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The Eurovision open thread

The Eurovision open thread

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Tonight is that great annual event, The Eurovision song contest. It will be interesting to see if the issues in the Eurozone affects voting tonight. I’m not expecting the Germans to give the Greeks zwölf punkte or the Greeks to give the Germans δώδεκα σημεία, but will the rest of Europe give the Greeks a sympathy vote? There have been rumours that some countries don’t want their contestants winning as they don’t want the costs of hosting the event next year…

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The first splits between Cameron and Osborne emerge

The first splits between Cameron and Osborne emerge

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Both ConservativeHome and The Times have the story that George Osborne was overruled by David Cameron and Nick Clegg over one of the biggest decisions in the Budget, cutting the top rate of tax from 50% to 40% prompting the first serious friction between the Prime Minister and Chancellor. As the Times note “This marks the first serious economic decision taken by the Tories without Mr Osborne’s agreement since 2005, when he and Mr Cameron took over the helm. and…

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Will Europe be the issue that will end the coalition?

Will Europe be the issue that will end the coalition?

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The Times are reporting that Tory MPs say Greek exit will force referendum What gives this story a lot of credence is that Nadeem Zahawi, who is close (and loyal) to George Osborne, said on the record: “If there is a requirement for a new treaty, which there must be, to deal in part with Greece’s exit, then it would trigger a referendum. We would have to make sure we would try and repatriate powers from the social chapter and bring…

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Continuation Thread

Continuation Thread

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  Following on from the previous thread, does recent polling make a Tory/UKIP more likely or less likely? POPULUS It found that only 21 per cent are “positive” about Britain’s membership of Europe, while 31 per cent say they are “negative” and think the country would be better off leaving. However, 23 per cent who are negative about UK membership still think Britain would be worse off leaving the EU, while 25 per cent do not have a strong view…

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What happens if Tory MPs and associations start approaching UKIP ?

What happens if Tory MPs and associations start approaching UKIP ?

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  In the Spectator today, Nigel Farage raises the possibility of joint Conservative/UKIP candidates at the next election. He says “What I do know is there are Conservative associations up and down the country who think this could be a way forward. “All I would say to you is that in terms of co-operation or deals or anything in the future, firstly it’s some way off. But secondly, I can see that there are associations thinking along these lines. If…

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