A note from Peter the Punter A few weeks back I floated here the idea of a PB racehorse syndicate and I am glad to say that there were enough responses to justify going ahead. The horse in question is currently unnamed but is likely to be called either Political Punter or Tsar Louis (being by Xaar out of Amanda Louise). It is apparently very forward in its training and is therefore likely to be racing soon, quite possibly at…
Can Huntsman backers breathe a sign of relief? The Fox News coverage of Bobby Jindal’s response to Obama’s big speech overnight says it all. The 37 year old Oxford alumnus who had risen sharply to become the Republicans great hope had the national spotlight on him when he came to give his party’s response. This was a great opportunity for the young man whose parents arrived in the US as immigrants from India shortly before he was born. And judging…
Sky News Rightly normal politics are on hold As most people are no doubt aware David Cameron’s son, Ivan, died in the early hours of the morning at St Mary’s hospital in Paddington. Gordon Brown has sent his condolences and political activity has been suspended for the day. There will be no PMQs at midday. I find myself very moved by the news which strikes very hard. To lose a child is a terrible tragedy and who knows what David…
guardian.co.uk But are the Tories right to back Brown? On the day the day that Mrs Thatcher returns to Number 10 for the unveiling of a portrait it is perhaps ironic that one part of the public sector that she decreed was a privatisation too far – the Post Office – should be causing so much difficulty for Mr. Brown and his government. The Guardian reports today that senior cabinet figures, David Miliband, and Alan Johnson have voiced concern and…
How’s this going to play ahead of the election? The real danger of Jack Straw’s announcement that he’s using his veto to stop cabinet minutes on the Iraq war decision being made available under the Freedom of Information Act is that it could open up the whole episode as a political issue once again. Even though it’s nearly six years since it all happened Ministers have managed to fend off calls for an inquiry into the issue, which was so…
Can Huntsman impede the Bobby Jindal bandwagon? Today’s a big day in the 2012 race for the White House with prominent Republicans trying to position themselves as the best person to take on Barack Obama. Governors have been holding one of their regular meetings and tonight the young bright hope for the party, the Oxford-educated Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, will be making his party’s response to Obama’s address to a joint session of congress. This is a big moment…
UK Polling Report Is the outcome much closer than it appears? There will be 650 members of the next house of commons and if David Cameron’s Conservatives are going to win a majority then they will need a total of 325 seats or more. And if you input the numbers from today’s Guardian ICM poll into the UKPollingReport you get a projected total of 353 seats – or 28 above the magic number. This gives a comfortable overall majority of…
Guardian.co.uk What if this idea starts to take hold? One of the great weapons that editors can use to influence events is in choosing the questions that go into the opinion polls that they commission. Then, when they have the numbers, they can highlight specific findings which might fit with what the paper wants to achieve. So what are we to make of the Guardian’s splash this morning – leading on the numbers that are most damaging to Brown’s leadership?…