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Announcement of a review of the rules which result in Scotland receiving more per capita public spending than England
"I welcome the review, not only because the Barnett Formula is unjust, but because it's a timebomb for a prime minister representing a Scottish constituency." (Daily Post, 5 July 2007)
Labour Minister Sir Digby Jones' appointment, having asked the Tories to back him as candidate for Mayor of London
"I think that he's not a fit and proper person to have in a Labour government. You've got to have some loyalty." (Times, 7 July 2007)
"I am mystified by his appointment. It is bound to end in tears. This man is not even a member of the Labour Party, he doesn't share our convictions or overall objectives. How can it work out? From everything he has said in the past, and now the news that he has been touting around for a job from David Cameron, it's obvious he has nothing in common with the Labour Party or its members. Political parties are supposed to be about shared belief, not vehicles for personal ambition." (Daily Mail, 7 July 2007)
Fury over Remploy Factory Axe
"There seems no rhyme or reason or, indeed, fairness in the way the Remploy carve-up is being conducted across the country." (Liverpool Echo, 29 June 2007)
Message to Gordon Brown, on the eve of his becoming Prime Minister
"This is a golden opportunity for the Labour party to rediscover its principles. I would hope to see a complete change in direction, both domestically and internationally." (Liverpool Echo, 27 June 2007)
Harriet Harman's apparent U-turn on her views on Iraq, after having been elected Deputy Labour Leader.
"Given that she made a virtue during the campaign of the idea that the Government ought to apologise for Iraq, it doesn't do her a great deal of credit to change her mind now. Along with Mr Brown's suggestion that the influence of the trade unions in the party should be reduced, it's not a very auspicious start for the new leadership team." (Daily Mail, 26 June 2007)
Gordon Brown’s attempts to recruit senior Lib Dems to his Cabinet
"They are a different party, with a different ideology. I haven't got a clue why such talks should be taking place. It's very unsettling for party members and won't do a great deal to attract people back into the party who've left." (Daily Express, 22 June 2007)
"It is something that upsets me and many of my colleagues...In the North of England, the Lib Dems are the main political opposition and this doesn't help one iota." (Times, 22 June 2007)
“In the Parliamentary Labour Party this will be seen as a snub to many people who have hoped there would be a change of direction. I’m very concerned about this. I’m a Labour Party person and I want nothing to do with the Lib Dems. They are our opponents in the north of England and we don’t have any ideological common ground with them.” (Independent, 22 June 2007)
“This whole exercise has been extremely foolish. It is not the most auspicious start to a premiership. Gordon Brown has a healthy majority. I assume he's looking ahead to the possibility that at the next election he won't”' (Daily Mail, 22 June 2007)
Parliamentary committee's findings that the UK’s super-rich are using loopholes to avoid paying £2 billion a year in income tax
"This is a national disgrace. All power to the select committee for exposing this whole issue. The question is - What is the Government going to do about it? Are we going to have a new Chancellor who is going to make sure that these people are paying a fair proportion of tax like hardworking Britons have to do in any other occupation?” (Daily Mail, 22 June 2007)
Decision to honour the WWII Bevin Boys (conscripted mineworkers)
"This recognition is 62 years overdue. Few are left alive and it is a great shame it has taken so long to honour them.” (Liverpool Echo, 20 June 2007)
Campaign to save Remploy factory in Aintree from closure
"What has happened at Remploy is that the workforce has been halved from 140 to 70, and under these proposals will be closed alongside other sites. Not everybody can work in the mainstream, and there has to be an alternative. I want to convince Remploy that Aintree has a future." (Daily Post, 16 June 2007)
Arrest in Portugal of Liverpool gangster Paul Bennett
"It goes to show there really is a long arm of the law. I hope this means we will finally get to the truth about why they [he and Haase] were released so early." (Liverpool Echo, 16 June 2007)
Blair’s denial that Iraq dented his popularity
“This is self-delusion. He is trying to convince himself. The idea that it is some trick of time has taken him from the heights of massive popularity to where he is now is nonsense.” (Independent, 15 June 2007)
Everton FC’s future location
"I want the city council to come clean and say if they're going to try and keep Everton in Liverpool." (Daily Post, 14 June 2007)
Labour Deputy Leadership contest
“I am writing to inform you of my decision to back Jon Cruddas, MP, in the contest for deputy leadership for the Labour party. You may not have heard of Jon Cruddas. Jon is MP for Dagenham and the only backbencher standing for election alongside five Cabinet members but I firmly believe that Jon has the vision and the experience necessary to rebuild the Labour party as a grassroots, member-led, campaigning organisation. The importance of the Labour deputy leadership election cannot be underestimated. The winner will be able to influence the direction of government policy, the fortunes of the Labour party and, perhaps even determine the outcome of the next general election.” (Liverpool Echo, 9 June 2007)
