The mismatch between what Scottish people think their government should be doing and their perception of what it is doing

The mismatch between what Scottish people think their government should be doing and their perception of what it is doing

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This could be the killer for YES There is a mega-sample Michael Ashcroft poll out this morning which I think highlights the biggest challenge facing YES – that Scottish people don’t think it should be the priority that the SNP is making it. The charts say it all and point to the way that NO should be campaigning. Don’t deal with the core issue but attack the Scottish government for giving it the priority it is giving it. My big…

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Voters are as opposed to Royal Mail privatisation as they are to British missile attacks on Syria

Voters are as opposed to Royal Mail privatisation as they are to British missile attacks on Syria

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I was very struck by the cross party opposition to Royal Mail privatisation in this morning’s YouGov poll. The overall polling looks very similar to that carried out ahead of the Commons vote on Syria though I doubt whether here public opinion be listened to quite so much. All three main parties have got their thumb prints in some ways on this in one way or another. If the main might minister in charge had been a Tory rather than…

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Sunday Morning Polling Round Up

Sunday Morning Polling Round Up

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There were three polls released overnight, The YouGov for the Sunday Times, an Opinium poll for the Observer, and a Wisdom Index Poll for the Sunday Telegraph (which asks what voters think each party will get at the next General Election) On voting intention   Sunday Times/YouGov Poll Con 34 Lab 38 LD 9 UKIP 12 — TSEofPB (@TSEofPB) September 8, 2013 Opinium poll for the Observer Labour lead down 2 to 5%. Con 30% (+1) Lab 35% (-1) LD 7% (-1)…

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Whose 2020 Vision will the IOC go for?

Whose 2020 Vision will the IOC go for?

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  At around 9pm BST, the IOC will announce the host city for the Games of the XXXIInd Olympiad – Istanbul, Madrid or Tokyo.  At the time of writing, Tokyo was the favourite at 8/11 with Coral, followed by Madrid (best with Paddy Power at 9/5), with Istanbul as the outsider (8/1 with Ladbrokes). None of the three should be written off.  Istanbul has been bidding since the 1990s and this is its strongest effort by some way.  The country…

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Syria: Whose Mandate?

Syria: Whose Mandate?

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(Flag of Syria under French Mandate – From Wikimedia Commons) Imperial echoes in the Middle East Much of the debate surrounding potential military action in Syria has focussed on two aspects: what effect would such action have, and would it be lawful as things stand. In a sense, the two are linked in an unusual way. The normal reasons for intervening militarily are for one government to force a change of policy upon another, or to impose a settlement on…

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Strictly Come Dancing Betting Thread

Strictly Come Dancing Betting Thread

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Kimberly Walsh from last year’s final Tomorrow sees the eleventh series of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing begin. Here’s a list of the line up of this year’s Strictly. The people I will be backing this year are the following Natalie Gumede  @ 4/1 Sophie Ellis-Bextor @ 8/1 Ben Cohen @ 10/1 Rachel Riley @ 11/2 Here’s why. Natalie Gumede Natalie Gumede was installed as the favourite for Strictly, because she has some training as a dancer in the past, the…

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Panelbase SNP Poll

Panelbase SNP Poll

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There has been another finding released by Panelbase from their poll commissioned by the SNP.   The findings is that if the 2015 general election would result in another Tory-led or Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition Government at Westminster,  41% said they are “very likely” to vote Yes and 9% “quite likely”. If they felt the next general election would result in a Labour-led Government at Westminster, 37% said they are “very likely” with another 10% “quite likely” to vote Yes. Whilst the…

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Can Ed win support for state funding of political parties?

Can Ed win support for state funding of political parties?

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Friday's Independent – "Labour says taxpayers may have to pay more for political parties" #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Y76Gg8yWhB — Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) September 5, 2013 There has been some alarm this week at the GMB’s early decision to reduce the money they give to Labour by £1M next year in response to Ed Miliband’s proposed changes. Ian Lavery MP is Chair of Labour’s parliamentary group of trade union MPs and has warned “I know other unions will be considering this move, and losing…

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