The Labour leader recalls how he imbibed Jewish history from his mother and father. “The first Jewish leader of the Labour Party.” It says something about me and about Britain that I am rarely described as such. I am not religious. But I am Jewish. My relationship with my Jewishness is complex. But whose isn’t? My family history often feels distant and far away. Yet the pain of this history is such that I feel a duty to remember, understand and discuss it – a duty that grows, rather than diminishes, over time. As children we were only dimly aware of it but we caught glimpses. When I was seven, my family went to visit my grandmother in Tel Aviv. Pointing at a black-and-white photograph, ... Continue reading →

5 minutes agoDavid Cameron calls the shadow chancellor a 'muttering idiot' As David Cameron spoke about the economy during Prime Minister's Questions, there was uproar in the Commons when he said people should not listen to the "muttering idiot" sitting opposite him. The jibe was aimed at shadow chancellor Ed Balls. The Speaker John Bercow interjected and called for order. He then asked Mr Cameron to withdraw the word "idiot" which he said was "unparliamentary". 37 minutes agoLeaders clash over Beecroft employment law proposals During Prime Minister's Questions, the Labour leader Ed Miliband asked David Cameron if he agreed with the Beecroft report's proposal that the law should be changed to make it easier for employers to fire under-performing employees. David Cameron said "we need ... Continue reading →