Fallon quits as defence secretary
BREAKING- Michael Fallon has resigned as Defence Secretary, admitting his behaviour in the past may have ‘fallen short’ — Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) November 1, 2017
Brexit – the Guilty Men?
Cyclefree sticks her neck out and gives her choices Scepticism (Euroscepticism, certainly) has a bad press these days. But being sceptical of received wisdom, of grand plans and theories, of the assumption that because matters have always been this way, this is how they should remain, is a good thing. At its best, it’s the courage to ask “Why?”and “Why not?” We could have done with more of it when Mrs May came out with her alliterative but empty “Brexit…
Local By-Election Results : October 12th 2017
Inverurie and District on Aberdeenshire (Con defence) Result of first preference votes: Conservative 1,672 (49% +13% on last time), Scottish National Party 1,146 (33% +5% on last time), Liberal Democrat 295 (9% -3% on last time), Labour 276 (8% +4% on last time), Green Party 56 (2%, no candidate last time) (No Independent candidate this time -20%) Conservative lead of 526 (16%) on a swing of 4% from SNP to Con Conservative HOLD elected on the fourth count Rossal on…
September 2017 and Third Quarter Local By-Election Summary
September 2017 Monthly Summary Labour 18,824 votes (36.73% +8.66% on last time) winning 13 seats (+2 seats on last time) Conservatives 14,074 votes (27.46% -4.34% on last time) winning 10 seats (-7 seats on last time) Liberal Democrats 5,041 votes (9.84% +1.53% on last time) winning 3 seats (+1 seat on last time) Green Party 4,420 votes (8.62% +0.31% on last time) winning 2 seats (+2 seats on last time) Scottish National Party 3,345 votes (6.53% +3.23% on last time)…
Not quite the Thursday newspaper headlines that Team TMay had planned
Brutal. pic.twitter.com/wh9C6lVb2C — Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) October 4, 2017 This is now all about her survival Once the prime minister had decided to try to battle on during the weekend after the election the speech at the end of the Conservative conference four months on was always going to be the biggest challenge. Alas events conspired to make it something of a disaster as the headlines in today’s papers reflect. The question now is whether she is going to continue…
And so to Manchester where all the focus is on Mrs. May and Mr. Johnson
Two bookies now make the ex-mayor favourite BoJo now becomes next CON leader favourite with PaddyPower and Betfair sportsbook pic.twitter.com/uIAEw5fe45 — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 1, 2017 Mike Smithson Follow @MSmithsonPB Tweet
In head-to-heads Johnson comfortably beats main contenders in latest YouGov CON members’ poll
Good YouGov infographic from its CON members' poll for the Times. The top 3 in head to heads pic.twitter.com/D5LTJKPhxG — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) September 29, 2017 CON members’ take grim view of party’s GE17 campaign By 88% to 10% CON members in YouGov Times poll think that party campaign was badly run — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) September 29, 2017 Tory members’ complacent of JC’s chance of becoming PM YouGov/Times CON member's pollChance of Corbyn becoming PMLikely 12%Unlikely 82% — Mike…
The Lord Adonis guide to predicting elections: The best leader wins – nothing else matters
The LAB peer and former cabinet minister, Andrew Adonis, has a fascinating essay in the latest edition of Prospect on the best guide to election forecasting. His conclusion is encapsulated in the headline above – the party with the leader perceived to be best wins and nothing else matters. He opens by recalling a Guardian article by Jonathan Freedland when Brown was PM and when many in the Labour party were demanding a new debate on “the issues” “Freedland cautioned…