Iain Dale's Diary

This Blog Is Now Closed

2011-07-04T23:45:00.004+01:00

This blog is now closed.

To read Iain Dale's new mega-blog

Dale & Co

go to

http://iaindale.com

from midnight on 8 July

twitter: @daleandcompany

Gio - A Tribute

2011-07-01T11:08:00.014+01:00

Gio Simmonsdale
1997-2011

Maybe it's somehow fitting that this will be the last ever blogpost on this blog. It marks the end of two eras - the end of this blog, as in a few days time my new site, Dale & Co launches, and also the end of a life.

Five hours ago my beloved little Jack Russell, Gio, died. Those of you who have ever had the privilege of owning a dog will know what a devastating time this is for me and my family, who loved him with all our hearts. It is scant consolation to know that we gave him the best life a dog could possibly have, as a gaping hole has opened up in our lives, which can never, ever be filled.

Most Jack Russells are characters, and Gio was no exception. He was a cheeky little blighter and had us all wrapped around his little paws.

Gio was a Battersea dog. Back in early 1998 we went to Battersea, ostensibly to get a fully grown, house trained dog. We emerged with a six week old Jack Russell puppy who was so small that I could hold him in the palm of my hand. People often ask why we called him Gio? I wanted to call him Rio, after Rio Ferdinand, but that was vetoed by he who must obeyed. But I wear an aftershave called Aqua di Gio, and as I was shaving one morning I saw it on the shelf and thought to myself that Gio sounded enough like Rio, and it was just right for him. After that, my aftershave became known as Gio’s piss...

When I grew up we had always had Jack Russells so I knew what wonderful dogs they could be, but I had no idea this little mite would give us so much pleasure and become such an integral part of our lives. He was a dog that everyone loved. And Gio loved them back. Well, almost everyone. He didn’t care much for children, and let them know it in a typical Jack Russell kind of way - he would give them a nip. For some unfathomable reason he also didn’t like people on bicycles. If he saw someone riding a bike he would literally go mental.

During the first few years of Gio’s life, he would come to work with John and me at our Westminster bookshop, Politico’s. We barred him in behind the counter, but on several occasions he escaped and delighted running round the shop at full pelt, causing total havoc. The customers thought it was an absolute hoot.

In his early years Gio was a very fit and active dog. He loved going to the park and haring after a tennis ball I would throw. He never tired of it and would happily carry on for half an hour given half a chance. Sadly, this activity came to an end when one day he jumped off a sofa and damaged a knee ligament. Although we were still able to take him for walks, he wasn’t allowed to run at all, which meant that over time he became a bit of a porker. This proved to be a real problem as Gio was a terrible food thief. You’d give him his meal and ten minutes later he’d give you a look which said “Daddy, why are you starving me, give me some of your doughnut”. And believe me, he had this look which made you want to give in to his every demand. We didn’t, but felt very guilty for refusing him anything.

My worst memory of Gio's life was when he was run over. And it was my fault. He was on an extendable lead and I was walking ahead of him when I suddenly became aware of an approaching car. It happened in slo-motion. I heard a thud, and then Gio emerged from the side of the car and sat down on the pavement holding his paw up. I gathered him up, ran home bawling my eyes out, thinking he would die. We put him in blankets and rushed to the vet who diagnosed a sprained leg. It could have been so much worse.

Back in 2005 Gio spent a morning with me on the general election campaign trail in Cromer. We bought him a union jack coat. But sadly even Gio’s charms couldn’t rescue me from an inglorious defeat at the hands of Norman Lamb.

Gio was a dog that liked his routine. At 2pm precisely he would sit by the dog chew draw. At 10pm he would demand his nightly rich tea biscuit and slurp of cranberry juice. On his nightly walk he would go so far and no further. And like all Jack Russells, a walk in his view was less about exercise and more about having a good old sniff.

But over the last year there had been a clear decline in the little scamp’s health. He developed a slight heart problem and seemed to pant too much. We were warned by the vet that he might not be long for this world. But he was a doughty fighter and bounced back again. But just before I went to Australia it became clear that he was struggling. I dreaded going away for three weeks with the thought in the back of my mind that I might not see him again. My partner John and I chatted on Skype video twice a day and I made him show me Gio each time, just so that I could be reassured he was still alive. I know John dreaded having to tell me he had died while I was away.

Whenever I go away the one thing that keeps me going is the thought of the welcome Gio will give me when I get home. And that was my abiding thought as I flew back from Australia the Sunday before last. But instead of being delighted to see me when I walked though the door, and instead of giving my face a good licking, he just looked at me to say “Oh, you're back then.” And then he wandered into the kitchen. I was gutted. And I knew then that something was seriously wrong. He had also clearly lost a lot of weight. He’d come to my sofa for “a love” – and just stare u at me into my eyes, as if to say “Daddy, what’s wrong with me, please put it right”. That look never failed to bring a tear to my eye.

Anyway, the vet then diagnosed diabetes. We were told he’d need an insulin injection every day. But then a minor miracle happened. An hour after the first injection he was back to his old self. He was eating properly, full of life, tail erect, being cheeky, keen to go on his walk, and everything seemed right with the world. But it wasn’t to last.

I got home from my radio show on Friday night to find that a few minutes before I got there he had had what we thought was a hypoglycaemic attack. He had fitted. We got the vet out to see him, hoping beyond hope that he would be able to fix him. Instead he delivered the devastating news that Gio was unlikely to make it through the night. It appeared he had had a stroke. He wasn’t in pain, but the sadness in his eyes told its own story. As the hours wore on, his breathing got gradually weaker, and at 5.30am he passed away.

Our lives will never be the same. He meant everything to John and me. He and John were devoted to each other. Gio knew that if he felt ill, it would be John that would make him better. He was the constant in Gio's life. John and I are very different. John is stoic and knows what to do if Gio is in pain. I collapse into an emotional jelly. And so it was last night. Gio spent most of his ast few hours staring up at John and I. If he could have spoken, he would have said to John: "Thank you, Daddy, thanks for being there for me. Thanks for giving me a wonderful life".

If you haven’t had a dog in your life you cannot comprehend the gaping void that can never, ever be filled. Someone said the best thing to do it get another dog immediately. I just couldn’t. It would feel like betraying his memory.

As I complete this tribute to the best friend I am ever going to have, it provides little solace to know in my heart that we gave Gio the best life a dog could ever have. Maybe one day we’ll feel ready to try to do the same for another rescue dog. But there will never be another Gio.

Australian Diary: The Second Week

2011-06-13T12:39:00.006+01:00

Sitting here basking in 32 degree heat, looking out over a balmy Darwin sunset in northern Australia I am wondering why anyone would ever leave this heavenly place. I’ve been in Australia for nearly two weeks and have loved every minute of it. It’s a truly fabulous country and it’s easy to see why so many Brits come here to live. It’s a very optimistic country and you get a sense of the optimism just by looking into people’s faces as you walk down the street. Strangers smile at you. They chat to you with ease. There are none of the scowls you get if you ever make eye contact with anyone on the streets of London. There’s none of the scepticism so prevalent in our society in the UK. This is a can do country with a positive attitude.

The political part of my trip ended a week ago – I was here to deliver a number of speeches for Microsoft Australia, two of which were in Parliament House in Canberra. So with that part of the trip over with, it was time to do a little relaxing and sightseeing.

On Monday I took train ride up the coast to Newcastle, and very scenic was too – the train ride, I mean, not Newcastle. I got to Sydney Central station early in the morning and bought my ticket, which was unbelievably cheap. Bearing in mind it was a 320 km round trip it only cost £8. I took comfort in the fact that it was about the only cheap thing I had encountered on my trip so far. I then asked how much a first class ticket would be. “Sir, all our seats are first class.” That put me in my place,

The journey through the Hawkesbury River was stunning. The train never seemed to break more than about 50mph and it took three hours before we arrived in Newcastle. I had been warned that it wasn’t exactly a beautiful town, and so it proved. I wandered round the harbour area and up to Nobby’s Beach (yes, honestly) before waiting to catch a trolley bus tour of the town at 1pm. The trolley bus duly arrived and I turned out to be the only customer. The driver said he couldn’t take me on my own but would drop me at the town’s new maritime museum. Which he did. And it was closed.

Buses in Newcastle are free, and all of them run virtually empty. There’s a lesson there somewhere. I was amused to see that the buses were going to outlying town suburbs called Morpeth and Wallsend! So back to Sydney I went, and enjoyed the scenic railway for a second time.

In the evening I met Alice Wright for dinner in a wonderful Italian restaurant in Surry Hills. Alice was the floor manager at 18 Doughty Street and is now living in Sydney with her Aussie boyfriend. She is a speechwriter for the New South Wales minister for tourism. It was great to see her again and reminisce about all the programmes we made together.

It was another early start on Tuesday. I was picked up shortly after 7am from my city centre apartment by a tour company who were taking me on a tour of the Blue Mountains. James, the tour guide, immediately told me the bus would be very full. “There are two of you,” he joked. And there were. Me and a Canadian girl called Angela. The advantages of travelling in the Australian winter. We started off by visiting an Aboriginal Cultural Centre and then headed up into the mountains. Stunning scenery and more than a little of the Grand Canyon about parts of it. We even saw some kangaroos. I know it’s pathetic, but that was the highlight. “Whatcha say, Skip? Grandma’s fallen down a mineshaft?” Readers of a younger generation won’t get that, but those of us who were brought up on Skippy the Bush Kangaroo will!

On Thursday I flew up to Darwin to spend the weekend with Shane Stone, a friend of mine who is a former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. It’s a four hour flight from Sydney. To give you some geographical perspective, Darwin is further from Sydney than London is from Moscow. It’s the dry season in Darwin at the moment and a very pleasant 30 degrees. We were joined by two of Shane’s colleagues and were immediately driven to Crocosaurus Cove where we saw some very big crocodiles indeed! On Friday morning we headed out to Channel Point, which is a 140 mile drive, mainly on dirt roads. It’s on the coast, opposite the Peron Islands and is a compound of about 20 properties. It’s totally isolated from anywhere. You walk along the beach and you feel as if you are about to star in an episode of LOST. I’ve never been fishing before, but that’s what people do here. All the time. All day. Except that the wind was too strong, thereby preventing us from going out on the water. But we fished in a creek and laid crab traps. I eventually learned how to cast a rod, but didn’t end up catching anything. But I did catch crabs. There’s a joke there somewhere.

We headed back to Darwin this morning. I had to laugh at the start of an article in the local Darwin newspaper today. “Darwin is in the grip of winter. Temperatures descended to a chilly 25 degrees centigrade yesterday...” You have to laugh.

We caught the afternoon flight back to Sydney. I’m now gearing myself up for the final week of my stay here, which will be dominated by broadcasting my LBC show every day from 4am-7am from the Today FM studios.

And I am going to meet some long lost relatives in Sydney, I never knew I had. More of that another time.

Australian Diary: The First Week

2011-06-02T13:53:00.008+01:00

I last came to Australia twenty years ago, in September 1991. Last time Australia was in recession was in 1991. The week I arrive here the country goes into negative growth for the first time since 1991. Sorry, Australia, I seem to bring recessions with me. I didn't mean it. Honest.

There are very few countries in the world I could live in. Australia is one of them. When I came here twenty years ago, I had expected not to like Australia. I have no idea why I thought that, because I fell in love with the country. Unfortunately, on that trip I only had about 2 days free time so had little opportunity to have a proper look round. We went to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, but spent all our time working. We were advising the Australian Liberal Party on reforming laws governing the employment of dock workers. On our first day in the country we were warned that if the dockers' unions found out we were here, our lives would be in danger. Nice. There was no such warning this time!

I never intended to wait twenty years to return, but time somehow just slipped by. So, why am I here? Well, those nice people at Microsoft invited me to do a week long speaking tour, and frankly, who was I to refuse? I then thought that it was rather idiotic just to spend one week here, so tagged on another week, and then had the bright idea of broadcasting my LBC show for a week from Sydney, and I will be doing that from 13-18 June. Unfortunately I miscalculated the time difference and I will actually be broadcasting my normal evening show from 4am to 7am in the morning.

I arrived in the country on Sunday morning and had a day and a half before my first speaking engagement. On Monday morning I recorded a 30 minute podcast interview with one of Australia's leading bloggers, Stilgherrian, which you can find HERE.

