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Month: August 2010

What is the exact nature of the coalition?

What is the exact nature of the coalition?

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1) Lipstick on a pig: a hard-line Conservative government with some Lib Dem detox; 2) An exceptional response to exceptional times, where getting the economy back on track is the sole priority of two right-thinking parties; 3) A true fusion of Lib Dem and Conservative aims to produce something that is better than the sum of the parts; or 4) A left-wing Conservative conspiracy with the Lib Dems against the right wing of the Conservatives? Thanks to antifrank on the…

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Has Cable won the battle over the graduate tax?

Has Cable won the battle over the graduate tax?

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Will this reinforce yellow support for the coalition? Both the Times and the Telegraph this morning carry news on their front pages that the coalition is to back Vince Cable’s Lib Dem proposal that university tuition fees should be replaced by what will surely become known as the graduate tax. Both papers are following up on an interview in the Sunday Telegraph at the weekend in which he was quoted as saying that the PM was “100% behind the plan”…

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Has Ed Balls moved from contender to king-maker?

Has Ed Balls moved from contender to king-maker?

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Henry G Manson on who will get EdB’s 2nd preferences? It’s now pretty well accepted that Jon Cruddas’ public second-preferencing for Harriet Harman during the Newsnight debate swung sufficient MPs to help her win the deputy leadership from Alan Johnson. Ed Balls has indicated he’ll be announcing who he’ll second preference for the leadership contest in early September. More than any other group of supporters in the party, his backers will move like a herd. Will Straw’s analysis today suggests…

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Will nursery milk be “saved” by the LDs at the last minute?

Will nursery milk be “saved” by the LDs at the last minute?

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Sky News Get ready for the politics of the spending review The main story on SkyNews this morning evokes memories of what became a defining measure by the then education secretary, Margaret Thatcher, in 1971 – a long time ago. Even those who are too young to have been about at the time must be aware of the chant from the period – “Thatcher Thatcher – Milk Snatcher” – something that came to symbolise the 70s and the 80s. Her…

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What sort of welcome would Hague get from the LDs?

What sort of welcome would Hague get from the LDs?

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Should he speak at the September conference? There was a suggestion six weeks ago that David Cameron and Nick Clegg should speak at each other’s autumn conferences, That seems to have been put to one side. Instead we have a report in the coalition – loving Daily Mail that the foreign secretary William Hague is being lined up to speak. The idea, apparently is that he should make a witty speech – A source is quoted as saying: ‘It is…

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Why is the Labour leadership contest so boring?

Why is the Labour leadership contest so boring?

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Has the party lost its mojo? The Labour Party used to give excellent theatre. From conference debates to leadership and deputy leadership elections, the battle for Labour’s – and to those participating, the country’s – future was vigorously fought in public. By contrast, the current contest to succeed Gordon Brown as Labour leader has not exactly caught the public imagination. Why? Having just lost power after 13 years, and with the reasonable prospect of not having a chance of regaining…

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Can the younger Miliband make another comeback?

Can the younger Miliband make another comeback?

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Betfair Politics Is there enough time left? With less than four weeks to go before ballot packs start going out the betting has moved further to David. The Betfair price is the equivalent of about 70% and has been tightening. Meanwhile the younger Miliband has seen his price ease as punters have become less convinced of his chances. The only thing we have to guide us here is the one YouGov poll of members and trade unionists who are eligible…

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Why on earth is Cameron doing these events at all?

Why on earth is Cameron doing these events at all?

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Is the real “gaffe” that he’s continuing on the road? Inevitably David Cameron faces a fair bit of flack in the papers for his “mis-speak” about Iran having a nuclear weapon. Following his previous “mis-speak” on his US trip about what was happening during the second world war in 1940 and a pattern seems to be developing. Whenever he speaks in public in the coming weeks parts of the media and Labour attack dogs are going to be on the…

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