Tag Archives: andrew motion

Opinion: time to close the book on Booktrust

The Government should have stuck to its guns, and ended its relationship with Booktrust.

There was never any withdrawal of funding or cut as far as I can tell. The last government signed a time-limited deal with the charity to dish out books to children of various ages. That contract is due to come to an end next April, and the Coalition has always had every intention of honouring that contract.

From the media coverage and the reaction of some, you might imagine that instead of not renewing a contract, the Coalition had instead decided to indulge in human …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , , , and | 24 Comments

What do Colin Firth, Kate Winslett, Andrew Motion & Brian Eno have in common?

According to today’s Observer, and blogged by Paul Walter, the Lib Dems are doing surprisingly well in the celebrity supporter stakes.

For Labour, long time backer J K Rowling (who surely could match the Ashcroft money and hardly notice it had gone, if the mood took her) is joined by David Tennant. He must be a worry for Labour – Tennant’s support may lose Gordon the Dalek vote his only-slighty-too-authoritarian government seem to have spent the last 13 years attracting.

The Conservatives meanwhile have Carol Vorderman, Kirstie Allsopp* and Trevor ‘bong’ MacDonald. Older readers will remember Carol …

Posted in General Election | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , and | 4 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Paul Holmes
    When I was an MP I remember being shown a block of Council flats in London. We stood on a first floor walkway and my guide pointed to one door that after RtBuy ...
  • Paul Holmes
    AlexB - Housing Associations already have the power to borrow money against their assets, which are of course not subject to the wholesale Right to Buy (at huge...
  • David McHardy
    There is no way out of the housing crisis without mass private building. Private building has stalled because it is unprofitable, as this article explains. This...
  • George Thomas
    "Of course, devolution cannot simply mean moving responsibilities without resources. Local leaders need meaningful fiscal powers, long-term funding settlements ...
  • George Thomas
    Greater devolution without greater funding is a poisoned chalice and that is what's being offered in Wales. That and sly digs at the Senedd. Then it leads t...