Wednesday 12th May 2010

The difference in opinion between David Cameron and Nick Clegg was crystal clear when the two men clashed in the UK's first ever televised leaders' debate last month. Back then, who would have thought that they would be hosting a joint press conference in Downing Street.
As I write, the new Prime Minister and his deputy are answering questions in the Downing Street garden, a historical moment when we think that the last person to lead a coalition government was Winston Churchill.
Its all smiles today with Cameron and Clegg looking at ease with each other, however I can't help but wonder how their relationship will change over the coming months. Will they govern together for a whole five years?
Last night I felt I was watching history in the making on television as I saw Gordon Brown honourably stand outside number 10 as Prime Minister for the last time, before David Cameron stood in the same spot about an hour later as our country's new leader. It was a remarkable moment in the modern history of Britain and Gordon's farewell speech was pitched perfectly, striking an emotional chord and even making non Labourites shed a few tears.
For the first time in 13 years Labour have not formed the government, but the mood among party activists appears to be optimistic for the future. Last week's election defeat was by no means a trouncing and after Gordon's resignation we can now look forward to a hotly contested leadership contest. David Miliband is the odds on favorite and will be boosted by this morning's news that Alan Johnson will back him, but I am not going to commit to anyone yet. Ed Balls is expected to be his main challenger and I will assess the strengths and weaknesses of all candidates before making an informed decision on who I want to lead Labour into the next general election.

Tuesday 11th May 2010

For anyone who actually reads this blog, you must think waiting for updates is like waiting for a bus. You wait for months for an update and now two in two days.

Poor Gordon Brown, can he do anything right? The right wing press (I refer collectively to the Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph) just don't seem to be satisfied with anything he does. They've been calling for Gordon Brown to resign all weekend and when he honourably did the right thing last night the Mail called it "A SQUALID DAY FOR DEMOCRACY" and the Express "THIS SHABBY STITCH-UP". Maybe these editors are just bitter that their shamefully biased election coverage failed to put Cameron in number ten with an overall majority and instead of turning on the Tory leader they look for another scapegoat, one who has had to bear the brunt of plenty of abuse over the last couple of years.
Whether Gordon's resignation paves the way for a Labour/Lib Dem coalition remains to be seen, but I'm glad he did the right thing and hasn't succumbed to hubris syndrome, which his predecessor Tony Blair arguably suffered from.
On the subject of coalitions, I can't help but feel a Lab/Lib coalition will only damage the Labour party in the long term. The best option is to stay in opposition and then pick up the pieces when the Conservatives and/or Liberal Democrats become increasingly unpopular after making savage spending cuts. Plus, to secure an overall majority, Labour would not only have to rely on the support of the Lib Dems, but also the Scottish, Irish and Welsh parties which have a small number of seats in the House of Commons, making the process all the more complicated.
The political situation at this present time feels uncertain, but after the Tories accepted last night that there needs to a referendum on electoral reform I can see a deal being done within the next 24 hours.

Monday 10th May 2010

I may have neglected this site in the last three months, but the exciting events of the last few days have been enough to get me out of blogosphere hibernation.

In the last hour it has been announced that Gordon Brown will resign as leader of the Labour party. As a recently paid up member of the party I can only see this as being a good thing. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Gordon. He has capably managed the economic crisis over the last couple of years and his financial knowledge and experience have ensured the grim situation hasn't been much worse. But after a clear defeat in last week's general election(though once again, it could have been much worse), to carry on as Prime Minister would not be right. As for standing down as Labour leader, I would be happy for him to stay on temporary to ensure some stability, but he has to step aside if we are to herald in a new era dubbed "Next Labour".

There are a number of individuals, such as the Miliband brothers and Douglas Alexander, who I have faith in to pick the party up from last week's defeat and for this to happen Gordon had to honourably stand down. Alan Johnson is another contender, but after his decision to sack chief drug advisor David Nutt last year I question his judgement and what he may do if a member of the Cabinet strongly disagrees with him. Harriet Harman is also an option, but after watching her recent performances as a stand in Prime Minister's Questions I'm not sure she has it in her and Ed Balls may be seen as too Brownite.

Of course its very early days yet, but if either Miliband brother stands in the contest they will most probably get my approval. If both David and Ed decide to stand against each other, however, then that is a much tougher choice...

