Predictably there is a touch of farce to today’s defence Green paper. The study itself is sober to a fault. But somehow the main story of the day is not whether Britain’s military clout is waning but whether Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff and ace fighter pilot, thinks the RAF could be abolished.
Here is the deliciously absurd press statement the MoD have put out: Read more
David Davis in the running to chair Treasury Select Committee?
A curious rumour reaches my ear: that David Davis, former shadow home affairs secretary, could have his eye on an altogether different prize – chairmanship of the Treasury Select Committee. Read more
A new mechanism to oust John Bercow?
It’s a fairly tedious-looking document. But today’s report by the obscure “procedure committee” for the Commons has one rather interesting recommendation:
We recommend that this House be given an opportunity to decide between the options of retaining the current procedure for re-electing a former Speaker at the start of a new Parliament or of adopting a secret ballot for deciding this question, rather than a division. Read more
Gordon Brown vs Piers Morgan: battle of the heavyweights
Sky is breaking the news that Gordon Brown will do a one-hour interview with Piers Morgan, former editor of the Daily Mirror, during the general election campaign. Read more
The obvious flaw in Osborne’s plan to help savers
I read on the front page of the Telegraph that George Osborne will give savers a better deal – “restoring a savings culture to the heart of the economy”.
The shadow chancellor wants to help people save by enrolling workers into pensions, restoring the link between the state pension and average earnings and helping savers who have been hit by the abolition of the dividend tax credit for pension funds. Read more
Is Sion Simon predicting a Tory victory?
Interesting to see Sion Simon quitting as MP for Erdington. Simon is stepping down as a junior minister this month and leaving at election time.
The 41-year-old said he wants to spend more time in his constituency and lobbying to become Birmingham’s first elected mayor. Read more
| About this blog | Blog guide |
Jim Pickard is the FT's chief political correspondent, having joined the lobby team in January 2008. He has been at the FT since 1999 as a regional correspondent, assistant UK news editor and property correspondent.
Kiran Stacey is an FT political correspondent, having joined the lobby in 2011. He started at the FT as a graduate trainee in 2008, working on desks including UK companies and US equity markets before taking over the FT's Energy Source blog.
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