Blogminster seeks to bring you a live view of the workings of Parliament through the live commentary of insiders as well as departmental, parliamentary and government news. In addition, it gathers local news items that often languish on MPs’ individual w

BUSINESS Secretary Vince Cable has told the Derby Telegraph that the Government has learned "the lessons from Derby" on how it gives out big contracts – including those to build trains. The claim comes as officials prepare to launch a competition for the

Posted by - Jon Craig .Ed Miliband gave me a beaming smile and a wave as he arrived at Committee Room 14 to face the Parliamentary Labour Party after a difficult start to 2012.He looked so cheerful, you'd think his opinion poll ratings were buoyant rathe

IT is going to be a difficult and demanding year. It started with horrendous hikes in bus and train fares, putting pressure on severely squeezed family budgets. Our economic woes are set to worsen with spiralling job losses and more price rises in the pi

WHEN he was running the Downing Street press office for Tony Blair, Alistair Campbell liked to have a 'Minister for the Today Programme', a senior figure such as Margaret Beckett or John Reid who could be sent out to joust with Humphrys, Naughtie et al o

The Year of Modesty By Hugh Montgomery If any truism rang true in 2011, it was that celebrities were human beings too – a fact you could hear straight from the horse's mouth! "Most so-called 'celebrities' are just people who happened to become singers or