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Coalition cuts: now we are getting specific

Coalition cuts: now we are getting specific

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BBC News How much is falling in marginal constituencies? The Treasury secretary, Danny Alexander, has this afternoon announced to MPs details of projects totalling £2bn that are being axed. On top of that there’s a list a projects which are being suspended. All were agreed to by Labour between the start of 2010 and the general election. Maybe this is just coincidence but what strikes me looking at the lists is how much seemed to be being spent in marginal…

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Will the Milibands still be on top after Newsnight?

Will the Milibands still be on top after Newsnight?

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BBC Newsnight Could tonight’s debate change the contest’s dynamics? Richard Darlington on the New Statesman blog has a good trailer for tonight’s Newsnight debate with Jeremy Paxman in the chair. It takes place in front of an audience of swing and former Labour voters and their reaction could play a key part. For unlike the sterile rules of the General Election TV debates the audience are able to cheer and show their disapproval. To my mind this is the big…

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Could Dave have stopped Nick from being here?

Could Dave have stopped Nick from being here?

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Is Michael Ashcroft right to vent his spleen? According to the News of the World’s political editor, Ian Kirby, the Tory fundraiser who became the target of Labour attacks, Michael Ashcroft, is writing a book in which he’s hugely crititcal of the Tory general election campaign and David Cameron’s leadership. A particular focus is said to be “the decision to put David Cameron alongside Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg in the three TV debates.” Ashcroft is right about their impact…

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Can the Tories ever rule on their own again?

Can the Tories ever rule on their own again?

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CON lead CON seats LAB seats LD seats OTH seats – 2.7% 239 326 59 26 0.0% 255 306 61 28 4.1% 282 281 59 28 7.3% 307 258 57 28 11.2% 327 233 62 28 What do these seat projections mean for next time? The table above features the new commons seat projections for the next election prepared by Professor John Curtice for Friday’s general election post-mortem at the University of Nottingham. As can be seen the Tories need…

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Will they be at each other’s special day?

Will they be at each other’s special day?

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How long can the coalition go on? There are two big questions in British politics at the moment – who is going to win the Labour leadership and how long can the coalition survive? Both, in a way, are interwoven because as we get closer to September’s voting in Labour’s election we’ll be four months on from the creation of the coalition and the key criteria for the movement will be which of the candidates is best placed to be…

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How big a threat is this man to Dave?

How big a threat is this man to Dave?

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Can Monckton attract the climate change sceptics? The is Viscount Monckton (Christopher) – the former Thatcher aide who has become one of the world’s leading climate change sceptics and from this afternoon, it is Tweeted, the new deputy leader of UKIP. Monckton, who has a hereditary peerage but does not have a seat in the Lords, is related to the former Tory Chancellor and fellow climate change sceptic, Nigel Lawson. He is an experienced political campaigner and will add much…

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Were the “flippers” just following the Telegraph’s advice?

Were the “flippers” just following the Telegraph’s advice?

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Remember their 10-point guide to CGT avoidance? Three days before Gordon Brown became Prime Minister the Telegraph published this guide to property owners wanting to avoid capital gains tax. One choice bit was: “Become a butterfly and flit between homes Or in the jargon, switch “principal private residence” exemptions between properties. All gains on property are taxable with the exception of the home you live in which the taxman calls your principal private residence. However, if you own more than…

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