On Monday afternoon I switched on the Australian version of Sky News (same graphics and music as the UK version, interestingly) to watch Question Time from the House of Representatives in Canberra. More of that later. Ahem. One thing though, I was rather captivated by the Australian Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Julie Bishop, who I had never encountered before. I tweeted...

"Loving the hairstyle of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Australia. I hear she was Krystal Carrington's stunt double in Dynasty"

I didn't realise I had so many twitter followers here in Australia, as this appeared in most of the newspaper diary columns the next day. As you're about to see, I didn't learn my lesson...

My first speaking commitment was at the Sydney Institute on Monday evening, where I gave a talk on the world of political blogging and new media. It was a very engaged audience, who seemed well versed in British politics. Sajid Javid MP had been there the week before. Later that evening AMP hosted a dinner for me at the top of their harbourside office block. The night views over the Opera House and Harbour Bridge were stupendous. But it really was singing for my supper. There were about 20 guests and they grilled me between courses for a good couple of hours. Still, liking the sound of my own voice has never been a problem for me!

On Tuesday it was up early for the flight to Canberra. Very early. We got to the Hyatt in Canberra at about 10am. I had two speeches to complete writing, but I was so tired I thought I'd have a quick zzzz before getting down to it. Quick zzzz. Hmmm. I woke up at 2pm. Bugger. But luckily just in time to watch Question Time again. In Australia, the House of Commons sits for only 80 days a year - an innovation we should copy - and on each day there is a 90 minute Question Time session in which all government ministers partake. The behaviour in the chamber on this occasion was even worse than the day before. And that's saying something. I like adversarial politics. I would hate to have a sterile chamber like the US House of Representatives or the German Bundestag, but the Australians take adversarial politics to ridiculous levels. The pure hatred and loathing on the facts of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition have to be seen to be believed. And the others take their lead from them. The Speaker, a gentle soul called Harry Jenkins, seems powerless to call order. Every few seconds he murmurs 'Order' but few take any notice. He names people. Still they take no notice. He can send people out of the chamber for an hour to cool down, and does. He can ban people. But they see no shame in being named or sin-binned. Indeed, it seems to be a badge of honour. The Speaker doesn't ever seem to stand. He just sits there and every 20 seconds or so, says 'Order'. To me, he is part of the problem. He's not an authority figure, and boy does that chamber need an authority figure. Anyway, during Tuesday's session I tweeted this...

"The UK House of Commons is often accused of behaving like a playground. It has nothing on the Aussie House of Reps. Unbelievable behaviour."

This led to quite a strong reaction on Twitter and gained me about 200 extra followers. Remarkably virtually everyone agreed. In retrospect I suppose I might have got a lot of tweets accusing me of being a whinging Pom, but there was only one blogger who really took issue with me and that was because of a bit of a misunderstanding. As a result of the tweet the BBC World Service rang and asked if I would expand on my view on their World Update programme with Dan Damon, which I duly did. Unfortunately they then posted a heavily edited transcript of my remarks, which they made out was an article by me. It wasn't.

And so it started. Radio interview after radio interview about what I had said. This afternoon I did a half hour phone in on Sydney's ABC 702AM station, which is their equivalent of ABC. Remarkably every caller agreed with me. Tomorrow I am on with Andrew Bolt on the Melbourne Breakfast show and then a station in Perth. It's remarkable what one tweet can launch!

If you think I am exaggerating about the Australian Parliament read THIS superb article by the FT's Matthew Engel.

That evening I met a dozen Aussie bloggers for dinner, along with several people from Microsoft.

Next morning, it was showtime! I delivered the keynote speech at the Microsoft/Open Forum Politics & Technology Forum at Parliament House. My speech was to be on Openness & Transparency and was scheduled to last 40 minutes. I have to say I don't think I have ever given a 40 minute speech before. I reckon that unless you're Martin Luther King or Barack Obama, people tend to switch off after 20 minutes no matter how good you are. So I deliberately timed a vicious attack on Julian Assange for the 25 minute mark. It worked. I think.

I then took part in a 90 minute long panel with top Aussie blogger Stilgherrian (that's his real name. He doesn't have a second one), Gianpaolo Carrera from Microsoft, Professor Eric Clements from the US, Shadow Chancellor (or Treasurer as they say here) Joe Hockey and Sentator Kate Lundy, PPS to the Prime Minister and Sarah Palin look-a-like (and I mean that in an admiring way, Kate!) and an expert in social media. It all seemed to go off well. I wasn't sure if my speech had worked, but all the twitter reaction seemed positive.

Later on, over lunch, I delivered a second speech to the All Party UK/Australia Friendship group of Senators and MPs. It was good to meet so many of them, especially the redoubtable Bronwyn Bishop, who I hit it off with - she's Australia's answer to Ann Widdecombe! I talked about the role of technology in the 2010 election.

Later in the afternoon we flew back to Sydney. I was due to have dinner with my old colleague from 18 Doughty Street days, Alice Wright, but I was so tired I put her off until Monday.

Today I had breakfast and lunch with Shane Stone. Shane is on the board of the holding company which owns Biteback, and he is the former Chief Minister of the Northern Territories and also a former Liberal Party President. Next week I am going to Darwin to stay with him. We're apparently going fishing in crocodile country, 300km west of Darwin. Apparently the boats have to have reinforced floors to stop the crocs biting through. I shall try not be a wuss.

I also went to the Microsoft offices to talk to 30 or 40 of their staff. I did it all off the cuff today, which is my favoured method of speaking and we had a really good Q & A. And that was the final part of the working bit of my trip.

I now have 6 days in Sydney to do as I please. I reckon I shall take a few day trips out of the city, maybe to the Blue Mountains one day and the Hunter Valley another. I also want to do a Sydney Harbour boat trip.

And I also need to start thinking about inviting guests to appear on my LBC show. The question is: will I be able to persuade people to come to the studios for 6am!

Just a final word about my first impressions of Australia on this visit. The one thing that has struck me so far is that it is an incredible optimistic, cheerful nation. People actually smile at you. You don't get many smiles to the dozen in London, but here, it's as if people are enjoying life and are not letting problems get them down. Sydney is a very cosmopolitan city and on the outside at least has coped very well with integrating a huge number of migrants from fellow Asian countries. But the prices! My God, this is the most expensive place I have ever been in my life. It's far more expensive than Scandinavia and Switzerland. A Mars Bar costs £2! A can of coke in the hotel is £5. I ordered a club sandwich, a cranberry juice and a cherry strudel desert. The bill came to more than £55. Breakfast is £30. Madness. Luckily, it;s those nice people at Microsoft who are paying, but after Saturday I am on my own!

Anyway, I have rambled on for long enough. I'll write another blogpost next weekend, assuming I haven't been eaten by crocodiles in the Northern Territories by then...

The Daley (Half) Dozen: Friday

2011-05-20T22:00:00.001+01:00

1. Stephen Glover isn't sure he can trust his friend Chris Huhne.
2. George Readings condemns the left for allying with Islamists.
3. Julia Manning provides the solutions to Clegg's problems.
4. Liz Truss condemns the private sector surviving on subsidy.
5. Olly Grender wonders how Michael Moore will cope with Salmond.
6. Daniel Hannan examines how the British are viewed abroad.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm

2011-05-20T18:15:00.001+01:00

Next week I will be sitting in for Nick Ferrari and hosting the LBC Breakfast Show from 7-10am.

Tonight...

7PM: Terror suspects: What should we do with people we suspect of terrorism? A man the police think could conduct a terrorist attack in London has been exported to a Midlands city in order to protect the London public. Why isn’t this man behind bars?

8PM Cars: Is Britain falling out of love with the car? A new study shows that fewer and fewer of us are learning to drive and we have reached what some are calling “peak car”. Car use in London has held steady over the last 15 years. Why? Is it because more people work from home? Has public transport got better?

9PM The sale of Waterstones: What do you want to see from your local bookshop? Are bookshops destined for the retail scrapheap?

930PM Twitter: Do you use twitter? Do you regard it as a force for good or ill?

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Thursday

2011-05-19T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Better Nation bids farewell to British Political Debate.
2. Nicholas Watt praises the Queen for her performance in Ireland.
3. Jeremy Warner warns against Brown becoming IMF Chief.
4. David Blackburn on what Ken Clarke show have said.
5. Peter Watt insists the Labour party must stop fighting cuts.
6. Fraser Nelson examines how debt affects our security.
7. Fleet Street Fox points out what we would miss without tabloids.
8. Peter Botting has a few ideas to change MPs.
9. Alex Canfor-Dumas is confused about the idea of Blue Labour.
10. Tom Bradby looks at the future of Scotland.
11. Paul Waugh reveals who tripped up Spelman on circuses.
12. Matthew Sinclair attacks crony capitalism.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-05-19T18:44:00.001+01:00

7PM Trade Union bribery: So, bus drivers are trying to force Boris Johnson to pay them a bonus during the Olympics for, er, working normally. What should Boris Johnson say to their unions? Isn’t this brazen extortion?

8PM Britain’s place in the world: Liam Fox says Britain will remain in the premier league of military powers. How important is that, and is it all dependent on military strength? Isn’t it about time we realised that we are no longer a major league world power and adapted our defence and foreign policies appropriately?

9PM LBC Legal Hour: with Daniel Barnett

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Wednesday

2011-05-18T22:00:00.001+01:00

1. David Blackburn thinks Graeme Archer proves right wing blogs aren't dead.
2. Jerry Hayes gives us the lowdown on rape sentencing.
3. Political Scrapbook look at the Cabinet Of The Living Dead.
4. Thomas Sowell provides us with his usual economic wisdom.
5. Mark Wallace isn't pleased with Ken Clarke's attitude to rapists.
6. Harry Cole insists that Chris Huhne must go.
7. Robert Halfon reckons a PR elected Lords will create more patronage.
8. Sunny Hundal reviews Lord Ashcroft's latest analysis.
9. Robert Colville shows that the Trade Unions have never been so tame.
10. Michael Crick is getting ready to watch the scramble of MPs.
11. Cranmer tackles House of Lords reform.
12. Andy Mayer is disapointed with the health reform retreat.

On my LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-05-18T17:49:00.001+01:00

7PM Unemployment: Unemployment has fallen for the second quarter in a row. Signs of a recovery or a straw in the wind? Is this proof that the private sector is rising to the occasion and replacing the jobs shed by the public sector? But the number of women out of work is the highest for some time. Why do women suffer disproportionately in difficult economic times? Guest: Chris Grayling

8PM Ken Clarke: The Justice Secretary caused outrage today over his remarks on degrees of rape. Ed Miliband called for the PM to sack him, while women’s groups have been up in arms. Isn’t he another politician whose only crime is to speak the truth as he sees it, or do you think he should he pay with his job for his apparent crassness? Did his language offend you? And hasn’t this who episode marred a proper debate out sentencing for rapists?

9PM LBC Parliament Philip Lee, Conservative MP for Bracknell, Andy Slaughter, Labour MP for Hammersmith, and Julian Huppert, LibDem MP for Cambridge.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Monday

2011-05-16T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Matthew Barrett unveils the Westminster Brat Pack.
2. Ben Brogan reckons Nick Clegg is boosted by Huhne's implosion.
3. Guido proves that Huhne's wife couldn't have been speeding.
4. Mark Wallace discovers further signs of a Conservative/Lib Dem merger.
5. Paul Waugh wonders who could replace Huhne.
6. Adrian Masters looks at the Welsh Conservative leadership race.
7. Mark Gettleson analyses Ed's flashman joke with the voters.
8. Neil Midgley reports another example of BBC waste.
9. Michael O'Brien reveals that Donald Trump won't be standing for President.
10. Dan Hodges doesn't think the Military Covenant should be enshrined.
11. Daniel Korski thinks Briton could run the IMF.
12. Brian Micklethwait has a collection of Rally Against Debt signs.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-05-16T18:43:00.001+01:00

7PM Libya: The International Criminal Court is seeking the arrest of Colonel Gadaffi for crime against humanity. Does this give the international community the excuse it needs to intensify the campaign in Libya and hunt down the Libyan leader.

8PM Dying Matters Awareness Week: Why is death such a taboo subject in Britain? Why are we so reluctant to talk to each other about dying? Is it because we fear death? Is the desire to live forever a natural one? Has your attitude to dying changed as you’ve got older? Why are women more scared of dying than men? Does the fear of dying make us reluctant to plan for the end of our own lives. Surely if we talk about it, plan ahead we can prevent the things we are frightened about from happening?

