Some of my friends want to become journalists but I can’t think of a more depressing, meaningless and soul-crushing profession. Bear in mind that I work in politics. A lot of the journalistic types go into the profession hoping to pose though questions, expose stories and fight corruption but before they know it, they’re speculating [...]

To start the year 2010, let’s look back at 2009. Like many bloggers, I’m going to enter the Orwell Prize, an award for political blogging. Unlike many bloggers, I don’t expect to win. I’m sure it’s a total stitch-up reserved for some snooty journalist. (Prove me wrong, guys, prove me wrong.) How did I pick [...]

It is assumed that being a British Member of Parliament is a full time job. One of the reforms being discussed is to regulate and discourage MPs from moonlighting and doing work on the side. Constituency work, parliamentary business and party roles should add up to enough that an MP is delighted to find a [...]

Less than a month in France and I have already been making news! Today I was featured in the local newspaper, Nice-Matin, on page 4. See below the article and below that, my translation: Un jeune travailliste au stage au PS La fédération socialiste des A.-M. accueille, pour un stage de six mois, Hadleigh, un jeune [...]

You will have already heard the news of Michael Jackson’s death from sources other than myself. I had hoped to refrain from commenting as there won’t be any news in the story for a few weeks, though likewise there won’t be any other stories in the news. Already in the top Guardian stories: Michael Jackson [...]

Summer is often mistakenly regarded as the best season of the year; the weather is supposed to be better, the days are longer and most people are on holiday. By most people’s standards summer is an easy time to relax. Not for the media. Journalists frequently describe summer as “the silly season” due to the [...]