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Author: Mike Smithson

Is Sunak overstating immigration as an issue?

Is Sunak overstating immigration as an issue?

All we seem to hear from the PM are the efforts to curb immigration. Based on the news coverage it appears as though this is by a big margin the government’s top priority. Yet is Sunak’s approach in keeping with the public mood? Earlier in the year YouGov carried out a mega poll (see chart above)l with a sample of 36k to establish what voters saw as the big issues. As can be seen for all segments including the red…

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Climate change – the political divide

Climate change – the political divide

I suppose that it should not come as too much of a surprise to look at the Opinium poll table above with the party split on views of climate change – an issue that has been in the news following the Tory by-election campaign in Uxbridge. As it will be recalled the Tories managed to hold onto the seat by running a highly focused campaign raising concerns about ULEZ whereby drivers of older cars face a financial penalty in parts…

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Pence on what Trump wanted him to do in January 2021

Pence on what Trump wanted him to do in January 2021

This looks very damning for Team Trump Increasingly the big issue dominating the WH2024 race is what happened nearly three years ago. These comments from former VP Pence are going to make it much harder for Trump. This is a very brave move by Pence because he’ll surely get attacked for making it. But those who have been fearful about the future of democracy should be supportive. In January 2021 Pence made a big step that probably saved democracy in…

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A solution to the Dorries non-resignation saga?

A solution to the Dorries non-resignation saga?

The veteran Labour MP Chris Bryant thinks he has found a way that could force Dorries to do what she announced on June 9th when she said she was resigning with immediate effect. He is calling for the restoration of an obscure parliamentary rule from 1801 stating that “no member do presume to go out of town without leave of this House”. Nadine of course announced her resignation in the expectation that she would be elevated to the House of…

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Is another CON majority really out of the question?

Is another CON majority really out of the question?

Could we see another GE1992? The Tory hold of Hillingdon in the by-election is a reminder that the party of Sunak is not dead and has still got the ability to pull off surprises. We all know the scale of the LAB leads the polls have been showing and I just wonder whether we might wake up like we did on that Friday in March 1992 and discovered that the Tories are still in power with a majority albeit a…

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Trump edges up the WH2024 betting

Trump edges up the WH2024 betting

The chart shows the changes in the WH2024 betting and as can be seen the money has been going on Trump following the latest developments with his various criminal cases. It is certainly at this stage difficult to see anything other than the WH2020 nominees being the same for next year. My one big caveat is that all can change very rapidly when the primaries start. At the moment the polling is really all about name recognition and it is…

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It’ll be hard for Sunak to hang on unless this changes

It’ll be hard for Sunak to hang on unless this changes

We need to remind ourselves that the general election is getting closer by the day and the amount of time that Sunak has to play with is getting smaller. The rate rises are going to hit a huge proportion of the population and many families will likely feel poorer as a result. It almost goes without saying that the incumbent government looks set to get a lot of the blame and that can only benefit LAB and the LDs. My…

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