Fees vote to go ahead after Labour filibuster fails
Bit will the government have enough votes? A last ditch attempt by Labour MPs to stop tonight’s controversial vote on university fees going ahead broke down late last night after government whips manage to round-up hundreds of coalition MPs to stop a filibuster attempt. The plan had to keep the Wednesday sitting going by prolonging debate until 7am this morning. If they had got to that stage then today’s business would have had to be abandoned under the the procedures…
How many more will be joining Lib Dem president Tim?
What’ll be the scale of the yellow NO vote? This is Tim Farron, the newly elected president of the Lib Dems and the 5/1 favourite with Ladbrokes to be Nick Clegg’s successor as party leader. Whether he succeeds with that ambition might be determined in the next 30 or so hours as the machinations continue ahead of the big vote on student fees. Farron is voting against “because I made the pledge” but has been trying to sound supportive to…
Will the Clegg loyalists fare better at the general election?
Will the YES voters be more likely to hold on? With just two days to go before the big vote on student fees the Lib Dem parliamentary party has been meeting to hear their leader, the deputy prime minister and “Parliamentarian of the Year”, Nick Clegg. He told them it would be “better to walk through the fire together” to support the policy and confirmed that he would personally vote for the proposals. This is a big decision for each…
How would you vote if you were a LD MP?
Is abstention the option for wusses? Just four days to go before the big commons vote on fees and what could potentially be a career-ending decision for each of the 57 MPs who were elected for the Lib Dems last May. What would you do in their position – there are just three options: You vote for the tripling of the maximum fee and risk being accused of breaking your promises and alienating a significant part of your electorate who…
Is ConHome right to be getting excited?
Is this the politics for those who believe the Diana conspiracy? The Daily Express is not one of those papers that often gets cited on PB, or indeed other political sites, for its most noted for its front pages on the Diana conspiracy and regular new cures for one form of cancer or another. So how are we to regard it’s launch of a campaign crusade today to get the UK out of the EU? Is this going to resonate…
Are we now seeing the phenomenon of the “shy yellows”?
Poll/publication End date CON (%) LAB (%) LD (%) ICM/Guardian 21/11/10 36 38 14 ICM/Guardian 24/10/10 39 36 16 ICM/NOTW 22/10/10 40 36 16 ICM/Sunday Telegraph 07/10/10 38 34 18 ICM/Guardian 29/09/10 35 37 18 ICM/Guardian 15/08/10 37 37 18 ICM/Guardian 25/07/10 38 34 19 ICM/Sunday Telegraph 24/06/10 41 35 16 ICM/Guardian 20/06/10 39 31 21 ICM/Guardian 23/05/10 39 32 21 ICM/Sunday Telegraph 13/05/10 38 33 21 Labour take a two point lead with ICM Tonight’s Guardian ICM poll has…
Is Lord Young’s gaffe worse than the Liam Byrne letter?
Sky News Will it be chucked back at the Tories for years to come? What a 24 hours it’s been for top Tory advisor and former cabinet minister, Lord Young. Yesterday he was waking up to the coverage of the Spectator “Parliamentarian of the Year Awards” when he pulled off the honour of being the “Peer of the Year”. This morning he’s in the doghouse and after having to eat humble pie following his comments to the Telegraph that the…