John Crace

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | John Crace

I thought long and hard for three seconds about writing this memoir. I’ve not done so to settle old scores but because I want to settle old scores. A chance to relive broken friendships, dirty deals and to unconsciously act out my passive-aggressive fantasies on my ex-husband. In taking myself down I will take down most of those around me. Put simply, I am the former Westminster Wag with no fucks left to give. It is still dark when I open my eyes. It’s the early morning of Friday, 24 June 2016.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | John Crace

MondayOne of the biggest mysteries in Westminster surrounds the inability of politicians of all parties to apologise. For anything. Most of the rest of us go through life saying sorry on a regular basis. For being late, for not doing something we had said we would, for forgetting. And by and large an apology does the trick. The person we have let down feels heard and all is forgiven. But politicians would rather die than apologise. Take the winter fuel allowance U-turn.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | John Crace

You can only conclude that Paul Johnson is demob-happy. The director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies is off to run an Oxford college in a couple of weeks and seems determined to go out with a bang. Normally, the scourge of chancellors and all things Treasury is quite measured in what he says. Borderline wonkish in his forensic analysis of financial statements. Choosing his words carefully as he peels back the political spin to deliver his verdict on the true state of the public finances.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | John Crace

When Rachel Reeves took over the Treasury last year, she went out of her way to portray herself as the Ministering Angel of Death. Her stock answer to any question was that ‘Everything is terrible’. The Tories had bankrupted the country. There was no money for anything. Pensioners were going to have to die to save the rest of the country. Everywhere she looked there was only a world of pain. And more pain was all she had to offer. But hers would be a Labour pain. A fiscally responsible Labour pain.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | John Crace

If it’s Tuesday, it must be … checks notes … London. We’ve reached the point where Nigel Farage has taken to arranging press conferences for himself in various locations around the country on an almost daily basis. On Monday he was in Port Talbot telling the Welsh to get back down the mines, today he was in Westminster to reveal the identity of Reform’s new party chair after Zia Yusuf’s abrupt resignation last week. Who knows where he will be tomorrow? The press conference is Nige’s happy place.