Archive of September 2014

Bricking news: Boris fails to steal the show
Boris Johnson's buffoonery finally met its match at the Conservative party conference this year. It turns out waving a brick around and cracking jokes is no match for a hardline approach against extremism.
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Comment: Human rights law protects us against ministers like Grayling
No wonder Chris Grayling wants to tear up the Human Rights Act. The law just gets in his way.
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Pain, poverty and the cold, hard sound of Tory applause
The applause was as hard-edged as George Osborne's smile. Even after all these years, he still hasn't learned how to look convincingly happy. And the Conservatives like him all the more for it.
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Comment: Miliband has run out of excuses for opposing an EU referendum
With powers being sent to Scotland, Miliband can't keep refusing Brits a say on the EU
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Comment: How bureaucrats strangled the night-time economy
A thriving night-time economy is being killed off by police and local government
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Week in Review: Time runs out for Ed Miliband
After a disastrous conference speech, even his supporters run out of patience with the Labour leader
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Comment: Beware our allies against Isis
Our alliance with Saudi Arabia against Isis is symptomatic of the moral relativism and short-termism which defines our approach to the Middle East
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Comment: Returning jihadists need rehab – not jail
If we're serious about security, we'll separate those we can help from those we can't
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Comment: Bombs will just radicalise more British Muslims
A campaign of vilification in the media and bombing overseas have helped radicalise British Muslims
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Immigrant stories: The detention centre guard
Speaking anonymously, a guard in one of Britain's detention centres tells of the brutal reality of life away from prying eyes
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Scottish devolution timetable: Can Westminster keep its promises?
There's already two broken promises, and counting, in the Westminster party leaders' Scottish devolution timetable
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Ed Miliband speech preview: Young people, the NHS and a black hole of doom
Ed Miliband will warn that young people are complaining their generation is "falling into a black hole". The Labour leader should beware. With this list of promises, he is in danger of falling in after them.
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Comment: Chris Grayling has been taught he's not above the law
The high court has ruled Grayling's legal aid reforms to be illegal, in a devastating blow for the justice secretary
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Comment: England's leaders must set aside party advantage
It's time someone showed the sort of leadership over England that Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling showed over Scotland.
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The Week in Review: New wounds open as Scotland divides
Sorry to put a bit of a downer on things, but this hasn't been a great week for the United Kingdom.
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Analysis: The Scottish independence referendum is one of the strangest polls ever
Watching in Edinburgh the closing stages of the campaign for the referendum on Scottish independence it struck me as the strangest electoral process I have witnessed since Britain's In/Out of Europe poll in 1975
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Scotland decides: As-it-happened
All the events as they happened on a historic night for the United Kingdom
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Gordon Brown was passionate, but the Yes campaign is shouting louder
Logic and argument have been left behind on the final day of campaigning in the Scottish independence referendum. Both sides, gathering for rallies in Glasgow, are now just trying to shout as loudly as they possibly can.
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On the streets of Scotland, the polls mean nothing
'No' has not made the case. But 'Yes' are struggling too...
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Interview: Alex Salmond
The Scottish first minister on Adam Smith, English democracy and the media bubble
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David Cameron's 'save the union' speech in full
Read David Cameron's last speech defending the union, in full and unedited
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Comment: I supported Irish freedom. Now I support the union
Britain transcends race, nationality and religion. It is a wonderful product of the Enlightenment.
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Scottish independence referendum: Does 'Yes' really mean 'Yes'?
David Cameron's struggling to persuade Scottish voters that there's no going back from independence. It could be the No campaign's biggest failure.
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Week in Review: England finally wakes up
The deep, deep sleep of England is ended by a single terrifying YouGov poll
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Comment: Outrage as EU blocks democratic challenge to US trade deal
The EU blocks citizens' groups from challenging a secret US trade deal which could give corporations rights over governments