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Is nationalisation really making a comeback? Don Brind doubts it.

Is nationalisation really making a comeback? Don Brind doubts it.

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I’m a bit of a fan of the old Clause Four  of Labour’s constitution drafted by Sidney Webb in 1918. I love that line about securing “for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry”. Pure poetry. And the idea of getting “equitable distribution … upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange,” is a good one. I believe, too, that each industry or service should have “the…

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Local By-Election Review : October 5th 2017

Local By-Election Review : October 5th 2017

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Mash Barn on Adur (UKIP defence) Result: Labour 490 (49% +25% on last time), Conservative 384 (39% +17% on last time), Liberal Democrat 89 (9% -14% on last time), Green Party 31 (3%, no candidate last time) (No UKIP candidate this time -41%) Labour GAIN from UKIP with a majority of 106 (10%) on a swing of 4% from Conservative to Labour Borehamwood, Kenilworth on Hertsmere (Con defence) Result: Labour 383 (38% -9% on last time), Conservative 341 (34% -19%…

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September 2017 and Third Quarter Local By-Election Summary

September 2017 and Third Quarter Local By-Election Summary

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September 2017 Monthly Summary Labour 18,824 votes (36.73% +8.66% on last time) winning 13 seats (+2 seats on last time) Conservatives 14,074 votes (27.46% -4.34% on last time) winning 10 seats (-7 seats on last time) Liberal Democrats 5,041 votes (9.84% +1.53% on last time) winning 3 seats (+1 seat on last time) Green Party 4,420 votes (8.62% +0.31% on last time) winning 2 seats (+2 seats on last time) Scottish National Party 3,345 votes (6.53% +3.23% on last time)…

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Labour joy and Tory gloom

Labour joy and Tory gloom

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Don Brind reflects on the conference season A few weeks ago I was helping a front bencher prepare for a TV appearance and we guessed that one of the questions might be “Do you agree with Laura Pidcock?” She is the newbie MP who declared she wouldn’t hang out with Tory women because she regards them as “enemy”. The more emollient reply we came up with was: “There are some Tories I like. I just don’t want them running the…

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The inter-generational gap: The Pinch and the Punch

The inter-generational gap: The Pinch and the Punch

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  Picture credit – The Resolution Foundation The Pinch David Willetts’ 2011 book ‘The Pinch’ came complete with the provocative subtitle “How the baby boomers took their children’s future – and why they should give it back”. His central charge was that this supersized demographic cohort had managed to concentrate much of the nation’s wealth in their own hands, especially in terms of property ownership and vocational pension entitlements. On top of this, their political power elected governments that ran deficits…

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The Political Betting Local By-Election Conference Bounce Index : Week One

The Political Betting Local By-Election Conference Bounce Index : Week One

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Over the next few weeks the major parties will be holding their party conferences and just as in every other week there are local by-elections all over the country, therefore for the duration of this Parliament we will be keeping track of how the parties do in the week of their party conferences. This week the Liberal Democrats met in Bournemouth and there were three local by-elections in Chesterfield, Oadby and Wigston and Waveney, so let’s see how they did…

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Local By-Election Review : September 14th 2017

Local By-Election Review : September 14th 2017

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  Westexe on Mid Devon (United Kingdom Independence Party defence) Result: Conservative 279 (36% +6% on last time), Independent 179 (23% +4% on last time), Labour 164 (21% +9% on last time), Liberal Democrat 144 (19%, no candidate last time) No UKIP candidate this time (-28%), No Green candidate this time (-12%) Conservative GAIN from UKIP with a majority of 100 (13%) on a notional swing of 1% from Independent to Conservative (actual swing: 17% from UKIP to Con) Lyme…

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LAB the big winner in the August local by-elections with net gain of 3 and vote share up 14%

LAB the big winner in the August local by-elections with net gain of 3 and vote share up 14%

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Local By-Election Summary : August 2017 Votes Cast, Share and Change on last time Labour 6,275 votes (41% +14% on last time) winning 6 seats (+3 seats on last time) Conservatives 5,893 votes (38% +3% on last time) winning 5 seats (unchanged on last time) Liberal Democrats 2,000 votes (13% +4% on last time) winning 1 seat (unchanged on last time) United Kingdom Independence Party 618 votes (4% -14% on last time) winning 0 seats (-2 seats on last time)…

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