The political debate over the past year has been dominated by argument over the deficit. How far and how fast to cut....
Column: Pat’s Politics Articles
No liberty without order
In the face of the disorder in English cities in recent days, the debate has revolved around questions of individual...
Labour and Murdoch
For most Labour people, their starting point with Rupert Murdoch is the front page of The Sun with Neil Kinnock’s head...
An unhealthy situation on NHS maximum waiting times
Amid all the fuss about NHS structures, it would be easy to forget what was happening in one area that really impacts...
The Tories will stick to Plan A – but that’s not the only battle to be waged
The events of the past two days have seemed like a rerun of the debate last summer, says Pat McFadden MP. In the blue...
Leadership helps heal divisions
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Irish journalist Fintan O’Toole said that the Queen’s visit to Ireland was not...
FT education results survey should be our rallying cry for change
When Alan Johnson was education secretary in the last government he used to tell a story of meeting a headteacher and...
Five suggestions for a sensible debate on immigration
However, Mr Cameron returned to the slogan last week in a speech aimed at those who have criticised him for ignoring...
All power to the producers – the real problem with Tory NHS plans
In recent months there has been much debate over whether or not the Government’s health plans are a continuation of or...
Sticking to Plan A
The one headline the chancellor did not want was anything which smacked of a U-turn or the adoption of a ‘Plan B'....
Why is the government stopping funding for Quilliam?
It is also about confronting the ideology that feeds extremism, demonises the pluralism of democratic societies and...
Antisemitic outbursts show that words matter
Most of us wouldn't be so charitable. Julian Assange has been reported as suggesting that the editor of the Guardian...