9PM LBC Book Club with Kay Burley (First Ladies, HarperCollins, pb £7.99) and Catherine Mayer (Amortality, Vermillion, PB, £12.99)

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

Tim Ireland Issued With Harassment Warning

2011-05-14T13:23:00.000+01:00

Nadine Dorries has just posted this on her blog...

Today I had a meeting with Bedfordshire Police. They informed me that under caution and recorded on tape at Guildford Police station, Tim Ireland, of Bloggerheads, has been issued with a warning under section two of the Harassment Act.

If you wish to read Tim Ireland's defence and explanation, click HERE.

The Daley (Half) Dozen: Friday

2011-05-13T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Raheem Kassam reckons Mehdi Hasan is delusional.
2. Paul Waugh shows that the City want David Laws back.
3. Amber Elliott can't believe how bad Labour's online strategy is.
4. David Blackburn explains how Bin Laden lives beyond the grave.
5. Political Scrapbook prove that chauvinism isn't dead.
6. Liberal Vision remind us about tomorrow's Rally Against Debt.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-05-11T18:24:00.000+01:00

7PM David Laws: LibDem MP David Laws is, if the leaks are to be believed, about to be suspended from the House of Commons for 7 days. Is that the right punishment, or has he paid too high a price? What kind of loss has he been to the coalition government and do you think he can ever make a return?

8PM Drugs: Channel 4 is going to film people taking class A drugs live on TV. Do you think that this should be allowed? And if we allow people to take ecstasy on live TV isn’t that the first stage to the full legalisation of drugs?

9PM LBC Parliament with Mary Macleod (Con, Brentford & Isleworth), Caroline Pidgeon (LibDem GLA member) & Denis MacShane (Lab, Rotherham).

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Standards & Privileges Committee: J'Accuse

2011-05-11T09:58:00.004+01:00

When something is leaked it's usually a good idea to seek to understand the leaker's motivation. So when we heard that the David Laws report was being leaked left right and centre, I immediately thought: "Who's done that and why?" It seems clear to me that a member of the Standards & Privileges Committee is most likely to be the guilty party, and they did it to cause maximum damage to David Laws. Why? Because they want to prevent him being brought back into government. So, who was it? These are the members of the Standards & Privileges Committee...

Rt hon Kevin Barron MP (Chair) Labour
Sir Paul Beresford MP Conservative
Tom Blenkinsop MP Labour
Annette Brooke MP Liberal Democrat
Rt hon Tom Clarke MP Labour
Mr Geoffrey Cox MP Conservative
Matthew Hancock MP Conservative
Mr Oliver Heald MP Conservative
Heather Wheeler MP Conservative
Dr Alan Whitehead MP Labour

This is not the first time members of this committee have behaved in a disgraceful way, and I have no doubt it won't be the last. But what does it say about a committee which is supposed to oversee standards in Parliament, that certain members of it can't resist leaking and giving out privileged information? If they are the people who uphold the rules of the House of Commons but can't obey the rules themselves, what faith can we have in them?

From the reporting, it is also clear that the leaker only leaked the most damaging passages to David Laws. So I suggest we all wait for the final report tomorrow before we rush to judgement.

Me and My Blog

2011-05-11T09:44:00.002+01:00

From the BBC College of Journalism site.

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

2011-05-10T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Melanie Phillips argues against the 50% target for university students.
2. Dylan Sharpe looks back at the highs and lows of the AV campaign.
3. Max Atkinson is proud of his former pupil.
4. Mark Gettleson thinks he knows future Conservative strategy.
5. Morgan Kelly doesn't want bailouts for Ireland.
6. Dan Hodges concedes there is no "progressive majority".
7. Nick de Bois shows how NHS competition will increase quality.
8. Roy Greenslade condemns the Telegraph for subterfuge.
9. Dizzy is looking for Chris Huhne's shoulders. Can you help?
10. Paul Goodman warns that Osborne is the one delaying NHS reform.
11. Peter Hoskin analyses Cameron's interview in The Sun.
12. Dan Hannan reckons the Lib Dems have selective memory.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-05-10T18:12:00.001+01:00

7PM Coalition: Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the creation of the coalition. I want to know what you want to see the coalition do in its second year. Does David Cameron need to shake up his team and have a reshuffle. Who should he sack, and which talent should he promote? And should be bring back David Laws into the cabinet? And does Ed Miliband need to change tactics to score a few more political hits?

8PM The LBC YouGovStone debate: We’ll be crossing to the Royal Commonwealth Society where my colleague James O’Brien will be hosting a debate on the coalition’s first year, featuring LBC’s very own Mehdi Hasan and David Mellor, together with Dianne Abbott, Dame Anne Leslie, Vicky Pryce and Peter Kellner.

9PM LBC Medical Hour with Dr Rob Hicks.
Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

So So Gay...

2011-05-10T10:06:00.001+01:00

The website SoSoGay has done an extended interview with me, which you can read HERE. If you're interested :).

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-05-09T18:14:00.000+01:00

7PM Coalition: Should David Cameron lay down the law, act like a leader and tell the LibDems exactly where they can put their demands, even if it risks the coalition collapsing? Why do the LibDems think they are in any sort of bargaining position to issue demands when they’ve just suffered a terrible electoral battering? If you were David Cameron, what would you tell Nick Clegg?

8PM Universities: Should we now accept that fewer 18 year olds should go to university? The last Labour government set a target of 50% of 18 year olds to go to university without ever really thinking through the consequences. Were they right to do that or have they created a generation of young people who feel they’ve failed if they don’t complete a degree?

9PM LBC Book Club With Paddy Ashdown, whose autobiography A FORTUNATE LIFE is published in paperback by Aurum at £9.99.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

All I Am Saying, Is Give Clegg a Job!

2011-05-08T11:36:00.002+01:00

When LibDem MPs return to Westminster this week they could be forgiven for having a collective panic attack. In their 22 year history they have never had such an onslaught of the political heebie-jeebies as they experienced at the hands of 12 million grumpy voters this week.

Cleggmania has turned into Cleggophobia. Every policy Nick Clegg touches now is seen to be toxic.

Westminster pundits are already writing him off as a political busted flush. But then again, these are the very same commentators who didn’t see the SNP landslide coming in Scotland. They are the same people who predicted the Tories would lose more than 1,000 local council seats, when in fact David Cameron ended up with 81 more councillors on Friday than he had had only 24 hours earlier.

No, the Westminster commentariat is being rather previous in writing off the political career of Nicholas William Peter Clegg.

It may sometimes be difficult to believe but the Nick Clegg you see making apologetic, contrite statements on TV this weekend is the very same Nick Clegg who, only twelve months ago was riding on the crest of a political wave. He is the same man, with the same talents as the one who convinced so many people in TV debates that he was the real political deal.

Since then it hasn’t exactly been an easy ride for the LibDem leader. He became the anti-poster boy for students over the tuition fees issue. So unpopular did he become that the Yes to AV campaign wanted nothing to do with him. His presence in the Yes to AV campaign was regarded as toxic by the pro AV people. Elements of his own party have started whispering against him. They should be careful what they wish for.

Just twelve short months ago, Clegg led the Liberal Democrats into power for the first time in three quarters of a century. He out negotiated the Conservatives and secured a huge amount of the LibDem manifesto in the coalition agreement. Indeed, quite a lot of it has already been implemented, but you’d never know it because Clegg and his colleagues have been so inept at telling us. Instead, they concentrate on how they have supposedly stopped the wicked Tories from laying waste to the economy. It’s as if their message has become “Vote for us, we’re quite good at stopping the Tories being Tories.”

The sight of Chris Huhne and Paddy Ashdown stomping from TV studio to TV studio whinging about how the Conservatives have, shock horror, been ruthless in campaigning for a No Vote in the AV referendum has been pathetic to behold. You want to pull the dummy from their mouths and shout ‘Diddums’.

The sainted Vince Cable bleats on about how the Tories are “ruthless, calculating and tribal,” without the faintest hint of irony in his voice. Has he never observed a LibDem by election campaign? Labour and Conservative supporters still remember the LibDem campaign manual which urged their candidatess to “stir wickedly, act shamelessly”?

A friend of mine in Norfolk opened the door to LibDem canvasser last week. “I’m fed up with the lies your MPs have told,” he said. “Ah, but we don’t lie at local level, “ said the LibDem activist without a hint of a smile. The gut reaction of many LibDem activists and parliamentarians will be to distance themselves from David Cameron and the coalition. This would be a mistake. They have made their bed and there is nowhere else for them to lie. They will succeed or fail together, so they have to make the best of it. LibDem ministers like Vince Cable should think about that the next time they prepare to self indulgently sound off in the media.

The LibDems must also take on board the fact that David Cameron is no longer prepared to wrap Nick Clegg in a comfort blanket. Time after time the Prime Minister has come to his deputy’s rescue – much to the irritation of his backbenchers – and offered him a bauble, a little crumb of comfort at a difficult time. He’s turned a blind eye when LibDem ministers have gone off message, while at the same time coming down on his own rebellious backbenchers like a ton of bricks. No longer. Cameron has rediscovered his inner Conservative. Some would say, and not before time.

But what does Nick Clegg do now? Part of his problem is that the job of Deputy Prime Minister is not a real job. In many ways it’s a non job – ‘not worth a bucket of warm spit’, as John Nance Garner once said of the US Vice Presidency. Clegg’s only real policy role is to be in charge of political and constitutional reform. Well that’s worked out well, hasn’t it? And next up is House of Lords reform. Clegg would be well advised to wash his hands of that particular hornet’s nest because it is almost certainly going to end in failure.

Clegg’s best chance of recovering his once towering reputation is for David Cameron to be given a proper departmental job. It almost doesn’t matter which one. But it would give him an opportunity to actually do something, rather than just talk. If it were me, I’d give Clegg the job of Health Secretary. Then we’d see if he would sink or swim.

But that is the only concession David Cameron should make to the LibDems. He should indeed be ‘ruthless and calculating’, and send off any LibDem demanding futher concessions on health reform or indeed any other policy covered in the coalition agreement with their tails between their legs. What could they do about it? Nothing. They have nowhere else to go. The LibDems know that if they were to leave the coalition they would become the laughing stock of British politics. I know it. You know it. David Cameron knows it and more importantly, so does Nick Clegg.

Secondly, the LibDems need to start talking about issues which come up in conversation down the Dog & Duck. AV was never going to be one of those issues. The very fact that only eight boroughs in the UK voted in favour of AV demonstrated that perfectly. It was a ‘chattering class’ issue. No wonder the eight boroughs included the elitist climes of Oxford, Cambridge, Islington and Camden. No one else cared. It’s the same with House of Lords reform. The Westminster elites discuss it over their sun dried tomatos and polenta, but no one in the real world sees it as a political priority.

Clegg will always be a lightning rod for the LibDem side of the coalition. It comes with the job, but he needs to ensure that the burden is shared. It’s about time he reigned in Vince Cable and told him to knuckle down and do his job and that he can’t be Mr Popular all the time. The tendency of LibDems like Vince Cable and Simon Hughes to wear their political consciences on their sleeves is not an attractive one. It makes them look weak and ill-fitted to the job of leadership and government.

There is one further move that Nick Clegg can make to revive LibDem fortunes, and that is to ask the Prime Minister to restore David Laws to the Cabinet. The events of the last few months show how much his strategic brain has been missed. It is a scandal that the Standards Commissioner is taking so long to decide on his case, which is the only thing standing between him and a return to office.

The LibDems have always been at their happiest when they can chant in unison “I protest”. Government is not about protesting, it’s about making difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions and standing by them. Nick Clegg and his party still have to prove that they are capable of doing this. But there’s still time.

Yesterday was an electoral wipeout for the LibDems all across England, Scotland and Wales. It could hardly have been worse. And yet they still achieved 15% of the vote, which is way above their poll ratings. That will give them at least a crumb of comfort and persuade LibDem electoral strategists that all is not lost. Yet.

On My LBC Show Tonight: 7pm to Midnight

2011-05-06T18:31:00.001+01:00

In just a few minutes Declan Harvey and I will be hosting an hour long nightly news special looking at the verdict of the 7/7 inquests. Should there now be a full public enquiry? How should the security services be reformed, and how did the emergency services perform? Declan and I will be joined in the studio by relatives and survivors of the 7/7 bombings and we’ll hear direct from them, as to whether they’re satisfied with the verdicts.

