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Category: Coalition

Henry G Manson – On the Lobbying Bill

Henry G Manson – On the Lobbying Bill

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Henry G Manson on the lobbying bill. http://t.co/YGwgHKTdn3 Pic from http://t.co/Lghyxzdnvo pic.twitter.com/9OsvhyqtTG — TSEofPB (@TSEofPB) August 23, 2013     This Big Brother Bill Belongs to Zimbabwe Not Britain Hasty legislation usually makes for the lousy legislation. But for lousy and cynical legislation, look no further than the government’s ‘Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill’. It appears to be the latest sinister stunt from a Conservative Party looking to boost its chances in the run-up to the…

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Take the 8-1 William Hill hung parliament but no coalition bet

Take the 8-1 William Hill hung parliament but no coalition bet

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Latest William Hill http://t.co/MbilRLa6MQ prices on the next government CON maj 3/1: CON:LD coalition 7/1 See all pic.twitter.com/z8xPUrcFsl — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 21, 2013 At 8/1 the current best value GE2015 bet is the “other” option in the William Hill list above. That there’ll be no overall majority but there’ll be no coalition formed. Over the last few days we’ve seen the reports of leading CON backbenchers demanding a formal role in agreeing the next coalition if the outcome on seats…

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This just possibly could be the moment for Yvette: A Labour insider gives his view of EdM’s prospects and what might happen

This just possibly could be the moment for Yvette: A Labour insider gives his view of EdM’s prospects and what might happen

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If Ed survives till the end of October he should be okay If (and it’s still a big if) Ed M leaves before election then Yvette will almost certainly take over. She’s been conspicuous by her silence this summer. Shocking really. If however Ed M disappoints at general election then Andy Burnham will also go for it and have a pretty decent chance as will Chuka Umunna. The trouble for Ed is that his team around him is so weak…

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Graham Brady is wrong: Dave never had the option of a minority government in May 2010

Graham Brady is wrong: Dave never had the option of a minority government in May 2010

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The 1922 Committee chair, Graham Grady was on the World at One this lunchtime repeating one of the great myths about the formation of the coalition in May 2010. He said that he’d have preferred a minority CON government – but it is hard to see where there was a point when that was going to be possible. I’ve made this point before but Gord had all the cards in his hand on May 7th 2010. The Tories had failed…

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Two poll findings from April 1997 on the electoral impact of leading on the economy

Two poll findings from April 1997 on the electoral impact of leading on the economy

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Is it really “the economy, stupid”? On Apr 8th 1997, 3 wks before Blair landslide, MORI had CON leading LAB by 45% to 23% on best "managing the economy" pic.twitter.com/KqTwKtWbae — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 18, 2013 Is having a lead on the economy a vote winner? See this from final ICM poll of GE1997 just before Blair's landslide pic.twitter.com/u3wSNZ8m79 — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 6, 2013

David Herdson asks: Frack on or Frack off?

David Herdson asks: Frack on or Frack off?

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Anti-fracking protesters in Sussex pic.twitter.com/gywj7k002L — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 17, 2013 Is Cuadrilla’s climbdown in Sussex a victory for Luddite intimidation? August is an excellent time to stage a media-friendly protest.  With little other regular news about, domestically at least, journalists will be more than happy to report protesters marching, banner-waving and – in the more militant – causing a nuisance, breaching the peace and being arrested.  That the weather’s usually a bit more pleasant than in February doesn’t…

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Harry Hayfield: How retiring MPs could add to Lib Dem woes

Harry Hayfield: How retiring MPs could add to Lib Dem woes

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With recent polls putting the Liberal Democrats at 10% of the national vote (in a virtual tie with UKIP and half their general election vote in 2010), it is safe to say that most Liberal Democrat activists are starting to get just a little on the edgy side about the next election (now less than 21 months away, assuming there isn’t a vote of no confidence as in Germany a few years ago). The most recent polls suggest that Labour…

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The Tories and Lib Dems need to give this money back immediately

The Tories and Lib Dems need to give this money back immediately

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Great scoop by Mail http://t.co/6In5fJ3qBD on CON & LDs diverting spinsters bequest to nation into party coffers pic.twitter.com/3TwWsfuIxm — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 14, 2013 Just when the narrative was moving against LAB this happens This is how the Mail story linked to in the Tweet above starts: ” The Tories and Lib Dems stood accused of ‘robbery’ yesterday after pocketing a £520,000 bequest to the nation left in an elderly spinster’s will. When she died aged 90, former nurse…

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