How dangerous for Clegg is leading on pensions? Nick Clegg’s statement about public sector pension is getting good coverage this morning and clearly we are being softened up for some quite drastic measures in the budget. But how risky for Clegg is it being associated with such a policy given that in the public eye at least he is now being seen as the prime mover? For there’s a lot of polling data to suggest that public sector workers do…
A look at what happened the 2007 deputy race It keeps on getting raised on the threads that it might be useful to look once again at how Labour’s leadership election system operates. This has only been used twice – for the election of Tony Blair in 1994 and the race the deputy position in 2007. There are three strands to the electoral college each making 33.33%. Every eligible voters in each section will get a ballot paper asking them…
Is it time to stop feather-bedding the oldies? Remember the dramatic month of September 2007. Big new public spending announcement were being made by the day as the Brown government was preparing the ground for an autumn general election. One of those bribes was, for the over-60s in England, the national bus pass scheme which allows free travel anywhere in the country on local services. It’s great – I love it. Not only does it give me free travel near…
Is Osborne playing double-or-nothing on England? New Labour, when it was new, had its Grid: a careful plan of big national and international events around which those running the party would schedule their own campaign launches, policy announcements, events and so on. It worked very well at the time though it did help that it had a largely friendly media and opponents who were outclassed on that score and, for that matter, that Labour was in opposition (it’s always harder…
“Approve or disapprove of the government” Approve Disapprove All voters 44% 24% Tory voters 79% 7% Labour voters 14% 39% LD voters 50% 19% “Support or oppose the coalition?” Support Oppose All voters 60% 30% Tory voters 86% 12% Labour voters 25% 62% LD voters 73% 17% But will it change after the cuts package? New YouGov polling data suggests that support for the coalition continues. Interestingly the figures above are broken down into what respondents said they did at…
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SkyNews Can Diane make it to 33 by 12.30pm? As he had always said he would if he thought his withdrawal would help get a woman contender onto the ballot John McDonnell has quit the Labour race thus releasing those who have nominated to support other candidates. Whether all those who had gone with McDonnell will follow his lead we will have to see – but it’s looking likely that a total of five will have reached the 33 total…
Does McDonnell’s assassination call still resonate? I’ve just picked up on the John McDonnell clip at yesterday’s hustings when he said he’d wished that he’d assassinated Mrs. Thatcher during the 80s. What I found striking was the reaction of his audience – trade union delegates who gave it the biggest applause of the day. But it does raise the question of Maggie’s legacy. Is this a positive for Labour, as McDonnell seems to think, or has it been neutralised by…