‘time to look to the future’
‘Mr Blunkett will call for “a new kind of politics — focusing as it must on the environment and climate change; the fight against poverty; enterprise and innovation in our economy and social life; and putting the consumer and the user of services at the very heart of provision, not the interests of the provider”.’ – davidblunkett.org
‘In a separate move, David Cairns, the former Scottish Office minister
whose resignation on the eve of the party conference last year put
Brown under pressure, today made his first public comments since
stepping down, saying the government is no longer speaking to the
aspirations of “Mondeo Man”.’ – Patrick Wintour and Allegra Stratton, The Guardian
‘Gordon Brown must quickly regain the political initiative after a week of serious setbacks, former Home Secretary David Blunkett has warned.’ – BBC
‘Gordon Brown was warned last night by a loyalist former cabinet minister to fill the void in government policy, avoid self-inflicted wounds and recognise there had been a “catastrophic meltdown of trust” in politics.’ – Patrick Wintour, The Guardian
UK combat operations end in Iraq
‘A ceremony has been held in Basra to mark the official end of the six-year British military mission in Iraq.
UK combat operations ended as 20th Armoured Brigade took part in a flag-lowering ceremony with a US brigade.’ – BBC
‘Today, the world watched as British troops marked the end of their formal combat operations in Iraq. But just under 3,000 miles away in London, another event was taking place that reflected the new relationship now emerging between our countries.’ – Peter Mandelson, The Telegraph
‘authors of their misfortune’
‘Britain’s beleaguered banks are the “authors of their misfortune”, with the bankers themselves having made “an astonishing mess” of the financial system, according to the powerful cross-party Treasury Select Committee of MPs.’ – Sean O’Grady, The Independent
MPs’ expenses
‘The government has won a series of votes on planned MPs’ expenses reforms, after it agreed to delay a decision on controversial second homes allowances.’ – BBC
An effective opposition?
‘The Republicans’ standing on the US electoral map is weaker than it has been in a generation. Mr Obama, by some assessments, has more political leverage than any president since Franklin Roosevelt in 1937. But what is good for the President may not ultimately be good for America or for its international partners; the world’s most powerful democracy has no effective opposition, and it needs one.’ – Leader, The Times