HomeBlogs & ViewsBirmingham Mail ColumnistsJon Walker

Hemming casts his Labour vote

EAGER candidates for Labour's Deputy Leadership need to court every voter - including Birmingham MP John Hemming. Read

Jowell braced to face Olympic critics

CULTURE Secretary Tessa Jowell has chosen Birmingham as the first stop for a roadshow telling the whole nation how it will benefit from the 2012 Olympics in London. Read

Criticism is the key to success

LABOUR'S leadership contest has been something of a disappointment to the press pack at Westminster. Read

Gordon's being made to wait

GORDON Brown will be crowned Labour leader on June 24. Read

Minister delivers a missive to Royal Mail

REMEMBER the postman who got into trouble with his bosses for telling residents how to opt out of junk mail? Read

MP raps Diana programme

WHAT is the point of Channel 4? Read

An 'Ace' up his sleeve

QUOTING an expert is always a good way of making your argument sound more convincing. Read

Fabricant calls for 'twirly whirly bits'

PUBS across England are preparing for the smoking ban to start on July 1, but the legislation will also apply to any enclosed area open to the public. Read

Funding parties means difficult choices

THERE are a number of things the Conservatives and Labour appear to agree on. One is the vexed issue of party funding. Read

Watson's plagued by park news

BLACK Country MP Tom Watson (Lab, West Bromwich East) was interested to learn of a Tom Watson Park in Boulder, Colorado. Read

Solution to a sticky problem?

WHO doesn't hate the sight of old chewing gum stuck fast to the pavement or, even worse, on a bench seat? Read

Debating is thirsty work

SIXTY thousand, four hundred and sixty nine. That's how many pints of beer and cider were sold in the House of Commons last year. Read

Keeping MP grounded

ONE of the biggest challenges facing an MP is keeping their feet on the ground, according to the wife of Birmingham MP Richard Burden. Read

Alan's on a high after wedding ceremony

WHY did Darlington MP and former Cabinet Minister Alan Milburn choose to marry 12,000 feet high, up the Rocky Mountains in Colorado? Read

Fair deal for England call

BIRMINGHAM MP Liam Byrne (Lab Hodge Hill) has warned of disastrous consequences for England if the English turn their backs on the union with Scotland. Read

Roses are red, Tories are blue...

CONSERVATIVE MPs were keen to demonstrate their patriotism on St George's Day this week. Read

Call for a new anthem

SINGING God Save the Queen is a traditional feature of an England football match. Read

Pay up if you drink up

THE number of people making themselves ill through drinking too much is higher than ever before. Read

A Scot of bother for Mr Brown

WHILE we anticipate the results of next week's local elections, the real event may be in Scotland, where voters are electing a new Scottish Assembly. Read

Parliamentary spelling bee

MPs often like to brighten up their speeches with a joke or a play on words. Read