There’s a new YouGov poll out on Scottish matters. On the independence front, 30% are in favour on independence. This represents a decline of 1% since March and a decline of 3% since January. 54% are opposed to independence. This represents no change since March and an increase of 1% since January. However it is over two years until the actual referendum, there is a lot of time for the polling to move. Both sides should remember that a year before the…
Benedict Brogan has an article in today’s Telegraph headlined Boris is unstoppable, and now Murdoch wants him to lead the Tory party For me, there were two bits that stood out. The outbreak of speculation about his chances, or even his suitability, should worry Mr Cameron less than the reason for the sudden outbreak of Boris-mania: Conservative donors have had enough, and are lining up behind the London Mayor. In City terms, the money men are shorting the Tory leadership….
A new ComRes for ITV News at Ten tonight shows that there has been a surge in positivity surrounding the Olympic Games compared with just a fortnight ago. Now more than half of the population (52%) are excited about London 2012, compared to a third (34%) who were excited two weeks ago. Younger people aged 18 to 34 are the most excited age group (57%) while those in Scotland (42%) and the South West (42%) are the least excited of…
The Independent is reporting that A government-wide spending review is to be scaled back because Nick Clegg is refusing to commit to billions of pounds of further cuts in the welfare budget…whilst  the Liberal Democrats are likely to fight the election on a pledge to clear the remaining deficit through tax rises such as a mansion tax on homes worth more than £2m and a cut in the 40 per cent tax relief on pension contributions enjoyed by higher rate taxpayers….
On Friday evening Standard and Poor reaffirmed  that the UK will continue to enjoy an AAA credit rating. This has been interpreted as a boost for George Osborne, after recent bad news of the 0.7% GDP contraction, that reinforced the fact we’re currently in a double-dip recession, and after heavy criticism of his general performance. As the Spectator notes Those three As and the low cost of borrowing are the trump cards he produces not just at key events like the…
Public scepticism about whether the London Olympics represent value for money for British taxpayers has receded now the Games have begun, according to a ComRes poll for The Independent. Some 50% believe the Olympics will be worth the £9.3bn being spent while 42% disagree. Opinion has turned round since ComRes last tested this idea in March, when only 40% of people thought the Games would be worth it and 51% disagreed. The latest poll suggests that the opening ceremony gave…
ConHome survey: Boris most backed at 32% as successor to Dave. Hague24/DDavis10/Gove19/Hammond7/Fox3/Osborne2 bit.ly/QIMidr — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 30, 2012 51% of CON activists DON’T WANT Dave to lead party at gen election – ConHome survey. DC49/BORIS18/Hague/12/..bit.ly/QIMidr — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 30, 2012 ConHome survey: Osborne scores 0% when activists asked who they’d like to lead party at gen election. bit.ly/QIMidr — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 30, 2012 ConHome survey: 53% of party activists think Labour will return to…
What are the chances of a Boris return to the Commons before or at the next general election? Less than 20% 20% – 34% 35% – 49% 50% – 64% 65% – 79% 80% plus Could it be before or at the next general election? There’s been a huge amount written around the world in the past few days about the Tory Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. His riposte to Mitt Romney last week before 60,000 people in…