Add to Google! Add to My Yahoo! Subscribe with Bloglines Friend with LiveJournal

Sunday, May 7th, 2006

Clarke not tough enough for Blair?

07

May

Portillo on Charles Clarke:
The wrecking of Clarke’s career makes an interesting case study. He won almost universal praise as education secretary, his first cabinet job. But after his promotion to the Home Office he never looked entirely happy. He was under intense pressure from Blair to take additional powers to detain terrorist suspects and to create new offences, such as the glorification of terrorism.

Much more than David Blunkett before him, Clarke took seriously the arguments of civil libertarians. Even if physically he resembled a round peg, Blair was clearly bashing him into a square hole. Early in Clarke’s tenure it was already rumoured that Blair was dissatisfied.
(via)

If Portillo’s right, then we not only have the problem of John Reid being a bastard, it’s not just the Home Office as an all-consuming monster, it’s tired Tony who’ll keep the pressure up for headline grabbing.

Let’s hope those letter writers get through, if not to Tony himself, then to the rest of the cabinet.

Technorati tags: , , , ,


Googlisms - Neil Harding

07

May

I promise to stop posting these so often. Actually, that’s a promise I know I can’t keep. Especially when I get results such as “neil harding killed my hamster“! Neil, is there something you’re not telling us?


Power to the People - Cameron reforms (redux)

07

May

In an ideal world (ie one where I wasn’t skint), I’d have been in London yesterday for the Power Commission conference. Fortunately, Davide has written an excellent report from which I warm (a little) to Dave (again): (more…)


Britblog Roundup # 64 + Ministry of Truth

07

May

Tim’s got this weeks Best of British up at his place. Also, Unity (of Liberty Central setting upness) has moved his personal blog, and has an analysis of the new Home Secretary’s halftruths at the Ministry of Truth. Mr Blair would’ve been better served in his deckchair re-arrangement if he’d done something to break up the all-consuming monster. Ah well.
Technorati tags: ,


"The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves."
-PLATO (427-347BCE)
Recent Comments

Links