Two nations: the Brexit chasm

Two nations: the Brexit chasm

Embed from Getty Images Many people my age will have been captivated as children by André Maurois’s fable “Fattypuffs And Thinifers”, in which two brothers descend underground to find themselves in a world where the plump and the skinny are divided into separate realms.  The two sides eventually go to war before a compromise is eventually reached. In the last few months Britain also has descended underground and the populace divided at the ballot box between Leavers and Remainers.  Leave…

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Everybody salsa for a Labour King over the water

Everybody salsa for a Labour King over the water

Ed GlitterBalls pic.twitter.com/egI2UH4z9e — BBC Strictly ? (@bbcstrictly) September 3, 2016 Can Ed Balls use his appearance on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing to increase his chances of becoming the next Labour Leader? No, this isn’t a shameless attempt to make John Rentoul’s QTWTAIN list, again, but I do think appearing on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing might help Ed Balls reputation and popularity with the public and introduce him to the wider public that don’t follow politics intimately. At…

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Will Jeremy Hunt be Health Secretary on the 1st of January 2017?

Will Jeremy Hunt be Health Secretary on the 1st of January 2017?

William Hill have brought back their market on whether or not Jeremy Hunt will be Health Secretary on the 1st of January 2017 in light of the announcement this week of further strike action by junior doctors. Normally I’m loathe to back 1/6 bets, however I’m prepared to make an exception to get a 16% return in a little under 4 months for the following reasons. i) On Thursday Theresa May described Jeremy Hunt as an excellent Health Secretary and…

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Last night’s by election results.

Last night’s by election results.

Last night's council by-elections: LDEM gain from UKIP; CON gain from LAB; three CON holds https://t.co/dPyiwIqJ3O pic.twitter.com/tPm692aj7v — Britain Elects (@BritainElects) September 2, 2016 https://twitter.com/JolyonGreen/status/771505724186890240 TSE

YouGov poll finds the SNP regaining their majority at Holyrood but Scots don’t want a second indyref or to leave the UK

YouGov poll finds the SNP regaining their majority at Holyrood but Scots don’t want a second indyref or to leave the UK

YouGov Holyrood seat prediction by @scotlandvotes SNP 71(+8) Lab 18(-6) LD 4(-1) Con 26(-5) UKIP 0(=) Grns 10(+4) pic.twitter.com/yxh8bCyYtR — TSE (@TSEofPB) September 2, 2016 A good poll for the SNP but not for Scottish Independence This morning The Times published a poll conducted by YouGov, the good news for the SNP, as YouGov notes The survey also looks at Holyrood voting intention for the first time since the Scottish Parliament elections in May, which provides better news for the…

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Betting on when we see the next UK interest rate rise

Betting on when we see the next UK interest rate rise

William Hill have a market up on when ‘Will the Bank Of England Base Rate next rise from its current (August 2016) rate of 0.25%?’ I’m not an economist, so this piece should be viewed in that spirit, but my hunch is to go for the first half of 2017. My rationale is that many felt Mark Carney’s decision to cut interest rates was a mistake, especially in light of his remarks prior to June 23rd which indicated Brexit would lead…

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Some sobering polling for the Corbynites and tonight’s by-elections summary

Some sobering polling for the Corbynites and tonight’s by-elections summary

Our polling average update: Tories lead by eleven points, more than Cameron ever achieved against Miliband/Corbyn. pic.twitter.com/8kZu2c6YBx — Britain Elects (@BritainElects) September 1, 2016 Tonight's council by-elections: three Conservative, one UKIP, one Labour. pic.twitter.com/3DI52DLdBf — Britain Elects (@BritainElects) September 1, 2016 TSE  

George Osborne, the modern day Winston Churchill?

George Osborne, the modern day Winston Churchill?

Embed from Getty Images If Brexit does turn out be an economic mistake then could country turn to the man who warned about the risks of Brexit? We’ve been here before, a charismatic former Tory Chancellor who warned the country and Tory party against a particular course of action, his counsel was ignored, he was exiled on the backbenches whilst his warnings initially proved to be incorrect. But in the fullness of  time it was proved Winston Churchill was right…

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