And at eight we start another four hour election special, during which we’ll be bringing you the results of the AV referendum and looking back at the local elections, Welsh Assembly and Scottish parliament elections with our expert panel.

Joining me in the studio will be Tony McNulty, Professor Colin Rallings and Therese Coffey MP and we'll be getting reaction from the national count at the Excel Centre.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Wednesday

2011-05-04T22:00:00.004+01:00

1. David Starkey warns adopting AV could send us back into the past.
2. Shamik Das thinks Ken Livingstone has gone mad.
3. Joe Murphy shows the brainchild of the AV baby posters.
4. Lloyd Evans reviews PMQs.
5. Tom Perrin warns Cameron against a reshuffle.
6. Guido reveals that Eddie Izzard is just another politician.
7. John Redwood reckons it is time to bring our troops home.
8. Daniel Korski wonders if Chris Huhne is proving coalitions don't work.
9. Douglas Carswell has decided which way he is going to vote.
10. Ben Duckworth doesn't think Chris Huhne will be the next Lib Dem leader.
11. Toby Harnden reports on the loose lipped Joe Biden.
12. Tim Padgett catches up with the students who were with Bush on 9/11.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-05-04T18:16:00.000+01:00

7PM Middle East Peace Process: As David Cameron meets the Israeli Prime Minister in London I want to ask you tonight what effect is the Arab Spring having on the efforts to negotiate a lasting middle east peace process? Can Israel ever deal with Hamas, and if not how can we ever hope to achieve peace? What effect will the killing of bin Laden have, and is it now the time for President Obama to launch a big new initiative?

8PM Cinemas: Could watching a film at the cinema soon be a thing of the past? Major Hollywood studios are planning to allow you to download major new movies at home almost as soon as they are released. Cinema chains are up in arms. How have your movie watching habits changed? Would you regret the demise of the British cinema?

And from 9pm it's the LBC Parliament with Conservative MP Patrick Mercer (Newark), Labour MP Mike Gapes (Ilford South) and Liberal Democrat commentator Olly Grender.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

2011-05-03T22:00:00.013+01:00

1. Nick Pickles reveals an astonishing example of NHS waste.
2. Guido asks if Ed Miliband supports dancing on Thatcher's grave.

3. Political Scrapbook has pictures of the No to AV ice cream van.

4. Ed West doesn't look forward to the rise of "deathers".
5. Dan Hodges will shed no tears for Osama Bin Laden.
6. John Redwood shows that AV won't get rid of safe seats.
7. Aaron Ellis tries to understand the Pakistani dimension.
8. Dan Hannan congratulates Stephen Harper in Canada.

9. Gary Gibbon reckons Huhne is gearing up for the leadership.

10. Harry Cole highlights the contradictions of the Yes campaign.
11. Peter Hoskin reports that the CIA Director takes Pakistan to task.
12. Alastair Campbell admits he feels sorry for Nick Clegg.

The Great AV Debate On My LBC Show Tonight

2011-05-03T17:54:00.003+01:00

From 7.15pm

The Great AV Debate with Margaret Beckett & Steve Norris from the No to AV campaign and Greg Dyke and Peter Hain from the Yes to Fair Votes campaign.

They will be debating the merits or otherwise of AV between 7.15 and 8pm and then we'll be opening up the phonelines so you can interrogate them live on air.

From 9pm it's the LBC Medical Hour with Dr Rob Hicks.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

On My LBC Show From 10am till 2pm Today...

2011-05-02T09:43:00.002+01:00

Only one story in town today, the killing of Osama bin Laden. I want your reaction throughout the four hours I'm broadcasting on this Bank Holiday Monday. We'll be mixing calls with reaction from politicians, diplomats and pundits. You can expect to hear from...

John Decker, White House Correspondent of Reuters
Sir Menzies Campbell
Douglas Alexander
Alistair Burt
David Davis
Sir Christopher Meyer
Charlie Wolf
Shashank Joshi

We'll also be talking to one of those celebrating outside the White House.

Jo Phillips will be with me between 11 and 12 ostensibly reviewing the papers, but I suspect not!

Do call in on 0845 60 60 973.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

Vote For the Name of my New Website

2011-04-30T20:09:00.002+01:00

In the next few weeks I will be launching a new website. In effect it is a site which will contain daily articles from me, but also 7 or 8 other articles each day from a range of other contributors. It will be like a blog, in that people can comment on every article (after registering) but it will look more like a magazine or newspaper site. It will cover politics, media, the arts, books, films and sport, but with an emphasis on politics and current affairs. Contributors include more than fifty politicians, journalists, commentators, public affairs professionals, academics, pollsters, elections experts, business people and radio presenters.

The site will have no editorial line. It is not a right wing site, as will be evidenced from the range of contributors.

But I have a problem. I still can't decide what to call the site. I have canvassed suggestions, but none has really stood out as obvious. I want the site to be clearly associated with me, yet the site name, or subtitle, needs to clearly demonstrate that it is not just me and that many others are involved too.

So I want you to vote and we'll see if you all come up with a overwhelming favourite.

Vote HERE.

On My LBC Show From 7.30pm...

2011-04-29T18:24:00.002+01:00

7.30-10PM Well, what a day it’s been. Even I, as an ardent royalist, hadn’t expected it to be quite so inspiring, exhilarating and enjoyable. It was a day when the whole country came together to wish a very special couple all the happiness in the world. It was a day of pageantry and pomp, and don’t we in Britain do it well? Celebrations are still taking place all over London as street parties continue right through the evening. What are we going to do over the next three hours? We’re going to ask you about your memories of the day. How was the Royal Wedding for you? I want to know how your street party went, what did you think of the ceremony, of the dress, of, ahem, Princess Eugenie’s antlers? And if you have republican sympathies, was there a part of you that enjoyed the wedding just a little bit more than you thought you would? Phone me on 0845 60 60 973.

Make sure you are listening at 9pm when I will be getting reaction from 'Lady Thatcher' among others to the day's events. There might be a word or two from Ed Miliband too...

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Thursday

2011-04-28T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Ben Brogan wants to see Cameron's inner Tory.
2. Michael Crick thinks Lansley may swap with Hammond.
3. Quentin Letts gives his thoughts on the sexism scandal.
4. Political Scrapbook reveals Chris Grayling faces sleaze probe.
5. Caroline Crampton wonders if Norman Lamb has got his facts right.
6. Gay Collins looks at how to achieve equality in the boardroom.
7. Daniel Knowles makes Ed Balls aware of the facts.
8. Richard English stands up for Britain.
9. Walaa Idris addresses the issue of Barack Obama's birth.
10. David Gibson hopes this wedding questions future Royal Invitations.
11. Byrne Tofferings supports the EU, go and tell him what you think.
12. Guido unveils No to AV's secret weapon...

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-04-28T18:41:00.001+01:00

7-9PM As the big day approaches it’s the Royal Wedding all the way on the programme tonight, right up to 9pm. Is your bunting up, have you put your flags out? How will you be marking the big day? Over the next two hours we’re going to preview the events of tomorrow and I want to hear from you what you’re planning to do, are you camping out on the Mall tonight, I want to know what you think of the royal wedding and whether we’ve all gone over the top. Personally I think all grumpiness should be banned for the day and let us as a country come together and rejoice. But if you want to have a grump let’s get it over with tonight, shall we? 0845 60 60 973

9-10PM LBC Legal Hour with Daniel Barnett

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

Reward! What Should I Call My New Site?

2011-04-28T15:29:00.005+01:00

As I wrote HERE, in a few weeks time, I will be launching a new website. But I have a problem. I still can't decide what to call it.

It's a kind of blogazine - I will write every day on the site, but there will be 30 or 40 other contributors from politics and the media. Some you will have heard of - others you won't know. The site won't have any political line, and we'll have film and book reviews too.

Iain Dale & Co, Iain Dale & Friends, The Iain Dale Collective, The Iain Dale Collection are all suggestions that have been made, but I wonder if it would be better to have a name which didn't include mine. Someone suggested Agora. I rather like that, but maybe it's too offbeam, and not enough people know what it means.

One thing I do know is that I don't want to use a derivative of my surname.

Thoughts?

And to encourage you, I will offer £100 worth of books to anyone who comes up with the name I eventually go with!

The Daley Dozen: Wednesday

2011-04-27T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Norman Tebbit gets tough on Tim Farron and the Lib Dems.
2. Caroline Crampton speaks to Andrew Lansley on NHS reform.
3. Guido Fawkes argues against injunctions.
4. Charlie Beckett thinks Marr should quit interviewing politicians.
5. David Singleton looks at how David Cameron has ended spin.
6. James Forsyth reckons the PM needs to control his temper.
7. Andrew Neil rejoices as Britain avoids a double dip.
8. Nicholas Watt examines the future Lib Dem leader.
9. Conor Pope shows the danger of Parliamentary emails.
10. Natalie Gonnella looks at what US conservatives think of Trump.
11. Alastair Campbell can't call the French election.
12. Sam Bowman wants to make libertarianism more relevant.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-04-27T18:16:00.002+01:00

7PM Syria: What should we do about Syria? Is diplomatic protest enough? Should the coalition widen its remit to take action against Syria if the killings continue? Guests: Sir Andrew Green (former Ambassador to Syria) and Roger Godsiff MP (Lab, Chairman of the All Party Group on Syria).

8PM Royal Wedding: William and Kate haven’t issued a wedding list, but most couples still do. Are they outdated? Do they irritate you as much as they irritate me? If you were buying a present for William & Kate, what would it be? What’s the worst wedding present you got, and would it have been avoided if you had had a wedding list?

9PM LBC Parliament with Nigel Farage (UKIP leader), Norman Lamb (LibDem, North Norfolk & Chief Political & Parliamentary Adviser to Nick Clegg), Michael Fallon (Con, Sevenoaks and Political Adviser to the Prime Minister), and Jeremy Corbyn (Lab, Islington North)

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

2011-04-26T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Amber Elliot gives her take on the AV referendum.
2. Ed Staite reckons Chris Huhna has damaged politics forever.
3. Thomas Sowell warns against the Republicans choosing Donald Trump.
4. Guido thinks using Mandy is a sign of desperation.
5. Alex Deane highlights Andrew Marr's hypocrisy.
6. Nick Silver explores the true scale of our national debt.
7. Ben Brogan analyses the politics of Nazi graffiti
8. Mark Ferguson shows why Labour aren't ready for an election.
9. Daniel Korski wonders if we will see a Deputy Prime Minister's Office.
10. David Hencke supports progressive electoral reform, but is voting no to AV.
11. Katharine Birbalsingh wants results before we give teachers a fortune.
12. David Howden examines Mervyn King's "Operation Bernhard".

On My LBC Programme From 7pm...

2011-04-26T17:25:00.000+01:00

7PM AV: Could it threaten the future of the coalition? Will you be voting along partisan lines or are you actually looking at the arguments? Will you take Peter Mandelson’s advice and use your vote to give David Cameron a kicking or is this referendum more important than that? How can the two campaigns get your vote over the next nine days?

8PM NHS: A fifth of staff at some hospitals wouldn’t want their own family treated in them. What does that tell us? Does it reinforce the arguments of those who believe the NHS needs radical reform? What does it say about those who work in the 12hospitals concerned that they clearly tolerate bad standards of care and cleanliness?

9PM LBC Medical Hour with Dr Rob Hicks.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Thursday

2011-04-21T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. The ASI encourages the government to allow free schools to make a profit.
2. Graeme Archer tackles the myths of Yes to AV.
3. Archbishop Cranmer flaunts the idea of Arnie, President of Europe.
4. Walaa Idris wonders if it is time to say goodbye to the EU.
5. Christine Odone shows why Kate Middleton will be better than Diana.
6. Alistair Thompson thinks Miliband needs to worry about AV splits.
7. Nick Pickles reminds the Daily Mail of their paparazzi pledge.
8. Julian Huppert attacks the government's digital policy.
9. Aarron Ellis doesn't think we should be in Afghanistan.
10. Mark Ferguson reckons Nick Clegg is a massive liability.
11. Douglas Carswell has discovered the eurosceptics secret weapon.
12. Tim Worstall shows us how to make money out of the new Cuba.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-04-21T18:40:00.000+01:00

7PM NHS Cuts: Are NHS cuts a complete myth? That’s the conclusion the Daily Mail’s James Slack has come to. More money than ever is going into the NHS. Is it about time we faced up to the truth that it is trade unions and vested interests who are misleading the British public and that the supposed cuts just aren’t happening?

