Northern Ireland Assembly: The transfer of policing and justice

The politics of Northern Ireland looks like finally to have matured, with a vote to transfer responsibility for policing and justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Even more important than the transfer itself is that it has happened despite the complete agreement of everyone involved. In the past this would have brought the whole Assembly crashing to the ground and it nearly did a few weeks ago. It is a pity that the Ulster Unionist Party failed to back the agreement, ignoring calls from George W. Bush and David Cameron to do so. But that is its democratic right within a grown-up democracy, although it has been accused of cynical behaviour, withholding its agreement in an attempt to win concessions in other areas. Again, name a party who does not adopt this stance when the opportunity arises. Nick Clegg has just issued his own demands to Labour and the Conservatives should a hung parliament be the result in May.

The problems in Northern Ireland have always been the bigoted views of the various parties and their refusal to agree to disagree, without the ultimate embargo of riots and death. Although this latest development has resulted in political rancour and behind the scenes arm-twisting, we should celebrate that this transfer of power has happened, by a majority democratic vote and not because of a terrorist gun.

Alistair Darling: The most political budget ever, or a suicide note

On March 24th Alistair Darling will stand up in the House of Commons and deliver the most political budget ever, or a suicide note that will take Labour down the long road to years of opposition.

It will be interesting to see how much of the budget will be his, or, as suspected, bear the marks of Gordon Brown, with hidden meanings and little substance, not quite outright lies about the pain to come, but so darn close.

We all know there is a painful period ahead, with cuts deeper and more deadly, than any party, Conservative or Labour, is prepared to lay bare to the electorate prior to a General Election. What we, the voters, want is that when it is time to brace ourselves for the medicine, it should be injected with a sweetener that makes it less sour and hurtful. When it comes to our standard of living, sophisticated we ain't and pain is acceptable so long as it the fellow next door taking most of it.

The problem for the Conservatives as they go into an Election, is that to the ordinary member of the public, on benefits or still in work, the financial meltdown, mostly passed them by. For the Conservatives to spell out too clearly the message of doom, gloom and the pain to come, would not prove a vote-winner. Especially when, as now, Gordon Brown is almost messianic in his delivery that only he can deliver us to the promised land.

It was a noisy and exhilarating PMQs today, with the Prime Minister and David Cameron, the man who could be, seemingly enjoying their exchanges. The next few weeks will be important for both men. For Alistair Darling, when he stands up to deliver the budget on March 24th, it will be the defining moment of his political life.

Hollywood & The Oscars: Cutting people down to size

Hollywood & The Oscars: Cutting people down to size. We think our politicians are ruthless but they are pussycats compared to the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who vote for the Oscar nominations. James Cameron just shrugged his shoulders when he did not win the Best Picture category for his movie "Avatar" at the Baftas, but with his power in Hollywood, I bet he thought that his Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture, were signed, sealed and almost delivered to his home.

Although it is the biggest-grossing movie ever, the general view is that "Avatar" is not as great as the hype suggests. It is being said that one of the reasons Hollywood royalty did not indulge the director, is that the movie's reliance on computer-generated images, terrified most of them, who looked at "Avatar" and saw their own futures - movies without the need for living, breathing actors, botoxed or not.

It was great to see "The Hurt Locker" win and for Jeff Bridges to finally get his award. The Oscars has a habit of producing surprises. Even John Wayne had to wait until he was close to death before he was suitably honoured and there is a roll-call of other luminaries who missed out.

John Major: Gordon Brown guilty of "Unbecoming conduct"

The former Prime Minister, Sir John Major, stopped watching cricket long enough to proclaim that the current PM Gordon Brown was guilty of "unbecoming conduct".

The reason for his anger was Brown's trip to Afghanistan so soon after his appearance in front of the Chilcot Inquiry. Major told a meeting: "Of course, ministers should visit our troops. But to use them as a cynically-timed pre-election backdrop is profoundly unbecoming conduct for a Prime Minister."

Some would suggest that it was cynical of the Tories to use Sir John Major to deliver such criticism at this time and, it could be said, a little silly of him to agree. By taking the moral high ground, Sir John reminds the rest of us of his own dalliances with a certain Edwina Curry.

It is also a reminder of his Back to Basics campaign for a return to old-fashioned morality. Following it's launch, ELEVEN Tory ministers or aides had to depart from government for behaviour that resulted in allegations of scandal and sleaze. Remember David Mellor and his antics with Antonia de Sancha while wearing a Chelsea football shirt?

