Taking over
In the absence of Nick "Arnie" Robinson, who's off on his well-deserved hols, I'll be taking over the Newslog for the summer.
I am the chief political correspondent for 91Èȱ¬ News 24 which means I spend most of my time trying to make sense of politics as it happens on the hour, every hour. For the next few weeks I'll try to do the same here. And don't think there's no politics going on just because MPs are away from Westminster - ministries still churn out policy, committees still sit, and oh, yes, John Prescott will be in charge.
Not yet though. The summer break doesn't really start until Tony Blair's given his last news conference - which we'll see this morning - and heads for the hills. As ever, the Middle East is almost certain to dominate.
I'm 
Comments
Welcome to the blog James.
How "in charge" is John Prescott, and does it include podgy fingers on nuclear buttons?
Nice to have you along for the ride James. It certainly doesn't look like a quiet time for political correspondants over the summer holdays. In fact can you remember the last time you had a quiet summer holiday? It must have been a while.
As an obsessive observer of current affairs I too will be watching Blair's excuses for his passive approval of Israeli actions in Lebanon at 12 today and I know that it will cram as many abstract nouns as can be fitted in a few thousand words.
Sad but true.
The only thing Nick Robinson deserves is to be sent to a country like China where DISSENT IS NOT ALLOWED.
How dare he censor licence fee payers!
Why has Blair suddenly started on about ID cards again? Is it to divert comment/attention from other areas where he is less "bold" or "effective".
At least we know that ID cards are unremittingly New Labour and that to avoid them we must vote for other parties at the next election!
Welcome James. Looking forward to a new blogger at the helm and hoping for a little less anti-Government bias, fewer personality-based rather than issued-based themes and fewer clever-clever questions that the questioner knows is never going to be answered by the person concerned and are designed solely so they can write a "XYZ refused to answer the question that"-type stories. Hope you have a great time here.
Hi James,
Looks like your first job will be to remind Tony that he's not going to be setting the Labour manifesto. Maybe this ID card comment is simply an attempt to divert attention away from his tricks as a poodle?
Hello James, hope you have already managed to have a holiday!
As you are taking over the blog from Nick, will the next step be taking his place (or appearing alongside him) in the 91Èȱ¬ Newsreaders song for Children in Need?!
November 17th is fast approaching...
Hey, James, good to see you, please remember to dedicate the next two weeks too making sure this great nation of ours is never again left in the hands of Mr Presscott.
I am interested to know what the Foreign Office makes of the PM's latest intervention re Lebanon and whther the challenges from within Labour will come to anything.
To "disgusted licence fee payer"... oh please, get a life. And learn some manners while you do it.
Welcome, James! :-)
I often see you on News 24! :)
I hope you enjoy your time in Nick’s seat and providing us with even more behind-the-scenes snippets of information.
Good to have you on board James. If you keep up the standard of journalism you showed at the time of the Lib Dem leadership fiasco, Nick may be struggling to drag you away after his holiday..All the best, Philip
Welcome James- I thought I recognised you when I was at the house of commons on the new 'black wednesday' (26th April) to watch PMQ's and you were walking very quickly into the house of commons- anyway I now know who you are so I will enjoy your blogging for the next couple of weeks.
Good luck !!!! (reading recent complaints about some of Nicks posts you may need it!!)
Ah.... you mean the Frank spencer of politics .... or should we say lopitics.
He's keeping a very low profile or has he been.... side saddled?
JP I mean.
Davy
James,
"Politics happens on the hour, every hour" ?
A very civilised arrangement !
Welcome, and good luck....
kim
Disgusted licence fee payer - got your political geography wrong there - you mean the US of A.