What about Lembit O’Pik for Irish President? A couple of people who know Lembit Opik well have contacted me to suggest that the former MPs next move should be to run for the Irish Presidency. Lembit was born in Bangor, County Down in Northern Ireland which, I’m told, would qualify him to run. I’m not taking this seriously but it’s an interesting idea and Lembit is certainly looking for a new role. At the weekend he failed to become the…
Today, of course, is when Nadine Dorries is moving her key amendment on abortion. I just wonder whether the PM was right to sit down – wouldn’t it have been better to give an answer to her point? @MikeSmithsonPB
Does the PM’s Today comment create an opening? It seems like an age away but it’s only seven weeks – the last time that Dave and Ed faced each other at PMQs. A lot’s happened in the meantime – the increasing pressures on the financial markets and of course last month’s riots. So how’s Ed Miliband going to use this first opportunity to question, probe, and hopefully for him, pull off what’s seen as a victory over the PM? One…
Well MPs are back, we’ve got the first PMQs tomorrow, and everything is building up to conference season. The Cafe is the open thread that we run most nights. The rest it up to you. Marf’s spoof of the Edward Hopper classic Nighthawks Café is available in limited edition print and signed by Marf for £60. If you are interested contact her here. Thanks for all the good wishes from PBers following my accident last week. I am getting better…
But should the question have been shorter than 196 words? YouGov have a new poll out this afternoon on the planned abortion law changes which will be debated in the commons tomorrow. The move from Nadine Dorries seeks to prevent those providing abortions from counselling women who are seeking one. It is being opposed by the government, and pro-choice groups. My concern with the polling is that the question is, at 196 words, simply far too long and it is…
How are they going to stick it for the next 43 months? There’s a very negative account of the way the coalition is operating by James Forsyth on the Speccie Coffeehouse blog. Listing all the areas where the partners are at odds with each other Forsyth writes: “…we’re now entering a more zero-sum period of the coalition. There’s a growing, and depressing, belief on both sides that the best kind of win is when you get one over on your…
What does the say as we enter conference season? There’s a new ComRes telephone poll just out for tomorrow’s Independent and shows a sharp narrowing of the gap between the two main parties since the last comparable poll at the end of July. The comparisons on the chart are with that survey and not with a more recent ComRes online poll. The broad trend is is in line with what we’ve seen from other firms – an easing of Labour’s…
Will the blues make their “first 2015 gains” next week Although it is not expressed in these terms the first part of the process leading up to the 2015 general election starts next week with the publication of the proposed new electoral map for England. This will set out in detail the precise boundaries that it is proposed that the 2015 election will be fought on. The plans for Scotland are due next month while the Wales will have to…