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Category: Labour

Is discipline breaking down within Labour?

Is discipline breaking down within Labour?

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UPDATED Could Labour MP,Tom Harris, himself be in trouble? The above spoof ad has been published by Labour blogger Tom Harris MP under the heading “I do hope the NEC will approve…” to illustrate what the party’s London mayoral candidate, Ken Livingstone, did during the recent campaign for the mayoralty of Tower Hamlets. It will be recalled that the party replaced the controversial Muslim leader, Lutfur Rahman, as the official Labour candidate two months before polling but this did not…

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How should oppositions respond to what seems like good news?

How should oppositions respond to what seems like good news?

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What should Labour say about the GDP figures? It’s perhaps worth reminding ourselves that for thirteen of the last thirteen and a half years Labour has been in government. Being in opposition requires a totally different skill-set and the party is only just learning how to make best use of the limited number of communications opportunities that are available to it. This morning was a particular challenge. The Q3 GDP increase at 0.8% was far higher than most had expected…

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Did Labour lose “The Cuts – Week 1”?

Did Labour lose “The Cuts – Week 1”?

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“Who’s to blame for the cuts?” (YouGov) All voters CON voters LAB voters LD voters CON-LD coalition 17 1 39 5 Last Labour government 47 93 6 65 Both 20 3 29 13 Neither 11 2 24 11 “Last Labour government bears most responsibility” (ComRes) All voters CON at GE LAB at GE LD at GE Agree 59 87 32 56 Disagree 36 12 63 40 Will EdM’s party floundering on the “blame” issue? As I have been arguing during…

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Could Tower Hamlets put Livingstone under pressure?

Could Tower Hamlets put Livingstone under pressure?

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The Docklands 24 Will Labour’s NEC act against Ken? The big election news overnight was the result of the contest for the elected mayor of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and the overwhelming defeat of the official Labour candidate in an area where the party has traditionally been very strong. This is the biggest election there’s been since Ed Miliband became leader a month and the failure of the party to win can only be regarded as a big…

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Is this the most high-profile case so far?

Is this the most high-profile case so far?

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BBC News What a busy morning for political news – the squeeze on high-earners pension contribution; the bonfire of the quangos, and now the news that high-profile former minister, Denis MacShane, has been suspended from the parliamentary Labour party after the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee, agreed MacShane’s conduct should be reported to the Metropolitan Police. Denis, who I knew well at the BBC in the late 1970s, is by far the highest-profile MP to have been referred to the…

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Why no space in Labour for those with names beyond M?

Why no space in Labour for those with names beyond M?

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Are these four the victims of alphabetical discrimination? One of the extraordinary features of Labour’s shadow cabinet election is that all the nineteen winners had surnames starting with letters in the first half of the alphabet. So highly competent MPs such as Stephen Timms, Sean Woodward, Emily Thornberry and Stephen Twigg did not manger to garner enough votes to make it across the line. It’s a well-known electoral phenomenon, particularly when you have a long list of candidates, that those…

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Is it going to be Yvette?

Is it going to be Yvette?

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Standard Will she pip her hubbie for shadow chancellor? With the results of Labour shadow cabinet elections due out this evening Ed Miliband is said to be phoning key figures to tell them what role they have. The big focus is, of course, on the Balls household – is the shadow chancellor going to be Mister or Missus? The rumours suggest the latter and that’s where the lively Smarkets exchange market is now moving. I’ve been betting against Ed Balls….

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Is EdM going to be ruthless with more of the old guard?

Is EdM going to be ruthless with more of the old guard?

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Smarkets Shadow Chancellor Odds Potential Win Ed Balls 55.00% £10 wins £18 Yvette Cooper 42.00% £10 wins £23 Any other Labour MP 28.00% £10 wins £35 Andy Burnham 20.00% £10 wins £50 Alan Johnson 9.00% £10 wins £111 Liam Byrne 5.00% £10 wins £200 Smarkets Foreign Secretary Odds Potential Win Andy Burnham 30.00% £10 wins £33 Any other Labour member 26.67% £10 wins £37 Yvette Cooper 25.00% £10 wins £40 Hilary Benn 22.00% £10 wins £45 Ed Balls 20.00% £10…

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