Archive of articles from 2009

Feature: MPs on Youth Parliament's Commons takeover

Audio: Lord Eames on peers' code of conduct

Lord Eames, chairman of the Leader's group on the code of conduct, outlines how he hopes to rescue the reputation of parliament's upper house.

Analysis: Britain's besmirched Lords

For hundreds of years Britain's noble lords were trusted to abide by the concept of "honour". The expenses scandal means those days are now over.

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PMQs sketch: Brown's surprise U-turn boost

Strange but true: a decent PMQs for Brown

Gordon Brown's political skin is now so gnarled by years of adversity even a U-turn doesn't seem to faze him.

Cameron press conference as-it-happened

Keep up to date with politics.co.uk's minute-by-minute coverage of David Cameron's monthly press conference.

Analysis: Too many hypotheticals

Politicians, as a rule, don't do hypotheticals

Analysis: Too many hypotheticals

Anti-BBC protests in pictures

Anti-fascist protesters gathered outside the BBC yesterday to prevent the entrance of Nick Griffin, British National party (BNP) leader from getting onto Question Time.

Griffin appearance: Reaction

Opinion was intensely polarised when Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP, took his seat on the show's panel. Today, it remains exactly the same.

Griffin: Give me one more chance

Read the BNP leader's comments to journalists in full, in which he accuses the BNP of bias, asks to do another Question Time, and says London is not part of Britain.

Postal strike

Thursday until Saturday will see strike action

Britain will go through a second consecutive week of postal strikes this week.

BNP Question Time as-it-happened

The BBC faced substantive anti-fascist protests today

Keep track of developments as BNP leader Nick Griffin appears on Question Time, with politics.co.uk's live coverage.

Audio: MPs on BNP Question Time appearance

MPs Laura Moffatt, Norman Lamb and Mike Gapes give their views on whether the BBC is right to let BNP leader Nick Griffin appear on Question Time.

Audio: Mike Gapes on BNP's Question Time appearance

Labour MP Mike Gapes accuses the BBC Trust of being pusillanimous over the BNP's Question Time appearance.

Sketch: No votes, but lots of power

Sketch: No votes, but lots of power

Analysis: Will the BNP thank Auntie?

Nick Griffin gets exposure, but got exposed

Nick Griffin got exposed, but he also got exposure.

PMQs as it happened

Follow our live coverage as Gordon Brown and David Cameron go head-to-head in the Commons.

Sketch: Bipeds at the dispatch box

Cameron and Brown used their best tricks on each other this week, but both came across a little primitive.

Feature: Inside the BNP

The leaked BNP membership list gives outsiders a much-improved insight into where the far-right party draws its support from.

Sketch: Leader's ears

The leaders of Britain's three main political parties dared to appear together in public today, but their ears said more about them than their words.

Sketch: Ex-Speaker leaves expenses horrors behind

Michael Martin, now a Lord, escapes expenses ordure

Michael Martin, robed in ermine, giving his supporters a friendly thumbs-up: it's an image that will stick in the memory for some time. For most MPs, it's an image that will stick in the throat.