8PM Cigarette Bins: Westminster City Council today won their court case against Addison Lee, the cab company, who were being challenged over their sponsorship of cigarette bins outside pubs and restaurants. The council spent £100,000 on the case. Do you, like me, think this is a scandalous waste of public money?

9PM LBC Legal Hour with Daniel Barnett
Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Wednesday

2011-04-20T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Brendan O'Neill defends the working class.
2. City Unslicker wants peopel to stop using children as shields.
3. Daniel Hannan shows that an EU budget hike will wipe out spending cuts.
4. Matthew Hancock thinks Labour are taking lessons from the US.
5. John Redwood calls for a freeze in the aid budget.
6. Political Scrapbook looks at the loser Lib Dem Lords.
7. Mark Pack can even learn a thing or two from Lord Ashcroft.
8. Anthony Painter analyses the conservatism of the Left.
9. Madsen Pirie offers an alternative to bailouts.
10. Labour Uncut are shocked by Tom Watson's apology.
11. Direct Democracy aren't pleased with the EU budget rise.
12. Charlotte Henry tweaks the Cabinet.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-04-20T18:12:00.000+01:00

7PM EU Budget: Incredibly the EU thinks Britain should pay another £680 million into its coffers. It wants to increase its budget by 4.9% next year – that on top of the 6% increase it demanded this year. Why should British taxpayers pay a single penny more into the EU budget when we’re having to make budget cuts at home? Guests: Nigel Farage and Patrizio Fiorilli, a spokeman for the European Commission.

8PM The Living Wage: The cosmetics chain Lush has become the first private sector company to guarantee its staff a living wage of £7.85 an hour. No Oxford Street retailer will commit to the scheme. Should London employers follow the 140 City organisations and the public sector and adopt the Living Wage? Or do you think that employers have far too many burdens and red tape to deal with that they just can’t cope with any more extra costs?

9PM LBC Parliament with Chris Leslie (Labour MP for Nottingham East), Jonathan Isaby (Co-editor of ConservativeHome) and Jo Christie-Smith (LibDem blogger)
Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

2011-04-19T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Mats Persson analyses the price of the Euro in Finland.
2. Colin Bullen looks at the betrayal of our fishermen.
3. Guido has 170 billion reasons why Brown shouldn't be IMF Chief.
4. James Green reports that the Daily Mail is going to takeover the world.
5. Witterings from Witney shows why MPs work for party, not constituents.
6. Mark Ferguson takes a look at the "Purple Bookers".
7. Roger Helmer asks where are the cuts?
8. Conservative Home unveil Boris' new team.
9. Dizzy thinks Libya is good, especially if it is for oil.
10. David Gibson reckons the USA should forget Cold War feuds.
11. Biteback are pleased with the Twitter furore they have caused.
12. Political Scrapbook reveal more than 50 Lib Dem councillors have defected.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-04-19T18:18:00.001+01:00

7PM Libya: Britain is sending military advisers to advise the rebels. Is this proof that we now have Mission Creep? Guests: John Baron MP & Douglas Alexander MP

8PM IMF: David Cameron is said to be ready to veto Gordon Brown as head of the IMF? Is he right to do so, or is it a sign of political vindictiveness? Guests: Derek Scott and Jacqui Smith.

9PM LBC Medical Hour with Dr Peter Ilves.
Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Monday

2011-04-18T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. The Evening Standard calls on Londoners to vote NO to AV.
2. Ben Brogan proves why George Osborne is right.
3. The ASI reckons the True Finns are a sign of things to come in the EU.
4. Jim Pickard shows Widdy would have won Strictly under FPTP.
5. Jeremy Browne highlights the achievements of the Lib Dems.
6. Nick Robinson is wondering where Nick Clegg has gone.
7. Dan Hannan explains why Britain shouldn't join the Portugese bailout.
8. Political Scrapbook report that Liverpool Lib Dem Leader quits.
9. The Mole has two good reason why Vince Cable shouldn't get the sack.
10. Mark Wallace reveals the mess behind the scenes at Census 2011.
11. Rory Meakin wants to go without publically funded dance.
12. Will Heaven thinks two young historians maybe the future of the Conservatives.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-04-18T18:15:00.002+01:00

7PM AV: Is this the most offputting political campaign in recent memory? Is the intervention of David Cameron a desperate attempt by the No supporters to add some respectability to their campaign? And what do you make of the fact that the Yes campaign's inability to get Ed Miliband and Nicl Clegg to share the same platform?

8PM London: How English is London? John Cleese reckons London has become distinctly unEnglish and he’s moved to Bath, which he considers more English. What word would you use to describe our capital city and has it changed over the last thirty years?

9PM LBC Book Club with Humfrey Hunter (The Men Files: What men Really Think About Life, Love, Dating and A Whole Lot More, Headline, Hardback, £12.99) and Neil Humphreys (Premier Leech, Marshall Cavendish, Paperback, £7.99)

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Lynette Burrows "Snogging" Interview

2011-04-16T18:17:00.007+01:00

Several people have asked me to post the interview I did on Thursday on my LBC programme with "Family commentator" Lynette Burrows. It lasts ten minutes and I can assure you is well worth listening to the end. I was speaking to her about whether kissing in public is ever acceptable, in the light of the two gay men who were thrown out of the John Snow pub in Soho for kissing.

LynetteBurrows by IainDale

The Daley (Half) Dozen: Friday

2011-04-15T22:00:00.007+01:00

1. Total Politics have some exciting news.
2. Fraser Nelson says no to Gordon Brown's hair of the dog.
3. Michael Heaver reveals Nigel Farage wants to legalise drugs.
4. Guido shows us Man vs the UK tax code.
5. Mark Thompson reckons there is no going back if there is a Yes vote.
6. And finally, a congratulations is in order for Con Home's latest recruit.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-04-15T18:47:00.000+01:00

7PM Freedom to kiss: Last night we covered the story of how two men were thrown out of a Soho pub for kissing. Tonight several hundred people are staging a snogathon outside the pub, which has reportedly closed its doors for the evening. Is this a wonderful example of how the internet can organise an instant protest, or an unseemly example of moral degeneration?

8PM Libya: Is the cat now out of the bag? Have the three main coalition partners made a huge error in saying the bombing will continue until Gadaffi goes? It really is all about regime change, isn’t it? Do you think Parliament should be recalled to discuss this mission creep?

9PM Newspapers: As we see newspaper circulation figures continuing to decline, I want to know whether you’ve changed your newspaper reading habits and why? Do you still buy your daily newspaper, or do you read online? Have you subscribed to the Times? What is the future for newspapers?

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

Total Politics Buys Campaigns & Elections

2011-04-15T14:50:00.002+01:00

Friday 15^th April 2011 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

++ For all media enquiries please contact Shane Greer shane.greer@totalpolitics.com ++

Biteback Media acquires Campaigns & Elections

Biteback Media publishing group, which publishes Total Politics magazine, has expanded internationally by purchasing three titles, Campaigns & Elections (US), Campaigns & Elections (Canada) and Campaigns & Elections (Latin America), through Biteback’s US arm Political Holdings Limited US Inc..

Campaigns & Elections (US) was founded in 1980 by Stanley Foster Reed, and covers the strategies, techniques, and personalities of modern politics. It is read by tens of thousands of federal, state and local elected officials, candidates for public office, party activists, issue campaigners, political consultants, campaign staffs, lobbyists, PAC directors, university professors, news reporters and numerous behind-the-scenes opinion makers.

The acquisition was led by Shane Greer, Chief Executive of Biteback Media and President of Political Holdings Limited US Inc., who will act as publisher of the Campaigns & Elections group of magazines.

Remarking on the acquisition, Greer said: “This is a busy time for Total Politics and the Campaigns & Elections group of magazines. With the 2012 presidential election around the corner, and the editorial and event synergies between the UK, US, Canadian and Latin American titles the next couple of years promise to be an exciting period for the group.”

Founder and publisher of Total Politics, and Managing Director of the Biteback Group, Iain Dale said: “I’m delighted to see Campaigns & Elections become part of the group. It’s a natural fit and the opportunities are tremendous. It will also give Biteback Publishing a US base and enable it to expand its US book publishing activities. I look forward to seeing the group’s magazine interests expand and develop under Shane’s leadership.”

Ends.

Notes for the editor:
• Total Politics was launched in 2008 and is published monthly. It is strictly non-partisan and is committed to being unremittingly positive about the political process.
• Campaigns & Elections is based in Washington DC.
• Biteback Publishing is part of the Biteback Group and publishes political books in the UK

The Daley Dozen: Thursday

2011-04-14T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Charlie Edwards interviews Iain Dale.
2. Andrew Pierce reckons Joseph Rowntree would be turning in his grave.
3. Dan Hannan says if you want to control immigration, leave the EU.
4. Mike Dean wants local councils to be liberated from regulation.
5. Caroline Crampton thinks nobody wants to reform the Lords.
6. Guido unveils Yvette Cooper's new haircut.
7. Edmund Coleridge gives his thought on a "Blue Book".
8. Daniel Knowles is more worried about our emigration problem.
9. Stephanie Lis defends strip clubs.
10. Better Nation think the SNP have the upper hand.
11. Peter Hoskin reports on Cameron's other speech.
12. Tim Worstall tackles the Robin Hood Tax.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-04-14T18:19:00.002+01:00

7PM Public Sector Strikes: Nurses and prison officers are threatening to go on strike. Both work in vital public services. Is it ever right for nurses or prison officers to strike? Do you think all public services should have no strike agreements, or would you go one step further and make strikes illegal in all public services?

8PM Gay equality: Two men have been thrown out of a Soho pub for kissing. Does the sight of two people of the same sex kissing turn your stomach, or does it in this day and age make you rather proud that we are a more tolerant and accepting society? And what about public displays of affection more generally? Should they be kept private? Guests: Andy Wasley from SoSoGay.org and Social Commentator Lynette Burrows.

9PM LBC Legal Hour with Daniel Barnett from Outer Temple Chambers.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Wednesday

2011-04-13T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Sadie Smith will not be protesting against the Royal Wedding.
2. Working Class Tory warns us not to be fooled by Yes to AV.
3. Mark Wallace reveals the new NUS President hasn't been a student since 2006.
4. Simon Jenkins wants drug reform.
5. Sam Bowman argues that immigration restrictions make us poorer.
6. Christian May is fed up of celebrities telling him what to with AV.
7. Jonathan McClory on the rise and fall of SpAds.
8. Paul Goodman examines Osborne's submarine strategy.
9. Peter Hoskin reckons the Tories have a middle class problem.
10. Harry's Place analyse the Yes to AV campaign.
11. Tim Stanley warns us not to write of Donald Trump.
12. Political Scrapbook gives us the inside story on Aaron Porter.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-04-13T18:11:00.001+01:00

7PM Libya: As Moussa Koussa leaves Britain for Qatar I want to know what on earth our government thinks it’s doing allowing an alleged war criminal to come and go as he pleases. Guests: Rob Halfon MP and Sir Max Hastings.

8PM Universal benefits: The Tory chair of the GLA Health Committee says universal benefits are inherently wasteful. Is he right? Should free bus travel for pensioners be cut? Should the Freedom Pass be withdrawn? Should the winter fuel allowance only go to those who need it? Guests: Jackie Ashley & Edwina Currie (provisional)

9PM LBC Parliament with former LibDem Director of Communications, Mark Littlewood, Labour MP for Mitcham & Morden Siobhain McDonagh, and Conservative GLA member, James Cleverly.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

My Tribute to Simon Milton on LBC Last Night

2011-04-13T12:16:00.001+01:00

Listen!

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

2011-04-12T22:00:00.010+01:00

1. Amber Elliot will never be Melanie Phillips.
2. Conservative Home pay tribute to Sir Simon Milton.
3. John Redwood thinks Norman Lamb has to be careful.
4. Gary Gibbon reports that Carswell has called for Osborne to be investigated.
5. Peter Hoskin isn't celebrating the fall in inflation.
6. Guido didn't learn anything from the Yes to AV broadcast.
7. Christine Odone is glad the NHS has finally admitted bad nurses exists.
8. Anna Racoon wants lesbian blood.
9. Political Scrapbook wonders why the Lib Dems are so ashamed.
10. Evan Price explains why he will be voting No to AV.
11. Dan Cooke reckons Cameron can learn from Donald Trump.
12. Ken Frost on council houses.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-04-12T18:22:00.000+01:00

7PM London Ambulance Service: twenty per cent of the staff employed by the London Ambulance Service will disappear over the next five years. A cut too far, or an example of how every public service has to shoulder its burden of the cuts? But didn’t David Cameron tell us the NHS budget was ringfenced?

