I’m closing down this blog.

I don’t really have time to write and follow politics in the same depth any more, and don’t think a full blog is suitable for my general writing either. My legal writing at Garrulous Law has started to get underway properly, and I don’t have the time to devote as much attention to this blog as I did at university. I am also becoming less interested in comment writing, and prefer reporting, journalism and writing with expertise to general comment.

I have enjoyed writing for this blog immensely. It improved my writing style, introduced me to people I would never have otherwise met, and made me much more intellectually curious and informed than I was when I started this project. At the same time, there is much I have written on this blog that I would no longer agree with. This isn’t so much a transformation in ideology as a greater maturity and understanding of nuance than I had when I started. Frankly, some of the opinions on here are embarrassing. Nevertheless, if I hadn’t written (at times) ill-informed nonsense, I would never have learnt as much as I did.

Thank you for reading. I may return, but don’t count on it.

I’ve been rather silent the past few months, for reasons clearly stated. I have, at several points, considered shutting this blog down, but overall I still want to write for it, so I’m not going to.

To deal with the generally-insane (albeit interesting and enjoyable) workload that my new masters at BPP like to provide me with, I’ve started to work out something of a strategy to deal with this, and the brave/foolhardy decision to set up a second blog.

I’m going to be commenting a lot less within the news cycle. I simply don’t have enough free time to even attempt to stay on top of it, and it’s not actually that fulfilling to write about. A bit more commenting on what I want to, and a little less chasing readers and headlines. The pace is also going to be a good deal slower than before.

My other blog will be growing to deal with legal issues and commentary. There may be some crossover between the blogs, but the latter is going to stay confined to that topic. On that same issue, this blog is going to expand its focus a bit (one hopes) to not just domestic politics, but history, war and foreign policy.

Finally, I’m going to need a few gimmicks to help pad this out and deal with the slack in writing. Guest posters are always welcome, although hopefully this time round their posts won’t get destroyed by a massive hacking attempt on my host. Anyone interested in podcasting should also get in touch.

I just found this about me on politics.co.uk. Suffice to say I am flattered (even if they did misspell my name).

I feel sufficiently motivated and will try and find a way to keep this updated, but expect a bit of a change in tone as this moves in a more legally-oriented direction, as well as a degree of GDL-induced irregularity.

Earlier this month I started a Postgraduate Diploma in Law.

This is an eight-month intensive course that gives non-law graduates an academic qualification of similar standing to an LL.B.

As a result I am rather short of the free time needed to maintain this blog. After quite a bit of agonising, I have decided to, effectively, suspend it.

In practice this means that I will be posting on a much less frequent basis, and only where I happen to have something to write about, as opposed to just chasing topics. I may also start a law blog if I can find a way to integrate it into my studies.

I don’t want to turn this into a long farewell post, as I do hope to restore this blog to regular activity at some point. Nonetheless I would like to take a brief moment to thank everyone who helped me with this through advice, criticism, drinks, links, parties and contacts. You know who you are and I am very grateful. Thanks also, again, to those who voted for me in the Total Politics poll.

I shall return, and occasionally haunt this place from time to time. You can still find me on Twitter @benjaminfgray

A new blog started up last month written by a convicted murderer.

He killed his friend when he was fourteen, turned himself into the police, pleaded guilty, and was given life with a ten-year tariff.

He has now served thirty years.

Yesterday he asked whether prisoners such as he should be allowed to blog.

The answer? Yes. Unequivocally.

In his own words, from another post:

Whilst every other aspect of government policy is recognised as being complex and specialist, penology is treated as if it is simplicity itself: Press Button A, and the result is Outcome B. But prisons aren’t vending machines. Like other policy areas, prisons are deeply complex and few have sufficient information or insight to offer any but the most asinine of opinions. But whilst most of us would hesitate to speak about, say, fiscal policy, any village idiot feels qualified to offer suggestions on how to punish prisoners. And listening to these idiots leads us to a startling outcome.

The result is a shambles, that no one is happy with the current state of affairs. Not victims, not prisoners, not the media, not the staff unions, and not the general public. This is a testament to remarkable ineptitude on a massive scale. On the policy level, it is the equivalent of Government failing to supply clean water, keep the lights burning, or keep the nation vaguely solvent. Incredible.

Prisoners should blog because there is no good reason why they should be deprived of that right, especially when the public stands to benefit far more from hearing their voices. I defy you to give me a reason otherwise.

I’ve set up a facebook group for you, the dear reader. Please join, as I hope to make it a useful source of feedback and ideas without spamming you.

I made it into Total Politics‘ Top 100 Conservative Blogs. Thanks to everyone who voted for me.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be redesigning and tidying up this blog, possibly introducing a few new features. I’m unlikely to have much free time to write properly for the next week or so, so follow me on Twitter.

For the next two weeks or longer as I’ve got Jury Service.

Have checked the ins and outs of not getting dooced, and jury service doesn’t start for a few weeks, so normal service should resume shortly.

I’ve been summoned for jury service and also have to check with a potential employer how to make sure I don’t get Dooced.  Until then, it is a bit impractical to continue writing.  Downtime could be anywhere between a few days to one month.

I make no apologies for not writing while on holiday, but for this I am sorry.