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Donald Brind wonders whether Mr. Corbyn really wants to be PM

Donald Brind wonders whether Mr. Corbyn really wants to be PM

An opposition leader’s primary objective should be Number 10 I was rather excited by the recent launch of BBC Store which opens up, for sale and download, a treasure trove programmes dating back to the fifties. My first foray was, however, unsuccessful. I got the message  “Unfortunately, your search didn’t return any results. The title may not be on BBC Store yet. However, we are adding more programmes every day, so please check back soon.” I certainly will. What I was…

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Frank “Houdini” Field leads the fight against MP deselection

Frank “Houdini” Field leads the fight against MP deselection

But Donald Brind wonders if this is a battle Labour should be having now? Labour’s veteran maverick Frank Field has put himself in the vanguard of MPs getting ready to fight deselection. There could be no better leader for those fearful about the perceived threat from Corbynistas in their constituencies. In his 36 years as MP for Birkenhead he has survived three attempts to oust him. The most serious was in 1989, a battle I covered for the BBC. We…

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North American pointers for John McDonnell’s growth strategy

North American pointers for John McDonnell’s growth strategy

Don Brind on Friday The biopic of Steve Jobs had its premiere of at the London Film Festival last weekend. Just days before, the company he founded was in the dock in a New York court – and lost. The jury found that Apple had infringed patents held by the University of Wisconsin by using technology developed by University researchers in their I phones and IPods. The university is claiming $400 million in damages which would be a record patent…

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Betting on the first Labour MP to resign the whip

Betting on the first Labour MP to resign the whip

The @LadPolitics market on the first Labour MP to resign the party whip. https://t.co/bXDnYmtcG3 pic.twitter.com/PeS2ZEeqKy — TSE (@TSEofPB) October 17, 2015 Ladbrokes have a market up on who will be the first Labour MP to resign the Labour whip. With the forthcoming House of Commons vote on Trident’s replacement, you can see that turning into an epic omnishambles for Labour and CND’s newest Vice-President, Jeremy Corbyn. Given John Woodcock’s past pronouncements on what he were to do were Labour not to…

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A Labour man in a Labour job. What’s not to like about Andrew Adonis?

A Labour man in a Labour job. What’s not to like about Andrew Adonis?

Don Brind on Friday The Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell likes to get away from politics by sailing his little Skipper 17 trailer sailer on the Norfolk Broads, he told the Eastern Daily Press.  McDonnell was brought up in Great Yarmouth where the three Broads rivers enter the sea. Like all lovers of Broads sailing he will know that the worst part of the experience has been getting there. Bottlenecks in the A11 have long been a nightmare. The then Transport…

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Lots of rumours going round of a major LAB figure about to quit the party

Lots of rumours going round of a major LAB figure about to quit the party

I am hearing rumours of a high profile resignation from Labour tomorrow — Phillip Blond (@Phillip_Blond) October 4, 2015 Could it be linked to Osbo’s speech tomorrow? I’ve no information whatsoever but I just wonder whether we might see a high level defection from the red team to the blues. Osbo speaks tomorrow and he’s the sort of guy who could well be behind such a move. This might be nothing or it might be a major development. Philip Blond…

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Next year’s London Mayoral election next will be the big test for the Corbyn leadership.

Next year’s London Mayoral election next will be the big test for the Corbyn leadership.

Don Brind on the day the CON Mayoral candidate will be announced “Sadiq. Wow” said the text message that came in as I was walking down an Italian hillside. It alerted me to the fact that Sadiq Khan had won the Labour London Mayoral selection by a decisive margin. The friend who sent it knew I was heavily invested in Khan stocks. Not only is he my local MP – and a brilliant one too – but no less than…

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The flaw in Corbyn’s plan to win the next election by signing up non-voters and the young

The flaw in Corbyn’s plan to win the next election by signing up non-voters and the young

Intriguing. @jeremycorbyn plan to win next election is to change the electorate – signing up non-voters & the young. @BBCr4today — Nick Robinson (@bbcnickrobinson) September 30, 2015 Labour risk piling up votes where they don’t need it Mr Corbyn’s plan has the major flaw that in the 100 seats with the lowest turnout in England Labour hold 94 of them, and 95 out of the 100 seats with the lowest turnout in England and Wales. When you extend the analysis…

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