Not another new political blog....?

Well, no, not exactly. I won't be using In the name of God, go! as an alternative to this blog, which I have been running for a year or so now and which has built up a small but loyal readership - but rather as a sort of companion volume.

The new blog's URL is linfordunlimited.blogspot.com and that pretty well sums it up really. Not all of my newspaper columns and other writings are displayed on the web, so this is a place where I will not just be linking to them, but reproducing them in full for the benefit of anyone out there who is sufficiently interested to read my views.

I've called the blog In the name of God, go! after a column I wrote in the Newcastle Journal, Lincolnshire Echo and Derby Evening Telegraph earlier this year in which I quoted Oliver Cromwell's dismissal of the Rump Parliament in relation to Tony Blair.

"You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!"

The desire to see the back of Blair has been the main theme of my political commentaries for the past three years. It seems to me self-evident that he should have gone in 2003, after the shameful death of Dr David Kelly for which his government was directly responsible.

Had he done so, I believe Gordon Brown would have led Labour to a much bigger election victory in 2005, and would thereby have had the mandate to renew the party in office and lead the left in a new and less intellectually sterile direction than Blairism.

But he hung on, and in so doing he has poisoned Brown's inheritance to the point that, if and when he does take over, he will be fighting a rearguard action against a resurgent Conservative Party which is seeking, with some success, to take politics onto new and fresh ground, based around the "happiness agenda."

If there is a change of Prime Minister, I might change the title of the blog. But until then....

World Cup podcast goes live

I did warn you that there would be the odd reference to the World Cup on this blog over the next few weeks...so here's a plug for the World Cup podcast I've put together with two colleagues on the this is website team, Simon Delaney and Ste Ashworth.

Simon and Ste are fairly upbeat about England's chances, with or without Wayne Rooney, so it's left to me to bring a bit of balance and perspective, notably over Sven's bizarre decision to take only four forwards, one of whom is injured, one of whom is not 100pc match-fit, and another of which has never started a Premiership match.

You can hear the podcast by clicking here and following the links.

My hot World Cup tips: Winners: Argentina. Star player: Juan Roman Riquelme. Surprise package: Australia. England's prospects: Semi finalists. Venue of choice for watching the games: The Rifleman's Arms, Bridge Street, Belper, Derbyshire.

Why Ken Livingstone is right about the Scots

Source: Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis, HM Treasury, May 2006. Hat tip for graphic: Conservative Home.

Give Thatcher a private funeral

My old Newcastle Journal colleague Brian Brady reported in this week's Scotland on Sunday that Tony Blair is planning a State Funeral for his ideological mentor and foreign policy adviser, Baroness Thatcher.

Apparently this latest wheeze by the Prime Minister is going to cause great distress within the Labour Party - no change there then.

But for my part, I think Downing Street should come clean about this, and make clear that they do indeed intend to mark the eventual passing of Lady Thatcher with the most fitting tribute they can devise.

They should confirm that she will receive a State Funeral, then announce a competitive tendering process to hand over the organisation of the event to whoever can do it at the least cost to the taxpayer.