Being a special adviser at the heart of the Government is necessarily a privileged but hugely sensitive role. When Alistair Darling, then the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, asked me to be his special adviser in the Treasury in 2007 I had little idea of what was expected. There was no job description. It was a case of feeling my way, finding a modus operandi best suited to looking after his interests.
On Google+
On Twitter
Top writers
Places
Politics
E-break Time
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: Is the UK fit to hold the Olympics?
Monday 21 May 2012
The Olympic flame is on its way. Visitors and loaded, devoted Royalists, sports fans and politicos are so excited. I come to spoil the party. It feels impolitic, uncivil ... callous too. Buried evidence of destitution and hopelessness crawls out from official assurances (and excuses) and spin. Phone calls to Mind, the mental-health charity are up by 100 per cent. Research by the Church Urban Fund finds that in parts of Manchester and Liverpool, average life expectancy is 70 and 65 per cent of children live in poverty, while in parts of Surrey and Berkshire, life expectancy is 85 and 1 per cent of children live in poor households. As shocking as the statistics is the indifference of all of us who can, in hard times, still have very good times.
David Blanchflower: The facts aren't going the Coalition's way, so it has resorted to spin
Monday 30 April 2012
Economic Outlook: Misleadingly, Danny Alexander suggests the government has created 634,000 jobs
Charles Kennedy returns to lead fight against independence
Saturday 10 March 2012
Charles Kennedy is to lead the Liberal Democrat campaign opposing Scottish independence.
Goodwin's honour was upheld in 2009.So what changed?
Thursday 02 February 2012
News that knighthood got clean bill of health after collapse of RBS fuels row about 'political' decision
Hamish McRae: You'd better sit down – stock markets are doing rather well
Thursday 02 February 2012
Economic Life
David Miliband outlines his seven-point plan for Labour
Wednesday 01 February 2012
Labour needs “restless rethinking” of its purpose and its policies if it is to return to power, former leadership candidate David Miliband said today.
Johnson attacks 'bewildering' bonus for RBS chief
Friday 27 January 2012
London Mayor Boris Johnson joined condemnation of the near-£1 million bonus for RBS boss Stephen Hester, saying he was "at a loss to justify" the scale of the payment.
David Miliband would beat Cameron - unlike Ed
Sunday 22 January 2012
Ed Miliband's leadership suffers another blow today with an exclusive Independent on Sunday poll showing only his brother can secure Labour a lead over the Conservatives.
George Osborne won't borrow to cut tax
Wednesday 07 December 2011
Chancellor George Osborne insisted today he will not borrow money to pay for tax cuts.
The Business On: Martin Gilbert, Chief executive, Aberdeen Asset Management
Tuesday 06 December 2011
Still battling through?
Zero growth and job losses blow Osborne's deficit plans off course
Thursday 17 November 2011
Government borrowing is expected to rocket to levels higher than would have been seen under Labour, despite George Osborne's deep spending cuts.
The Sketch: High-pitched Cameron flustered by Labour's farmyard noises
Thursday 03 November 2011
Yesterday I worried the Sketch was a bit lofty about the House of Commons' economic debate. The Labour front bench was arguing in sign language, the signs were rude, and the Sketch shuddered, perhaps a little delicately. The signs got ruder yesterday, if Tory reports are true.
Simon Carr: Our smug Chancellor finds the currency crisis rickly amusing
Friday 28 October 2011
George Osborne was so relaxed, so smiley; even the subcutaneous sneer had sunk out of sight.
Experience the Heineken Hub
Get free wi-fi and exclusive i content while you enjoy a tasty pint of Heineken at participating pubs.
Can you imagine a career in teaching?
Be inspired to teach - let real teachers show you how rewarding the job can be.
A home to be proud of, with Halifax
Download the Halifax's brilliant, free new Home Finder app, and take all the pain out of finding your dream home
Playing a game-changing role during the Games
Cisco is providing the solutions for London 2012's complex IT needs.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
