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Frank “Houdini” Field leads the fight against MP deselection

Frank “Houdini” Field leads the fight against MP deselection

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But Donald Brind wonders if this is a battle Labour should be having now? Labour’s veteran maverick Frank Field has put himself in the vanguard of MPs getting ready to fight deselection. There could be no better leader for those fearful about the perceived threat from Corbynistas in their constituencies. In his 36 years as MP for Birkenhead he has survived three attempts to oust him. The most serious was in 1989, a battle I covered for the BBC. We…

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Local By-Election Preview : October 29th 2015 – 3 Con, 2 Lab and 1 Lib Dem defences

Local By-Election Preview : October 29th 2015 – 3 Con, 2 Lab and 1 Lib Dem defences

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Risedale on Barrow in Furness (Lab defence) Result of council at last election (2015): Labour 27, Conservative 9 (Labour majority of 18) Result of ward at last election (2015) : Emboldened denotes elected Labour 1,474, 1,361, 1,310 (77%) United Kingdom Independence Party 438, 348 (23%) Candidates duly elected: Michael Cassells (Lab), Carole Friend (Con), Colin Rudd (UKIP) For such a Labour heartland, Barrow and Furness’ constituency results have been, of late, anything but a heartland. At the 1992 general election…

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North American pointers for John McDonnell’s growth strategy

North American pointers for John McDonnell’s growth strategy

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Don Brind on Friday The biopic of Steve Jobs had its premiere of at the London Film Festival last weekend. Just days before, the company he founded was in the dock in a New York court – and lost. The jury found that Apple had infringed patents held by the University of Wisconsin by using technology developed by University researchers in their I phones and IPods. The university is claiming $400 million in damages which would be a record patent…

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Local By-Election Preview : October 22nd 2015 – 4 Con and 2 Lab defences

Local By-Election Preview : October 22nd 2015 – 4 Con and 2 Lab defences

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Tottington on Bury (Lab defence) Result of council at last election (2015): Labour 35, Conservatives 12, Independents 2, Liberal Democrats 2 (Labour majority of 19) Result of ward at last election (2012): Labour 1,085 (42%), Conservative 965 (38%), United Kingdom Independence Party 379 (15%), Liberal Democrat 135 (5%) Candidates duly nominated: David Foss (Lib Dem), Martin Hayes (Lab), Ian Henderson (UKIP), Greg Keeley (Con), John Southworth (Green) Bury is that sort of council that can either be a battleground council…

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For only the second time since May UKIP holds onto a ward in a local council by-election

For only the second time since May UKIP holds onto a ward in a local council by-election

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Chatteris on Cambridgeshire (UKIP defence) Result: United Kingdom Independence Party 600 (41% +6%), Conservative 590 (40% +6%), Liberal Democrat 274 (19% -2%) United Kingdom Independence Party HOLD with a majority of 10 (1%) on a neglible swing from Conservative to United Kingdom Independence Party Howgate on Cumbria (Lab defence) Result: Labour 436 (48% -12%), Conservative 304 (33% +2%), United Kingdom Independence Party 176 (19%, no candidate in 2013) Labour HOLD with a majority of 132 (15%) on a swing of…

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Local By-Election Preview : October 15th 2015

Local By-Election Preview : October 15th 2015

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Chatteris on Cambridgeshire (UKIP defence) Result of council at last election (2013): Conservatives 32, Liberal Democrats 14, United Kingdom Independence Party 12, Labour 7, Independents 4 (No Overall Control, Conservatives short by 3) Result of ward at last election (2013): United Kingdom Independence Party 584 (35%), Conservative 579 (34%), Liberal Democrat 358 (21%), Labour 159 (9%) Candidates duly nominated: John Freeman (Lib Dem), Richard Mandley (United Kingdom Independence Party), Alan Melton (Con) So far since the general election there have…

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Lynton Crosby could do it again next week and give the Tories outright power on a third of the vote

Lynton Crosby could do it again next week and give the Tories outright power on a third of the vote

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Or will the “good guys” win this time? Canadians go to the polls next week in an election that has echoes of the British General Election in May – the most intriguing being the involvement of Lynton Crosby. Prime Minister Stephen Harper hopes the Australian can repeat what he did for David Cameron — magic an outright victory in an election where the Tory poll numbers have been limping along in the low thirties. That was how the final polls…

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The latest Politicalbetting/Polling Matters podcast: Conservative Conference special

The latest Politicalbetting/Polling Matters podcast: Conservative Conference special

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Keiran Pedley talks to Asa Bennett of the Telegraph and Rob Vance Polling Matters is back and Keiran discusses the Tory Party conference with Asa Bennett of the Telegraph and Rob Vance. Just how strong are the Conservatives right now? Who succeeds David Cameron? And what will the London Mayoral race tell us about the wider political situation in Westminster in the longer term?