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Category: David Cameron

Will Dave go on getting easy rides over U-turns?

Will Dave go on getting easy rides over U-turns?

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Surely Ed should be nailing the PM on these? Those who watched the Daily Politics programme ahead of today’s PMQs will have seen the feature and discussion on government policy U-turns. From forests to free milk for children and today the NHS and the planned penal changes the list is getting quite long. The way this was presented in the programme showed the scale of the case that can be made against the Prime minister. The Tory minister, Grant Shapps,…

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What’s Miliband(E) going to make of the Montgomerie Tweet?

What’s Miliband(E) going to make of the Montgomerie Tweet?

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Should it be a great PMQ opportunity for the Labour leader? There’s just about nothing that leaders’ of the opposition like more than what appears to be a U-turn in government policy, particularly when that has, apparently, been driven by the PM over-ruling, in effect, one of his cabinet. Today there is PMQs and the NHS changes and the position of Andrew Lansley will surely be part of EdM’s planned line of questioning. On top of that there are the…

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Did Cameron help the LDs with this rare victory?

Did Cameron help the LDs with this rare victory?

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Did the PM’s campaigning encourage anti-Tory tactical voting? There were several requests yesterday for me to do something on why the mayoral election result in Bedford borough bucked the national trend. A bit of history: The Tories should have won this in a by-election in 2009 when their failure was put down to an “open primary” which produced a candidate from the Asian communities leading to huge rows and splits in the local party. This time the selection was restricted…

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Is this the start of “Talk up Cleggie Week”

Is this the start of “Talk up Cleggie Week”

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Telegraph Is Brogan right about Clegg winning the “big battle”? In an interesting piece for the Telegraph Ben Brogan is arguing that on the key policy issues it is the LDs who are largely setting the agenda. “.. No wonder Tories hope that from tomorrow, the Lib Dems will cease to call the tune. The dog will be free to wag its tail again – indeed, if anything, Mr Cameron will have to restrain those urging him to call an…

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If the blues win this should Cameron risk a general election?

If the blues win this should Cameron risk a general election?

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Will this mayoral battle be best pointer on the night? With Jackie Ashley in the Guardian and Tim Montgomerie at ConHome both raising the prospect of 2011 general election a big question is whether such a gamble by Dave would pay off. For the only point in going to the country four years early would be to secure an overall majority so the party could rule without the need to consider the yellows. Such a battle would be on the…

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Will raising immigration stop the seepage of votes to UKIP?

Will raising immigration stop the seepage of votes to UKIP?

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Has Dave decided on a core votes strategy? With three weeks to go before the May 5th elections David Cameron is getting big headlines this morning over a speech that he’ll make on immigration. This marks a big change from last year’s general election when the main parties sought, each for their own reasons, to side-step the issue even though it generally ranks as one of the public’s main concerns. So what’s prompted today’s move in which he will attack…

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Did yesterday show that Ed Balls should be leader?

Did yesterday show that Ed Balls should be leader?

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Will Cameron’s insult help his chances? Yesterday’s PMQ encounter between David Cameron and Ed Balls has continued to reverberate and I wonder whether it could have a long-term impact. For Cameron’s comments about Balls being ” the most annoying” is a tag that looks as though it will stick but I don’t think it will harm Balls – rather the reverse in fact. He, yet again, showed himself to be the most robust attacker of the Tories and the coalition…

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Are we all still spooked by the Baroness?

Are we all still spooked by the Baroness?

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When are all sides going to move on from Maggie? Ed Miliband had a difficult hand to play on Saturday. The thrust of most of the hundreds of thousands who joined the TUC protest was that all cuts were wrong and should be opposed. As Andrew Ranwsley observed in the Observer this is “..not a position the Labour leader can afford to be associated with and not the position he has taken. He tried to finesse his dilemma by addressing…

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