When the media hit on a theme, they keep banging on about even when it no longer makes sense. Happily Radio Cymru let me sound off about this on their 8.00 am bulletin this morning on their exclusive re-run of an exhausted theme. News of losses of private Government data were very scary at first. Vi...

Let sleeping hatred lie. All political parties in Northern Ireland have reacted with sense and restraint to the recent murders. The brain-numb assassins are the splinters of the past violence. They were described today as 'traitors' by Martin McGuiness. This was a courageous act that puts hi...

The Public Administration Committee decided to publish immediately the e-mail trail on the controversial release of figures on knife crime. We received the redacted e-amils this morning. They are on the PASC website and below.  BBC Reporter Mark Easton writes, "A fascinating set of e-mail...

Good news. The double-cross reported here yesterday will not stick. In spite of the support of 216 MPs Gordon Prentice's two attempts to tighten the rules on overseas donations were not 'called' yesterday and they were no votes on them.  Today former MP Dale Campbell Savours rode t...

A minor constitutional outrage in Parliament tonight. Pendle MP Gordon Prentice had persuaded 216 MPs  of all parties to support his plea for a curb on foreign donation to political parties. The list of names of all parties filled two pages of the Order Paper. This is a great achievment and a ...

A very promising start for St David's Day.  Rhodri Morgan enjoys a dream 65% approval rating. On the question of more powers for the Assembly, 52% said 'yes please' and 30% said 'no thanks. It's coming up to the 10th anniversary of the day that Wales had its own Assembly on the soil of our own ...

It was fifteen years ago that the House of Commons last abandoned its main business  because the  parliamentary family had been bereaved. John Smith's death was an unexpected shock in 1994. The death of Ivan Cameron  was predicted but it still evoked deep sympathy.  The s...

George Galloway is not my favourite politician - but he is absolutely right to demand an investigation into the arrest of nine men last week. It was headline news because the arrests were made under the Terrorism Act. Pictures of the event were made immediately available to the media with the story ...

The only certainty about this year's Euro Elections is that the turnout will be low. Even though Europe is responsible for most of our best new laws on the environment and employment rights the election debates will be about crooked bananas and petty nationalism. Launched in my constituency this...

Knowing that new figures were about to be published on war costs, I tried a different tack to highlight the futility and danger of the planned Afghan surge. Topical questions in the Commons are a valuable innovation. It gave me a question that Alistair Darling did not expect at Treasury Questions. H...