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Jonathan on Sunday on the week’s big political story

Jonathan on Sunday on the week’s big political story

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How did the main protagonists do The big political story of the week was the shock economic growth figures. The initial estimate for Q4 2010 was that the economy shrank by 0.5%. This was much worse than anyone expected. The political reaction was fascinating. Now that the dust has settled, how do we think the parties handled the surprise and what are the implications for the future? George Osborne blamed the weather. A political slight of hand designed to buy…

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Patrick asks: “Is the left leading a fight against reality?”

Patrick asks: “Is the left leading a fight against reality?”

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A Guest Opinion Slot on today’s union calls for action Much has been written about the scale and speed of public spending reductions announced by the chancellor. The political right is welcoming the move as unavoidable and long overdue move to address the dangers of having an enormous deficit and debt position. The left is warning of a double dip recession and civil unrest. The overall trajectory of the advanced nations since the Second World War has been, until recent…

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The coalition starts to lose ground in the “cuts blame game”?

The coalition starts to lose ground in the “cuts blame game”?

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Which is most to blame for the cuts? (YouGov) CON-LD coalition Last Labour government Both of them Neither 25/01/11 26 40 24 5 10/01/11 22 40 25 8 11/12/10 23 41 24 7 15/11/10 22 43 23 7 07/10/10 17 47 20 10 20/09/10 21 44 22 7 06/09/10 22 45 20 6 31/08/10 23 45 20 6 16/08/10 22 45 21 6 02/08/10 22 45 20 6 19/07/10 21 48 19 7 05/07/10 21 44 21 8 23/06/10 18…

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Does Ed Balls have problems arguing with women?

Does Ed Balls have problems arguing with women?

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Why the strange reticence? The publication of the economic figures yesterday gave us our first chance to see how the protagonists for the government and opposition would perform – and as I observed in an article yesterday I thought that Osborne was poor. But what about Ed Balls – Labour’s new economic spokesman of whom great things are expected by the red team. How did he do? Would his sharp brain and normal combative approach see him through? The answer…

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Has “the weather” become Osborne’s “It started in America”?

Has “the weather” become Osborne’s “It started in America”?

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BBC News Does he need a more sophisticated response? We all remember how Gordon Brown and others responded in the final days of the last government whenever issues over the economy were raised. “It all started in America” we were told time and time again to the extent that it became a bit of a joke. I just wonder whether George Osborne is making a similar error with his response to the latest growth numbers showing a decline in Q4…

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Has this been the coalition’s worst week?

Has this been the coalition’s worst week?

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Is governing not as easy as it appeared last May? What a political week it has been topped off, of course, with the sensational resignations of Andy Coulson and Alan Johnson. Apart from this we’ve had amongst others:- The defeat over prisoners’ voting Unemployment rising markedly Inflation move worryingly upwards Fuel prices The Lords filibuster against the electoral reform plans The growing protests over the removal of EMAs The reception being given to the NHS reform plans Cameron’s alleged “betrayal”…

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Will this 2004 decision cost Labour the 2015 election?

Will this 2004 decision cost Labour the 2015 election?

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BBC News archive How long will the Goodwin knighthood remain a live issue? I very much doubt that when in 2004 Tony Blair signed off Gordon Brown’s recommendation of a knighthood for the then RBS boss, Sir Fred Goodwin, that anybody had any idea that this would be a live political issue seven years later. At the time Goodwin was one of the UK’s must successful businessmen to be lauded and praised and, as it turned out, to be included…

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How will the riots change the debate?

How will the riots change the debate?

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What’s the political impact of the troubles on the streets? A main reason the Lib Dems were keen to get the fees vote over and done with as soon as possible was that they can put it behind them as the narrative moves on which, thanks to the riots, it certainly is doing. The split on the issue has happened but the party’s government ministers stuck with the policy and the overall number of yellow MPs voting for it was…

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