Remarks made by Uefa spokesman Gaillard about Liverpool football fans, branding them the worst behaved following the events surrounding the Athens final
"Gaillard knew exactly what he was saying. The bottom line is that the organisation was a shambles and it's by the grace of God it didn't turn out much worse. I don't think he should resign - I think he should be sacked. For him to resign would be a way out with honour." (Daily Post, 7 June 2007)
The plight of 900 home carers employed by private agencies on behalf of Liverpool City Council
"The council is squeezing the companies who employ these women, who are in turn being squeezed by their employers, all in the name of 'best value'. For a 42-hour week, these care workers earn - and I mean earn - the princely sum of £228.06 before deductions. Under the new arrangement, their hours would be down to 28-and-a-half hours and their pay down to £154.58, a cut of 32%." (Liverpool Echo, 6 June 2007)
Housing
'Peter Kilfoyle called for more help for families who can't get on the property ladder. He said direct investment in social housing would guarantee all tenants a decent warm home with modern facilities by 2010.' (Liverpool Echo, 5 June 2007)
Cardinal O’Brien’s comments on abortion and his warning to Catholic MPs they may face Church sanctions if they do not vote against it
"You can't impose on the conscience of others. And abortion is a complex issue.” (Times, 1 June 2007)
The UK’s first police spy drone - being trialled on Merseyside - and concerns over Big Brother-style intrusion
"I'm more concerned with reducing crime. Anything that detects it can only be positive." (Daily Mirror, 22 May 2007)
The attempt in Parliament to force through a new law to exempt MPs from the Freedom of Information Act
"I am not sure it will get to a vote and I won't be there, but I am opposed to MPs being exempted... we should all be treated the same." (Daily Post, 15 May 2007)
Boycotting Labour’s leadership election
"I can't vote for anybody who voted for the war. None of the candidates are good enough to be put up for the office." (Daily Post, 12 May 2007)
The highs and lows of Blair’s decade as Prime Minister
"The high point of the last 10 years has been the settlement in Northern Ireland - the low point has been Iraq, which will be Blair's most important legacy. In between, the great expectations that people had when they turned against the Tories after their 18 years of power have not been met." (Daily Post, 11 May 2007)
The prosecution for breaches of the Official Secrets Act of the two civil servants involved in the controversial Iraq Memo affair
“I think we live in a society and operate under a system that values secrecy to an excessive degree. Blair is obviously grateful [the contents of the memo never came to light] on behalf of his friend George Bush. It makes you wonder what he is grateful for. ” (Independent, 10 May 2007)
"There remain unanswered questions about the discussions [between Mr Blair and Mr Bush] about the attack on Falluja and the subsequent deaths of many hundreds of civilians". (Guardian, 10 May 2007)
Discussions over the location of Everton Football Club
“At the end of the day, the club will make a judgement about what is best for the club and I will make a judgement on what is best for my constituency." (Liverpool Echo, 9 May 2007)
NHS hospital food
"It defied description. Anyone who knows me knows I will eat anything. I'm not a fussy eater but I couldn't eat that food. I don't know how they manage to spend even £3 on the food. I have two prisons in my constituency and have been in them both and the food in there, while not cordon bleu, is not inedible, unlike the food in the Royal Liverpool." (Daily Express, 9 May 2007)
Calls for Gordon Brown to set out his stall
"I want a contest. A lot of people want to know what he stands for and what he'll propose. We don't know about his social policy or his views on foreign affairs." (Daily Mail, 8 May 2007)
His concerns over the potential impact upon constituents of Everton FC’s proposed moved to Knowsley "Almost 3,400 people are currently claiming unemployment benefits (in Walton), with one in ten of the area's men without work." (Daily Post, 5 May 2007)
The Government's refusal to release 35-year-old security services information to actor Ricky Tomlinson
"I can see no earthly reason, other than political embarrassment, why any of this material should be retained. I suspect they may show the employment of agent provocateurs during what was, in the early 1970s, a period of paranoia. We know from theSpycatcher book that the security services at that time believed there was a left-wing plot to overthrow the elected government. Ricky has the right to know why the authorities are being so secretive about what, at the time, was presented as a simple breach of the law." (Daily Post, 5 May 2007)
A national campaign to encourage the middle-aged to exercise
"Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five times a week can halve the risk of heart disease. People over 50 should be encouraged to invest in their health by getting active." (Liverpool Echo, 4 May 2007)
The US rebuking the UK Government for scrapping the corruption probe into the BAE-Saudi arms deals.