Of course Gordon Brown's trip was a cynical exercise and the public recognise it as such. What we don't need is to hear a man who shagged another man's wife preaching about "unbecoming conduct".

Gordon Brown: Could he now win the election?

Like many others in recent times, I effectively handed David Cameron the keys to the kingdom of Downing Street. But now, I am no longer so sure that the man will win and I am even asking the question: Gordon Brown, could he now win the election?

David Cameron is now looking like an actor who has forgotten his lines, at the very moment when the country needs an assured performance. Lord Ashcroft will not have helped. Who wants to elect a party that entertains a man who reneged on a written promise? With less than eight weeks to go before the election, the Conservatives are looking like a rich man's plaything, with power the be all and end all, rather than what is right and proper for the country. David Cameron should have had the guts to deal with the Ashcroft situation, but failed, hoping to sweep it under the carpet until after he won the election. Of course, we can now assume, that even then he would not have done anything about it.

While Cameron and his crew are looking like a shifty bunch of rich amateurs, Gordon Brown is looking more and more like a statesman. His appearance at the Chilcot Inquiry was confident, the tone clear and concise. If his opponents were hoping for a bad performance from Mr. Brown, they must have been disappointed. Unlike Blair, he even marched through the front door!

Voters are worried. Until a few weeks ago, it appeared that most had made up their mind that change was required and the Conservative Party could, once again, offer the strong leadership to pull us through the recession and beyond. But instead, in recent weeks, Cameron and his team have betrayed themselves, producing too much spin, contradictions and u-turns across too many issues. There is concern that if they can't even get their policies right at this stage, how are they going to lead us out of the worst economic downturn in history?

While the Conservatives flounder, Mr. Brown has risen above the fray and looks more and more like a man who has the confidence and the guts to see the country through these hard times. It may all be an illusion, but sadly, it is also how voters currently view Mr. Cameron and when that happens then often the one you vote for is the devil you know....

Lord Ashcroft: So, only the poor pay taxes?

Lord Ashcroft doesn't pay his fair share in taxes in the UK, but instead uses the money to buy votes for the Conservatives across the land! Perhaps he, David Cameron and the rest of the rulers at the top of the Tory tree, really do believe that only the poor should pay taxes.

It is not good enough for the shadow front bench to shrug their shoulders and, in the case of William Hague, declare that he only knew in recent months the true tax status of his Lordship.

Unlike the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, you and I, this man is spending a fortune on buying power and influence in a country where he does not contribute a penny of his massive overseas earnings to the tax man. Lord Ashcroft appears to live in a shadowy world beyond these shores and has failed to fulfill his promise to pay more tax when he received his title, yet holds the purse strings for a party who could soon be running the country.

It is worrying that despite all his noble moralising, David Cameron allowed this man a place at the Tory top table. One can only reach the conclusion that within the rarefied atmosphere of the Conservative Boy's Club, being rich excludes you from the obligations of the peasantry...like paying taxes.

David Cameron: Best laid plans scuppered?

One wonders how David Cameron must feel on hearing that his best laid plans have been scuppered by the YouGov/Sunday Times poll, which puts the Conservatives only two-points ahead of Labour?
It is only one poll, but with all the publicity over Gordon Brown's bullying sagas and that on-going row with Alistair Darling, one would expect the support for a Tory government to be building momentum. In fact, with only weeks to go before an election, David Cameron should be dampening down expectations of a win in case of voter apathy, instead of having to rally his demoralised troops. Are memories of Neil Kinnock's disastrous defeat now haunting the Conservative front-bench?

Gordon Brown has made some really bad decisions, both as Chancellor and Prime Minister and, it has to be said, every accusation about his mental state, do appear to be on the right side of truth. Unlike his and Mandelson's denials.

However, Labour does appear to have got it right in its approach to the economy and the majority of the great British public is just relieved that the financial meltdown has not been greater.

Bully-boy or not, Gordon Brown is getting the credit for what many see as a soft landing towards recovery. (Of course, spending cuts, tax increases, further job losses and the like have yet to come, regardless of who is in power).

So why is the race so close at this stage? Cameron comes across like a reasonable chap, but some of his utterances have appeared to be spin over substance....promoting change for change sake, in place of real solid policies. His personal attacks on Gordon Brown have replaced genuine plans to address the issues worrying the country and there has been too much emphasis on grabbing one-off headlines. The Tory front bench lacks credibility and Mr. Cameron's utterances about "patriotic duty" to replace Gordon Brown smacks of Boy's Own elitism.

Nick Clegg must be busy on his list of demands in preparation for that knock on the door! But who will be behind it?