Peter Kenyon

TV debates: why not apply The Spirit Level to our political leaders?

Last night I went to hear Richard Wilkinson (again) talk about The Spirit Level, the book he co-authored with Kate Pickett, which has just been published in paperback. He was the guest of the Newham Fabians. The previous night the BBC staged a discussion about the proposed TV debates between the three political leaders ahead of the general election. It occurred to me how much public understanding about inequality and its causes and consequences might improve if the BBC, if not ITV and Sky, were to abandon their current plans and offer Professor Wilkinson and his co-author the opportunity to apply The Spirit Level to Messrs Brown Cameron and Clegg, separately. I asked Professor Wilkinson, before he left, whether he would appreciate the opportunity. After a moment's reflection, he said: "Yes, I'd like that." I would too. I suspect the viewing public would as well. If nothing else it would raise, rather than demean, the level of public debate ahead of the General Election.

Will Chilcot help clarify the constitutional powers of PMs?

Shortly after former Prime Minister Tony Blair had finished giving evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry on Friday, I commented on Nick Robinson's Newsblog. I was No.5 but remained unpublished until shortly after midday today, Monday.

I made the mistake on including the URL to a .pdf document issued by the Ministry of Justice in 2007. Doh! I'm glad I was patient. I do not want the point about the constitutional powers of Britain's Prime Ministers to be lost. Here's what I wrote with the URL removed:

Dear Nick

Just heard the following expression uttered by former Labour Prime minister, Tony Blair:

"The decision I had to take."

Could you tell us on what constitutional grounds it was a decision he had to take. I thought we were a democracy with an executive accountable to Parliament. This goes to the heart of how Britain was embroiled in the Second Iraq War and why Blair's successor Gordon Brown, published proposals entitled, 'The Governance of Britain' immediately after taking over as Labour Leader and Prime Minister.

[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]

Peter Kenyon

Unlike most commentators, I continue to give Chilcot the benefit of the doubt. If nothing else he and his colleagues are exposing the scale of prime ministerial power and (without wishing to put ideas in their heads) the need to contain it. To his credit, I think Gordon Brown understands that at one level, or at least he did when the MoJ released its White Paper, "The Governance of Britain".

The Labour Party needs to hone its election messages with this in mind.

Activists excluded from Wales Labour Party event

BBC Wales news editors need to encourage their reporters to ask more critical questions. Sources in the principality tell me that today's Labour get together in Newport reported here was dominated by PPCs and their agents.

According to Auntie reporting on the event attended by new Wales Party leader Carwyn Jones:

It aims to help Labour activists from across Wales prepare for an expected general election in spring next year.

In my parlance, activists are the selfless volunteers that work on behalf of PPCs and aspiring councillors.

Democratic reform: what about the Labour Party?

British Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown has just announced the formation of a National Council for Democratic Renewal in a further attempt to regain the political initiative following the MPs expenses revelations. Whilst I think that such an idea is worth floating, I worry about the process. Was this discussed inside the Labour Party either by its National Policy Forum or its National Executive Committee, or even within government, by the Cabinet?

Listening to his interview on the Today Programme, the repeated use of the first person singular, I,I,I,I........will not have gone unnoticed by the listener. Personally, I don't see how this initiative can have any credibility with the electorate without a parallel process inside the Labour Party about its own democracy.

Top Tories 'to pay back expenses' - check small print

The BBC website headline is grossly misleading.

All shadow cabinet members who have had their expenses questioned will repay some of the money, the BBC understands.

Note the word 'some'.

Crisis? What crisis?

Public service broadcaster, the BBC, has this. What more do we, Labour Party loyalists, need for the weekend? Cheer up, Gordon.