ToryDiary: The CBI and IoD back the Conservatives on early spending cutsAlso on ToryDiary: Boris Johnson's capitivating belief in human progress LeftWatch: No, Lord Mandelson, the unions have you by the balls and Labour pours another £11bn of poison into the wellsPeter Snowdon on Platform: The Conservatives may have come back from the brink of annihilation - but the party now faces the closest election battle in decades Local government: Mark Wallace of the Taxpayers Alliance suggests a rewards scheme for council staff who some up with efficiency saving ideas Also on Local government: Cllr David Meikle, a Conservative councillor on Glasgow City Council, reports on the resignation of the Labour council leader Steven Purcell follow a storm of allegations about chemical dependency and...

Welcome to this latest LDVideo instalment, highlighting three political video clips from the past week. Nick Clegg answers the top 10 questions posed by Reddit.com users as voted by users of the site. (You can see all of the questions posed to him here). (Also available on YouTube here). BBC reports Tory shadow home secretary Chris Grayling gets into trouble for using misleading crime statistics. Sara Bedford covered the story for LDV here). And, finally, Boris Johnson does the hokey-cokey … seems he always wants to go one better than his party leader, who preferred to stick to the cokey: (Also available on YouTube...

1. Croydonian says there is nothing quite like war, famine, pestilence and death to perk you up. 2. Obselete discovers a new breed of disturbed prankster. 3. Laban Tall explains the dangers of non-existent racism. 4. Liberal England wonders if libertarian bloggers will ever grow up. 5. John Ward supports Chris Grayling in the ‘dodgy crime statistics’ row....

"No matter how hard shadow home secretary Chris Grayling tried to sound convincing, there was a little wobble in the back of his throat betraying the fact he wasn't even persuading himself.He was trying to refute claims the Tory party had misrepresented statistics to make it look like violent crime had gone up more than it actually had under Labour.But within seconds he began to sound like someone with a complex for being short, who stands in front of the mirror telling themselves that size doesn't matter."Read the Evening Post Parliamentary Correspondent's full column...

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling is accused of misleading the public in his use of crime...

This morning’s Today programme provided another of those ‘mustn’t miss’ moments, as presenter Evan Davis  took the Conservatives’ Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling to task over the party’s misleading use of crime statistics. Last week Mark Easton, the BBC’s Home Affairs editor, had asked ‘Are the Tories being honest with their claims on violent crime’: Last week, David Cameron told me that one reason he could justify the phrase “broken society” was because of “significant” increases in violent crime, notably gun and knife crime in Britain.  When I challenged him to produce the evidence, his party press office sent the BBC a list of statistics. It emerges that the only way the Conservative leader can back up his claims is to ignore the klaxon...

Delighted to hear the Conservative con on violent crime figures exposed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning.As I posted last week HERE, David Cameron's 'Broken Britain' campaign relies heavily on them being able to prove violent crime is rising...when he knows that in fact the reverse is the truth. This morning, the BBC put Mark Easton - their journalist who first publicised the Tory con - head to head with Cameron's spokesman on crime, Chris Grayling.Grayling had sent out spurious statistics to local Conservative parties across the country encouraging them to claim violent crime had risen since 1997.Mark Easton explained that the Tories had ignored official clear warnings that the figures they were sending out could not be compared due to major improvements in recording violent...

Today’s FThas an interview with wannabe Chancellor George Osborne, where he once again fails to give any real details of the Conservatives’ economic plans, should they win the next election. Osborne talks about his admiration for Sweden, although he is unable to put his finger on exactly why, saying: “I’m no expert on Swedish society but I am a regular viewer now of Wallander”. What next: Chris Grayling telling the Daily Mail that he is changing the Conservatives’ policies on drugs after catching up with a few episodes of Van der...

If only the Tories had a Tardis of their own. They would be able to go back in time and change the past rather than talking in the present as if their own history were different to what it is. The issue at point here is the Tory attempt to claim they were conned into supporting the Iraq invasion. Chris Grayling has just had a go at Alan Johnson in the Commons about this, whilst debating...

Dear readers, The recent remarks by Chris Grayling about homeowners supposedly being given more powers to defend their home was poorly judged in my opinion, and it seems I’m not the only one who finds Grayling’s proposals largely unworkable.  Keir Starmer, the Director of Prosecutions, has now rejected Grayling’s promise to review legislation to ensure that prosecutions were brought against victims of crimes acting in self defence only if their response was “grossly disproportionate”. Mr Starmer told the BBC that prosecutions were already often not brought where a householder had used force.  He said: “There are many cases, some involving death, where no prosecutions are brought. We would only ever bring a prosecution where we thought that the...

1. Next Left suspects that Chris Grayling is losing his touch. 2. Old Holborn discovers that some charities aren’t charities at all. 3. Diary of a Geek reports on the latest ban by Greenpeace. 4. Ambush Predator reminds us that we must think of the children (and the reindeer). 5. Adam Collyer says the immigration service is still clearly not fit for purpose....