Tuesday 23rd February 2010

Regular readers of this blog (I've been assured there are one or two of you somewhere) will have noticed the distinct lack of activity on here over the last month or so.
Well, I regret to inform you all that I'm going to have to put the blog posts on here on hold at least for the next few months whilst I complete the final stages of my university degree.
In the last few weeks there has been plenty for me to blog about, including the political scene leading up to this year's general election and Southampton's dramatic season, but for now I've decided to concentrate my efforts on the student newspaper, The Solent Speaker. Along with trying desperately to knock together articles on a weekly basis for the Speaker there is also the small matter of the dissertation to complete, as well as bringing my shorthand up to speed, gaining further NCTJs and doing some more work experience to boost the CV before I go job hunting.
But for those of you who will miss my blogging (anyone? no?), don't worry, as I will still be writing a regular blog for www.solentspeaker.co.uk titled The Week At Westminster. On that note, I'll fit in one more plug. Don't forget all you Solent students can pick up your FREE copy of Solent Speaker from campus every Friday, to catch up on what's been going on at uni and in Southampton, courtesy of myself and some very talented Journalism students.
So, for samdolton.co.uk, its goodbye for now, but hopefully not farewell...

Monday 18th January 2010

It is not very often that I read something on the Internet which angers and frustrates me, but just learning that Southampton fans have been initially allocated a mere 800 tickets for the trip to Exeter next month has really put a dampener on my evening.
Saints may be given more tickets, but the FA have to review "incidents" from when Exeter hosted Leeds on Saturday. I'm not sure what these "incidents" were, but I can predict that only allowing 800 Southampton fans into the away end at St James Park will be more trouble than its worth.
Southampton have averaged a lot more than 800 away fans at League One games this season and no doubt many will be planning to make the journey to Devon, which is one of the more closer and easier away days to get to in the league this season. I myself was hoping to stay with a friend in Exeter and go to the game on February 6th as part of an enjoyable weekend away. But these plans will be thrown into doubt if I can't get a ticket for the match.
There is an alternative. I know some Southampton fans have already bought tickets for the home end (away fans have to apply in writing for tickets and will probably not find out if their application has been successful until a few days before the game)and this is will only lead to trouble. I for one get very expressive and passionate when watching Saints play and would struggle to contain my emotions for a full 90 minutes, even in the presence of opposition supporters. I'm sure that many of my fellow Southampton fans are the same and I don't think Exeter fans will take too kindly to having opposition fans express themselves in their part of the ground.
I hope the FA will see sense by realising that Southampton need to be given as big an allocation as possible. The away stands at St James Park can hold up to 1,500 fans, with an open terrace open to 1,200 and 300 seats available in The Grandstand, according to the Football Grounds Guide. So there could be space for up to 700 at St James Park on Saturday 6th February that would easily be filled by away supporters.
I understand the police, stewards and other ground staff may find it hard to accomodate a large away following, but when I went to watch Saints play at Leyton Orient in October I noticed that many of the stewards inside Brisbane Road were from Southampton Football Club and I'm sure a similar arrangement could be sorted out between Southampton and Exeter for this occasion.
Saints fans should not be punished for the actions of a few irresponsible Leeds United and this limited allocation could really put a spanner in the works for a good weekend away for myself. Its all up to the FA to ensure fairness for both clubs and their sets of fans.

Sunday 17th January 2010

Southampton's trip to Millwall livened up in second half stoppage time as the two League One play off hopefuls shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw yesterday.
Saints looked to have taken all three points after a deflected Rickie Lambert free kick crept into the net in front of the 2,000 travelling fans and with the game almost over, prompting wild celebrations in the North Stand of the New Den. But just seconds later the home side rained on Southampton's parade by immediately equalising with virtually the last kick of the game through Liam Trotter.
A match that looked to be goaless suddenly sparked into life in time added on, but Southampton should be happy to take a point as they were by far the second best team for large periods of the game. Millwall should have taken the lead in the first half, but a wonderful Kelvin Davis double save to deny Alan Dunne then Lewis Grabban's follow up shot kept the scores level going into half time.
Saints improved after the break, their best chance coming after Michail Antonio's low cross was met by Adam Lallana in the penalty box, but Millwall keeper David Forde bravely blocked the close range effort.
The late goals don't reflect the story of the game, which wasn't the most interesting and excitment in the New Den largely came from the cracking atmosphere provided by both the home and and away supporters. Saints fans left London last night dissapointed that their team couldn't hold on to the lead after scoring what looked to be the late winner, but at the same time we all knew our lads had not played well enongh to deserve all three points.

Saints player ratings -

Kelvin Davis - 8 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Made that great first half double save plus another good second save to ensure his side didn't lose this one.

