John Rentoul

John Rentoul is chief political commentator for The Independent on Sunday, and visiting fellow at Queen Mary, University of London, where he teaches contemporary history. Previously he was chief leader writer for The Independent. He has written a biography of Tony Blair, whom he admired more at the end of his time in office than he did at the beginning.

John Rentoul: Wicked ways of the 'horrible imperial regime'

In all the excitement about the Queen's Birthday Honours the other day I missed this priceless gem:

Recently by John Rentoul

John Rentoul: What is the enquiry for?

Thursday, 18 June 2009

Nick Robinson has a preview of what Lord Butler, who chaired the inquiry into the intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, is planning to say in the House of Lords debate later today.*

John Rentoul: Alastair Campbell has a go at Ed Balls

Thursday, 18 June 2009

And quite right too. On his blog the advocate of Message Discipline takes issue with the shadow Chancellor's appearance on TV yesterday morning, in which he expressed his "personal" view was that the Iraq inquiry should have been more open than the one announced by Gordon Brown

John Rentoul: Ma Beckett

Wednesday, 17 June 2009

A curious election in prospect on Monday, when a new Speaker will be elected under a new system.

John Rentoul: The Blair-shaped hole

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

The tax-and-spend argument has really spilled out into the street since I tried to sum up the state of play in The Independent on Sunday. My point there was that the debate is moving in the Conservatives' favour because everyone knows that spending on public services will have to be cut, whoever wins the election. Gordon Brown's pretence that he will maintain spending is unconvincing, so David Cameron has the chance of a fair hearing for policies that set out how savings will be made.

John Rentoul: Time for a sixth inquiry into the Iraq war

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

What we really need are two inquiries into the Iraq war. The one announced by the Prime Minister yesterday, "to identify lessons learned", as he put it. And another one to do what its critics almost unanimously agree that the Chilcot inquiry will fail to do.* The terms of reference for this second inquiry were set out in a letter to Editor of The Independent in December (I paraphrase):

John Rentoul: Shakespeare revisited

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

When I recalled Jonathan Freedland's characterisation of Gordon Brown as combining "the jealousy of Othello, the ambition of Macbeth and the indecision of Hamlet", a commenter drew my attention to Howard Jacobson's remarkable use of Shakespearean themes in his analysis of the Blair-Brown relationship in December 2007. I missed it at the time. I wish I hadn't.

John Rentoul: Lies, damned lies, and spending cuts

Sunday, 14 June 2009

Labour will probably make a difference to more lives, but it's hard to tell when the PM keeps talking nonsense

John Rentoul: A national debate on electoral reform

Wednesday, 10 June 2009

All right, Gordon Brown has asked for it. He wants a national debate on electoral reform. Although he made his view plain: "I still believe the link between the MP and constituency is essential and that it is the constituency that is best able to hold MPs to account."

John Rentoul: Margaret Beckett for Speaker

Wednesday, 10 June 2009

There was something about the race for Speaker that did not quite add up. There was no Labour candidate - in an election with an in-built Labour majority among the electorate.