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“We can get through this”: Don Brind looks at how coffee cup diplomacy could help Labour MPs work together.

“We can get through this”: Don Brind looks at how coffee cup diplomacy could help Labour MPs work together.

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When I joined the BBC in the 70s one of the senior writers was regarded a bit of legend for having spotted the start of Ping-Ping diplomacy – what the US official historian describes as “fraternization” between table tennis players from the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China during an international competition in Japan. It led eventually to the 1972 meeting between Nixon and Mao. Not quite on the same epic scale but there are signs that a rapprochement…

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The Boundaries of Northern Ireland: 1921 – 2020

The Boundaries of Northern Ireland: 1921 – 2020

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1921 – 1979 The six counties of Northern Ireland (created after the creation of the Irish Free State in 1921) have been returning MP’s to Westminster centuries, but it is only since 1950 when the concept of one elector, one vote was established with the abolition of the university seats that Northern Irelan’s MP’s really started to count. It is quite amazing to think that for twenty nine years (with the UK wide boundary changes in 1955 and February 1974)…

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Why in spite of the YouGov selectorate poll Don Brind still thinks the LAB race is too close to call.

Why in spite of the YouGov selectorate poll Don Brind still thinks the LAB race is too close to call.

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Polling a changing and complex electorate is a huge challenge Mike Smithson doesn’t pay me to play safe. Or to put it another way, I write for the prestige of appearing on PB but Mike is more than happy for me to stick my neck out. And my neck has been right out there in the last few postings: suggesting that the race was “too close to call I said there was no solid evidence for making Jeremy Corbyn favourite….

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August Local By-Election Summary and Important Notice

August Local By-Election Summary and Important Notice

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The Lochs (Non Party Independent defence) on Fife Result: Labour 1,318 (47% +1%), Scottish National Party 1,079 (39% +20%), Conservative 270 (10% +7%), Communist 86 (3%, no candidate in 2012), Green Party 45 (2%, no candidate in 2012) Labour GAIN from Non Party Independent on the fourth count with a lead of 239 (8%) on a swing of 9.5% from Lab to SNP By-Election Summary : August 2016 Labour 10,865 votes (30% -1% on last time) winning 6 seats (unchanged…

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How post BREXIT the bookmakers are looking at WH2016

How post BREXIT the bookmakers are looking at WH2016

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A certainty – maybe not With three months to go until election day, people all over the world are lining up to place their bets on who’s going to take on the role of the 45th president of the United States after Barak Obama’s two-term presidency. Up until now, the odds have been everywhere – Donald Trump may have started off with odds that would make you a millionaire if he was elected, but right now, the fact that he…

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Local By-Election Preview : August 25th 2016

Local By-Election Preview : August 25th 2016

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The Lochs (Non Party Independent defence) on Fife Result of council at last election (2012): Labour 35, Scottish National Party 26, Liberal Democrats 10, Conservatives 3, Independents 3, Non Party Independent 1 (No Overall Control, Labour short by 5) Result of ward at last election (2012) : Emboldened denotes elected Labour 1,380, 349 (46%) Non Party Independent 1,025 (28%) Scottish National Party 708 (19%) Independents 165 (4%) Conservatives 99 (3%) Referendum Result: REMAIN 106,754 (59%) LEAVE 75,466 (41%) on a…

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Showing the “human face” of the PLP – how MPs who were let down by Corbyn can help deliver victory to Smith

Showing the “human face” of the PLP – how MPs who were let down by Corbyn can help deliver victory to Smith

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Don Brind on Smith’s message to 2015 Corbyn voters with buyers’ remorse “I’ll tell you what sums up Jeremy Corbyn for me. When we had a march through Westminster he made sure he was right at the front and carrying a banner. But when it came to the hard graft – talking to businesses and government he was nowhere to be seen.” Anna Turley the MP for Redcar is perched on a desk in her office in front of her…

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Tonight’s ten local by-elections with UKIP, CON, LAB and the LDs defending seats

Tonight’s ten local by-elections with UKIP, CON, LAB and the LDs defending seats

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Pelham (Lab defence) on Gravesham Result of council at last election (2015): Conservatives 23, Labour 21 (Conservative majority of 2) Result of ward at last election (2015): Emboldened denotes elected Labour 1,792, 1,708, 1,625 (50%) Conservatives 1,246, 1,131, 1,038 (35%) Green Party 525 (15%) Referendum Result: REMAIN 18,876 (35%) LEAVE 35,643 (65%) on a turnout of 75% Candidates duly nominated: Conrad Broadley (Con), Emma Foreman (Eng Dem), Marna Gilligan (Green), Gary Harding (UKIP), Sharan Virk (Lib Dem), Jenny Wallace (Lab)…

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