The Saturday front pages are just starting to come through
Keep refreshing to make sure you get all of them
The Good Friday open thread
Big Ben through the railings twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 28, 2013 This is a pic I took on Monday while in Westminster for a briefing on the May 2 local elections. I’m off on holiday for a few days and unless there are big developments I don’t envisage posting very much. We are having a break at Ilkley in Yorkshire in a cottage with my daughter’s family including two of our grandchildren aged 3 and 5. Have a…
The Thursday night PB local elections special
Harwich West on Tendring (Lab Defence) Last Local Election (2011): Con 33, Ind 16, Lab 9, Lib Dem 2 (Conservative majority of 6) Name of party 2011 Vote % Share Labour 1,240 42% Conservatives 1,218 41% Community Representatives 318 11% Independents 177 6% Tendring has had a very interesting electoral history. In 2003 it was one of six councils in Essex that were not outright controlled by a party (the other seven were Conservative controlled in six and Lib Dem…
For first time since Osbo’s March 2012 budget more people say they want a CON majority than a LAB one
But 41% want LAB in next government to 35% saying CON More people tell YouGov that their preferred #GE2015 outcome is a CON majority than a LAB one -a crossover twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 28, 2013 YouGov’s preferred GE2015 outcome findings – the 12 month record Today’s YouGov finding that more would prefer a CON majority than a LAB one is first time in more than a year twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 28, 2013 And Ed…
David Miliband’s departure leaves Blairites leaderless
Henry G Manson on the significance of today’s announcement It’s been said that New Labour was more of sect than a movement. Now shorn of a leader the moderate faction has no-one else to turn to. David Miliband’s defeat in the 2010 leadership election showed that New Labor could not easily endure beyond Blair. Instead David Miliband allowed himself to be presented as a continuity candidate when many in the movement and country wanted more of a change and break…
Harry Hayfield reviews the battle of May 2nd – the locals
The by-election could take place on May 2 when the CON will be defending twice as many local seats as LAB/LD combined twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 27, 2013 Could it be like the CON 1993 disaster? To say that the Conservatives have been having a bad time of it lately would be an understatement. Since the PCC elections across the United Kingdom, if you are a Conservative candidate you have either lost the local by-election that you were…
Daily Mirror: David Miliband to quit as an MP to take charity job in New York
This means a by-election in South Shields David Miliband’s South Shield seats looks rock solid. Ukp didn’t contest @ #GE2010. See result. twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 26, 2013 @ #GE2010 South Shields had the 5th highest number of postal votes, 36.2%, in UK – suggesting super effective local LAB organisation. — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 26, 2013 My guess is that Labour will try to hold by-election on May 2 – the day of the locals when UKIP’s…
Marf on the Cyprus aftermath
And yet another Boris betting market PaddyPower now has a market on which constituency Boris will stand in at #GE2015 .bit.ly/I8PkIO twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 26, 2013