8PM The great British Pub: Is the British Pub dying on its feet? Punch Taverns believe there is no future for the drinks led British pub. How can the British pub revive its fortunes?

9PM LBC Medical Hour with Dr Peter Ilves.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

Sir Simon Milton 1961-2011

2011-04-12T09:37:00.001+01:00

Sometimes life just isn’t fair. Simon Milton was one of life’s good guys. Likeable, clever, competent and above all a conciliator. Even political opponents found it difficult to be nasty about him. He was also a leader. He led Westminster City Council and the LGA with huge distinction and has been a pivotal force in City Hall as Boris Johnson’s deputy – he truly was the real power behind the throne.

As a member of the Total Politics advisory board he was a great source of calm and well intentioned advice and we shall miss his wise counsel greatly. He was a tremendous source of encouragement to me, especially in the early days when the magazine was in its infancy and I always knew he was there for us if we needed him.

Politics was robbed yesterday of a truly remarkable individual. I had always assumed that he would be elevated to the House of Lords and serve as a government minister. It may be a cliché, but he had so much more to contribute, so much more to give.

His partner Robert will be bereft, and it is he who is in my thoughts as I write this.

The Daley Dozen: Monday

2011-04-11T22:00:00.002+01:00

1. Howard Flight has the key to promoting social mobility.
2. Guido Fawkes is fed up of the Cameroon aganeda against consumers.
3. Sadie Smith warns that somebody is watching you.
4. Charles Moore thinks Conservatives need to look at Oz for success.
5. Fraser Nelson in praise of Niall Ferguson.
6. Paul Waugh wonders if you cry or grimace at Nick Clegg.
7. Eamonn Butler wants to ban government from borrowing.
8. Norman Tebbit explains how New Labour destroyed the Civil Service.
9. Ellee Seymour gives her verdict on the iPad 2.
10. Mark Wallace states why he is against a Burkha ban.
11. Boris Johnson is sure News International aren't the only hackers.
12. Harry's Place are impressed with the NO2AV ad.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-04-11T18:25:00.000+01:00

7PM Gordon Brown: Gordon Brown has admitted for the first time, he got it wrong on banking regulation. Is it time to reevaluate his record? And what did you make of the interim report of the banking commission today? Should retail and investment banking be totally split as the LibDems want?

8PM Arsenal: With Arsenal’s takeover today, half of UK Premier League clubs are now owned by foreign owners. Does it really matter?

9PM LBC Book Club with Bobby Friedman, author of Bercow: Mr Speaker (Gibson Square, £17.99, hardback) and Christian Wolmar. Author of Engines of War: How Wars Were Won & Lost on the Railways (Atlantic, £20, hardback)

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley (Half) Dozen: Friday

2011-04-08T22:00:00.001+01:00

1. Bryan Caplan explains 40 things he has learnt in his 40 years.
2. Lord Ashcroft uses the example of Tiger Hewson to savage AV.
3. Logical Conclusion knows exactly what the alternative is.
4. Biteback reveal your Prime Ministers Who Never Were.
5. Michael Crick reports that you can rent out Lib Dem HQ.
6. Luke Bozier has a few ideas to start up Portugal.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-04-08T18:09:00.000+01:00

7PM Phone Hacking: As News International issues an unreserved apology for the News of the World Phone Hacking scandal, I want to know if we should blame ourselves, as well as tabloid journalists for this scandal.

8PM Lap Dancing Clubs: The City of London corporation wants to ban all lap dancing clubs from September in the square mile due to their damaging impact on women. Good decision, or yet another example of our elders and betters knowing what’s good for us?

9PM The value of reading: Research shows that the only out of school activity that will really enhance a teenager’s career prospects is reading. Computer gaming teenagers however are less likely to go to university. So reading for pleasure as a teenager helps your career prospects. Who’d have thought? Did reading as a youngster help you? And I also want to talk about literary festivals which are experiencing somewhat of a revival. Have you been to one recently in your own town, or do you go to the big ones in Oxford or Hay? What do you get out of them?

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Sky News Paper Review on Wednesday

2011-04-08T13:38:00.003+01:00

On the Sky News paper review on Wednesday Sally Bercow chose the Times front page story about the grooming of children in Blackpool takeaways as one of her stories to discuss. At the end of the discussion, she was asked by the Sky News presenter Anna Botting what lessons could be learned from this. She replied: "Don't go for a takeaway in Blackpool." It was an off the cuff flippant remark, made on the spur of the moment. My instant reaction was to laugh at her remark. It was more of a nervous reaction to what she said rather than because I found it hilariously funny.

Since then, a disgsuting internet campaign has been launched against Anna Botting, on the basis that she had said what Sally had said. Even when it was pointed out that it had nothing to do with Anna, the people behind the campaign didn't acknowledge the fact. Indeed, today they seem to have decided that I am the guilty one because I laughed at what Sally said.

Sky have issued the following statement on their Facebook page. "We note some complaints aimed incorrectly at Sky News presenter Anna Botting in connection with the sex grooming cases in Blackpool. It was in fact a guest newspaper reviewer who made the comment "Don’t go for a takeaway in Blackpool" and not Anna. We are sorry for any offence caused by the guest reviewer's remark."

Sometimes on live TV and radio things are said in the heat of the moment which are not appropriate. Reactions can also be inappropriate. My reaction in no way was meant to indicate a lack of appreciation of the seriousness of the grooming of children. The whole incident has clearly caused offence to some people and I am happy to apologise for my part in that. What I also regret, however, is the vicious nature of the campaign launched against Anna, Sally and me on various internet sites. It shows the internet at its worst.

I'm not going to say anything further on this, no matter how much various internet trolls try to provoke me.

The Daley Dozen: Thursday

2011-04-07T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Toby Young is "the worst man in Britain".
2. Andrew Lilico analyses the Portuguese economic crisis.
3. Luke Bozier highlights Labour's profligacy and hypocrisy.
4. Working Class Tory thinks it is back to the future.
5. James Gourlay explains why the LSE should revoke Gadaffi's PhD.
6. Ben Brogan says we must remember Cameron didn't win.
7. Fraser Nelson takes a look at the schools revolution.
8. Daniel Hannan reckons the EU is stuck in an episode of Life on Mars.
9. Sophy Ridge reports on another Letwin gaffe.
10. Steve Baker has hope in monetary reform.
11. Gordon MacMillan shows that the Lib Dems aren't doing to well.
12. Peter Black thinks the Speaker is being a hypocrite.

On My LBC Show From 7pm

2011-04-07T18:24:00.000+01:00

7PM The Portuguese Bailout: George Osborne says if he hadn’t imposed such swingeing cuts, Britain might be heading the way of Portugal and needing a massive bailout. Is he right? Does the plight of Portugal convince you that Britain’s heading down the right path? And should we say thank you to Gordon Brown to for making sure we never went into the Euro?

8PM Swearing: Wayne Rooney has been banned for two matches for swearing. Why do we still consider swearing to be beyond the pale? Swear words are just words like any other words, aren’t they? Why do we get offended by swear words. Should sports people like Wayne Rooney lose sponsorship deals just for swearing? Do kids take the lead from sports personalities like Rooney?

9PM LBC Legal Hour with Daniel Barnett from Outer Temple Chambers
Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Wednesday

2011-04-06T22:00:00.008+01:00

1. Peter Hoskin looks at the winners and losers on Black Wednesday.
2. Douglas Carswell wonders if unpaid internships will end in the Commons.
3. JP Floru thinks the ASA isn't fit for the 21st century.
4. Tim Montgomerie warns Cameron not to upset the right wing media.
5. Mark Pack wants more hypocrisy please.
6. Jeffrey Tucker explains why Rebecca Black is a libertarian.
7. Toby Young reckons left wingers just aren't good at blogging.
8. Quentin Letts doesn't want to be run by Lefties and luvvies.
9. Francesca Preece shows why Bob Crow is a hypocrite.
10. Mark Wallace isn't convinced about the peace in Northern Ireland.
11. Nadine Dorries gives her take on NHS reform.
12. Julia Manning is against gentically testing teenagers.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-04-06T18:17:00.001+01:00

7PM Libya: Do we really have the stomach to keep bombing Gaddafi for six months or more? Are we in so deep now that it’s difficult to extricate ourselves, or should we emulate Obama and say we’re going to leave it to others to take the lead in future?

8PM The Census: More than 7 million householders have failed to return their census forms. Are you one of them? What will you say when you get a knock on the door?

9PM LBC Parliament with Andrew Slaughter MP (Lab, Hammersmith & Shadow Justice Minister), Mark Pack (LibDem Voice)and Sheila Gunn (former press secretary to John Major and author of So You Want to be a Political Journalist).

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

2011-04-05T22:00:00.001+01:00

1. The Guardian covers the Rally Against Debt.
2. Mehdi Hasan shows that Labour would cut more than Thatcher too.
3. Raheem Kassam warns of the danger of North Korea.
4. Brendan O'Neill thinks Clegg is patronising poor students.
5. Harry Cole explains the real alternative march.
6. Tim Montgomerie looks at what right wingers think of themselves.
7. Ed Jacobs highlights the woes of the Scottish Lib Dems.
8. Peter Hoskin has a 5 poitn guide to the Coalition's social mobility report.
9. David Blackburn follows George Monbiot's transformation.
10. Walaa Idris looks forward to the US Presidential race.
11. Alastair Campbell reckons Lansley has been Spelmanned.
12. Political Scrapbook has footage of the Greg Barker speech on Thatcher.

On My LBC Show From 7pm

2011-04-05T18:43:00.001+01:00

7pm The Rally Against Debt: Sideshow or the voice of the silent majority

8pm Should we abolish the school uniform?

9pm LBC Medical hour

The Daley Dozen: Monday

2011-04-04T22:00:00.000+01:00

1. Norman Tebbit delivers a damning attack on the Alternative Vote.
2. Nick Pickles shows that Ed Balls can buy a constituency.
3. Sunny Hundal explains why even he will be rallying against debt.
4. Roger Bootle proves that we need some Thatcherite radicalism.
5. Katie Anderson reveals the most irritating politician in the UK.
6. Matthew Sinclair wants the left to be horrified at high taxes too.
7. Andrew Pierce discovers that David Miliband is a tax avoider.
8. Anton Howes tackles the issue of squatting.
9. Liberal Vision reckon The Observer needs to do more fact checking.
10. Sadie Smith wants to ban MPs from Twitter.
11. Biteback are pleased to announce a new autobiography.
12. Simon Clark has a lesson for life.

Nadine Dorries & Me: The Truth (For the Benefit of the Daily Mail)

2011-04-04T15:41:00.006+01:00

Sometime last week on my LBC programme - it could have been in the Parliament hour on Wednesday* - we were talking about selling things to your friends and how it can all go wrong. In a 5 second aside I mentioned that a couple of years ago I sold a car to a friend and six months later the engine blew up. And even though it was clearly nothing to do with me, I still felt really guilty about it. The friend in question was Nadine Dorries. The car was a year 2000 small Jaguar.

The next day Nadine texted me to ask if I had mentioned her on my programme as she had had several texts from people about it. I told her what I'd said and we had a good laugh about it.

She's just called again to say that the Daily Mail have just been on the phone asking her about it, and was it true that I had sold her a completely duff, how much had she paid for the car, and had it caused a falling out between us? She made very clear that she had no intention of telling them how much she had paid for it, it wasn't a duff car and we were still the best of friends.

But I suspect that isn't how it will be written up in the Daily Mail tomorrow.

The most interesting part of this story as far as I am concerned is that none of the people who texted Nadine live anywhere London. LBC clearly has a much wider reach than some people think!

* A listener has been in touch to say that it was in the legal hour on Thursday, because we were discussing a listener's car buying problem.

The Daley (Half) Dozen: Friday

2011-04-01T22:00:00.009+01:00

1. Daran Hill gives a touching tribute to Brynle William AM.
2. David Owen gives his reason for voting no to AV.
3. Martin Shapland thinks that Ed Miliband is just ridiculous.
4. Harry Phibbs asks if you will be joining him on a rally against debt.
5. Fraser Nelson praises Chris Grayling.
6. No to AV explain what will happen if AV is introduced...

