Recently by Phil Briscoe

Phil Briscoe is a Conservative councillor for Blackwall and Cubitt Town

The arrest of Damian Green, shadow immigration minister, has raised a number of serious constitutional issues.

The scale of the police operation, raids on Parliamentary offices, and questions about the advance involvement of government ministers have overshadowed other news this week.

Remembrance Sunday saw seven church services across Tower Hamlets, and Tuesday marked the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

It is heartening that attendance at services is not declining, nor is the appetite for supporting the Royal British Legion and the thousands of volunteers who give their time to sell poppies.

Phil Briscoe is the Conservative councillor for Blackwall and Cubitt Town

The new age of post-crunch consensus arrived at the council chamber last week, as Labour councillors tried to brush the last few years under the carpet and support a number of Conservative initiatives.

Labour supported the Conservative lead to reverse the closure of the Bancroft Library, to appoint an independent auditor to examine leaseholder service charges and to take a tougher stance against One Housing and its failure to deliver promises for residents on the Isle of Dogs.

Phil Briscoe is a Conservative councillor for Blackwall and Cubitt Town

THE collapse of Lehman Brothers saw commentators blaming bonus-culture greed for wrecking our economy and expressing glee at the sight of jobless bankers.

But should investment banks take all of the blame? Gordon Brown abandoned monetary policy and set the Bank of England free, while establishing himself as the king of credit in the land of debt.