Are any of these bets tempting? William Hills have revived a market that proved popular, and for me profitable, in the run-up to the general election – which leader will be the first to leave his job. The pricing is Cameron 9/4, Miliband 7/4, and Clegg 5/4. Interestingly Clegg was the 5/4 favourite in December 2007 when Hills last put this market up – Brown was at 9/4. Clearly with the polls as they are Clegg is the favourite though…
How will Cameron resolve the control orders row? The latest terror threats could not have come at a worse time for the coalition partners because, as Andrew Rawnsely reports in the Observer this morning, there’s a huge row going on about the future of control orders and extended detention without trial. There’s a report waiting to be published which says that these should continue in a slightly restricted form – something that would be totally opposed by Nick Clegg’s party….
Has he broken what’s become the ultimate taboo? Extraordinarily one of the most covered political stories this morning is the “confession”, if that is the right word, that Nick Clegg made to Kirsty Young on Radio 4s Desert Island Discs that he likes to smoke. The “revelation” came at the end of the programme when he revealed that his “luxury on a desert island” would be “a stash of cigarettes.” I like Nicholas Lezard’s article on this in the Guardian…
Which would his party prefer – help for students or poor children? A key reason, I believe, why there have been just two changes of government during the past 30 years is that whoever is in power has so much control over the news agenda. The ability, day in and day out, to make announcements that grab the headlines is awesome. Not only does it keep your people up-front apparently doing popular things but sophisticated scheduling of stories can often…
Was it designed to make Nick’s conference easier? What’s likely to produce the loudest applause during Nick Clegg’s big speech this afternoon will be when he makes clear that the coalition deal is for one parliament only and that there will be no pact with the Tories at the next election. For the prospect that something might just be on the agenda has been simmering since last Monday following the publication of a book in which the idea is floated…
The ICM approval ratings break-down Coalition – overall? Good job Bad Job Don’t know All sampled 46 36 18 Current CON voters 83 5 11 Current LAB voters 21 62 16 Current LD voters 59 25 16 May 6 LD voters 48 37 15 David Cameron Good job Bad Job Don’t know All sampled 57 31 12 Current CON voters 91 5 3 Current LAB voters 33 55 12 Current LD voters 68 26 7 May 6 LD voters 58…
Guardian Has Clarke become the Lib Dems’ most popular Tory? On the afternoon of Monday September 20th Nick Clegg will have to make the speech of his life to his party gathering in Liverpool in what looks set to be THE event of the conference season. For the reaction of his audience could determine how long the coalition can survive and with it his own future. The stakes are high and Clegg has to be able to demonstrate that his…
BBC News Would it have been worse without the coalition deal? In a Radio 4 interview to be broadcast on Sunday night the LD leader and deputy PM, Nick Clegg, asserts that his party would be in a worse position in the polls if they had not entered into the coalition agreement with the Tories. If they had stood aside then nobody would be taking any notice of the party now. The BBC report goes on: “Being in government meant…