I'm all in favour of people acting in self defence to protect their families and their property, but even I was a bit taken aback by the front page splash headline in the Daily Mail today...TORIES' LICENCE TO KILL A BURGLARWell, not quite. Chris Grayling sensibly proposes to change the law so people will only be convicted if they act "grossly disproportionately" in proctecting themselves or their families. At the moment you can be convicted if you use "unreasonable" force. So in theory, if you kill a burglar as the only means of stopping him killing you, you'll be OK.Mr Grayling made it clear that killing a burglar would not necessarily be classed as 'grossly disproportionate'.He said: 'If somebody breaks into your house with a knife and goes for you and you end up defending yourself and...

ToryDiary: Only a Conservative government will save Britain from a borrowing crisis, says George Osborne (BUT HOW?) LeftWatch: Labour's criminal recordChristine Emmett on Platform: Why small businesses need the Conservatives - and what we must be offering them Seats and Candidates Diary of a PPC: Steve Baker settles in to his new home in Wycombe and makes the most of Christmas events as he prepares to step into Paul Goodman's shoes Local Government: Telford and Wrekin increases grit capacity by 25% WATCH: Eric Pickles tells Andrew Marr that the Conservative Party is ready for a general election whenever Gordon Brown calls it Chris Grayling: Homeowners using self-defence should escape prosecution "Homeowners would be handed a licence to kill burglars by a Tory government. Shadow...

It was Chancellor Alistair Darling's pre-budget report statement in the Commons and I and several other hacks were eagerly paying attention to events.I don't mean the actual statement, of course – Darling can bore a man so badly that all the blood runs out of his head.In fact, I think that actually happened to one MP.The poor soul was Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling; his melon head flopped back and his eyeballs rolled up so that all you could see was white – very freaky.Read the Evening Post parliamentary correspondent's column...

Labour’s policing spokesperson on the London Assembly, Joanne McCartney, has spoken out against shadow home secretary Chris Grayling’s proposals for elected police commissioners. Labour’s policing spokesperson on the London Assembly, Joanne McCartney, said: “Of course the police need to be held to account, but this would lead to less accountability, not more. Senior officers are rightly resisting this and I don’t think there is much public appetite to see Boris Johnsons up and down the country running the police. The idea that we go down the American route of commissioners, mayors and politicians all trying to out tough each other with one eye on their next election is deeply worrying.” Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling proposed that that London...

Via JuliaM, it seems that our government-in-waiting has the potential to be just as fucking awful as the one currently in power.A Tory government would use instant penalties on teenage yobs instead of relying on Asbos, the party said yesterday.Chris Grayling, the Shadow Home Secretary, said he favoured quick intervention against teenage yobs through grounding orders, community punishments and property confiscation.Don't tell me: you'll also be marching them to cashpoints to pay instant fines as well, yeah? And this will only apply to those nasty young yobs—of course it will. There will definitely be no function creep, will there? Oh, nooooo...Fuck. Off....

A girl of two has had her name stored on a Wiltshire Police database after being accused of criminal damage. Chippenham Police were called to the incident after a neighbour dialled 999 to report the toddler, the daughter of his neighbours, after claiming she deliberately hit his car with a branch. The child, who is too young to be charged or even questioned over the incident, will now have her name stored on a computerised police file but won't be added to the national crime database. A police official, who admitted they had no choice but to treat the girl as a criminal suspect, said: "It is an astonishingly young age. "The matter was resolved to the satisfaction of the people whose property was alleged to have been damaged. It was a mountain out of a molehill." Shadow Home Secretary...

A television show has properly entered the zeitgeist when British politicians start wading in with their opinions in the media. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling came down from his ivory tower and apparently spent an evening out in the wilds of Moss Side with the Greater Manchester Police and the gang warfare they witnessed he immediately compared to the world of David Simon’s The Wire....

The BBC’s Jon Sopel has produced another round-up of the best of the Sunday TV political shows (BBC and non-BBC). It includes Liam Fox on Brown’s eyesight, Alan Johnson on the role of government, Chris Grayling on leadership over expenses, Alistair Darling on Conservative plans and Lord Tebbit in conversation with Frank Gardner about terrorism. You can watch it...

Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migrationwatch, in a press release, said that: It is welcome news that immigration will be a “big priority” for a Conservative Home Office, as Chris Grayling put it. The key will be how the Conservatives annual limit is defined and whether it will be low enough to hold the population of the country well below the 70 million now officially projected for 2028. We hope that the Conservatives will soon be honest and forthright on immigration as they have been on the economy. Both will affect the whole of society for generations to come.”......

‘I hope this isn’t a political gimmick’ – Chris Grayling, Shadow Home Secretary ‘We feel very queasy about his decision… to serve under Tory colours’ – Daily Mail Coming so soon after his comments on The Wire, Chris Grayling, who did much to spoil yesterday’s announcement that General Sir Richard Dannatt is a Tory, is quickly establishing himself as the most gaffe prone member of the shadow cabinet. But it says something when, writing under the headline ‘Mistaken manoeuvre’, the Daily Mail admits to reaching for the sick bucket. The former head of the army may have been an effective soldier in his day, but the old warhorse is not cut out for politics. His attacks on the government had been looking increasingly party political for some time and there were claims...

