A question on boundaries
@thetomslatter It is reckoned that if the 2010 election had been fought on the planned boundaries then the Tories might have won a majority — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 8, 2012
Why I’m betting on Condi to be Mitt’s running mate
Is she the woman Ann Romney was hinting about? Ever since Ann Romney’s July 4th TV interview in which she hinted that her husband might choose a woman as his running mate there’s been a lot of speculation over who that could be. The questions are how much can we read into her comment and who could she be talking about? One piece I found persuasive is this from the respected commentator William Kristol in which he looks at the chances of…
Will the new boundaries really make that much difference?
Watch this 40 minute lecture from Michael Thrasher Professor Michael Thrasher, famed for being part of the Rallings & Thrasher duo, has produced an interesting video lecture on the bias that exists within the electoral system. It goes on for 40 minutes and is well worth watching by anybody interested in the UK electoral process. By way of introduction Michael Thrasher writes:- “An important feature of the UK voting system that causes a great deal of confusion is the operation…
What would public ownership of rail signal about Miliband’s Labour?
Henry G on whether the party is on the right lines John Major’s decision to privatise British Rail is probably one of the least popular privatisations of the Thatcher-Major years. I don’t know anyone who enjoys rail travel in this country anymore. The tickets are extortionate, the services are fragmented and the feculent odours of Virgin Cross Country train is not quite the private sector innovation the public were promised. Yet for 13 years New Labour saw next to no…
WANTED: A Tory MR/MRS NASTY
Does Dave need an attack dog? Following my early morning post on George Osborne I received an email from a Tory friend. He wrote:- “As I see it, the problem between Osborne and Balls is an extension of a more broad problem for George and Dave. The lack of an attack dog within the Cabinet.” Mrs T had Tebbit and Parkinson etc. Blair and Brown had Blunkett, Reid, Balls etc. etc. The PM & Chancellor have no alternative to put…
Can George go on with declining backbench support?
Could his obsession with Balls be his undoing? Yesterday’s fierce clashes in the Commons between Osborne and Balls have raised further questions about the future of the chancellor coming as it does after what are widely regarded as his budget cock-ups According to a report behind the paywall in the Times there’s growing unease amongst Tory MPs over his approach to the LIBOR scandal and the way that he’s allowed his response to ” be dominated by personal attacks on…
Ann Romney says the VP pick might be a woman
Should punters take this seriously? In a CBS TV interview this morning Ann Romney gave a hint that Mitt is thinking of choosing a woman as his running mate. She said that she and her husband had “been looking at” the possibility of choosing a woman to run alongside him. “And I’d love that option as well”. Take that as you will but if you think that there’s something in it then it narrows the field down for those betting…
Ed Balls: Labour’s LIBOR lightning conductor?
Will this shield the party from Osborne’s attacks? As we all know big buildings are protected from lightning strikes by having a lightning conductor. The idea is that if lightning targets building it will strike the lightning rod and will be conducted to ground instead of passing through the building, where it could start a fire or cause electrocution. Isn’t this what could be the role for Ed Balls as more information comes out about links between the last government…