Corbyn’s power within LAB will soon hinge on perceptions of his likely general election performance

Corbyn’s power within LAB will soon hinge on perceptions of his likely general election performance

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He needs to look like a potential winner not a loser For the moment at least Mr Corbyn’s authority within the Labour Party derives directly from the sheer scale of his victory in the leadership election in September. His winning margin, of course, was even greater than that of Tony Blair’s in 1994. So whenever questions are raised as is inevitable within the Parliamentary Labour Party given his lack of support there, his team will point to the September voting…

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Antifrank looks at where the EU referendum will be won and lost

Antifrank looks at where the EU referendum will be won and lost

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Picture: The classic 90s game, Lemmings. Referenda are odd affairs.  Two sides, both of which are passionately invested in the success or failure of the proposition, seek to woo disproportionate numbers of far less interested voters to their respective causes.  Votes are counted, not marked out of ten for enthusiasm.  Each side must resist the temptation to make arguments that fascinate those who are already-engaged but which make the barely engaged switch off. Activists on both sides of the EU…

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Another reason why Cameron shouldn’t hold the referendum next June

Another reason why Cameron shouldn’t hold the referendum next June

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Was this the match that lost the 1970 election for Harold Wilson and ultimately ushered us into the European Community? Most of the country will be focussing on the football next June. Since the second world war, the greatest general election upset was not 2015 nor 1992, but Harold Wilson’s surprise loss in 1970. Most of the polls and the commentariat expected Labour to win a majority comfortably yet the Ted Heath’s Tories won a majority. Some have attributed Labour’s…

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After the second Democratic Party debate Clinton remains the overwhelming favourite to get the nomination

After the second Democratic Party debate Clinton remains the overwhelming favourite to get the nomination

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Last night we had the second Democratic Party Presidential debate and the tragic events of Paris were discussed. Clinton’s past record came under scrutiny, first her support for the 2003 Iraq War (which Sanders said helped the rise of ISIS) and her tenure as Secretary of State. She came through all of this largely unscathed. Where she made a mistake was when the issue of the large donations she’s received from Wall Street, she said it was down to the…

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Electoral pacts: the siren voice of destruction for Labour

Electoral pacts: the siren voice of destruction for Labour

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Q Nothing else would so effectively combine surrender with contempt for the electorate Parties that do badly at elections should always reflect on why that was the case. It’s not an easy question to ask because almost certainly there’ll be tough answers, if the question’s answered honestly. In all probability, those answers will include ‘our campaign was ineffective’, ‘the public did not support our policies’, ‘we did not look credible as a government / force of opposition’, ‘our record in…

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Time to face facts: The ‘War on Terror’ is here to stay and we need to take it seriously

Time to face facts: The ‘War on Terror’ is here to stay and we need to take it seriously

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Paris is in lockdown: museums, schools, Eiffel Tower closed. More on our live blog: https://t.co/VeAl0Lkz9Z pic.twitter.com/QsZYotOa8q — Financial Times (@FT) November 14, 2015 Friday’s attacks on Paris show that the terror threat remains. It’s time to fight back with every means at our disposal and take the fight to ISIS writes Keiran Pedley. But do we have the stomach for it? I thought quite hard before writing this piece. I wasn’t sure whether or not it was too soon. To…

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Confidence, resilience, determination: the necessary response to the Paris attacks

Confidence, resilience, determination: the necessary response to the Paris attacks

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37 It is time to reaffirm and protect Europe’s values The first duty of the state is to protect its citizens. In that duty, France failed yesterday, as all states do from time to time because that duty can never be held to be absolute. It is impossible to protect against every threat every time, and any attempt to do so would impinge so heavily on other rights and values that it would in itself be an attack on the…

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Paris is just a 2 hour train ride from the centre of London

Paris is just a 2 hour train ride from the centre of London

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For those who no longer wish to travel on 14/11 please call us for a free exchange we're open 9am-5pm (GMT) over the weekend 03432 186186. — Eurostar (@Eurostar) November 14, 2015 Update – AP: Head of Paris police says all attackers are believed to be dead — Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) November 14, 2015 The Paris attack in photos https://t.co/hieV5M2bi5 pic.twitter.com/VWKaxQw6PG — Financial Times (@FT) November 14, 2015 Paris attacks leave France in trauma, fearing for the future •…

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