Chris Gilson takes a look at the week in political blogging.

Weekend

Tim Worstall thinks Andrew Lansley’s plans for GP commissioning of NHS services may be a ‘back-door’ way of breaking the system of national pay awards. Sunny Hundal at Liberal Conspiracy finds that despite Francis Maude’s assertions, the census is not being axed. John Redwood is unconvinced of the need for an £75million healthy food advertising campaign, and is happy it’s being cut.

Tim Montegomerie has a summary of David Cameron’s interview with the Daily Mail – he says that Tory voters are getting ’80 per cent’ of the Conservative’s manifesto promises. Mark Pack looks at the future of Trident.

Paul Linford says that Ed Ball’s attacks on Michael Gove over his botched school building cuts announcement will not help him a great deal in the Labour leadership race. Tim Montegomerie at ConservativeHome says that new school building will continue under the coalition, but not under Labour’s rapid pace. Sunder Katwala at Liberal Conspiracy asks ‘Why is our government so accident prone?’.

Mark Pack muses on the possibility of a US-style voter registration system in the UK.

Guido warns of a ‘moment of truth’ for the Labour party with Peter Mandelson’s memoirs soon to be released, while Peter Hoskin at Coffee House warns of resurgent animosities amongst senior Labour party members. Declan Gaffney blogging at Left Foot Forward gives some evidence that the welfare state has not had the great explosion under Labour that the Tories often point to.

Monday

Mike Smithson at politicalbetting.com has some of the first insights from Peter Mandelson’s new book on his time with Labour, serialised in the Times from today. Jim Pickard at the FT’s Westminster Blog says that senior Labour figures such as Tony Blair were ‘against’ a Lib/Lab coalition after the election. George Eaton at The Staggers also has more on Labour’s coalition positions from Mandelson’s book.

Gary Gibbon at Snowblog says that Michael Gove is going on the offensive after the Building Schools for the Future row, blaming Ed Balls for waste in the programme. Conor Ryan at Conor’s Commentary says that after the school’s row, the government must be more concerned with ‘the boring details’.

Paul Goodman at ConservativeHome says that the government needs a consistent plan to ‘take on the Quangos’. Old Holborn is dismissive of government directives on healthy eating.

Imran Ahmed guest blogging at Liberal Conspiracy warns of Conservative plans to ‘dismantle’ the NHS, and Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting wants the government to leave the NHS alone for a while.

Khalid Mahmood MP blogging at Labour Uncut is not a fan of the AV voting system.

Peter Johnson at OurKingdom blogs on pension reform, Samira Shackle at The Staggers looks at the possible running of immigration centres by private companies, and Gary Gibbon at SnowBlog looks at the feasibility of a graduate tax.

Tuesday

Iain Martin at the Wall Street Journal has some thoughts on whether or not the British public would accept Ed Balls as Labour leader, while Duncan Weldon at Liberal Conspiracy says that the Labour leadership candidates should not spell out their proposed spending cuts as it could be economically dangerous.

David Blackburn at The Staggers takes a look at the Treasury Select Committee’s recent critiques of the government, and Tim Worstall runs some figures on the true costs of social housing and housing benefits. John Redwood looks at tax avoidance and evasion.

Tim Montegomerie at ConservativeHome says that David Cameron needs to build a closer relationship with his party, as Iain Martin at The Wall Street Journal has a close look at the power relationships between SPADS, Ministers, Number 10, and the media.

Hopi Sen points out that the current planned changes to the NHS are not exactly in line with the Conservative’s previous rhetoric on the subject. Wat Tyler at Burning our money tries to follow the money around in the new NHS commissioning system. Shamik Das at Left Foot Forward says that the scrapping of PCTs represents an ‘about turn’. Henry Featherstone at Coffee House is in favour of GP commissioning. Samira Shackle at The Staggers says that Lansley’s NHS reforms will make the service less fair.

Mark Pack looks at how Lib Dem ministers can make effective contributions as Lib Dems.

Wednesday

Mike Smithson at politicalbetting.com seems to be getting bored of Peter Mandelson’s serialised memoirs.

Charles Crawford at blogoir looks at the scale of the national debt, as does Jonathan Isaby at ConservativeHome. Wat Tyler at Burning our Money has a more in-depth explanation. Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting feels that in the current economic crisis, a VAT rise was always going to be unavoidable. Dr Faiza Shaheen guest blogging at Left Foot Forward critiques the government’s calculations that the private sector will fill the ‘jobs gap’.

Nick Robinson has a look at coalition-building and the role of the civil service, while Sunder Katwala at Next Left takes a look at Nick Clegg’s role in any possible future Lib-Lab coalition.

Mike Smithson at politicalbetting.com ponders on the likelihood of David Cameron calling a snap election with the Lib Dems polling only 16 per cent, while John Redwood talks the AV referendum. At LabourUncut Samuel Dale says that Labout must be ‘united’ in the way that they deal with the referendum.

Richard Excell blogging at Left Foot Forward has some thoughts on the recent good news on unemployment, while George Eaton at The Staggers warns of tensions between Boris Johnson and David Cameron over cuts involving London such as Crossrail.

Mike Smithson at politicalbetting.com says that Ed Miliband’s campaign for Labour leader is looking very healthy, while Sunder Katwala at Next Left has a crystal ball and looks into Labour’s future.

Kerry McCarthy MP at Shot from both sides takes  a quick look at Ministerial cars and social media. Jo Johnson at the FT’s Westminster Blog looks at David Cameron’s recent criticisms of IPSA.

Thursday

Conor Ryan at Conor’s Commentary says that a graduate tax (as proposed by Vince Cable today) would be a mistake. Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting calls it a ‘volte face’ for the Lib Dems, Paul Goodman at ConservativeHome says that the tax is ‘dubious’, and Samira Shackle at The Staggers asks if it’s fairer. Aaron Porter at Left Foot Forward is generally supportive, but only if student fees are abolished as well.

Tim Worstall is very keen on a more market-based NHS.

Mark Pack looks at general election turnout rates by class. Kevin Meagher at Labour Uncut does not predict a positive outcome for Nick Clegg in next May’s vote on AV – citing the general disinterest of the UK public in voting reform.

Political Scrapbook has a short look at Charles Kennedy’s recent absences from parliament as Jonathan Isaby at ConservativeHome tracks polling during “Cameron’s Honeymoon”.

Peter Hoskin at Coffee House notes that the unions are swinging their support behind Ed Miliband. Shamik Das at Left Foot Forward reports a huge drop in recorded crime during Labour’s time in power.

Nick Robinson has a report on Departments’ progress on their submissions on cuts to the Treasury.

Friday

John Redwood looks at tax reform, while Sunny Hundal at Liberal Conspiracy is beginning to build a campaign against the government’s cuts programme. Alex Barker at the FT’s Westminster Blog writes about the ‘prisoner’s dilemma’ facing Department’s over their budget bids.

John Snow at Snowblog has some comments from Peter Mandelson’s book launch last night, while Geroge Eaton at The Staggers reports Mandelson as saying Labour could have gained 20-30 extra seats in the election without Brown as leader.

Wat Tyler at Burning our Money says that the rapid drop off in crime in the past 15 years is evidence that prison works, and Sunder Katwala at Next Left looks at the government’s somewhat inconsistent policies on NHS targets.

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