More than 1,700 Ukip candidates have been put forward for next week's local elections with limited checks on their backgrounds. It is therefore perhaps unsurprising that some have been hastily weeded out before they bring further shame on the party.

Ukip is a party with no MPs and few policies. If it was a pony it would have only one trick and certainly wouldn't be able to dance like those on the phone adverts.

Much has been made of people downloading the Wizard of Oz song Ding Dong the Witch is Dead and turning it into a hit. This created a surreal difficulty for the BBC.

Thatcher's attacks on unionised industries devastated vibrant communities. The impact is still being felt, with high levels of unemployment and drug abuse. Her cull of manufacturing, mining, steelworks and shipbuilding led to the current unsustainable situation where our core industry is finance, with volatile banks run by questionable people.

As our television screens and newspapers were filled this week with endless images of Kim Jong-un and Mick Philpott, I wasn't worrying about threats posed by North Korea or narcissistic killers. I was wishing more people read Theodor Adorno.

Ultimately there can be no solution to the Israeli-Palestine question 'from above.'

The result entirely changes the public perception of Ukip. You have to be bold and you have to be brave to fight from the sidelines and come out swinging. The media, hugely loyal to their party of choice, will seek to destroy you. All the other parties will not hesitate to club together to attack. The underdog became a threat to them all.

The shadows of Margaret Thatcher are legion, but beyond the scarring left by her policies it is now relevant to consider why she was popular with anyone at all. The answer is exactly the same reason she was unpopular: her conviction. This mysterious quality could again be the forebear of radical change in British politics.

I have lost all confidence in this government because the promises that they abandon are precisely those that made them electable. I have lost confidence because the few policies they are seeing through are relentlessly, demonstrably wrong.

The theme of one-nation politics allows him to steal the Tories' clothes, and shows Blue Labour isn't dead. Miliband bigged up post-Olympics patriotism for his party, yet dressed it in the language of social divisions, between posh and plebs, public and private, north and south.

Over the next few years the tectonic plates of UK devolution will move and England's 1000 year existence will be challenged. Scotland's seismic decision to have a referendum on independence will bring a Tsunami of debate as to why the UK was created and it will become essential for England to unite and speak with one voice.

For political parties, the arrival of a new leader is often a catalyst for change. Aside from election defeats, a change of leadership has often been shown to spark a period of internal discussion and -ultimately- change of direction. It is for these reasons that a change in the leadership of the Green Party -which has passed from the popular and well-known Caroline Lucas to the almost unknown Natalie Bennett is worth a closer look.

In the olden days, not so long ago, heads of states used to look older, wiser, indomitable and even formidable. These days a G8 summit photo has many baby faces of leaders who don't have a clue of not only how to deal with the Euro crisis but even of the price of milk they still drink.

If Labour act now voters might believe they actually mean it. With the assertion of strong principle-backed policies - something a limping coalition will find it awkward to counter - Labour could create a bond with the electorate, a rallying call to prevent the opposition sliding into ignominy as one of the great political chickens of the era.

Lady Warsi is not a political maverick. She is sharp, charismatic and she speaks her mind. As such, she has brought a distinctive appeal to the Conservative Party, traditionally viewed as led by a white middle (or upper) class elite.

"Even the most ardent republicans respect the Queen". And with that statement so ends the debate. Ardent or otherwise, it is tough enough to get a discussion about ending the monarchy going, let alone begin a process that would actually bring about its demise. Conservatives, lower and upper-case c, appear to have this one sewn up as most of Great Britain celebrates her diamond jubilee, during which affection for the person will overwhelm any doubts about the institution. Not only is 'respect for the Queen' the default position in the media and politics, but in a recession the idea of something as unsettling as ending the monarchy can be dismissed as a waste of money and a priority of abyssal insignificance. However, in the long term it is anything but.

Ever wondered what kind of rationale goes behind the policy-making decisions executed by the coalition government? Well look no further. Here is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to devise and execute a sound security policy.

If the government's new Alcohol Strategy was brought forward to deflect attention from a badly-spun budget, then the plan worked.

The most important issue in the new political and economic climate facing greens, social liberals, and social democrats, is how to face the future without wanting to shelter in the past.

I almost hesitate before typing, but I must openly confess to something that is increasingly becoming a hard thing to articulate, let alone admit: I am, and shall likely remain, a Labour Party supporter.

Shame should weigh heavily on the shoulders of those who choose to defend, or ignore, our military's shameful acts. How many tragic incidents do you write off as mistakes before you accept, albeit begrudgingly, that there is an institutional problem manifesting within our armed forces?

Yesterday's article in the Guardian by Jo Johnson makes interesting festive reading. Boris' younger brother makes a strong case for the importance of the City of London to the rest of Europe, and doesn't hold any punches on what he thinks David Cameron should do.

Opposition is a long, hard slog. The problem with Labour since Ed's tenure is that they have panicked; rushing to challenge the Tories on near enough every issue. Be it economic policy, immigration figures or pension reforms, Labour have popped up offering their alternate proposals.

Ten years ago, such prognostications might have seemed almost a joke, but it seems that an Anglo-Turkish alliance might be the best thing that happened to Europe in a long time and could be the key to ensure that the crucial vision behind the founding of the EU is actualised in the 21st century.