Browsed by
Author: Editor

Mark Gill on the private/public sector worker divide?

Mark Gill on the private/public sector worker divide?

Comments 0 Comment

(Mike Smithson is on holiday for the next 11 days and one of the features on PB during his absence is a series of articles by Mark Gill – former head of political research at Ipsos-MORI and co-author with Bob Worcester, Roger Mortimore, Paul Baines of Explaining Cameron’s Coalition) Does Labour’s lead amongst the latter matter? Labour are way more popular among public sector workers, but how much does this matter? One of the benefits of the detailed data tables…

Read More Read More

When is party thinking going to move on from the 80s?

When is party thinking going to move on from the 80s?

Comments 0 Comment

A guest slot by CycleFree According to the weekend’s papers, Ed Milliband is going to argue that his “Promise for Britain” means that “bankers and those on welfare need to have a sense of responsibility to their communities.” All fine – as far as it goes – but the feebleness of what is expected is striking. At a time when we are living through one of the worst crises in capitalism in decades (not yet over and which may indeed…

Read More Read More

ComRes has Labour tied with the Tories

ComRes has Labour tied with the Tories

Comments 0 Comment

Should Labour not be doing better? The latest ComRes poll for the Indepedent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror is out, and has Labour 37% (-2), Conservative 37% (-1) and the Lib Dems on 11% again. Others are up to 15%. Ed Miliband will be worried that his personal numbers are so poor – his figures have dropped 10-points in a month, according to Politics Home. Ed Balls is little better thought of with only 10% preferring the pugilistic Shadow Chancellor…

Read More Read More

Has EdM found a winning way for PMQs

Has EdM found a winning way for PMQs

Comments 0 Comment

HenryG predicts that we’ll see the charity approach again This week Ed Miliband caught David Cameron out over the reduction of support for 7,000 cancer patients. His questions and knowledge exploited one of the Prime Minister’s few weak-spots –his haziness over detail and desire to be a caring Conservative. The fact that these figures came from the charity MacMillan was crucial. It meant that it was very difficult for the Government to challenge and discredit the source either during the…

Read More Read More

Should you take HenryG’s 50-1 tip for Tory leader?

Should you take HenryG’s 50-1 tip for Tory leader?

Comments 0 Comment

Will Patel be to Thatcher what Cameron is to Heath? Although I’m a Labour bloke, two of my best political bets have come on Conservative leadership contests where I am now 2 from 2. I successfully backed Iain Duncan Smith at a whopping 33/1 and David Cameron at very tasty 11/1. I think it is worth me dipping my toe in the market at this early stage following a nagging feeling that I’ve seen the next Conservative leader. There is…

Read More Read More

Can Labour win without David Miliband?

Can Labour win without David Miliband?

Comments 0 Comment

The Henry G weekly column Labour has to do a hell of lot of work to get in fighting shape for contention at the next election. I’ll look at some of these issues in future columns. However it struck me straight after Ed Miliband’s election as Labour leader there were three seemingly ‘superficial’ things that had to be corrected before he really got a proper look-in at becoming Prime Minister. I know this makes me sound old-fashioned but the first…

Read More Read More

If Ken loses will it be Ed’s neck on the chopping block?

If Ken loses will it be Ed’s neck on the chopping block?

Comments 0 Comment

HenryG on the challenges facing the Labour leader A significant article has just been published on the Tribune website – the journal of Labour’s heart and with longstanding union ties. It accurately sums up the frustrations many of us who supported Ed Miliband for Labour leadership have. It correctly identifies the importance of the London mayoral election and the growing unease at a tactical lack of unity behind Ken Livingstone’s campaign. It is my firm view that if Ken loses…

Read More Read More

So are you backing Gordon….?

So are you backing Gordon….?

Comments 0 Comment

DSK has now resigned as IMF head, and Hills have released their next IMF leader prices which are: Kemal Dervis, Turkey 5/2 Montek Singh Ahluwalia, India 5/1 Axel Weber, Germany 7/1 Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Singapore 8/1 Gordon Brown, UK 8/1 John Lipsky, USA 10/1 Mark Carney, Canada 10/1 Philipp Hildebrand, Switzerland 12/1 Peer Steinbruck, Germany 12/1 Stanley Fischer, Israel 16/1 Changyong Rhee, South Korea 16/1 Hyun Song Shin, South Korea 16/1 Trevor Manuel, South Africa 20/1 Christine Lagarde, France 20/1 Mohamed…

Read More Read More