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Category: UK Elections – others

Was this the right choice to face Salmond?

Was this the right choice to face Salmond?

How will Iain Gray perform as Leader of Labour at Holyrood? The Scottish Labour Party has chosen Iain Gray MSP (East Lothian) to be its new leader, with Johann Lamont as his Deputy. Cathy Jamieson, whom HenryG thought might prove successful, came in second, with Andy Kerr coming third. Gray takes over after the resignation of Wendy Alexander, and will face Alex Salmond across the Holyrood chamber. The question to which we must immediately turn our thoughts is whether Gray…

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How should Brown respond to this?

How should Brown respond to this?

Is is time for a McCain-style gamble? Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary, has launched another not-so-subtle attack on Gordon Brown, claiming in the New Statesman that Labour “is destined to disaster if we go on as we are” and that “we will not allow that to happen”. In spite of some fairly significant pressing concerns about the Party and the Government, fully a quarter of the article is given over to complaints that the term ‘Blairite’ is being used…

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Is this upping the stakes for Gord?

Is this upping the stakes for Gord?

Does Labour’s candidate choice make it that more personal? Given Labour’s by election record and the terrible poll ratings then as soon as the news came of the the death of John MacDougall, MP for Glenrothes, the assumption has been that this will be the party’s third loss in Scotland of the four Westminster seats it has defended since the last general election. For after seeing a thirteen-and-a-half thousand vote majority overturned in Glasgow East in July, the real surprise…

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Will Cameron move to sack Spelman?

Will Cameron move to sack Spelman?

Are her days as Chairwoman of the Conservative Party numbered? Several of today’s Sunday Papers are running with stories that Caroline Spelman (Con – Meriden) used £100,000 of taxpayers’ money to top-up the salary of her Chief of Staff, Simon Cawte. This would be allowed if his work had been confined solely to supporting her work as an MP, but he apparently was engaged in political work on behalf of the Conservative Party through Mrs Spelman’s role as the then…

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Why not hold Glenrothes on the US election day?

Why not hold Glenrothes on the US election day?

Is this the way to minimise another humiliating defeat?   The Guardian writer Martin Kettle is one of many commentators to say that the timing of the Glenrothes by-election would be a major factor in determining whether or not Brown lives to fight another day. Since the death of John MacDougall, the Labour majority of 10,664 has been assessed and found to be unsafe in the face of the likely challenge of the SNP. It requires a smaller swing than…

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The Tory YouGov lead drops to 20%

The Tory YouGov lead drops to 20%

Revised But more ammunition for those who want Gord out The News of the World has a poll from YouGov, giving David Cameron’s Conservatives yet another healthy over Gordon Brown’s Labour government – 20 percentage points although it is down a couple of notches from the last survey from the firm nine days ago. Amongst the non-voting intention questions nearly half of those who took part said Brown should quit and and 49% say they would prefer Tony Blair as…

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Will this man wield the knife?

Will this man wield the knife?

What role does John Hutton have yet to play? It was Michael Heseltine who famously remarked on his own failed bid to become Prime Minister that “He who wields the knife will never wear the crown”. This oft-repeated dictum has since played its part in preventing leadership coups, by tempering the ambition of those who would otherwise seek to overthrown their leader. This week saw fevered speculation, first Jack Straw posing for photos in the Sunday Papers, then Harriet Harman…

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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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