Real devolution = giving the people what they want

The Government has talked a lot about devolution over recent months but do Messrs Cameron and Osborne actually understand the meaning of the word? Here's this week's Journal column.

A big step forward - or just more hot air?

While there was much to applaud in George Osborne's autumn statement, there remains a fundamental disconnect between the Chancellor's aspirations for the Northern regions and the tools he is prepared to put at their disposal.

Here's this week's Journal column.

If Johnson won't play ball, what about Andy Burnham?

Despite yesterday's fighting speech, Ed Miliband's personal unpopularity is dragging his party down and making the re-election of a Tory-led government much more likely.   For the party to fail to recognise and act on this would amount to a betrayal of its own values.   Here's this week's Journal column.

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/opinion/paul-linford-labour-not-address-8113524

Elected mayors are not the answer to the English Question

The arrogance of George Osborne in seeking to impose a system of 'metro mayors' on cities which have already rejected the idea is quite breathtaking.   Worse still is the government's lazy assumption that this is in some way an answer to the 'English Question.'   Here's this week's Journal column.

Transport powers the key to devolution for the North

This week's Journal column, focusing on the long-running saga of the A1 dualling project and what it tells us about the need for greater regional devolution.

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/opinion/paul-linford-dual-a1-give-7995809

Is a Parliament for the North the answer to the English Question?

Well, on the basis that the North has 15m people in it and Scotland has 5m, it's one answer.

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/opinion/paul-linford-answer-english-question-7955796

Why Nick Clegg has reasons to be cheerful

My end-of-conference season round-up is now online at The Journal website.  I argue that the fragmentation of British politics into a four-party system, coupled with the two main parties' retreat into their ideological comfort zones, presents an unexpected opportunity for Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats.

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/opinion/paul-linford-nick-clegg-reason-7917355