Tag Archives: Politics

Labour can take pride in its school rebuilding programme. Even if this one was finished nine years behind schedule  

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Alex Grant

Last Monday (November 3rd) I was at the grand opening of the John Roan School in Blackheath (the school lies in the ward I represented as a councillor until May 2014, and I used to be a governor there). Despite the big … Continue reading →

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What happens when politicians and developers meet behind closed doors – and why Unite’s wrong to call the meetings off

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Alex Grant

What happens when politicians and property developers meet behind closed doors? According to Vince Passfield, Unite’s deputy regional secretary for London, multi-national investors seek to “stitch up deals that would  hit council tenants and leaseholders in the capital”. As a result Unite … Continue reading →

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Seven months before an election Labour must inspire, surprise and provoke its supporters. Not patronise them

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Alex Grant

Labour Vice-Chair Michael Dugher MP (who’s been charged with “bringing the Obama touch to Labour’s 2015 election campaign”) sent me an automated “Hi Alex” email last week. “You might not realise it yet, but it’s pretty amazing just how much … Continue reading →

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There’s no need for Labour to be apologetic about a mansion tax

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Alex Grant

What’s the average annual household income in London? And what about the average property price? The answers – average household income was £38,688 in 2011 (the last year for which the ONS has statistics) and the average property price, even … Continue reading →

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Memo to the Left: 1 Nationalism should always be viewed with suspicion. 2 Press freedom needs to be fought for. 3 And an independence referendum is not a conference workshop

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Alex Grant

A political leader who has spent much time cosying up to Rupert Murdoch faces difficult questions from a broadcast journalist, a few days before a crucial electoral test. The leader accuses the journalist of “heckling” him. The press conference has … Continue reading →

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Will Len McCluskey ever shut up? Bashing the Lib Dems won’t win the election for Labour

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Alex Grant

Will Len McCluskey ever shut up? His call for Labour to rule out a coalition with the Lib Dems after the 2015 election (as reported in last Sunday’s Observer), or else face cuts in funding from the Unite union he … Continue reading →

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Carbuncle Cup: the end of localism?

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Alex Grant

It’s been a busy few days for me. Since last Wednesday, when Woolwich Central was announced as the winner of Building Design’s Carbuncle Cup, I’ve been inundated with emails, tweets and requests for comment: I chaired the Greenwich Council Planning … Continue reading →

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We should applaud Michael Gove’s departure – and understand why he lasted so long

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Alex Grant

Twenty years ago, as a student, I spent a couple of weeks doing work experience at the Times and met Michael Gove, then an up-and-coming Leader writer. I was – and arguably still am – a complete nobody and Gove … Continue reading →

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Beware the dangers of Opportunistic Labour

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Alex Grant

The conviction of Andy Coulson last week left an open goal for Labour. I choose my words carefully, given that Coulson is about to face a retrial on further charges, but Labour was – and still is – quite right … Continue reading →

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And who is to blame for this carbuncle? Er, me actually…

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Alex Grant

SEPTEMBER 3rd UPDATE: The Woolwich Central development, which this blog post of June 25th covered, has now been declared the winner of Building Design’s 2014 Carbuncle Cup, as covered by the Guardian, the BBC’s One Show (3 minutes thirty seconds … Continue reading →

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