Was Triesman right about bribing the referees?
I ask this question because, years ago when he was a trade union official, I had a pleasant lunch with Triesman. Pleasant, that is, except that he would go on about how close he was to Labour's new leader, Tony Blair.
That night I had a drink with a mutual friend, a woman, and asked if if Triesman really was that close to the next Prime Minister. She said: "I love David very much, but he has a very rich fantasy life."
And that's that. Except for one thing.
David Triesman doesn't deserve friends like this
I've known David Triesman, on and off, for thirty years or more. He's personable and likeable in public, and indiscreet in private.
Why I'm with Charles Moore today
It always troubles me when I catch myself agreeing with former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore.
The Lib Dems, Michael Gove, and the meaning of "properly accountable."
It seems clear that Education Secretary Michael Gove has beaten the Liberal Democrats hands down. Whatever else the Tories don't get, they are on course to get a massive expansion of privatised schools.
Those of us who think we ought to elect the people who run our schools should be signing up straight away to Fiona Millar's campaign for accountable schools.
Read more: The Lib Dems, Michael Gove, and the meaning of "properly accountable."
Broadcasters in their pomp
Watching Adam Boulton’s scrap with Alastair Campbell, I remembered my extraordinary visit to London Broadcasting a few weeks back, to be interviewed by a young woman called Petrie Hosken, who beats even Adam Boulton for self-regarding pomposity.