Anthony Arblaster

Honouring the Democrats
Great Democrats, edited by A. Barratt Brown (Spokesman books), reviewed by Anthony Arblaster

Local Elections: The gift that wasn’t on the Tory wish list
Anthony Arblaster discusses the ups and downs of the local election results, which came as an unwelcome surprise to some

Election reflections
Anthony Arblaster argues there is more support for social democratic policies than is reflected in the main political parties.

Breaking the golden thread
Does the yellow of Lib Dem rosettes represent a 'golden thread' of social liberalism, or a streak of cowardice in the face of Tory cuts? Anthony Arblaster looks at the roots of the Lib Dems' present difficulties

Grist to the radical Mill
John Stuart Mill: Victorian firebrand by Richard Reeves (Atlantic Books), reviewed by Anthony Arblaster

It’s Iraq, stupid
So Blair is going - at long last. Let's be clear about this departure. It is not, as he would have us believe, a voluntary act of renunciation, He, like Thatcher, would have gone 'on and on' if he had had his way.

The illusion of choice
The trouble with staging a war of aggression is that in order to win public support, it must be dressed up as a war of defence. And to do that governments have to lie and invent threats that don't exist. But eventually the truth comes out.