Jon Ostemobor - 6 - A threat going forward in his first game for Saints, however he needs to be quicker at tracking back.

Dan Seaborne - 5 - Looked out of his depth and was forced to make a few panicked clearances.

Jose Fonte - 8 - The best of Southampton's three debutants in defence, seems to be a class act at this level.

Dan Harding - 6 - Didn't have a good first half and was given a hard time by the home fans, but improved in the second half.

Lloyd James - 6 - Did well in build up play, but at times he failed to read the game with some wayward passes.

Dean Hammond - 7 - Was getting stuck in and was perhaps Saint's best player before injury forced him off before half time.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 6 - Didn't offer enough going forward when his midfield partner Hammond was subbed.

Lee Holmes - 6 - Looked rusty at first, but gradually eased himself into the game with some good runs and crosses.

Adam Lallana - 6 - Should have buried his second half chance from close range, but apart from that he didn't do much wrong.

Rickie Lambert - 6 - Wasn't given much service at all, but reminded us all that he poses such a goal threat from set pieces.

Subs -

Paul Wotton (on for Hammond) - 6 - Was like bringing on another defender, as he was solid but gave nothing to attack at all.

Michail Antonio (on for James) - 7 - Proved once again that he is a very effective impact sub by opening up Milwall's defence with some promising runs and a decent long range effort when brought on.

Papa Waigo N'daiye (on for Lallana) - 6 - Didn't have time to do much so should have been used a bit earlier.

Saints are still twelve points off that play off spot that most fans are hoping they finish in at the end of the season, but for now attention turns away from the league and towards other endevours. Wednesday's trip to MK Dons in the Southern Final first leg of the Johnstones Paint Trophy could put them halfway to Wembley, then on Saturday Pardew's men will look to continue their good FA Cup run when they host Ipswich in the fourth round of the of the world's oldest competition.

Friday 15th January 2010

Happy Friday everyone, apologies for my week long absence from the blogosphere, it has been a busy week with exams, but I hope to be able to continue this blog in between dissertation work and everything else.

The Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war has gathered momentum this week, with Tony Blair's former Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell facing a grilling earlier this week. The investigation was also brought up in Parliament this past week when during Prime Minister's Questions Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg urged Gordon Brown to appear in front of the Iraq Inquiry Committee before this year's general election.
Both Alastair Campbell and Gordon Brown played a significant part in the 2003 invasion, but more than anything, everyone is waiting for Tony Blair to return to the public spotlight in the next few weeks to tackle some tricky questions over his role.
Thinking about how unpopular Tony Blair is in Britain today was got me wondering how it all went so wrong for the former Prime Minister? Historian Dominic Sandbrook writes a regular piece in the New Statesman titled "What If..." where he speculates what would have happened if things in British politics had taken a different path. I can't help but think would have happened if Tony Blair had distanced himself from American foreign policy in those critical days after 9/11 and managed to avoid sending our troops to Iraq. Would Blair still be Prime Minister today?
Let us not forget that at one time Mr Blair was the most popular Prime Minister in the history of British politics. In September 1997, just four months after being elected by a landslide, he captured the mood of the nation when Princess Diana was tragically killed in a car crach with his "People's Princess" speech. After this, Blair had an approval rating with the British public of over 90%, but from here on it was only going to go downhill.
We saw a glimpse of what was to come a few months later when "the Bernie Ecclestone affair" hit the headlines in November 1997. Despite private fears this scandal would signal the end of his career, Blair came through relatively unscathed by claiming he was a "pretty straight kind of guy". In hindsight we can see the irony.
The Ecclestone affair was the first scandal to rock the Blair governments, preceeding the cash for honours scandal, but it is the Iraq war which most of all has put a permanent stain on his reputation.
In January 2003, just months before Britain went to war, Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland wrote an article titled "A leader who has left behind his people". He concluded:
"How will historians look back at this solo stance by Tony Blair? that depends on the outcome of the coming war. But they will either say this was his defining act of great statesmanship - or the decision that ultimately led to his downfall."
Unless he can pull off a miracle in front of the Chilcot Committee, his actions will almost certainly be judged as the latter.

