Both sides believe that only if their ideas are adopted in legislation can the public sleep safely without risk of another financial disaster

Much huffing and puffing from a few Tory MPs about their brave call for a referendum on EU membership ... or maybe the (impractical) repatriation of a few marginal powers ... at some time a few years off, safely in the future. As if a Tory government could be trusted to keep its promises on the EU. They want to alter the UK's "relationship" with the EU. Or maybe they're more concerned by...

One of the questions that ambitious politicians often struggle to answer safely is, “Do you want to be leader of your party / Prime Minister?” Answer ‘yes’ in some form and journalists will line up to write stories about party splits, pending leadership challenges and the like. Answer ‘no’ and many will not believe you

Party conferences are different when you’re in government as we found out at Liverpool last year. I didn’t go to Sheffield in spring but I heard from good friends that some of the demonstrators there were very aggressive and made it difficult for people with mobility problems to safely access the conference. This year at

There was a time when we could safely ignore the Lib Dem conference and not really return to the world of active politics until Labour gathered the brothers and sisters by the sea. There can be no greater sign of the radical change wrought by the 2010 election than the fact that, actually, we have to listen to the Lib Dems. And that they have armed police at their conference too. They've had a tor...

Yet another case of a young spoilt moron not having the good sense to wait until safely behind closed doors before using privilege. (Important notes; Li Shuangjiang is actually a major general in the PLA, as a military peformer, and...

Long piece here. But as has been pointed out about car seat belts: if we really want people to drive safely then ban seat belts and put a dagger on the steering wheel, aimed at the heart of the driver. The solution to repeated concussion in football players leading to their being punch drunk is

“So, when you hear folks saying ‘Well, the president shouldn’t want massive job killing tax increases when the economy is this weak.’ Nobody’s looking to raise taxes right now. We’re talking about potentially 2013 and the out years.” Yes, when he's safely re-elected for another four years and you have no leverage on him whatsoever. Every Republican ca...

It is evident, also, that we must not too lightly assume the methods of former days, however admirably they may have been adapted to the ends then in view, as mere precedents, to be followed unquestioningly in our modern practice. We can only safely reason upon the experiences of the past when we have penetrated to, and laid firm hold upon, the principle, or principles, which received recognition ...

I can now safely say that Mr Tommy Sheridan, once the lion of the Scottish Socialist party, displayed more than comradely affection while visiting a Manchester sex club called Cupids. In 2006 it was not safe for the News of the World to say this: Mr Sheridan successfully sued them for libel. If his life were a play this would be Act III when the hero seems all-conquering. Enter Iago: The jury'...