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-04-01T18:46:00.000+01:00

7PM Is the AV referendum campaign about to catch light: The No2Av campaign releases a new video warning about the dangers of splinter party voters determining who will win in 30 seats, and David Cameron launches a blistering attack on AV. Chris Huhne writes to Tory chairman Sayeeda Warsi accusing her of supporting what he calls “the politics of the gutter” and asking her to disown the scaremongering and misleading publicity of the No2AV campaign.

And today The Electoral Commission says it is about to spend £6 million publicising the fact that the AV referendum is taking place on 5 May in a series of media ads and by means of sending a booklet to every household.

8PM Speed cameras: Back on August 1 2010 car drivers in Oxfordshire rejoiced as the county’s speed cameras were switched off. But only 8 months later, they’re switching them back on again. Do you think they are right to do that, or do you wonder how they can make such a switch after such a short time? Do you think speed cameras still perform a useful role, or should we do away with them altogether and spend the money on better forms of speed reduction.

9PM Video Games: What’s the attraction? I’ve never played a video game in my life. I can’t see the point of them, but video games are now outselling both DVDs and albums. Why do people think video games are more relaxing that watching films or listening to music? Convince me that I should give video games a go.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

My Return to Blogging: The Truth Behind The New Iain Dale & Co Site

2011-04-01T13:22:00.005+01:00

Ok, the last post was just my idea of a little bit of fun. It's amazing the number of people who read it and didn't realise it was an April Fool. I thought it was one of my more obvious ones.

However, there was more than a kernel of truth in it. And here is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

I currently have a new website being designed, with the intention of launching it within the next four to six weeks. It won't be a single person authored blog, because my reasons for stopping my blog are still valid. However, I will be writing on it most days, but the exciting thing is that I have recruited an army of around 30 people from the world of politics, media and the arts to join me. It's not meant to be a Huffington Post, but that's the closest analogy I can think of. Each contributor will write pieces whenever they like, hopefully at least once a week. Many of the contributors will be familiar to you, some won't, but I have asked them all to take part because of their brilliant writing.

The site won't just be concerned with politics and it won't have a politically biased editorial line. Contributors include Labour and LibDem supporters. We'll have book and film reviews, a little bit of sport, and there are several contributors from the world of radio and TV. I've also recruited several contibutors who have been well known bloggers, but like me decided to call it quits. Each contributor will have their own RSS feeds, and their own pages. The site is going to be designed with a magazine/newspaper feel ratheer than a blog. Readers will be encourged to comment on articles, but they will have to register with their real details. I'm not allowing any anyonymous comments on the site. Been there. Done that.

I've still to decide on a name - all suggestions gratefully received. Iain Dale & Co or Iain Dale & Friends are the current frontrunners, but neither are exactly innovative.

I don't know if this will work or not. Whenever I had guest contributors in the past people said they didn't like it and they came to my site to read me and me alone. Well, in theory you'll still be able to do that on the new site, but I really think the team I have put together will be provide a fascinating mix of political and media commentary.

The problem was, on the old site - this site -50% of the readers returned 3 or more times a day and expected new content when they did. In the end I couldn't provide it. The idea of the new site is that I will write once a day but there will be between 5 and 10 other articles to keep people entertained.

Once the site design has developed, I'll update you further, and provide details of some of the great names I have signed up to write for the site.

PS The illustration above is just too show you how you will be able to scroll through contributors. Zac, Shami and Dan are not contributors to the new site. Well, not yet anyway.

PPS If you have ideas for potential contributors, I'd be happy to consider them.

Why I've Decided to Start Blogging Again

2011-04-01T09:26:00.003+01:00

It's nearly four months since I quit blogging. So many people have been kind enough to tell me they have missed my daily jottings, and indeed, I have missed them myself. My life just hasn't been quite the same. Indeed, I'm sure you won't think it pretentious of me to say that since I left, the whole blogoshere hasn't been quite the same. It's been a bit like Take That without Robbie, hasn't it? Admit it, your day hasn't been as fulfilling without being able to read my Top Ten List of Top Ten Lists, or me asking why, oh why oh why so and so shouldn't be strung up from the nearest lamppost. OK, you can still read those magic words "On my LBC Show tonight..." and little Grant does his best with the Daley Dozen, but it's not as good as when I did it, is it?

Which brings me to the point of this post. Despite there only being 24 hours in the day I have decided to return to the blogging fray. I can already hear the nation rejoicing, as a little part of England flowers again.

Inevitably there will be minor changes to the blog. Due to my job at LBC I have to obey Ofcom guidelines, so where previously I might have been able to write "Ed Balls is a talentless piece of dickshit" I may have to say something like "Some commentators have questioned Ed Balls's abilities", but I am sure readers will understand and be able to read between the lines. I can do subtlety.

The other change I shall introduce is to ban anyone from commenting on what I write. It's not becase I am a sensitive little flower - although we all know I can be - but I frankly don't care what anyone else thinks, so why pretend? You come here to read what I write, not some lunatic from Leamington Spa. Don't you? Well don't you?

Another change is that because of my impartiality responsibilities I shall be writing less about politics and more about music. Indeed, the first article I shall post will be a piece titled "Roxette and the philosophy of the Joyride".

So, I am back. With a vengeance. Enjoy.

The Daley Dozen: Thursday

2011-03-31T22:00:00.012+01:00

1. Daniel Hannan is fed up of debt.
2. Steve Richards thinks the Lib Dems are very relevant.
3. Charlotte Henry explains why she still agrees with Nick.
4. Peter Hoskin reckons Labour are failing to explain the public finances.
5. Alex Massie doesn't think the Coalition is drifting left.
6. Laurence Durnan argues for more SpAds.
7. Andrew Neil looks at the case for raising interest rates.
8. Douglas Carswell expore how free market Britain is.
9. Mark Wallace highlights UkUncut's crumbling support.
10. Tim Roll-Pickering assesses the fall of Lembit Opik.
11. Political Scrapbook reports that the Lib Dems are keeping Clegg off leaflets.
12. Conservative Home have the footage of Boris and Arnie bike riding...

On My LBC Radio Show From 7pm...

2011-03-31T18:24:00.000+01:00

7PM Musa Kusa: Should we offer him diplomatic immunity, or should he face the full force of British and international law for any part he played in the planning of Lockerbie and other Libyan atrocities? Does his defection signal the imminent collapse of the Gadaffi regime? Should rebel forces take heart from what he’s done?

8PM The future of the high street: Oddbins are about to go into administration, many high street chains have plummeting takings. What’s the future for the British High Street? Are we spending all our money in supermarkets and online? Is it our fault that small independent shops are disappearing from the high street? Or will they experience a revival?

9PM LBC Legal Hour with Daniel Barnett from Outer Temple Chambers

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If Lembit were on fire...

2011-03-31T15:30:00.004+01:00

Hattip: VoteNoToAV

The Daley Dozen: Wednesday

2011-03-30T22:00:00.007+01:00

1. Guido thanks the BBC for proving just how useless AV actually is.
2. Anna Racoon has got hold of Ed Miliband's alternative speech.
3. Andy Mayer explains why he will be rallying against debt.
4. Mark Pack puts forwards reasons why the Coalition will last.
5. Francesca Preece doesn't like iPads in the Commons.
6. Gary Gibbon has the details on Arnie's visit to the 1922 today.
7. Paul Waugh reports that Alan Patridge visited PMQs today.
8. James Forsyth wasn't impressed with Cameron's outburst.
9. Walaa Idris thinks we must be very careful in Libya.
10. Tory Radio recommends a book for you all to read.
11. Pete Wedderburn wants the government to sort out Circuses.
12. James Cousins on dog poo.

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

2011-03-29T22:00:00.014+01:00

1. Quentin Letts lists the worst politicians he has ever met.
2. Sam Bowman reckons the anti cuts brigade has jumped the shark.
3. Andrew Lilico argues that there is an alternative.
4. Matthew Sinclair proves that Johann Hari is telling lies.
5. Raheem Kassam advises Herman Cain to stand down.
6. Harry Cole thinks UK Uncut has come unstuck.
7. Daniel Hannan is a member of the most hated profession in Britain.
8. Luke Bozier feels let down by Ed Miliband after Saturday's antics.
9. James Forsyth looks at what to do with Gadaffi.
10. Peter Black rejoices at Swansea being in the news.
11. Not a Sheep thinks the big wedding won't be so bright and rosy.
12. And finally, someone has organised a Rally Against Debt.

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-03-29T17:56:00.000+01:00

7PM Libya: As rumours circulate that Al Qadea have infiltrated the rebel forces, could it be that we have been hoodwinked into exacerbating a civil war? Could this be on a par with what happened in Iraq if we’re not careful? Nick Clegg thinks the exact opposite. Is he right?

8PM Religious Education: It emerged today that children as young as four will be taught about atheism. Isn’t this proof enough that religious education has had its day and should be consigned to the dustbin of history? Should we ban religious education in schools which aren’t faith based?

9PM LBC Medical Hour with Dr Rob Hicks

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The Daley Dozen: Monday

2011-03-28T22:00:00.011+01:00

1. George Pitcher thinks the student rioters couldn't have choose a worse target.
2. Guido doesn't have much hope for the Tories in Scotland.
3. Anthony Painter shows why Laurie Penny is wrong, as usual.
4. Archie Manners reveals Sally Bercow wants to be an MP.
5. City Unslicker highlights the stupidity of the no cuts brigade.
6. James Delingpole yearns for a better Britain.
7. Caroline Crampton looks at some unnoticed U-turns.
8. Harry's Place is a lot happier with the new No to Av posters.
9. James Forsyth examines Clegg's new direction.
10. Cranmer on the rebirth of the social democrats.
11. Matt Peterkin explains why he spent the night in Parliament.
12. The People's Pledge spokesman Zac Goldmsith speaks out...

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-03-28T18:25:00.000+01:00

7PM The Riots: As we all take stock of what happened at the weekend I want to ask how a repeat an be prevented and in particular how the Police can protect the poor shopowners who have been targeted again – not by anarchists but by balaclava wearing cowardly thugs. Are UKuncut the naïve innocents they try to portray themselves as, or something more sinister?

8PM EMA: The government announced today that the Education Maintenance Allowance isn’t to be completely abolished. Another U turn, or a wise move which targets money at those who most need it? And we also hear today of a study which predicts there will be 45,000 fewer students in future. Perhaps you think that’s a good thing!

9PM LBC Book Club with David Starkey, author of Crown & Country – The Kings & Queens of England, a history, paperback, £14.99, Harper Press.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/

Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley (Half) Dozen: Friday

2011-03-25T22:00:00.007Z

1. David Blackburn reveals that Merkel is growing tired of the Eurozone.
2. Katharine Birbalsingh's Free School battle is about to commence.
3. Allister Heath explains why we shouldn't bail out Portugal.
4. Tom Bradby reckons Labour is losing the argument on the deficit.
5. Duncan Robinson is worried about the danger of coal power.
6. Will Heaven on Rory Stewart.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-03-25T18:09:00.000Z

7PM The Coalition is encouraging a divided society and practising the politics of division says Ed Miliband. He reckons we’re heading back to the 1980s and we’re being governed by “rotten politics”. Guests: Peter Hain and Dr Tim Bale

8PM Abortion: Next week a cross party group of MPs is launching a fresh bid to restrict abortions. They want women to be forced to receive pre termination counselling, but from an organisation that does not itself carry out abortions and they want to strip the Royal College of Obstetricians of their role in setting clinical guidelines on abortions. Do you think these are MPs are trying to ban abortions by the back door? Or do you agree with them that abortions are too freely available in this country?

9PM As Waterstone’s is set to be sold off to cut losses. What is the future of the book and the bookstore?

9.45PM Lucy Coward will be talking to Conductor Marin Alsop.

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The Daley Dozen: Thursday

2011-03-24T23:00:00.000Z

1. Caroline Crampton reports that Goldie Lookin Chain are seeking office.
2. Oh no, Nick Clegg has left his mic on and Duncan Robinson has the footage.
3. Juan Cole proves in ten ways why Libya is not Iraq.
4. Mark Hill highlights 5 reasons why humanity is bad at democracy.
5. Matthew Hancock looks at what Portugal means for the UK.
6. Dizzy reveals an apparently "independent" quote may not be what it seems.
7. Political Scrapbook think Danny A may be bribing the electorate.
8. Paul Waugh has the news that iPads are now allowed in the Commons.
9. Iain Martin shows us the Budget speech he would have given.
10. Andy Mayer reckons Ed Balls' position is shameless.
11. Peter Hoskin looks at what David Laws thinks of the budget.
12. James Delingpole isn't thrilled with the budget, at all.

