Where is the alternative in British politics?

There needs to be more debate.

On the Liberal Conspiracy website today, in response to a post by Lord Ashcroft on the ConservativeHome site, Sunny Hundal argues - using Ashcroft's findings - that Labour does not need to support austerity measures in order to appeal to voters. In fact, Hundal argues, the opposite is true: Ashcroft's research apparently indicates that 17% of voters now support Labour having voted Conservative at the last election. This suggests that at least 17% of voters are not hardcore Labour voters but dislike the coalition's austerity programme. If Labour were to keep hold of this 17%, Hundal and Ashcroft point out, the party would gain a majority at the next election. Therefore, Hundal argues, Labour should cease pandering to the economic plans of their opponents because it will not breed political success. 

However, what is much more important than any political points gained from a shift to an anti-austerity stance is that such a shift would help to create a much greater debate about where the country should be headed. When I interviewed Natalie Bennet, the Green Party leader, for Bailrigg FM a couple of months ago, what was immediately noticeable was how different her responses were to those of mainstream politicians. While the coalition is hiking train fares and building motorways, Bennet wants to see less cars on the road and more people using trains. While many mainstream politicians demonise public sector workers, Bennet instead attacks the banking industry. While the coalition sees itself as part of a "global race" with China et al, Bennet instead focuses on the local economies of the UK. The Greens do not support tuition fees, welfare cuts or, for that matter, cuts in general. 

Of course, as with all party principles and manifestos, some of the Green policies I agree with and others i do not. However, what is important is that the Greens are offering the British public a real alternative to austerity. When there is only a sliver of difference between the coalition and the main opposition party, such a stance is very refreshing to hear and could open up a wider debate about the direction of the country. If Labour were to adopt a similar stance this can only improve the debate; currently the majority of those in mainstream British politics have excepted cuts without batting an eyelid, and it is time this changed. 

With Chuka Ummuna and other Labour MPs voting against the benefits cap today, perhaps we may see more coalition myth-busting from the centre-left. We can only hope so; otherwise we will have to put up with more years of cuts and austerity. 

Don't worry Folkies - the Radio 2 show's in safe hands.

Mark Radcliffe is a good fit for the folk show.

As a casual listener to folk music (i'm a big fan of Show Of Hands and Bellowhead) I occasionally tuned into Mike Harding's folk show on Wednesday evenings on Radio 2. I found his approach very warm and, for those of us who are not experts in the folk genre, made folk music feel both interesting and relevant. As a result, I felt quite disheartened back in October when it was revealed that Harding would be leaving the show, particularly as it was not "of his own volition".

The apparent reason for him leaving was that BBC producers wanted the show to include more live music. In my opinion this can be no bad thing: part of the brilliance of radio is being able to hear live music without paying a penny, and listening to a live folk band is always a joy. It seems to me that a radio show which included live folk bands is therefore a match made in heaven, and the decision the BBC made to include more live music should not be a source for complaint. 

The question, therefore, is why Mike Harding could not have hosted such a show, a question which can only be answered by the BBC or Harding himself. Whatever the reason, Harding is no longer presenting the show and will no doubt be missed by much of his audience.

However, his replacement, Mark Radcliffe, is an inspired choice. As an unashamed fan of Radcliffe's I could easily gush forever about how brilliant he is for this particular slot, but I think his first show on Wednesday 2nd January was as good a showcase as any.

Radcliffe started Wednesday's show well, displaying his folk credentials (he played in the band The Family Mahone for years) for any skeptics thinking the BBC had parachuted a layman into the folk slot. More illustrative of his suitability to the post was the way he oozed all of the enthusiasm which was so integral to Harding's program; Radcliffe showed he had a genuine love for the music he was talking about.

The live segments of the show not only showed that the decision to include live music was a stupendous one, but also that Mark was the best man for the job. The show could not have got off to a better start, with a live song from the aforementioned Bellowhead kicking off proceedings, which they followed with a further two songs later in the show. Between these latter two songs we were treated to the great chit-chat with the band members that Radcliffe is so adept at. In a very short amount of time, Radcliffe talked to lead singer Jon Boden about Bellowhead's 2012 album, Broadside, upcoming live shows and the band's various projects. Also taking time to discuss listeners' comments, Radcliffe kept the conversation both informative and entertaining, with his unique brand of humour shining through every now and then. 

As a result, Mark Radcliffe is a great fit for the Radio 2 folk slot. His obvious love of folk music, his experience with live bands and his humourous demeanor make him absolutely the right choice to replace Mike Harding. And, with more live bands in the coming weeks (including the legendary Fairport Convention) all folk lovers (including casual ones like myself) should continue to stay tuned every Wednesday evening.