Comment: The coalition can no longer blame Labour for failure

Matthew Ashton: 'I've yet to hear anyone from the Conservative benches give a coherent explanation of what they'd have done particularly differently'

Osborne argues his failure is all Europe's fault - so surely the same should apply to Gordon Brown's government.

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Comment: Social media, national security and privacy

Carl Miller: 'Social media intelligence could pay decisive dividends to public security and safety'

If the government is mature enough to approach social media respectfully, it can use it to bolster national security.

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Comment: Cameron sees political opportunity in the eurozone crisis

Ian Dunt: 'The speech dresses up Labour and Conservative economic differences not as policy distinctions, but as a national security issue'

The government is no longer about austerity. It is now about protecting Britain from the eurozone crisis.

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Comment: May treats us police officers with contempt

Julie Nesbit: 'We'd like to think our voices were actually being heard'

The police are being disrespected and the public are being put at risk. It's time for the government to do one of its U-turns.

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Comment: Self-pitying politicians are terrible judges of the media

A moan from a journalist about politicians moaning about journalists

Politicians of every ideological flavour are united by one thing: their self-pitying sense of victimisation at the hands of the press.

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Comment: Leveson shows need to limit media ownership

Matthew Ashton: 'Reducing the amount of the press in the hands of the few would help reduce their influence over government'

Press barons and corporations can't be allowed to hold so many media outlets.

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Comment: Criminology shows Rochdale abuse is not about race

Ewan Cameron: 'By focusing on race, we also run the risk of forgetting other well researched truths about sexual offending.'

The Rochdale men share much in common with sex offenders of all other ethnicities.

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Comment: Cameron's Hollande snub shows the immaturity of his foreign policy

Ian Dunt: 'The prime minister's judgement on foreign policy is deeply suspect. At best it is unseemly. At worse it is humiliating.'

The prime minister conducts foreign policy like a child in the play ground – making snap judgements which often are to his disadvantage.

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Comment: Leave us alone, Tony Blair

Hereford cattle: A better afterlife for Tony Blair

Tony Blair has let it be known that he has "things to say" to the British people. For millions of British people the one thing that they want to hear from him is "I'm sorry".

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Comment: All three leaders face headaches after May 3rd

All three leaders face challenges and opportunities as a result of May 3rd's elections

The local election and referendum results present both challenges and opportunities for the leaders of Britain's three parties.

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Comment: Whisper it – Ed Miliband could be prime minister

Ian Dunt: 'The rise of Ukip is dangerous for the Tories'

While Ukip splits the right-wing vote, the decline of the Lib Dems unifies the left.

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Comment: The Lib Dems must weather these mid-term blues

Stephen Tall is Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice

A year ago, May 5th 2011, was the grimmest of days for the Liberal Democrats. The party lost some 700 councillors, and, more cruelly still, a once-in-a-generation chance of electoral reform at Westminster with the rejection of the AV referendum. The question hovering over Thursday's set of elections is: is 2011 as bad as it gets for the party?

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Comment: We need more competition law enforcement, not less

Professor Morten Hviid is director of the ESRC Centre for Competition Policy, University of East Anglia, Norwich.

With its announcement of proposals which will make it easier for businesses and consumers to challenge firms they believe are acting anti-competitively, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is making a significant move in its attempt to secure vibrant, competitive markets.

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Comment: The case for more elected mayors

Alexandra Jones is chief executive of Centre for Cities

This is potentially one of the most significant changes to England's political landscape in many years.

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Comment: We can learn from the mayors we have

Liam Scott-Smith is head of external affairs for the New Local Government Network.

The government should acknowledge and utilise the experience of the existing mayors as they will have valuable lessons to share.

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Comment: Britain's decline is about much more than just money

Broken promises are the result of the coalition experiment

Britain's economic recession is being matched by a political one made much, much worse by the coalition. Clegg and Cameron's dream of a 'new politics' is turning into a nightmare.

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Comment: Put down the milk pint and get on with the policy

Mike Indian is freelance journalist and editor of The Groucho Tendency.

The lesson for disgruntled Conservatives is that the easiest way to stop a message is to shoot the messenger.

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Comment: Refuting the UK's aid myths

Francis West: 'Malaria interventions proven to save lives are cheap'

Tarring all NGOs with the Kony 2012 brush is a bit like holding the whole of the private sector to account for a BP oil spill.

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Comment: Ban those trying to 'cure' gay teens

Richard Heller is an author and journalist and a former adviser to Denis Healey.

Any attempt to change the sexual orientation of a child is futile and cruel and abusive – an outright ban is needed.

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Special event coverage

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Festival of Social Sciences: Celebrating the Social Sciences

Evidence-based policy should not be a radical concept. It needs to be celebrated.

ESRC logo

Festival of Social Sciences: 2 languages: 2 brains, 2 minds, 2 cultures?

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, the Deafness Cognition And Language Research Centre (DCAL) hosted an event exploring the powerful benefits of bilingualism in spoken and sign languages, for hearing and deaf people alike - benefits that reach hearing and deaf people alike.

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Voice: Feeling stressed? Understand yourself? Now, move forward Conference

Application forms are now available for an exciting conference in Manchester. The fun-packed day will give you practical solutions and advice on managing stress and time to help you achieve a work/life balance.

BHA: The Marriage Debate - ‘This house would legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales'

Two weeks before the Government’s consultation on same-sex marriage draws to a close, Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association is participating in a debate hosted by Catholic Voices on the motion, ‘This House Would Legalise Same-Sex Marriage’.

BSIA: Information Destruction Exhibition and Conference

This one-day event is targeted at professionals operating in the information destruction industry, and aims at keeping delegates updated on recent developments in their sector, providing an opportunity to network with fellow professionals, whilst offering access to an informative exhibition and a comprehensive conference programme.

ABI: The Future of Long-term Savings & Retirement Income - Automatic Enrolment and Beyond Conference

The Future of Long-term Savings & Retirement Income - Automatic Enrolment and Beyond Conference

Take the Gold Challenge for St Dunstan's

We provide lifelong support for blind and visually impaired ex-Service men and women. You can help give more blind heroes an independent future by taking the Gold Challenge

TACT: 2013 Virgin London Marathon

Join TACT at one of the greatest sporting events on the planet and help give a child in care a future to smile about.

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