Friday 8th January 2010

So after all the exciting developments of Wednesday, Gordon Brown remains Prime Minister and now looks certain to lead his party into the general election. As for the conspritors of the potential leadership contest which turned out to be "storm in a tea cup", Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt's reputation have both been tarnished and their judgement questioned by the majority of Labour party members.
And rightly so. To hold a leadership contest just months before the general election would not have improved Labour's chances of holding onto power one bit. Even if Gordon Brown had won the contest, his authority would have been seriously undermimed. You only have to look back to 1995, when Conservative Prime Minister at the time John Major resigned as leader of his party. He was comfortably returned to the post, but this did not help him avoid a thrashing at the general election two years later.
Labour supporters will be pleased that the majority of MPs, particularly Cabinet members, have a bit more common sense than Hoon and Hewitt and put party unity first. Nevertheless, this whole episode has been damaging to the government and has given the Conservatives some ammunition, with David Cameron seizing the opportunity to point out the deep divides within the party.
Brown may have survived this time, but as was the case with John Major in 1997, it might be certain members of his party who contribute heavily to his downfall. I see Hoon and Hewitt's actions in football terms as booing and jeering the captain of the team as he leads them into a World Cup final. A fitting analogy this year, I think.
Election fever is starting to sweep the nation already, with the Tories launching their pre-election campaign earlier this week. I have seen David Cameron's apparently airbrushed mug appear on posters all over Southampton. Ending today's post on a lighter note, I thought I would link to some spoof poster which can be viewed here. Always importantto keep just a bit of humour in politics!

Wednesday 6th January 2010

BREAKING NEWS!!!

I have just got back from running a few errands in town to find Twitter going mad with the breaking news that ex-ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt plan to call a secret ballot on Gordon Brown's leadership.
Now currently listening to Radio 5 Live, I forgot how exciting the breaking of a political story is and there was me thinking today's news agenda would be dominated by the weather!
The former Cabinet ministers have sent a letter round to all Labour MPs, but is this really the right time?
Gordon Brown has just finished his first Prime Ministers Question time of 2010, the biggest year for politics in recent times. From what I have just read, he performed well today and will have been boosted by the news that business secretary Peter Mandelson has finally come out and publicly supported him, but this latest development will come as a huge kick in the teeth.
At first glance, it seems that Hoon and Patricia are both bitter at being left in the cold in recent times and want to claim the glory of removing Brown from office. However, this could all work out in the Prime Minister's favour. If he comes through the leadership ballot unscathed then his reputation will improve, his leadership ability will no longer be questioned and he can strongly lead Labour into the general election.
At the moment though, to me it just looks like a petty display of selfishness from Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt, who haven't taken into account the damage their actions will cause to the Labour party in general. And no suprises, Gordon Brown's fiercest critic in his party Charles Clarke has backed their calls.
Listening to the radio now, Labour members are calling in and seem to be dismayed at this breaking news story. One loyal Labour voter has just claimed that Hoon and Hewitt have now handed the election "on a plate" to the Conservatives.
We shall have to wait to see if this all gathers momentum over the next few hours and days, but I'm hoping the Labour party can unite with Gordon Brown leading them into the election, which will definitely be held in the next five months, so surely its too late now for all this doubt.

Monday 4th January 2010

Happy new year to all and welcome to 2010. This year is hugely significant for politics, as in a few months time we go to the polls to decide who runs the country in perhaps the most important general election since 1997. Whether its held in March or the more likely date of May 6th, one thing is for sure that there there is a long campaign ahead for all involved.
Kicking off the election year, Tory leader David Cameron this morning identified the NHS has his number one priority and I'm sure Labour will have something to say about this. Expect this to be the general pattern until the election is called; one party announces their plans, other parties fiercely attack it. However, the NHS is one of the minor issues, as I expect this election to be focued around the budget deficit and the future of Britain's economy.
I have have thought of ten questions that won't be answered until the results of the general election are clear-

1. Will we have Labour or the Conservatives controlling the country?
2. Will a single party achieve an overall majority in the House of Commons?
3. Will the Liberal Deomcrats improve on their 2005 performance?
4. In the event of a hung parliament, who will the Liberal Democrats side with?
5. Will last year's expenses scandal see a rise or fall in voter turnout?
6. How many high profile MPs will lose their seats as a result of being implicated in the expenses scandal?
7. How will the smaller parties, particularly the British National Party, fare?
8. How will the first ever televised leaders debate effect the outcome of the election?
9. Will we see any Independent MPs elected?
10. How effective will the Sun newspaper be in supporting the Conservatives?

Of course, I do not know the answers do any of these questions, but one thing I will confidently predict is that this will be the closest fought election since the Conservatives narrowly triumphed over Labour in 1992.
More to come on my views concerning the 2010 general election throughout the year.