Latest next PM betting The new Chancellor gets a good press this morning following his first set piece appearance since getting the job in July. He’s someone who has been up there within the party a long time but has never sought to hog the limelight. After GE2010 he should have become number 2 to Osborne at the Treasury but the demands of the coalition meant that had to go to a Lib Dem. Since then he’s held senior cabinet…
Something's got to give here. It's getting silly. Democracy needs an Opposition. pic.twitter.com/R5VAJ8tF8m — Glen O'Hara (@gsoh31) November 23, 2016 Britain needs an opposition far better than Labour is providing It’s been a day dominated by Philip Hammond’s first big event as Chancellor, the autumn statement. The big political points were the increasing size of the projected deficit and the likely impact of BREXIT. At the budget in the spring the former is that the first response comes from the…
Very best wishes to my friend @PHammondMP as he delivers his first Autumn Statement today & helps UK prepare for challenges ahead — George Osborne (@George_Osborne) November 23, 2016 But don’t write off George yet For a man who still looks quite youthful Osborne has been at the top of British politics for a long time. He was in his mid-30s when the then CON leader, Michael Howard, made him shadow chancellor. He kept hold of this brief throughout the…
NYMag.Com Interesting report overnight suggesting that there might have been irregularities in three key states which could turn the election. It is very hard to draw conclusions from this but where votes are cast electronically and there is no paper trail of a ballot paper then the potential for issues and possible hacking will exist. This is one reason why I prefer the British method of ballot papers. The pressure is on all parties to ensure a smooth transition and…
Corbyn's big idea pic.twitter.com/zKdHBjKGTu — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) November 21, 2016 Another profound statement from Mr. Corbyn pic.twitter.com/hgkgIrcoqx — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) November 21, 2016
In a couple of weeks time all eyes will be on Britain’s Supreme Court when the 11 eleven justices will decide whether to uphold the government’s appeal against the Divisional court decision that the Royal Preoperative cannot be used to trigger Article 50. Quite what the outcome will be is hard to determine although there’s now a Betfair market on whether the original judgement will be upheld. Like most other Supreme hearings this will be broadcast live from the court’s…
What does Theresa May do about this? Perhaps the most extraordinary development of Trump’s victory in British terms is the Tweet, from the President-elect, giving his view on who he wants as Britain’s man in Washington. I can’t see this being looked at favourably at Number 10 but it does put the the PM in a quandary. It is vital for so many reasons that Britain has a good relationship with the new administration but having Farage there would be…
29% of those who’ve served as UKIP MEPs since 2009 have either been expelled or quit This afternoon’s big news from UKIP has been that Diane James, who won the November leadership contest only to pull out after 18 days, has now quit the party. She wants to remain as an MEP and is hoping to sit as an independent. She came to the forefront in February 2013, when she got very close in the Eastleigh by-election beating the Tories…