.or is Cameron vulnerable on the DNA rape issue? One of Ed Miliband’s lines of attack at today’s PMQs was on the plan to delete the DNA records of those “arrested but not charged with rape”. He argued that some of those involved went on offend with the clear implication that if the police had the records then their task would be easier. A tricky question with the broader objective of making the coalition appear weak on crime. The trouble…
Why Labour should be concerned about Miliband’s numbers The declining leadership ratings for Ed Miliband have raised again the question of whether these are a better pointer to electoral outcomes than standard voting intention surveys when those sampled are asked about the party they will vote for. Exactly three months ago yesterday, on March 19th 2011, I gambled what was for me a large sum, more than half my university pension that month, on a very simple simple proposition:- We…
HenryG predicts that we’ll see the charity approach again This week Ed Miliband caught David Cameron out over the reduction of support for 7,000 cancer patients. His questions and knowledge exploited one of the Prime Minister’s few weak-spots –his haziness over detail and desire to be a caring Conservative. The fact that these figures came from the charity MacMillan was crucial. It meant that it was very difficult for the Government to challenge and discredit the source either during the…
Did he do enough to start to turn things round? Given the pressure that Ed Miliband has been under these past few days I was impressed by his big speech this afternoon. Not only did we see a step change in his delivery but the content was more substantial and a good answer to those who’ve accused him in the past of being far too vague. His voice came over as much less nasal which makes his speeches a little…
Is it worth 11/4 that he’ll be out before the election? A lot of focus on Ed Miliband in the Sundays this morning with the Indy on Sunday saying that “friends of David Miliband” are saying that the brother who lost last September’s leadership election is “waiting for his brother Ed to fail” as Labour leader and is “poised” to make another bid for the job. The report goes on: “.Last night, a friend of David Miliband told The IoS…
Labour Uncut September 2010 Is the Labour leader really “..as safe as houses..” If Ed Miliband and his team are concerned this weekend about his position as Labour leader then he should look no further than the latest Dan Hodges observations on his position on Labour Uncut. “..But Ed Miliband will survive. Protected not by a bodyguard of loyalty, but one of uncertainty. He is not as much a prisoner of his party as Foot. Nor quite as distant from…
SkyNews What’s behind the “Brown plot” revelations? Those who’ve read the accounts of the Brown-Blair wars, particularly those by Andrew Rawnsley and Anthony Seldon, won’t find much to surprise them in the overnight revelations in the Daily Telegraph. What this does is to flesh out what was already in the public domain with the remarkable added realism of hand-written jottings on documents by Gordon Brown and Ed Balls. That the paper has documentary evidence of Brown in 2005 telling Balls…
A run-down of possible contenders Ed Miliband’s latest PMQs performance will do nothing to stop the murmuring within the party against him and Ladbrokes have him at just 2/1 that he’ll go before the general election. But if he was to step aside voluntarily then who would take over. These are my comments on those priced at 25/1 or shorter in the betting. Possible Odds Comment David Miliband 5/1 He had his chance last autumn and his current absence from…