Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Oct 23, 2007
There are some occasions when I feel proud to be British. Today was one as I attended Westminster Abbey for the Thanksgiving Service for the life of Bernard Weatherill, the 154th Speaker of the House of Commons.
The address was given by David Hunt, Lord Hunt of Wirral, who spoke movingly of Jack Weatherill as his mentor and friend. David said with conviction that Speaker Weatherill was "one of the
Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Oct 22, 2007
So the sporting world is consoling itself at not only England's loss at rugby and football over the last week, but also Lewis Hamilton's loss of the Formula 1 World Championship. There's no doubt that Hamilton has a prodigious talent. And he's a great example of dedication and a fabulous role model for modern British society.
But, in a world of diminishing resources and spiralling CO2 emissions,
Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Oct 13, 2007
The Birmingham Suit Amnesty yesterday was a massive success.
It was such a simple concept. A few young professionals through the Thrive! CSR programme wondered what the major barriers were for young people from challenging backgrounds in applying for their first job, and particularly a job in the professions.
They thought being able to wear a suit to an interview or first day at work was
Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Oct 09, 2007
So the government, clinging on to power by its fingertips, has aped Conservative ideas on tax. Some say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I say that plagiarism is scandalous ineptitude.
Its right that the Inheritance Tax threshold has been increased to £600,000, and that goes some way to the abolition that I called for at the Conservative Party Conference in 2006. But this year's
Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Oct 02, 2007
It was an honour to be asked to chair the Party Conference session on International Development. And what a moving session it was. For a second year the Burmese peace campaigner Zoya Phan spoke about the disaster that is afflicting her beautiful country. Showing us the chains that the military junta makes jailed monks wear, Zoya challenged the international community to put an arms embargo in
Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Aug 20, 2007
"Music is magic. It gives a person a special sensitivity for society". So says Gustavo Dudamel, the hottest property in classical music, and at just 26 the conductor-designate of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra
Those lucky enough to get hold of a ticket for the Proms last night witnessed one of the most remarkable concerts in living memory. But the 26 year old Venezuelan is more than just a
Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Aug 10, 2007
Summer is always a difficult time in politics. Rumours spread, gossip mongers gossip, and the press, desperate for a story to light up their newsless pages, crawl around to unearth non-stories that make headlines from sources with little relevance or context.
In juxtaposition to that I was delighted to read an article by my friend Peter Luff in which he explains the changes that David Cameron is
Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Jul 22, 2007
It really is quite extraordinary how a minor setback causes some rather small people to try to seize their moment in the spotlight. So it was with the entirely unimpressive and treacherous Quentin Davies: a large man with a red face who’d never been heard of before, and who the cuckolded people of Lincolnshire hope they’ll never see again.
Granted, both Ealing and Sedgefield were disappointments.
Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Jun 29, 2007
You have to hand it to Gordon Brown for thinking outside the box, and his Party, in appointing Ministers to his government. Or, perhaps it is the dearth of talent in his Party elected to the House of Commons that has forced his hand.
Appointments like Lord Stevens to advise on International Security, and Sir Digby Jones to be Minister of State for Trade in the Department for Department for
Posted by: Charles Barwell on
Jun 26, 2007
John Whittingdale MP, Rt Hon Francis Maude MP, Jeremy Middleton, Lord Ashcroft, Emma Pidding, Charles Barwell, Ian McIsaac and Graham Stuart MP
The Board of the Conservative Party met at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton on Monday. Party Chairman Francis Maude has taken a welcome initiative for the Board to meet a couple of times each year across Britain, and this week's meeting gave us a chance to
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