An LD won off UKIP in this week’s Local By-Elections

An LD won off UKIP in this week’s Local By-Elections

Kinson South (Two Conservative defences) on Bournemouth Result of ward at last election (2015): Emboldened denotes elected Apology Number One: The result last time was for Kinson NORTH ward, this is the correct result for Kinson SOUTH ward United Kingdom Independence Party 1,224 (25%) Conservatives 1,188, 1,147, 919 (25%) Labour 1,083, 951, 875 (22%) Bournemouth Independents 489 (10%) Green Party 471 (10%) Liberal Democrats 378 (8%) Result: Emboldened denotes elected Conservatives 520, 509 (33% +8%) Labour 471, 371 (29% +7%)…

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Donald Brind wonders whether Osborne’s luck will hold?

Donald Brind wonders whether Osborne’s luck will hold?

The Friday column From a Labour perspective “We have an economic plan that is delivering for Britain”. When George Osborne uttered his familiar mantra in the Commons on Wednesday it sounded as though he was clinging to a piece of wreckage after his encounter with Angela Eagle. The duo were standing in for their bosses as first secretary of state and his shadow, rather than in their day jobs as Chancellor and shadow Business Secretary. Questioned about the Cumbria flood…

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The repeated Heathrow delays don’t square with Cameon’s image about being able to take tough decisions

The repeated Heathrow delays don’t square with Cameon’s image about being able to take tough decisions

There’s a danger, as Gordon Brown found, in being labelled a “bottler” One of the features where Cameron generally polls very well is on the ability to take tough decisions. A couple of months ago Opinium found 40% thought saying ‘being able to take tough decisions’ best described David Cameron compared to 16% saying the same about Jeremy Corbyn. In a pre-GE2015 comparison between Cameron and Boris the PM had a big lead over the mayor on the tough decision…

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The latest PB/Polling Matters podcast looks at whether Donald Trump can really do it

The latest PB/Polling Matters podcast looks at whether Donald Trump can really do it

On this week’s PB/Polling Matters podcast Keiran talks Trump with Ariel Edwards-Levy of the Huffington Post USA. His recent comments on Muslims have caused an international furor and yet his popularity (at least in the GOP) seems undiminished. Should we start getting used to the idea of President Trump? Why might Iowa and New Hampshire not hold the same significance in this race that they usually do and if not Trump then who? Ariel Edwards-:Levy is a reporter and polling…

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Local By-Election History and Candidates : December 10th 2015: 4 Con, 2 Lab and 1 LD Defences

Local By-Election History and Candidates : December 10th 2015: 4 Con, 2 Lab and 1 LD Defences

Kinson South (Two Conservative defences) on Bournemouth Result of council at last election (2015): Conservatives 49, Independent 1, United Kingdom Indepdence Party 1 (Conservative majority of 48) Result of ward at last election (2015): Emboldened denotes elected Conservatives 1,638, 1,579, 1,439 (33%) United Kingdom Independence Party 1,362 (27%) Labour 1,060, 918, 814 (21%) Green Party 526, 484 (10%) Liberal Democrat 453 (9%) Candidates duly nominated by party: Conservatives: Norman Decent, Roger Marley Labour: Beryl Baxter, Mel Semple Liberal Democrats: Phil…

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Trump moves to new high in first poll carried out entirely AFTER his controversial Muslim immigration statement

Trump moves to new high in first poll carried out entirely AFTER his controversial Muslim immigration statement

Trump reaches new high in Zogby poll conducted AFTER Muslim statement Trump: 38%Carson: 13%Rubio: 12%Cruz: 8%Bush: 7%Christie: 4% — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) December 10, 2015 He’s now 25% ahead in race for GOP nomination Those who were predicting, including punters on Betfair, that Donald Trump’s controversial Muslim immigration statement would be a negative might have read it wrongly. The very first published GOP nomination poll, from Zogby, carried out entirely afterwards has the property billionaire with a huge lead over…

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Turning on taxes. The tectonic plates of Scotland’s politics are moving

Turning on taxes. The tectonic plates of Scotland’s politics are moving

The changes in the way Scotland is taxed We have heard a lot in the last few years about the desire for Scottish independence.  This has often been couched in general terms as a desire for a fairer and more prosperous Scotland based around a social democratic consensus.  Specific large scale points of difference from current UK policy, however, have been largely elusive.  While the Scottish Parliament has substantial powers, so far the Scottish government has been quite tentative about…

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Why GE2020 should NOT be between Osborne and Corbyn

Why GE2020 should NOT be between Osborne and Corbyn

Both would be liabilities for their parties Today’s PMQs was without Cameron so it was George Osborne facing Labour’s official deputy Anna Eagle whose performance immediately set off betting speculation about her being Corbyn’s successor. Certainly by comparison with those from Labour who’ve been on that side of the House for several years Eagle was excellent. She was funny, warm and intellectually confident in a completely different league from her boss Mr. Corbyn and Ed Miliband who went before. You…

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