But even during the heyday of Thatcherism, practical politics made it impossible for the government to attempt this.

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It shows us that practical politics has much less to do with ideas than it has to do with the emotions they feel while watching sports.

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Such dogmatism may be hard to square with practical politics.

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But while theoretically attractive, the practical politics are fearsome.

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She said she knew "the importance of connecting the concerns of local communities with those of the wider Labour movement" and was "brought up in a family where practical politics was part of everyday life, both through the trade unions and in local councils".

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The most practical kind of politics is the politics of decency, Theodore Roosevelt once said.

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The practical and procedural politics of the UN is trickier, but unless the last-minute negotiations deliver something dramatic, the arguments in favour of at least securing the Vatican option surely outweigh stasis.

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Part of the answer can be found in the politics and part in some practical concerns.

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Former Labour cabinet minister Hazel Blears called for "practical action", such as internships, to help attract a wider range of people to politics.

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