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Month: July 2012

Surge in public positivity as Olympics get under way

Surge in public positivity as Olympics get under way

A new ComRes for ITV News at Ten tonight shows that there has been a surge in positivity surrounding the Olympic Games compared with just a fortnight ago. Now more than half of the population (52%) are excited about London 2012, compared to a third (34%) who were excited two weeks ago. Younger people aged 18 to 34 are the most excited age group (57%) while those in Scotland (42%) and the South West (42%) are the least excited of…

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Will this be a vote winner for the Lib Dems?

Will this be a vote winner for the Lib Dems?

The Independent is reporting that A government-wide spending review is to be scaled back because Nick Clegg is refusing to commit to billions of pounds of further cuts in the welfare budget…whilst  the Liberal Democrats are likely to fight the election on a pledge to clear the remaining deficit through tax rises such as a mansion tax on homes worth more than £2m and a cut in the 40 per cent tax relief on pension contributions enjoyed by higher rate taxpayers….

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Will Osborne still be Chancellor at the General Election?

Will Osborne still be Chancellor at the General Election?

On Friday evening Standard and Poor reaffirmed  that the UK will continue to enjoy an AAA credit rating. This has been interpreted as a boost for George Osborne, after recent bad news of the 0.7% GDP contraction, that reinforced the fact we’re currently in a double-dip recession, and after heavy criticism of his general performance. As the Spectator notes Those three As and the low cost of borrowing are the trump cards he produces not just at key events like the…

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Olympics poll has public backing growing almost by the hour

Olympics poll has public backing growing almost by the hour

Public scepticism about whether the London Olympics represent value for money for British taxpayers has receded now the Games have begun, according to a ComRes poll for The Independent. Some 50% believe the Olympics will be worth the £9.3bn being spent while 42% disagree. Opinion has turned round since ComRes last tested this idea in March, when only 40% of people thought the Games would be worth it and 51% disagreed. The latest poll suggests that the opening ceremony gave…

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Should Dave and George worry about the ConHome survey?

Should Dave and George worry about the ConHome survey?

ConHome survey: Boris most backed at 32% as successor to Dave. Hague24/DDavis10/Gove19/Hammond7/Fox3/Osborne2 bit.ly/QIMidr — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 30, 2012 51% of CON activists DON’T WANT Dave to lead party at gen election – ConHome survey. DC49/BORIS18/Hague/12/..bit.ly/QIMidr — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 30, 2012 ConHome survey: Osborne scores 0% when activists asked who they’d like to lead party at gen election. bit.ly/QIMidr — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 30, 2012 ConHome survey: 53% of party activists think Labour will return to…

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What are the chances of Boris making an early return as an MP?

What are the chances of Boris making an early return as an MP?

What are the chances of a Boris return to the Commons before or at the next general election? Less than 20% 20% – 34% 35% – 49% 50% – 64% 65% – 79% 80% plus      Could it be before or at the next general election? There’s been a huge amount written around the world in the past few days about the Tory Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. His riposte to Mitt Romney last week before 60,000 people in…

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Coalition “managing economy” ratings slump to record low

Coalition “managing economy” ratings slump to record low

YouGov data: PB chart And another YouGov boost for Vince Cable Preferred Chancellor Total(change) Vince Cable 28% (+6) William Hague 15% (-1) Ken Clarke 9%(-) Phillip Hammond 2% (-1) Theresa May 2%(-) Nick Clegg 2%(-) Don’t know 43% (-4) The change figures shows the shifts in the past week to the question “which of the following do you think would make the best replacement Chancellor of the Exchequer?” Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB

Does Burley represent the Tory future or the Tory past?

Does Burley represent the Tory future or the Tory past?

Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap. Bring back red arrows, Shakespeare and the Stones! — Aidan Burley MP (@AidanBurleyMP) July 27, 2012 The most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen – more than Beijing, the capital of a communist state! Welfare tribute next? — Aidan Burley MP (@AidanBurleyMP) July 27, 2012 Seems my tweet has been misunderstood. I was talking about the way it was handled in the show, not…

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