voyages: former Labour leaders Tony Blair and Neil Kinnock
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Conference Voyages: former Labour leaders Tony Blair and Neil Kinnock
A stale whiff hangs over the government, which has been in power for more than a decade and trailed in the opinion polls for months.
Yes, Prime Minister: How many PPSs does a premier need?
Parliament
By Professor Philip Cowley
Yes, Prime Minister: How many PPSs does a premier need?
Influencer or ‘bag-carrier’? Philip Cowley unpicks the unpaid job of the prime minister’s parliamentary private secretary
The Neil Kinnock interview: 'As long as I breathe, I’m going to be interested in the Labour Party'
Political parties
By Sienna Rodgers
The Neil Kinnock interview: 'As long as I breathe, I’m going to be interested in the Labour Party'
Lord Kinnock may not have made it to No 10, but he remains a totemic presence in Labour. He shares with Sienna Rodgers his analysis of leaders past and present – and what the party must do to secure a successful future
Where Are They Now? Former Labour MP Phil Wilson
Political parties
By Georgina Bailey
Where Are They Now? Former Labour MP Phil Wilson
Phil Wilson, Labour MP for Sedgefield 2007 - 2019