Nick Boles MP

If you want to understand society you have to look at the political process.  There is no avoiding this, however much you might dislike party politics.  To understand how politics works you have to look at politicians (there is no such thing as party politics there are only politicians to paraphrase Margaret Thatcher).

Above:  Nick Boles is MP for Grantham & Stamford, replacing Quentin Davies (who has "bounced back" as a member of the House of Lords, despite being mired in the expenses scandal).  Nick Boles MP is supposedly an influential figure in the Conservative half of the Coalition government, being founder of the Policy Exchange think tank and currently a member of the Henry Jackson Society.  Recently he published his political thoughts in a book entitled Which Way Is Up?
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Above:  on the whole I thought the book was lightweight.  There were some interesting ideas, but they were not properly developed and the arguments tested from more than one viewpoint.  Slightly too pleased with himself.

Above: (screenshot) a few weeks back I watched Daily Politics on BBC2 and Nick Boles popped up.  This appearance confirmed my view that Nick Boles was a superficial person without depth or gravitas.  I'm afraid I thought "silly public school twit" (this is not to be partisan - I think the same of Tristram Hunt MP, and political dynasties such as the Benns and the Prescotts disgust me more than you can possibly imagine).

Above:  Nick Boles' offices in a small town in the middle of his constituency.  If he genuinely wanted to develop a distinctive political ideology that resonated with the people he is supposed to be representing he should study them more assiduously.  There is no need for fancy think tanks and Notting Hill cabals - everything he needs to know can be found in this small town.

Pamela Nash MP

MP for Airdrie and Shotts is Pamela Nash.

Interested in sustainable housing.

Member of the Executive of the Fabian Society.
http://www.nextleft.org/

Youngest member of the House of Commons. When speaking in debates often refers to "Scotland" rather than her constituency, which gives the impression she is a nationalist sympathiser. Likely to become influential in the Labour party due to her youth and solid majority - all she has to do is stay out of controversy and Shadow jobs will (eventually) come her way.

Has a Twitter account: http://twitter.com/pamela_nash

Also a sort of blog: http://local.stv.tv/airdrie/news/967-blog-pamela-nash-mp/

Jonathan Reynolds MP

Jonathan Reynolds is the MP for Stalybridge and Hyde. Alumnus of Manchester University. Born in Sunderland. Trained as a solicitor (not a good sign). Protege of Peter Mandelson (not a good sign). Did not oppose the Hattersley Tesco development (not a good sign). Has asked questions on: Overcrowding on trains; Assistance to creative industries; Tax relief for the computer games industry. In July last year signed an Early Day Motion on the Bus Services Operator Grant. Quote about Baroness Warsi: "has the sort of confidence you only get if you refuse to listen to any views that challenge your own." Writes an on-line column called Commons People http://www.progressonline.org.uk/columns/category.asp?cc=23 Is a member of the Runnymede Trust's parliamentary group (along with Richard Fuller MP).

More new faces should be brought forward

Such a major reorganisation of the Shadow Cabinet (earlier today), only three months after they were put in place, looks a bit lackadaisical.

Instead of the usual contenders (Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper, Douglas Alexander - all of whom led the Labour Party to failure in May 2010) perhaps more new faces should be brought forward, such as Chris Evans MP for Islywn (Fabian Society and the Co-operative Party).

And someone needs to tell the Labour Party that whatever the merits of their argument the performance they are putting on in the House of Lords is a PR disaster (it looks terrible on television, with decrepit old codgers droning on about any old rubbish that comes into their heads).

Old politics from one of the new intake

Above: the Miliband brothers represented as the Mitchell brothers from Eastenders (this was by Rory Bremner).

Not impressed with the performance of new MP Tristram Hunt interviewed on the Today programme this morning. Instead of taking part in the discussion he just loudly recited a list of irrelevant party political points he wanted to make. It was an example of old politics from one of the new intake.

Demos is more encouraging about the new alignment in the current political settlement: http://www.demos.co.uk/blog/fieldofdreams

Newsnight yesterday used a panel to research possible new leaders for the Labour Party and found David Miliband was the unanimous preferred choice. Later in the programme Jeremy Paxman asked David Miliband if he was a “wonk”, which seemed to discomfort him. David Miliband was formerly part of the Primrose Hill Gang which included James Purnell.



Above: although David Miliband may be popular among ordinary people he is not entirely popular among Labour Party supporters. This is a savage attack by Guardian journalist Charlie Brooker (from May 2008). Charlie Brooker is an alumni of Central London Polytechnic.

Richard Fuller MP

Among the more interesting new MPs is Richard Fuller, MP for Bedford.

Intellectually capable.

He did PPE at Oxford. Former TRG (maybe current for all I know). Has always lived in Bedford, so is not a carpet-bagger.