MrsB and Firefly Aaron and Adrian Bailey StJohn, Mike Smithson, Nick Palmer Corporeal, Alanbrooke & Tom Robinson Thanks to StJohn for all he did to make the event work at such short notice. Thanks also to Adrian Bailey for some of the pictures. Several people have asked if the donation button could be put up again, in one case so a bet can be settled involving a donation to the site. Just to say that all support is really appreciated….
Did his coalition comments go too far? It’s now two days since Tim Farron made his barnstorming speech at the Lib Dem conference to the delight, apparently, of the party faithful. His chances of being Clegg’s successor never looked greater. Today the mood has changed and his approach is in many quarters being seen as an attack on the leadership and the party’s core strategy of being in coalition. According to some reports he was summoned to this morning’s meeting…
I’ve just got back from a splendid PB gathering in the centre of Birmingham. A total of 13 PBers took part and we finished up having a curry. In the picture from left to right are StJohn, Nick Palmer, Firefly, Corporeal, Allenbrooke, Aaron and Adrian Bailey. UPDATE: Not in the picture are PollyB, Tom Robinson, Icarus, Chris A and Park Town Boy. Including myself I think that makes 13. We started at 6.30pm and I’ve just arrived back in my…
Will Weathercock’s big bets be losers? PB regulars will know that over the past 18 months one of the site’s most long-standing posters, Weathercock, has been predicting doom and gloom for the coalition and agreed a range of wagers that it will all have broken down by the end of October 2011. Well judging by the polling and the mood here at the LD conference in Birmingham the chances of an early break-down of the coalition look slim. Weathercock will…
Channel 4 Is a bit of difference more acceptable to both parties? With the Lib Dem conference in Birmingham the most extraordinary thing, I’d suggest, is that there is little speculation about Clegg’s leadership. There is, however, an under-current amongst delegates here that in the early days of the coalition that their leader did get too close and the perception persists. Having said that it less than six months ago since the famous “microphone gaffe”, when Nick Clegg wondered how…
News of the World June 19 2010 What do we make of his Times comments? The threat of criminal charges hovering over Chris Huhne, which really started with the NOTW revelations last year about an affair, are referred to in a pre-conference Times interivew with the Lib Dem energy secretary. The report notes: “Mr Huhne has long intrigued colleagues by appearing to shrug off the police investigation into his driving record, and accusations — which he denies — that he…
Will Chris Huhne survive for another 2 hours? The big betting issue for political punters tonight is whether Chris Huhne will still be in the cabinet at midnight. My guess is that he is and those of us who took the evens bet four months ago are going to end up with a nice profit. This story seems to have gone on so long and whatever your view of Huhne, and I’m a fan, you’ve got to admire the sheer…
Henry G Manson on what happens with another hung parliament I’m reasonably confident Labour is currently heading for hung parliament territory. Without a significant burst of support Ed Miliband’s Labour seems likely to struggle to achieve an outright majority – particularly given the boundary changes. If Labour were to become the largest party (and by no means is this a given) then it begs the question how would/could Labour work with the Liberal Democrats? The Labour Party has in many…