It’s Saturday morning, so here are eight thought-provoking articles to stimulate your thinking juices…
Three big things I’ve got wrong since I’ve starting blogging and commenting – ConservativeHome’s Tim Montgomerie confesses to a trio of big errors on the NHS, higher-rate tax and equalities: “One of the many reasons I don’t want to be an MP is that I think this sort of ability to think openly and reflectively is probably impossible when you are standing for office.”
David Walsh: ‘It was obvious to me Lance Armstrong was doping’ – A fascinating look in the Press Gazette at how one journalist’s gut suspicions played out… not that I’m a huge fan of ‘this smells funny’ assertion-journalism, but I recognise you need some counterbalance to ‘fans with typewriters’-journalism.
It’s drugs politics, not drugs policy, that needs an inquiry – Simon Jenkins’ annual article on the need to liberalise our failing drugs laws, ‘the greatest failure of modern statecraft’.
Tory realism on Europe will not survive Cameron’s leadership – The New Statesman’s Rafael Behr’s prophesy: ‘David Cameron will be remembered by history as, among other things, the last leader of the Conservative party to support British membership of the European Union.’
Labour’s lost voters – Peter Kellner in Prospect speaks the truth politicians and party supporters prefer to duck: ‘overall, the range of opinions held by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem voters is far more similar than the parties, and their media cheerleaders, generally acknowledge.’
Immigration and business: A harder road – The Economist looks at how the Tories’ obsession with capping the numbers of skilled migrants threatens the UK’s global economic standing: ‘A poorly constructed migration target is putting Britain’s long-term economic health at risk.’
Clear Visions – The House’s Sam Macrory and Paul Waugh interview the cerebral and generally liberal Tory higher education minister, David Willetts: ‘he sometimes seems more at home in Vince Cable’s company than some of his own party.’
Liberal Hero of the Week #18: Theresa May & Michael Moore – find out why I reckoned the Home Secretary and Scottish Secretary deserved CentreForum’s accolade this week.
* Stephen Tall is Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice, a Research Associate for the liberal think-tank CentreForum, and also writes at his own site, The Collected Stephen Tall.