“The investigation into BAE should have gone ahead, but the Americans should be very careful to not be in glass houses and throw stones” (Daily Mail, 28 April 2007)
Former Everton and England footballer Alan Ball, who died in April, aged 61
"It's a sad loss. Alan was a great, great competitor, a great player and well-liked. He was part of an incredible midfield trio, with Harvey and Kendall. Anybody who saw those three play together knows what a wonderful combination they were." (Liverpool Echo, 26 April 2007)
Gordon Brown’s first face-to-face meeting with US President George Bush
"This is Bush's administration saying it can do business with Gordon, as it could with Tony Blair, and this worries me." (Guardian, 16 April 2007)
Defence Minister Des Browne claiming the decision to allow service personnel held by the Iranians to sell their stories to the press had been a Navy one
"Not only does it seem unlikely, it seems very much like an example of a minister trying to distance himself from a great embarrassment. The reality is he's Secretary of State, he will carry the can." (Daily Express, 11 April 2007)
"Even if it were a decision made by the Navy top brass, he's still ultimately responsible and it has been a very embarrassing debacle for the Armed Forces." (BBC Radio Four Today, 10 April 2007)
“What you cannot get away from is that responsibility rests with ministers. It seems an example of a minister trying to distance himself from a gross embarrassment. But he is still ultimately responsible. It has brought the Forces into disrepute and made them something of a laughing stock'.” (Evening Standard, 10 April 2007)
Allegedly extortionate ticket pricing at Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs
"All admission prices for all away games should be the same. I think representation should be made to those clubs involved and to the Premier League. It seems a reflection that because Everton and Liverpool fans are keen in supporting their team, they are being taken for a ride." (Liverpool Echo, 7 April 2007)
Gordon Brown being compared to Stalin
"Stalin waited until he had taken over before he began the show trials - but Gordon appears to have killed off all his rivals already." (Mail on Sunday, 25 March 2007)
Tony Blair’s comments on the war dead, comparing the number of troops killed in the Falklands Ware with the death tolls in Iraq and Afghanistan
"There is nothing glorious about war. I think such comparisons do soldiers a dis-service. Tony Blair is still in denial about the way in which he committed British troops when heshould not have done."
(Scottish Daily Record, 24 March 2007)
Troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan
"They are paying an unacceptable price for following the orders of their superiors, who got it totally and absolutely wrong." (The Evening Standard, 23 March 2007)
Gordon Brown’s March 2007 Budget and the 2p cut in basic income tax
"I wish he had put 2p on the top 40% rate to pay for the regeneration of cities like Liverpool. I don't think that the Budget has made any difference one way or another to Gordon Brown's succession as prime minister." (Liverpool Echo, 22 March 2007)
The Trident vote in Parliament
"I can see nothing that demands that this decision be made now." (Daily Post, 15 March 2007)
Calls for a posthumous knighthood for Bob Paisley
"It's a matter of fairness and simple justice. Other people who achieved much less have been properly honoured. This e-petition has raised serious guestions about how sporting honours are doled out." (Liverpool Echo, 14 March 2007)
Drug baron John Haase being charged with corruptly obtaining a royal pardon from former Tory leader Michael Howard
"It's been a long 11 years. All credit to the Sunday Mirror for sticking to their guns." (Sunday Mirror, 4 March 2007)
"We've got to wait for the court case to finish, but it's true this has been a very long haul to get this far. I'm glad that finally some action has been taken. At least the investigation has taken place and charges have been laid which will look into the way Haase and Bennet were released from their 18-year sentence. This is a move in the right direction (Liverpool Echo, 4 March 2007)
Clarke/Milburn launch of a debate over Labour Party policy
"I would put more credence in anything Charles Clarke had to say if he was saying it openly. If they are going to try and fly a kite for another candidate they should say who that candidate is. It seems pretty straightforward, they want a contest." (Guardian, 28 February 2007)
Claims he may be charged with leaking a secret memo on the war in Iraq
"I have not spoken to the police for some time and I don't anticipate speaking to them again. There is nothing in it." (Liverpool Echo, 26 February 2007)
"I have not spoken to anybody about it for more than a year. I made a statement about the memo in the papers as former defence minister and a critic of the Iraq war … I never leaked anything. It's going to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but it is much ado about nothing. I was interviewed by the police about 15 months ago, but people have a habit of using these things to keep you quiet. I would relish the opportunity to have my day in court to argue about Iraq, but I don't think that will happen." (Daily Post, 26 February 2007)
Start of work on new Stanley Park stadium in Liverpool
"I look forward to the first spades going into the ground, but I will hold my breath until it actually happens, because we have waited so long… We can all have a view on the club's ownership. But while I do not have shares in Liverpool FC, I do have a stake in the regeneration of north Liverpool." (Liverpool Echo, 7 February 2007)
