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Month: February 2011

Is Cameron planning to “betray” his party over AV?

Is Cameron planning to “betray” his party over AV?

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Independent Are we seeing another OES-type move to help Nick? Andrew Grice in the Independent is reporting this morning that there’s growing concern in Tory ranks over what David Cameron might be planning over electoral reform . He writes: “There are growing fears among Tory backbenchers that some Cameron allies would be privately relaxed about a Yes vote in the referendum, since it would give Mr Clegg a big prize and almost certainly ensure that the Coalition lasted until the…

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Is there now less need to suck up to newspaper bosses?

Is there now less need to suck up to newspaper bosses?

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Newspaper circulation figures December 2010 January 2000 Change +/- Daily Mirror 1,133,440 2,270,543 -50.08% Daily Star 713,602 502,647 41.97% The Sun 2,717,013 3,557,336 -23.62% Daily Express 623,689 979,042 -36.30% Daily Mail 2,030,968 2,353,915 -13.72% The Daily Telegraph 631,280 1,022,263 -38.25% Financial Times 390,121 435,478 -10.42% The Guardian 264,819 401,560 -34.05% The Independent 175,002 222,106 -21.21% The Times 448,463 726,349 -38.26% ***Total*** 9,128,397 12,471,239 –26.80% What are declining circulations doing to their political influence? On Andrew Neil’s “This Week” last Thursday…

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Harry Hayfield’s January council by election summary

Harry Hayfield’s January council by election summary

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January council by elections Votes Cast % Votes Cast Seats Won Change Conservatives 7297 44.05% 3 -2 Liberal Democrats 3774 22.78% 3 +1 Labour 3682 22.23% 2 +1 Green Party 739 4.46% 0 nc UKIP 546 3.30% 0 nc Independents 381 2.30% 0 nc BNP 52 0.31% 0 nc Others 93 0.56% 0 nc Are there any pointers to May’s big elections? And so starts a new year of local by-elections, and for the first time since July 2010, the…

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My 200-1 shot clears the way for a White House run

My 200-1 shot clears the way for a White House run

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PB Nov 14 2008 Is he the one to take on Palin – then Obama? In the week after Obama’s victory in November 2008 I placed a £50 bet at 200/1 with Ladbrokes against the then governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman, winning the 2012 White House race. It seemed a long shot but during those difficult days for the Republicans after their defeat it appeared to me that there was one potential contender who had what it would take to…

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