I have been amused by the media going bananas over the gaffe in which Tory Home Affairs Spokesman Chris Grayling got the wrong end of the stick over Gen Dannatt. It was on the same day that a certain leading BBC journo called David Cameron the "Prime Minister" and a SKY equivalent said George Osbourne was the "chancellor". These things happen, and everyone gets over them - even Political...

Having seen shadow Chancellor George Osborne and shadow Home Secretary in action at the Tory Party Conference, an uninspiring voice from from the past started to echo in my mind: Sir Geoffrey (now Lord) Howe.The encouraging news for Messrs Osborne and Grayling is that, apart from his devastating resignation speech that marked the beginning of the end for Mrs Thatcher (HERE), he wasn't known for his electrifying oratory either and it didn't stop him from getting both these senior jobs in the cabinet.Conference's luke warm response to taxing boozeI particularly enjoyed the delayed applause and below average 6 seconds of applause (for more on which see HERE & HERE) for some of Mr Grayling's plans for clamping down on the booze culture.Whether this was the result of poor scripting,...

My desk in the media room at Tory conference resembled a scene from CSI earlier – albeit with slightly podgier police officers.A hack had some equipment go missing and apparently someone was caught on the CCTV system pinching it.The cops came in and took fingerprints off the desk and note-books and then took them away in little plastic bags.And all not that long after Chris Grayling gave his speech on clamping down on...

I heard Chris Grayling last night at the 'Liberty' fringe meeting where he spoke very well on human rights. He spoke pretty well to the conference this morning, although I think many delegates didn't realise his speech had ended.His gaffe this afternoon over the appointment of General Sir Richard Dannatt as a Conservative advisor, was a first class one. If he had listened to the question, he would have given the appropriate answer. He didn't and he has paid the price.This is not a resigning matter, although he will probably be on the equivalent of a written warning from Cameron. One more gaffe like this and he'll be out....

If we have to have a Cameron government, then I would much prefer an Iain Dale or a Dominic Grieve as Home Secretary than Chris Grayling. (All are, naturally, a disappointment compared to Home Secretary Huhne under PM Clegg!) Yet I fear Iain’s chances of getting the job are only slightly worse than Dominic Grieve’s (as the Murdoch press is rumoured to have insisted Grieve was moved from his shadow Home Office role). Writing about his visit to the Arts Alliance Music in Prisons fringe at the Tory conference, Dale notes that politicians are tough on crime when they reduce re-offending, not when they generate red-top headlines: Being tough doesn’t just mean locking people up and throwing away the key. A tough politician will take tough choices – and that means...

When Tory shadow home secretary Chris Grayling claimed that parts of Britain looked like scenes from The Wire, many people rushed to condemn him (especially as he appeared to have not seen very much of the popular TV show). The Manchester Evening News’ David Ottewell reports he enters the Tory conference unrepentant. For those unfamiliar, a key storyline includes politicians stealing from charities that they have themselves established. When caught they protest that they are the victims of a vicious hate campaign and that the accusations are politically motivated. Chris Graying is a member of the Atlantic Bridge’s advisory board. It is most unlikely that he would he would ever steal from that organisation. He has no need to as it appears to have been established for the benefit of...

English passengers arriving at Scottish airports on internal flights are being forced to show their passports, it has been revealed.Scottish police have confirmed that they are carrying out routine passport checks on passengers when they disembark from a domestic flight under terrorism laws.The practice came to light when shadow home secretary Chris Grayling was among those ordered to show his passport when he arrived at Glasgow's Prestwick Airport on Wednesday.Mr Grayling condemned the practice and said it would 'heighten concerns about civil liberties'.He said: 'It is utterly and completely unacceptable for any police force to be doing routine identity checks on passengers travelling within the UK.'Do we want to end up with border check points at Gretna...

“The fact that once again Gordon Brown is dithering over a serious issue affecting his government is yet another sign of the vacuum of leadership in Downing Street. He seems to hope that the problem will just go away.” - Chris Grayling on Gordon Brown’s astonishing decision not to sack Baroness Scotland after she was fined £5,000 for employing an illegal immigrant as her housekeeper....

Following on from the last post I have just had a lengthy conversation about the ISA with Chris Grayling. I asked him why he hadn't committed the party to outright abolition of this scheme and I have to say I was reassured by the answer. Apparently James Brokenshire from his Shadow Home Affairs team and Maria Miller, the Shadow Children's Minister have been working on a review of this scheme for some time. They are looking at several options, and outright abolition is indeed one of them. Chris said: "We are considering all options, including abolition." He understandably didn't want to pre-empt their conclusions in his article.Chris was also at pains to point out that the government has gone totally overboard in 'gold plating' the implementation of the legislation. Wasn't it always thus?...