Tony Blair's claims about the benefits of the US/UK relationship
“It is delusional. It could be self-justification. It is a special relationship in one sense – it is one-way traffic. In the depths of night, he must realise how very wrong he has judged where Britain’s national interests lie.” (Independent, 7 February 2007)
Emergence of video showing the friendly fire incident which killed Lance Corporal Matty Hull
“I think the pilots should be held to account, they would be under any other circumstances. If it was American soldiers that had been killed these American pilots would have been held to account but because of the international dimension they haven't. I think it is a cover-up. There's no doubt about it.” (Evening Standard, 6 February 2007)
Tony Blair's departure
"Tony Blair ought to realise that incredible damage is being done to his successor and to the Labour Party generally by this long drawn-out goodbye. I think he should go as a matter of some urgency." (Daily Express, 3 February 2007)
Trident Nuclear Programme
“These vessels can be adapted, can be refitted, so that they last a lot longer … Why are we being forced at this point into a very early decision? Does it have to be made now? The short answer is, arguably, no …” (Press Association, 1 February 2007)
The Labour Leadership
“It is very difficult for the Labour Party to go into elections with something like this hanging over our heads. …We need strong leadership and unfortunately for the Prime Minister he hasn't got it any more.” (Daily Mail, 1 February 2007)
“I think Tony Blair's losing touch with reality. The only thing he is going to finish off if he's not careful are Labour's chances at the next election.” (Daily Mail, 29 January 2007)
The gay adoption row - and the threat by bishops to shut their agencies
"This is just yet one more reason not to vote for us … My constituents would be viewed by the London liberal tendency that is pushing this agenda as reactionary … But they are decent people, with decent values, and they do not understand why the Government is doing this. They will react with disgust if any of the agencies do close. We will pay a heavy price and lose votes all over the country.” (Daily Telegraph, 26 January 2007)
Iraq
“Nobody is being held to account and I fear that nobody ever will be held to account.” (Daily Mail, 25 January 2007)
Tony Blair's departure
“I think these latest events are damaging the party further. I believe it would be in the interests of the party if the Prime Minister announced before the May elections the date when he will finally go.” (Independent, 23 January 2007)
BAE & alleged corruption
"This shows that there are suspicions that this goes right to the top. It makes it imperative that investigations are pursued vigorously right to the end." BAE & alleged corruption (Guardian 17 January 2007)
Robin Cook & his principled stance on Iraq, highlighted by his sons on his gravestone ("I may not have succeeded in halting the war, but I did secure the right of parliament to decide on war")
"He was the only member of the cabinet with the integrity to resign over the war. It is a fitting way to recognise Robin's political courage." (Liverpool Echo, 13 January 2007)
"I think it's a fitting epitaph … To resign over Iraq was a very brave thing to have done. I commended him for it at the time and I commend him for it now." (Daily Post, 10 January 2007)
“Robin was the only member of the Cabinet with the integrity to resign over the war and I will never forget that. It would be a fitting way to recognise Robin's political courage in the future it was taken as read if all decisions to go to war were taken by Parliament.” (Daily Mail, 9 January 2007)
£3 million compensation paid to Walton Prison Inmates and the anger of the Prison Officers Association over it
"This reminds me of the former culture at the city council regarding people tripping over paving stones. It was cheaper to pay out than take them on … I have a great deal of sympathy with the POA and I think all claims should be properly tested legally." (Liverpool Echo, 11 January 2007)
The proposed pit bull amnesty - Merseyside
"I would support this idea, although in my opinion it does not go far enough … We must tackle the phenomenon of young men buying these dogs as fashion accessories … They cannot buy these breeds and just think they will not revert to type. They were originally bred to attack other dogs and I get tired of people saying their dog is just a big softie and will not bite." (Liverpool Echo, 4 January 2007)
The Prime Minister's silence over the execution of Saddam Hussein
"It is yet another error in a long catalogue on Iraq." (Independent, 3 January 2007)
“The Prime Minister must speak out. He ought to be spelling out what standards we expect from an embryonic liberal democracy in Iraq. By any decent standard, a modern, civilised society would find what took place around Saddam's execution reprehensible … I suspect the Prime Minister knows nothing-he can say can deflect from the fact that his legacy in Iraq is woeful.” (Daily Mail, 3 January 2007)
The US deal to allow the American authorities to obtain detailed information about passengers flying to the US
"Outrageous … This raises a series of issues, both judicial and in terms of sovereignty, and it is up to our Government to protect the right of its citizens.” (Daily Telegraph, 2 January 2007)
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