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Category: Coalition

Is Number 10 getting too heavy with the Lords reform rebels?

Is Number 10 getting too heavy with the Lords reform rebels?

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Will opposing really be “an interesting career” move? In what sounds a rather sinister move a Number 10 spokesman has said that those Tory MPs who rebel on the Lords reform proposal will be making “an interesting career move”. That sounds a bit Mafiosi. The problem about being fierce is that it could be counter-productive – though with a possible ministerial re-shuffle in the offing aspiring ministers might not be too keen on upsetting the boss. Clearly Cameron is totally…

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Should George have held firm on the duty increase?

Should George have held firm on the duty increase?

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Why allow a victory for the Sun and Ed Balls? Given the pressure that’s been rising this afternoon’s announcement by the chancellor not to go ahead with the fuel duty increase is not that great a surprise. Labour had a been upping the ante and the newspaper that apparently calls the shots in Downing Street, the Sun, had been campaigning hard including a special piece from Ed Balls After all so much from his March budget has subsequently been amended…

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The June ICM poll is out – but no VI figures yet

The June ICM poll is out – but no VI figures yet

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We are going to have to wait The monthly telephone poll by ICM for the Guardian is out this evening but so far the paper has not reported the voting intention figures. It’s putting emphasis on views of global warming which it notes have hardly changed since ICM posed a near-identical question just ahead of the Copenhagen climate conference of 2009. 57% accept that man made global warning is happening. In May the firm had the Tories in their best…

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Dave re-takes the lead in the YouGov leader ratings

Dave re-takes the lead in the YouGov leader ratings

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Does he do better when he’s out of the country? Cameron’s YouGov approval ratings move to best since March.. Now down to minus 18%. In May was -31%. — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) June 24, 2012 Miliband’s YouGov approval ratings drop 2 to -27%. Last week he was = to Dave — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) June 24, 2012 Clegg’s YouGov approval ratings improve by 2 to minus 53% — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) June 24, 2012 YouGov – Tories take 7% lead…

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How long can the coalition survive?

How long can the coalition survive?

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What’s your view – will they stick it out? How long has the coalition got left? 6 months 12 months 18 months 24 months 30 months It will survive until the May 2015 election      Surprisingly I couldn’t find a betting market. Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB

Henry G Manson looks at the PM’s tax avoidance responses?

Henry G Manson looks at the PM’s tax avoidance responses?

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Has he walked into a trap that could have been avoided? I was surprised to see the Prime Minister wade into smug comic Jimmy Carr’s tax affairs. It was clearly going to be a short-term populist move to speak of “morally wrong” tax affairs, but it seemed strange. He’s not the only one. In his Budget this year George Osborne went further calling tax avoidance “morally repugnant”. These are strong words and no doubt they both believe the public will…

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