Author Archives: Chris Keating

Opinion: Do Labour pick Ken and their bedrock, or win back the centre ground?

By Chris Keating | 4th June 2010 - 2:10 pm

There’s been some interesting discussion on LabourList about whether Labour should – yet again – pick Ken Livingstone as their candidate for London Mayor. Declan Gaffney has made use of some very interesting research into the demographics of London elections (published here).

That demographic analysis deserves a long second look; and once you do, the picture isn’t pretty for anyone who wants Ken Livingstone to be elected as Mayor of London.

The most striking feature in the demographic facts and figures is the polarisation of London politics between 2004 and 2008. The study looks at the election results, ward …

Posted in London and Op-eds | Tagged ken livingstone | 1 Comment

Opinion: It’s deja vu all over again

By Chris Keating | 24th June 2007 - 11:31 am

For me, every new speech by David Cameron brings an intense sense of deja vu.

It’s commonplace that the Cameron Conservative strategy is based on a detailed study of how Tony Blair and New Labour seized the centre ground and won elections. However, it’s increasingly clear that what Cameron has borrowed from Blair is not only an electoral strategy, but his entire philosophical baggage-train.

Blairism was never ideological. But in “New Britain”, a collection of speeches made in 1994-96, Blair laid out the philosophy behind his vision of a new politics and a new society. Economic security would be assured, from both recession and exploitation. But more importantly, a Labour government would build a new society based on mutuality and common values; and a new sort of politics which would give power back from Whitehall to ordinary people.

Posted in News and Op-eds | Leave a comment

Review: Britain After Blair – A Liberal Agenda

By Chris Keating | 11th October 2006 - 8:00 pm

Britain After Blair “The Son of Orange Book” hasn’t had nearly as fiery a reception as its predecessor. One review described the original as ‘smelling faintly of brimstone’. No rumors of right-wing conspiracies have accompanied this volume. This autumn, the essays are more measured, and the potential future leadership candidates more cautious about what they say.

Stripped of its spin, the Orange Book was less than earth-shattering – and Britain After Blair is much the same. The two defining characteristics of the essays are that they are liberal, and intelligent. At £10 for 14 essays and a detailed introduction, they are also decent value for money.

That said, some of the essays gave me a faint longing for something more, while a number of them are essentially arguments for existing party policy – cogent, but unadventurous.

Posted in News | Tagged david laws, lynne featherstone and norman lamb | 5 Comments