David Cameron is to borrow Barack Obama’s slogan “Plan for Change” for the Conservative conference. This does show a grest deal of confidence on the Conservatives’ part, even though to be fair the Conservatives are in a better political posiiton than the Democrats, as they are leading by ten points even after their opponents conference bounce

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg's election as general secretary of the Christian Social Union shows that change has reached this conservative Bavarian Catholic party. But can he reinvigorate this party?

Yes, indeed: truly that Gove speech is the gift that keeps on giving. Still, for all that I've enjoyed seeing one of our betters out himself as a total retard, there's a lingering sense of unease here. Just why is everyone blaming it all on social conservatives? If the argument is that Gove's speech was an example of the Cameroonies reaching out to social conservatives, all it proves is how utterl...

I've seen a few blogs and commentators musing on the question of why conservatives tend to be happier than socialists.As usual the social scientists have waded in with their various viewpoints wrapped up in impervious jargon and impenetrable waffle - but the reason why is actually very simple.It's a question of attitude.Left = life is so unfair.Right = life is what you make it.There you go. Questi...

One benefit of devolution is the real-life social experiments it offers as each nation adopts different social ­policies. Experimentation! Yes, wondrous! Nothing about social care is simple – not least because each local authority offers different levels of care at different rates and interprets the official criteria arbitrarily: that’s why we need a National Care Service. But ever...

I must admit all this brutality is getting me down....however must get on with promoting some practical and political resistance...its all about grassroots social change, people are oppressed as part of a process where the environment is wrecked. Social justice is linked to ecology So it is particularly good to see the e newsletter from Jean Lambert showing all her work on justice and the environm...

Simple question, simple answer. But do you know it? The Swedish election of 1956 saw a political first. What was it? Post your guesses below and check back same time tomorrow to find out the answer.

Specifically, Stuart Reid writes: Michael [Wharton, aka Peter Simple] remains an example to the many people who call themselves conservatives, but are often nothing more than libertarians. He thought that Clement Attlee was one of the great English Prime Ministers of the last century (he had little time for Churchill), and he supported almost anyone who resisted change - thus, in the Eighties, the...

This is a particularly interesting article from a Norwegian trade unionist offering a perspective for trade unionists in the fight against climate change (hat tip: Bruce) ... Could the trade union movement benefit from measures to tackle climate change? By Asbjørn Wahl, Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees Most problems in society are mainly social and political, even if at fi...

This week I am in Washington DC attending the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. It brings together 8,000 activists from around the US ranging from libertarians, social conservatives, foreign policy hawks, mainstream Republicans and fiscal conservatives. The American conservative movement is at its best when it is at its broadest. This year has seen an impressive realisation that the...