News: Westminster
A round of of recent and forthcoming events

News: International
A round up of recent and forthcoming international news

Brown's friends in Europe
Robin Oakley questions whether Gordon Brown can build alliances in the European Union.
Robin Oakley

Reading polls right
Opinion polls need to be carefully analysed, writes Sir Robert Worcester.
Sir Robert Worcester

Month in review
Edward Davie rounds up the political month
Edward Davie

The march of the modernisers
Party chairman Francis Maude tells Edward Davie that Tory frontbenchers who oppose the modernising agenda should relinquish their posts
Edward Davie

Skirmishes and stage whispers
At some point between now and the general election Gordon Brown should become prime minister. Sam Macrory predicts the faces who could appear around his first cabinet table
Sam Macrory

More than forty-nine parallels?
Earlier this year the Canadian Conservative party overturned 12 years of Liberal rule and returned to power. John Ivison wonders whether David Cameron’s party can learn from its North American cousin
John Ivison

Cold climates bring strange bedfellows
Coalition-jostling in Scotland has got so rancorous that previously unthinkable alliances are emerging, writes Robbie Dinwoodie
Robbie Dinwoodie

Reaching for the stars
Sam Macrory talks to Lord Rees, president of the Royal Society.
Sam Macrory

Science project
Lord Sainsbury outlines the government's vision for turning the UK into a major player in the global knowledge economy.
Lord Sainsbury

Expanding minds
A Q&A session on science with Charles Hendry
Charles Hendry

Experimental phase
A Q&A session on science with Evan Harris
Dr Evan Harris

Knowledge needs power
While some encouragement is to be found in the transfer of knowledge between science and industry, Phil Willis believes that a lack of coherence, clarity and funding is halting further progress
Phil Willis

High noon for hot air merchants
The time for talking on climate change is over, says Colin Challen – now we need to see urgent action
Colin Challen

Climate of fear
Sue Ion calls on nuclear sceptics to move away from historic prejudice and recognise the economic and environmental benefits offered by a new generation of nuclear power
Dr Sue Ion

Engineering situations
As the UK moves into the information age, engineering has a vital part to play, explainsBill Olner
Bill Olner

Mine of information
Kevin Barron introduces an important recent speech on the world mineral trade and its implications for UK energy policy
Kevin Barron

Small is beautiful
Hugh Clare delves into the world of nanotechnology, and explains how the UK is keeping up with its competitors across the globe
Professor Hugh Clare

More high-rollers, less hysteria
Internet gaming might be the Wild West but British casinos won’t be, the head of the new Gambling Commission tells Edward Davie
Edward Davie

Ready to roll
It’s no good burying our heads in the sand about the global gambling boom, says Richard Caborn – the answer is tough regulation
Richard Caborn

All bets are off
Hugo Swire worries that the government is taking a cavalier approach to gambling and ignoring its addictive potential
Hugo Swire

Imperfect hand
While Don Foster agrees that gambling legislation needed to be overhauled, he remains concerned that the government may not have weighed up all the odds
Don Foster

The real deal
Sound economic and social research underpins the government’s gambling reforms, says Leighton Vaughan Williams
Professor Leighton Vaughan Williams

Nervous flutters
The true cost of increasing the British public’s exposure to the lure of gambling remains worryingly uncertain, writes Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy

Young at heart
Professor Al Aynsley-Green was appointed England’s first children’s commissioner in July 2005. Here, he reflects on almost a year in office and looks ahead to future challenges
Professor Al Aynsley-Green

Focusing on pupils
The education reforms will give children from all backgrounds the best possible start in life, insists Beverley Hughes
Beverley Hughes

Poor performance
Maria Miller calls for increased involvement of the private, voluntary and social enterprise sectors to ensure greater progress is made towards eradicating child poverty
Maria Miller

False expectations
Annette Brooke is concerned that progress on child poverty will slow without more investment – and less dogma
Annette Brooke

Teenage kicks
Baroness Massey outlines the preconditions for disadvantaged young people in our society tolead fulfilling lives
Baroness Massey

Reality check
Having left Parliament to return to social work for children, Hilton Dawson tells ministers how their initiatives are working on the ground
Hilton Dawson

Lessons learned?
An author of the influential alternative white paper on education, Martin Salter explains why he decided to vote for the bill at second reading
Martin Salter

Must try harder
Fabian Hamilton, one of 96 signatories of the alternative white paper, explains why he rebelled against the government
Fabian Hamilton

Access powers
EU labour migration is far from a cut and dried issue, but labour restrictions create more problems than they solve, says Benedicta Marzinotto
Benedicta Marzinotto

Growing pains
Further EU expansion leads Sir Andrew Green to predict a substantial flow of East Europeans to the UK’s shores, meaning that Bulgarian builders could soon be as prevalent as Polish plumbers
Sir Andrew Green

Eastern promise
The benefits of an expanding EU are many, so the pending accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU is cause for optimism, says Sarah Schaefer
Sarah Schaefer

A spot of local bother
Nick Cuff assesses the possible outcomes of next month’s elections – and focuses on the key London battlegrounds
Nick Cuff

Patience required
While newspapers have been quick to shout about ‘cuts’ to the health service, Andrew Way argues that the reality is an NHS that is changing for the better
Andrew Way

Je ne regrette: Baroness Williams
Baroness Williams is a Liberal Democrat peer who served in the Wilson and Callaghan governments. She left the Labour Party as one of the ‘gang of four’ and, 25 years ago, formed the SDP, which sent shockwaves through Britain’s political establishment. She was talking to Edward Davie
Edward Davie