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Category: Labour

Is “The Age of Labour” coming to an end?

Is “The Age of Labour” coming to an end?

On a morning that has seen a second national opinion poll showing Labour an election-losing 9% behind there is a provocative piece from the Independent on Sunday’s veteran commentator, Alan Watkins. He argues, in his own style, that quite simply that the age of Labour is dead. He writes: “..Mr David Cameron is doing well but not quite well enough. In view of various disasters for the Government since October, he ought to be miles ahead in the polls. That…

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Should Gord stop doing all the announcements?

Should Gord stop doing all the announcements?

Can he win the election as a one-man band? This morning the main news on the BBC politics page is yet another announcement from Gordon Brown – this time to give extra benefits to members of poor families who agree to return to work and sign up to skills training courses. Fine – but why isn’t the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, allowed to lead on this? For Denham is one of the most effective…

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Should Brown be worrying about the Clarke onslaughts?

Should Brown be worrying about the Clarke onslaughts?

Could the Prime Minister really “obliterate Labour?” While all the focus that has been on the US elections we have not really looked at the growing attacks on Gordon Brown from his long-standing foe within the Labour movement, Charles Clarke. In an interview with Petronella Wyatt in the Daily Mail this weekend the former Home Secretary and still-loyal Blairite issues one broadside after another against his party leader. Wyatt writes: …..Clarke now accuses Gordon Brown of not having ‘the confidence…

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Could Gord get away with abolishing PMQs?

Could Gord get away with abolishing PMQs?

Would he take a short-term hit for a long-term benefit? Another Wednesday and another PMQs for Gordon Brown to have to endure. He clearly doesn’t like them and being open every seven days to the fierce blasts that Cameron is able to master cannot be very pleasant. Ever since a piece appeared in the Indy a couple of weeks ago about Brown’s views of the weekly ritual I’ve been pondering over whether we are being softened up for a proposal…

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Will Gord try to undermine Tony’s Euro bid?

Will Gord try to undermine Tony’s Euro bid?

Is he worth 2/1 to become President of Europe? When either one of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John McCain is formally installed as President of the United States at noon on January 20th 2009 will one of their first meetings be with the new President of Europe, one Tony Blair and former resident of Number 10 Downing Street? For one of the most intriguing political battles during the next eleven months will be who gets the newly enhanced role…

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Do you think Gordon will see this as a threat?

Do you think Gordon will see this as a threat?

What does Labour do now the Tories are not seen “the nasty party”? The front page of this morning’s Guardian is dominated by a report that groups of Labour modernisers, including cabinet minsters, are planning to tell Brown to offer a more radical reform programme to help beat off the Tory threat in the centre ground. Linked to a paper from the Progress thinktank the group is arguing that the political landscape has changed, that the opposition is perceived differently…

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Will a numbers war work again next time?

Will a numbers war work again next time?

Will Labour be able to use the approach of this 2005 election broadcast? Click on the link above and see how Labour used one of its final election TV slots in the days before the last general election. It’s effective and follows a well-established tested formula that helped underpin the 1997, 2001 and 2005 victories. Looking at it through today eyes, though, it appears outdated. Will this work again? How long will the demonisation of the Tories in this form…

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Boost for Ken in new YouGov poll

Boost for Ken in new YouGov poll

YouGov puts him 4% ahead After one of his most controversial weeks since becoming Mayor in 2000 there’s a boost tonight for Ken Livingstone in his bid to secure a third term in the most powerful directly elected office in the UK. A Yougov survey for ITV London found – with changes on its last poll a month ago – Ken 44% (-1): Boris 40% (-4): Paddick LD 8% (nc) The poll detail is not yet available so it’s hard…

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