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Category: George Osborne

Donald Brind wonders whether Osborne’s luck will hold?

Donald Brind wonders whether Osborne’s luck will hold?

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The Friday column From a Labour perspective “We have an economic plan that is delivering for Britain”. When George Osborne uttered his familiar mantra in the Commons on Wednesday it sounded as though he was clinging to a piece of wreckage after his encounter with Angela Eagle. The duo were standing in for their bosses as first secretary of state and his shadow, rather than in their day jobs as Chancellor and shadow Business Secretary. Questioned about the Cumbria flood…

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Why GE2020 should NOT be between Osborne and Corbyn

Why GE2020 should NOT be between Osborne and Corbyn

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Both would be liabilities for their parties Today’s PMQs was without Cameron so it was George Osborne facing Labour’s official deputy Anna Eagle whose performance immediately set off betting speculation about her being Corbyn’s successor. Certainly by comparison with those from Labour who’ve been on that side of the House for several years Eagle was excellent. She was funny, warm and intellectually confident in a completely different league from her boss Mr. Corbyn and Ed Miliband who went before. You…

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Generally on days like this George Osborne improves his Betfair “Next PM” chances

Generally on days like this George Osborne improves his Betfair “Next PM” chances

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Osbo, who in Sept was 50% chance on Betfair next PM market – now down to 26%. Will today see him go up or down? pic.twitter.com/5RcwuKaPZU — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) November 25, 2015 Why my money’s gone on the Chancellor this morning Today’s the chancellor’s autumn statement – the second big set piece of Mr. Osborne’s parliamentary year. Usually, the “Omnishambles” budget of 2012 apart, he gets a good initial reaction and the betting markets respond accordingly. So I’ve developed…

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The Sunday Trading vote: Dave/Osbo’s problem is not the SNP but the rebellion on the issue by 20 CON MPs

The Sunday Trading vote: Dave/Osbo’s problem is not the SNP but the rebellion on the issue by 20 CON MPs

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Aside from the EU a developing story at Westminster is the decision by the SNP to vote against the planned changes on Sunday trading that Osborne announced in the budget for England and Wales. In Scotland this is a devolved matter with decisions being made at Holyrood. Inevitably this will raise the whole English Votes for English Laws (EVEL) debate because of the devolved nature of such a measure. But before we get too deep into this let’s remember that…

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Reality check for Osborne’s ambitions

Reality check for Osborne’s ambitions

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The Donald Brind Friday Column Can it really be only a month since the Chancellor George Osborne was swaggering around Manchester stealing Labour policy clothes and putting himself at the head of the queue to be next Tory leader? A Telegraph sketch of his Tory conference speech recounted – tongue in cheek — Osborne’s journey from “omnishambles to omnipotence” Today, says the Economist, Osborne is “in a bind” over how to deal with tax credits. Rumbled by think tanks like…

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The latest PB/Polling Matters Podcast on Polling Matters – Tax Credits, Lords reform and George Osborne

The latest PB/Polling Matters Podcast on Polling Matters – Tax Credits, Lords reform and George Osborne

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What’ll happen to the Lords,tax credits and George Osborne? Polling Matters returns. Keiran, Rob and James discuss the implications of the tax credits row for the House of Lords. What do the public think about welfare? What do they think about the House of Lords and has George Osborne damaged his chances of becoming Prime Minister this week? Remember tonight’s PB gathering in London: All invited Details and map can be found here.

If the CON GE2015 manifesto had been specific about the tax credit change it’s arguable that they would NOT have won

If the CON GE2015 manifesto had been specific about the tax credit change it’s arguable that they would NOT have won

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Next time it’ll harder not to be specific An interesting point was raised by an SNP MP at PMQs: “.. the reason David Cameron chose not to include this policy in his manifesto – and the reason he promised before the election not to do it – is because he knows if he had done, he would not have been elected. Pushing working families into poverty even goes against the most right wing Tory rhetoric about those mythical “benefit scroungers”….

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Osborne – the Volkswagen of British politics – having taken a reputational hit the question is can he recover?

Osborne – the Volkswagen of British politics – having taken a reputational hit the question is can he recover?

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Remember Maggie survived taking away school milk George Osborne is a bit like Volkswagen – never really loved but until a short time ago highly regarded for reliability and performance. Then came the tax credits – his version of the diesel emissions scandal with the defeat software designed to get round environmental tests. For the past six months Osborne had appeared to be able to do no wrong. He got much of the kudos within the Conservative Party for the…

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