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Category: Labour

Is Harriet the danger for Tory landslide punters?

Is Harriet the danger for Tory landslide punters?

Could a “game-changing” Gord replacement upset the media narrative? There’s been quite a bit of activity on the Tory landslide markets where punters have driven the price down from 4/1 at the end of June to 6/4 with William Hill at the moment. Ladbrokes have also got a market. Yesterday the price on the Tories getting a majority of 100 or more was 3/1 and looked quite an attractive bet. Today that’s down to 9/4. Given the overwhelming polling evidence…

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Will the polls make a defeat even harder for Labour?

Will the polls make a defeat even harder for Labour?

What have the double digit leads done for expectation management? One of the main tasks for party spinners ahead of any election these days is to down-play your chances on the Thursday. For a failure to achieve an outcome that has been widely expected is much much worse than if everybody thinks that the party was going to go down anyway. Given the precarious position of Labour and Mr. Brown nationally the Glasgow East aftermath is going to be much…

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Are we going to see a record Labour deficit?

Are we going to see a record Labour deficit?

What record will be broken later today? John Rentoul has news on his blog that there is a significant poll to be published in the Independent on Sunday, expected from ComRes later today. He writes: “We have a ComRes poll in The Independent on Sunday tomorrow. Another record will be broken. We have also asked people whether they agree or disagree with the following statements: Britain should never have become involved in Iraq British troops should be withdrawn from Iraq…

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Is this what always happens before Labour loses?

Is this what always happens before Labour loses?

Are we seeing a re-run of the politics of the 60s and 70s? With council workers starting two days of strikes this morning there’s almost a 1960s and 1970s feel to the way the political scene is evolving. For in the run-up to the last time that a Labour government lost power, in 1979, it was public sector industrial action – the so-called “winter of discontent – that dominated the agenda and paved the way for Mrs. Thatcher. Only five…

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Would Labour be 22% behind if Tony had stayed?

Would Labour be 22% behind if Tony had stayed?

Could Blair have impeded the Tory surge? On Friday I got into an argument with the Labour-leaning blogger I have most respect for, Paul Linford, over what would have happened to the party if Tony had not stepped down in June 2007. I felt that Labour would be doing better – Paul disagreed. He argued: “..Sure, there was a grudging recognition among the public that Blair “deserved” his ten years, but they were absolutely sick to the back teeth of…

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How likely is Simon Carr’s Brown exit scenario?

How likely is Simon Carr’s Brown exit scenario?

“Jack Straw becomes PM and calls an immediate election!!!” However much Number 10 might not like it the speculation about the future of the Labour government and Gordon Brown continues unabated. It’s hard to talk to anybody involved in politics without the conversation turning to this. This morning the Indy’s sketch writer, Simon Carr, posted an interesting piece on the paper’s Open House blog based on what some “special advisors” are said to be kicking “kicking around”. This would see…

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Had Harriet been reading the last PB thread?

Had Harriet been reading the last PB thread?

Was the “men will flee” response inspired by comment number 1? Some commentators are suggesting that Harriet Harman made a gaffe in her final reply to William Hague at PMQs when in response to a suggestion that she might become PM replied: “It wouldn’t be possible because there aren’t enough airports in the country for all the men who would want to flee…” Watch the exchange yourself by clicking on the picture above. I wonder whether the idea for her…

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Will Labour PMQ stand-in Harriet seize the moment?

Will Labour PMQ stand-in Harriet seize the moment?

Does her elected status mean she’s fire-proof? When Harriet Harman, first stood in for Brown at PMQs at the start of April there were widespread expectations that Cameron’s stand-in, William Hague, would do to her what he had done to the former deputy PM, John Prescott. But Harriet was ready and by all accounts came out from the exchanges on level terms if not better (judge for yourself by clicking the panel above) Today the woman who was the surprise…

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