Tonight on my LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-03-24T18:25:00.000Z

7PM Aid to Africa: Lord Mandelson has courted controversy again by suggesting that African aid has been wasted and created an army of ‘professional beggars’. He said money should have been poured into trade deals rather than handouts. Is Peter Mandelson right? Should we reconfigure our aid policies and make them dependent on trade?

8PM Dentistry: We keep being told that it is easier to find an NHS dentist than ever before. But a survey out today shows that the cost of NHS dentistry is encouraging people to delay dental treatment of opt for cheaper care. And 10% of people don’t go to the dentist because they are scared stiff and 20% don’t go because of bad experiences with their dentist. Why do we British care so little for our teeth? And why isn’t dental care free at the point of use, just like any other medical treatment?

British Dental Association wouldn’t put up a spokesman because – and I quote – "It’s been a long day". Pathetic.

9PM LBC Legal hour with Daniel Barnett from Outer Temple Chambers.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/

Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Wednesday

2011-03-23T22:00:00.010Z

1. Jesse Norman thinks the budget is a move towards real capitalism.
2. Sophy Ridge has the original Norman Lamont joke.
3. Caroline Crampton reckons that Osborne triumphed.
4. Daniel Hannan isn't a big fan of the Monetary Policy Committee.
5. Ed Staite shows how opposition works on budget day.
6. Eamonn Butler delivers his pro-growth budget speech.
7. Tim Dodds highlights the Americanisation of the Mayoral elections.
8. James Forsyth looks at the 50p question.
9. Bracknell Blog wants to see an end to pre released spin.
10. Christina Odone is saddened by the news of Liz Taylor's death.
11. City Unslicker is very angry.
12. Guido has the proof that Ken did nap during the budget.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-03-23T18:20:00.002Z

Hope you enjoyed Alastair Campbell last night. Tonight, I'm back with a budgetary vengeance... We've got Harriet Harman, Andy Burnham, David Gauke, Matthew Hancock and John Woodock on the show tonight. Impressive, huh?

7PM Were you a budget winner or budget loser? What was the best thing about the budget, what was the worst thing? Budgets are always about winners and losers, and I guess the political success of a budget depends on whether there are more winners and losers. Do you feel this has been a budget for you, or was it a budget in the national interest? Or do you agree with Ed Miliband that it was a non budget – it did nothing for jobs, nothing for growth and nothing for the country? Guests: Harriet Harman and Andy Burnham

8PM Ask the Minister with David Gauke: Exchequer Secretary David Gauke will be joining me for an hour to take questions from LBC listeners on the phone about the budget. Was it a budget for jobs, a budget for growth, or a damp squib? If you want to quiz a Treasury minister, this is YOUR opportunity.

9PM LBC Parliament with Matthew Hancock MP (Con, West Suffolk), Jasmine Birtles (Financial commentator) and John Woodcock (Lab, Barrow in Furness)

Text Question Facial Fascism: Why are men who wear beards so hated? text 84850

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Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

2011-03-22T22:00:00.006Z

1. Simon McIntyre shows why we should combine NI and income tax.
2. Lord Lamont wants to see tax cuts in the long term.
3. George Monbiot explains why he loves nuclear power.
4. Jim Pickard takes a sneak peek at the budget.
5. Andrew Neil reckons we have higher inflation to come.
6. Tom Chivers thinks it is time the government looked a drugs policy.
7. Jonathan Roberts insists we don't have a right not to be offended.
8. Fraser Nelson on our inflationary troubles.
9. Jeremy Browne explains why we need radical change.
10. Ed West mocks the anti-cuts protestors.
11. Shane Greer defends tax avoidance.
12. Direct Democracy proves why we need more referendums.

The Daley Dozen: Monday

2011-03-21T22:00:00.001Z

1. Bobby Friedman gives us a sneak peek at his new book about Bercow.
2. Lord Ashcroft looks at the Daily Mail and its brand.
3. Paddy Ashdown wants Cameron to act on child poverty.
4. Jim Pickard highlights the fears MPs have over Libya.
5. Michael Crick reveals which AV broadcast goes first.
6. Jim Murphy thinks Liam Fox needs to be put back in his box.
7. Norman Tebbit paraises Cameron over Libya.
8. Peter Hoskin wonders what may happen in Yemen.
9. Nigel Hawkins assesses the impact of Fukushima.
10. Ben Brogan reckons public service reform is being delayed.
11. Amber Elliot explains why the AV debate isn't going viral.
12. Nick Robinson reports on Cameron's insistence that this is not his Iraq.

The Daley (Half) Dozen: Friday

2011-03-18T22:00:00.011Z

1. Mark Wallace gives the case for intervention in Libya.
2. Simon Jenkins outlines why he is sticking with FPTP.
3. Archbishop Cranmer argues that Cameron become a statesman today.
4. James Delingpole explains why he isn't a fan of 10 O'Clock Live
5. Fraser Nelson reports on Clegg's victory over the Conservatives.
6. Shane Greer reveals why he will be voting No to AV...

On My LBC Show From 7pm...

2011-03-18T18:45:00.000Z

7PM Cameron v Obama: As David Cameron basks in the afterglow of a diplomatic triumph, do you look at him in a different light. Barack Obama was described as the weakest president in history today. Has he failed to give a lead over Libya. Has yes We can changed to Er, maybe we shouldn’t?

8PM Squatting is to be made illegal: Squatting seems to have become more commonplace in recent times. Ken Clarke, the Justice Minister is about to make it illegal, giving homeowners the right to immediately gain possession of their illegally occupied homes. About time? Or overkill? Do you think this is an attack on the weak and vulnerable by an uncaring government determined to protect its supporters who own big empty houses?

9PM What is the solution to urban foxes? Ministers have rejected calls for urban foxes to be reclassified as vermin. Some MPs wanted them to be reclassified to make a cull easier. Are foxes vermin, or should we just live and let live?

Text Question Facial Fascism: Why are men who wear beards so hated? text 84850

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Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Thursday

2011-03-17T22:00:00.010Z

1. Guido reveals that Kinnock set to pocket from Yes to AV.
2. Toby Young insists that Mumsnet is not the squeezed middle.
3. Ben Duckworth proves that Miliband is as unpopular as Clegg.
4. Working Class Tory highlights Ben Bradshaw's sudden change of mind.
5. Paul Goodman shows that UKIP do prove a threat to the Conservatives.
6. Paul Waugh reveals that Brian Haw have been evicted.
7. Peter Hoskin looks at what might be in the Budget.
8. David Davis urges the goverment to rethink defence cuts.
9. Neil O'Brien on British poverty.
10. Nick Pickles thinks we need to take on the enemies of innovation.
11. Douglas Carswell reckons we need to learn from the mistakes of Heath.
12. Tom Clougherty recommends Niall Ferguson's new programme.

The Daley Dozen: Wednesday

2011-03-16T22:00:00.012Z

1. Fraser Nelson shows why education must be changed.
2. Terence Paul proves that the BNP don't want FPTP.
3. Nick Robinson fears that it is now too late to act in Libya.
4. Mark Clarke thinks that he NHS reforms will result in better services.
5. Caroline Crampton reports on the divide in the Lib Dems.
6. Mark Pack highlights the four best books on General Election 2010.
7. Garry Gibbon reckons the AV referendum could break the coalition.
8. David Smith on the British economy and the Laffer curve.
9. Mark Cole celebrates Comic Relief music.
10. Archbishop Cranmer thinks we need to stop Gaddafi becoming the next Saddam.
11. Jesus Diaz has terrifying footage of the Japan tsunami.
12. The Freedom Association invite students to their Freedom Forum.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-03-16T18:18:00.000Z

7PM Should the taxpayer be helping first time buyers? A new scheme provides tax payers money to help first time buyers find a deposit? Is this really what taxpayers' money should be used for? If someone hasn’t got a deposit, surely they should save for it?

8PM London dominates a child poverty league table, Why is London the worst place in the country for child poverty? Is it really so bad, here in the capital, and if it is, why? And what exactly do we mean by poverty nowadays?

9PM LBC Parliament with Frank Dobson – Former Health Secretary and Labour MP for Holborn & St Pancras, Bob Blackman – Conservative MP for Harrow East, Lembit Opik – Lib Dem Mayoral hopeful and former MP for Montgomeryshire

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Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Tuesday

2011-03-15T22:00:00.007Z

1. Daniel Hannan celebrates the launch of the People's Pledge.
2. Henry Oliver debunks BMA's opposition to the Health Bill.
3. Wintour & Watt reveal that Cameron has been mocking Cathy Ashton.
4. Lewis Page thinks Fukushima is a triumph for nuclear power.
5. Marcus Roberts shows why we must act to stop Gadaffi.
6. Kyle Trygstad gives his vision of the future of online campaigning.
7. Caroline Crampton reckons Zac Goldsmith represents pro democracy.
8. Ben Cobley wants the Labour party to embrace freedom.
9. James Burdett on the AV referendum.
10. Lord Bates proves why the Conservatives are the party of manufacturing.
11. James Cleverly isn't impressed by Ken Livingstone.
12. Max Atkinson reveals the winner of his dictator speechwriting competition.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-03-15T18:27:00.002Z

7PM Reopening the SDR: Both David Davis and Shadow Defence Secetary Jim Murphy have called for the Strategic Defence Review to be reopened in the light of events in Libya. They want Ark Royal to be recommissioned and Harrier jump jets returned to service. Has the Libyan experience shown us that the SDR is already out of date?

8PM Germany has announced a measured exit from nuclear power: Should we follow suit? Or is this a total overreaction by a government which should know better? Isn’t it important that nuclear power remains part of our energy supply mix, or do you think that now is the time to reconsider our commitment to nuclear energy?

9PM LBC Legal Hour with Daniel Barnett.

Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/

Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

The Daley Dozen: Monday

2011-03-14T22:00:00.012Z

1. Peter Hoskins reckons the two Ed's fail the credibility test.
2. Anna Racoon gives us a step by step guide to filling in the census.
3. Norman Tebbit thinks the country's public services are going dotty.
4. Shane Greer on public funding and the arts.
5. Tax Payers Alliance prove that the no cuts brigade are a small minority.
6. Paul Waugh highlights the change in Labour's economic policy.
7. Lord Soley still has confidence in the future of nuclear power.
8. Walaa Idris isn't a fan of Ken Livingstone.
9. Devil's Kitchen assesses the state of nuclear power stations.
10. Mark Wallace thinks Ed Balls has forgotten his love of green taxes.
11. David Blackburn looks at what is going on between Miliband and Clegg.
12. Helen Duffett shows that Paddy Ashdown supports a No Fly Zone.

On My LBC Show Tonight From 7pm...

2011-03-14T18:44:00.001Z

Next Tuesday I am off galivanting with Miss Widdecombe. During tonight's programme I will reveal who will be sitting in for me. You might be a little taken aback...

7PM People’s Pledge: Today a cross party campaign was launched to secure a referendum on Britain’s continued membership of the EU. Called the People’s Pledge it aims to put pressure on political leaders to support a poll which would settle this divisive question once and for all. Do you think we need a referendum on our membership of the EU or are we going referendum mad?

8PM Libya: The international community is nearing D-Day, decision day on Libya. Either the UN authorises a no fly zone or it doesn’t. Who should impose the no fly zone, the Arab League? Nato? Or will the international community cut the Libyan rebels loose and signal to Gadaffi that he can kill yet more of his people?

9PM LBC Book Club with Toby Harnden, author of Dead Men Risen (£18.99, Quercus) and Peter Hain, author of Mandela (Spruce, £12.99)
Listen at 97.3 FM, on DAB, Sky 0112, Virgin 973 or at http://www.lbc.co.uk/

Phone in on 0845 60 60 973. Text 84850. Email iain@lbc.co.uk. Tweet me @lbc973

Quote of the Day

2011-03-14T13:38:00.003Z

"A world without Lancashire Gardeners' Question Time isn't a world I want to live in."

Gary Dunion, a BBC local radio listener lamenting the cuts.