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Author: David Herdson

David Herdson says don’t “misunderestimate” Ed Miliband

David Herdson says don’t “misunderestimate” Ed Miliband

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Has he been taking advice from George W Bush? The forty-third president of the United States said some silly things in his time, to the extent that ‘Bushism’ has become defined not as his political philosophy but as the kind of verbal misspeak that occurs when the brain and mouth take different directions during the same sentence, or alternatively, when a high-powered politician goes in for ill-advised flippancy.  On which note, his speech to the 2001 Gridiron Club dinner contained the…

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Do the media ‘get it’ yet?

Do the media ‘get it’ yet?

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Press, public and politicians – who needs defending from whom It was no doubt a coincidence that Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks were in court in relation to the charges against them over the phone hacking scandal on the same day that newspaper and magazine publishers were also in court seeking to prevent the granting of a Royal Charter on press regulation.  Nonetheless, the former made a somewhat ironic backdrop to the latter. Not that it’s just the tabloids.  The…

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The economy could be growing too far and too fast

The economy could be growing too far and too fast

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What problems does the rapid upturn bring the government? It seems a long time ago that the opposition, members of the media and economic commentators were speculating about the possibility of a triple-dip recession.  In fact, it’s in only six months that the economic debate has changed markedly.  Gone are the arguments about flat-lining and the need for stimulus and instead the agenda’s moved on to the cost of living. On one level, that’s not unreasonable.  Incomes are rising more…

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David Herdson argues that the rising cost of living might not be Miliband’s magic bullet

David Herdson argues that the rising cost of living might not be Miliband’s magic bullet

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Labour could be handing the government the economic debate by default Two news stories this week again highlighted the critical issue of the cost of living, which Ed Miliband made the centrepiece of his conference speech, and which Labour has been pushing ever since its leaders worked out that a genuine economic recovery was underway. The first was the round of energy price hikes, which may or may not be partially related to that very speech – there was plenty…

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Dicing with the Debt Ceiling could diminish Dollar dominance?

Dicing with the Debt Ceiling could diminish Dollar dominance?

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Playing with the reputation of the global reserve currency is a risk A quick quiz: who is the Chinese president?  If you can do that, name the Chinese prime minister and foreign secretary as well.  Tricky?  Very much so.  I’d be surprised if 5% of the population could correctly answer the first question and astonished if even 1% could get all three.  It’s really quite remarkable how little prominence is given to what is likely to be the world’s biggest…

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David Herdson looks at the US budget crisis and wonders whether Obama is about to be impeached

David Herdson looks at the US budget crisis and wonders whether Obama is about to be impeached

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How far will the US budget/debt ceiling row go? At first glance, the lead question seems such an obvious Question To Which The Answer Is No that you’d be forgiven for thinking ‘why’, ‘how’ or even ‘what?!’.  In a sensible world, it would be – but then in a sensible world, the US federal government wouldn’t be the best part of a week into shutdown – and political betting is as much as anything an exercise is scenario planning. US…

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Goodbye to the Middle Ground

Goodbye to the Middle Ground

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If a Middle Ground even exists It’s been an axiom of political analysis over at least the last quarter century that elections are won on the centre ground, or, if neither of the main two parties is on that ground, then by the party nearest it.  Occupying and dominating that position was crucial to Tony Blair in government and opposition, and heading towards it defined strategy for his two predecessors too.  Likewise, David Cameron spent much of his time in…

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Has Clegg told Cameron when he’ll stand down?

Has Clegg told Cameron when he’ll stand down?

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Deep speculation from David Herdson Back in the days of the USSR, Western experts attempted to interpret what was going on in the Soviet hierarchy by watching for all sorts of indirect signs, from who sat or stood where at state and party events, to how people were referred to in Pravda.  It was an indirect and not particularly reliable art but you make the best use of what you have.  To which end, let’s go in for a little…

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