Could Craig cash in on the anti-pol mood? The news that Craig Murray is to stand in the Norwich North by election could really shake up the race and makes the betting quite interesting. Murray came to public attention in 2003 when he was sacked as Britain’s ambassador to Uzbekistan for taking a stance against torture. He now says that he’s to run in the July 23rd by election on an anti-sleaze ticket which might just capture the public mood….
Is he anything like as smart as his billing? Yesterday’s big statement, Brown’s latest re-launch, is the first such major government move since Lord Mandelson was promoted to his unique new position in charge of just about everything. So how come it got such a terrible press this morning. How come that the work of the “great communicator” failed to add the “Mandelson magic” to the programme? Where was the skilled rhetoric, the thread that would bind it together, or…
Who’ll suffer most – Dave, Gord or Nick? Another poll and another big share for “other parties” which have seen their Westminster polling numbers stay at very high levels even though it’s nearly a month since the June 4th Euro Elections. All the pundits, including me, were suggesting a rapid decline as the EU election affect wears off and all the focus is on the battle ahead between Labour and the Tories with the LDs having an interest in a…
CON 36 (-3) LAB 25 (+3) LD 19 (+1) But the Tories are most trusted when it comes to cuts There’s a new poll tonight from ComRes for tomorrow’s Indy. The figures are above and although the changes are all within the margin of error they should provide a touch of encouragement for Labour supporters. For they have the party closer than in any poll since Labour’s June 4th elections disaster and if this indeed was the election outcome out…
This afternoon we had the third “draft Queen’s speech – the new addition to the commons scene – the trailing of the Queen’s speech setting out the planned legislative programme. This was first seen two years ago and provides a peg for PMs present and future to set out a broad vision as well as some detailed proposals. Given the proximity of the general election today might have been a key occasion – a chance to float ideas that could…
Is Speaker Bercow going to follow through on his warning? Last Wednesday in his statement after PMQs Speaker Bercow made it clear that the first place ministers should make announcements was to the house of commons. Well what’s he going to do about Peter Mandelson’s radio comments this morning that the spending review will be postponed until after the election? Surely this big news on the government’s management of the economy should have come first in a statement to MPs?…
Would a change give Labour more hope? There’s a sentence in John Rentoul’s weekend piece that is worth examining. For in assessing prospect for the election Rentoul notes “I assume that the Labour Party will recover from its current trough of unpopularity, by which I mean that it replaces Brown with Alan Johnson..” Rentoul, of course, is a Blair biographer and is no fan of Brown Central. He’s also been tipping an Alan Johnson switch-over ahead of the election for…
Could my 33/1 Hammond for Chancellor bet be a winner? Back in April I suggested backing Philip Hammond for next chancellor at the then attractive odds of 33/1. My reasoning then, which is even more so now, has been the very high profile that Hammond seems to get when it comes to arguing the Tory case on the economy/tax/public spending etc. For generally when a party spokesman is put up it is Hammond who gets the call and not the…