Boris Johnson for PM polling? He was overstated by all 6 pollsters in final surveys ahead of May 2012 mayoral race

Boris Johnson for PM polling? He was overstated by all 6 pollsters in final surveys ahead of May 2012 mayoral race

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Great Boris Private Eye cover that’ll become a classic if ever he does become CONleader/PM.via @hendopolis twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) April 4, 2013 Remember how Ken ran him so close? Just before the Easter weekend we reported on a new YouGov poll that had a Boris-led Tory party level pegging with an EdM LAB one when the named leader voting intention question was put. This caused something of a stir and was in line with similar polling at the…

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ConHome’s Paul Goodman says the Tories should unilaterally end the coalition in Sept 2014

ConHome’s Paul Goodman says the Tories should unilaterally end the coalition in Sept 2014

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Paul Goodman & Mike Smithson slug it out on Twitter The @paulgoodmanch call for the Tories to end coalition in Sept 2014. goo.gl/1X8bz twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) April 3, 2013 @msmithsonpb Suppose neither of us will be around to see the play in 2053 – about the shambles of the Coalition’s last 6 months… — Paul Goodman (@PaulGoodmanCH) April 3, 2013 @msmithsonpb In both party’s interests to end Coalition before April 2015 – and not in Miliband’s to accept…

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Today’s Daily Mail front page is one of the most controversial in a long time

Today’s Daily Mail front page is one of the most controversial in a long time

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Lots of controversy overnight over whether the Mail has gone too far with today’s front page twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) April 3, 2013 To me this creates an excuse for the killer Almost all the tabloids are leading this morning with the conviction of Mick Philpott of killing six of his children. Where the Daily Mail is different is that it seeks to put at least part of the blame onto “Welfare UK” and in doing so, I’d suggest,…

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How it could go wrong for LAB in South Shields: 1. The manner of the selection and choice of the candidate

How it could go wrong for LAB in South Shields: 1. The manner of the selection and choice of the candidate

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The race for #SouthShields. LAB needs to handle its candidate selection carefully. bit.ly/16qoZ1R . twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) April 2, 2013 Memories of how David Miliband got it in 2001 could be revived Already there are rumblings in South Shields about who LAB should choose for the super-safe seat in the coming by-election partly because the national party has got “form” in the area. This, according to Wikipedia entry on Miliband’s predecessor in the constituency, the former cabinet minister, David…

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The Scottish Sun to “remain neutral” in next years referendum

The Scottish Sun to “remain neutral” in next years referendum

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According to the Indy the Scottish Sun will remain neutral in next year’s #IndyRef.goo.gl/SiAfA twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) April 2, 2013 A blow for Alex Salmond? According to a report in the Independent this morning Scotland’s biggest-selling newspaper, the Murdoch-owned, Scottish Sun, will remain neutral in the September 2014 independence referendum. In a piece recalling Rupert Murdoch’s Tweet last year about Salmons being the “most brilliant politician in the UK” James Cusick sets out the latest developments:- “..In a…

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Harry Hayfield: 2013 Q1 Local by election results summary

Harry Hayfield: 2013 Q1 Local by election results summary

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Labour 24,035 votes (40%) winning 18 seats (+2) Conservatives 13,277 votes (22%) winning 6 seats (-7) Liberal Democrats 8,068 votes (13%) winning 8 seats (+4) Ukip 5,668 votes (9%) winning 2 seats (+2) Indies 4,030 votes (7%) winning 3 seats (+1) SNP 1,997 votes (3%) winning 0 seats (-2) Green 1,781 votes (3%) winning 0 seats (unchanged) BNP 451 votes (1%) winning 0 seats (unchanged) Plaid Cymru 54 votes (0%) winning 0 seats (unchanged) Other Parties 1,299 votes (2%) winning…

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It’s bank holiday Monday and that means BBC Parliament is running a past general election programme – this time from 1983

It’s bank holiday Monday and that means BBC Parliament is running a past general election programme – this time from 1983

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REMINDER for Easter Monday election junkies. BBC Parliament starts showing the 1983 results programme from 10am twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st… — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) April 1, 2013 Watch Maggie win a 144 majority on a 1.5% reduced vote share GE1983 was held on 9 June 1983 and led to the Tories under Margaret Thatcher securing the most decisive election victory since the LAB landslide of 1945. The main electoral dynamic was that the opposition vote split almost evenly between the SDP/Liberal Alliance and…

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