Articles by John Grogan
John has written 13 articles for Nouse
John Grogan Local MP
By John Grogan — November 28, 2006
BSKYB’s raid to secure 17.9% of ITV in an apparent attempt to crowd out any other potential investors is an unfortunate and timely reminder of where the real threat to plurality and diversity in British broadcasting comes from. Will Sky now use their position as the leading shareholder in ITV to ‘materially influence’ whether or not Sky News replaces ITN when their news contract comes up for renewal in 2008?
Local MP John Grogan
By John Grogan — November 7, 2006
You may recall in the General Election campaign of 2001, John Prescott was hit with an egg by a protestor. In a copycat incident on York University campus a student decided to do the same to me. Unlike the Deputy Prime Minister Having been attacked with flour the previous day, I was rewarded by a local newspaper editorial saying that all I needed now was some milk to be a living Yorkshire pudding!
Local MP John Grogan
By John Grogan — October 11, 2006
As students return from summer to tough questions this autumn, so too do MPs. One of the first of these will be what exactly is a charity? While the aims of charities such as the Make Poverty History Campaign, the Royal British Legion and York University Students’ Union are different, what they share is their impact on everyday lives, often providing services that the state cannot.
Local MP John Grogan
By John Grogan — June 27, 2006
With the World Cup reaching its climax and the Wimbledon fortnight underway my mind turns to sport.
It is now nearly a year since London won the right to host the 2012 Olympics. I only got really enthusiastic when a couple of weeks before the announcement was made I spoke to a primary school class of 11 year olds in a village not a dozen miles from the campus. Instead of asking me whether I had met the Queen or how much I got paid, they were eager to learn if I thought London would carry the day.
Free market bad for quality broadcasting
By John Grogan — March 13, 2006
Local MP, John Grogan, talks about his faith in the BBC
What makes you proud to be British? In recent weeks following Gordon Brown’s speeches, perhaps more people than usual, in a nation where understatement is quite rightly seen as a virtue, have been asking themselves the question. For me the BBC has got to be near the to the top of the list.
Organisation is the key in democracy
By John Grogan — February 20, 2006
Local MP, John Grogan, discusses recent legislation
Democratic politics is essentially a numbers game. Whether it be York University Athletic Union, Heslington Parish Council or the House of Commons, ultimately you need to construct a majority to win. The best arguments in the world can fail to prevail if the organisation behind them is poor.
History can be made in a moment
By John Grogan — January 30, 2006
Local MP, John Grogan, looks at the history of Selby
The University of York is currently in the Selby parliamentary constituency. Maybe it’s because I studied history at university but I’ve always been fascinated by Selby district’s place in the history of England.
Failed terrorism law was excessive
By John Grogan — November 15, 2005
Half an hour before the crucial House of Commons vote on the Government’s Terrorism Bill last Wednesday I found myself standing outside Parliament holding a pair of giant outsized fake teeth and a toothbrush.
Licensing changes are long overdue
By John Grogan — October 12, 2005
As I start my third term as MP for Selby, it is not lost on me that when I first started campaigning as a young candidate at the University some two decades ago many of those studying at the time will by now be parents themselves, perhaps even with children at University.
Supporters are vital to our sport
By John Grogan — June 24, 2005
Contrary to the popular adage, sport and politics have always mixed. Just reflect back on the sports boycott of South Africa in the 1980s which helped to isolate the apartheid regime. Alternatively, look forward to the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and there can be little doubt that politics will play a role. The open question is whether the fact that the attention of the world will be focused on China will provide a window of opportunity for democratic voices or rather the chance to assert Chinese nationalism and power.
My thank you to York campus
By John Grogan — May 9, 2005
Local MP, John Grogan, is surprised he still has a job
At about 4am on Saturday 7 May I awoke with a start. My first thought was “When is the election count?”. My second thought I savoured in my mind for as long as possible “The count happened yesterday – I won!”.
YUSU – a force for change?
By John Grogan — March 8, 2005
Late in February I hosted the annual reception of the National Union of Students on the House of Commons Terrace. By coincidence the occasion coincided with my birthday and I recall that half a lifetime ago I had spent the evening of my 21st birthday (or at least the earlier part of it) speaking at a student union hustings. The availability of free beer had made it a particularly lively affair.
Place your faith in democracy and vote
By John Grogan — February 12, 2005
In a cynical age it is sometimes easy to forget how democratic elections can quicken the pulse, warm the heart and even reach the depths of the soul. Two examples of this power have gripped the world either side of the New Year. No-one who witnessed on television the Orange Revolution in Kiev back in December could fail to admire the commitment of the tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens who protested night after night in the bitter cold.
Loading ...