Ipsos-MORI There’s a new Ipsos-MORI poll of voting intentions for the Scottish parliament and these show the same trends that we saw in the Scottish local elections on May 3rd. Scottish Labour moving up with the SNP moving down. A big loser since the last poll at the start of the year has been the Scottish Lib Dems. The shares, in common with MORI’s current practice are based on those certain to vote: SNP 45:LAB 32: CON 12: LD 6….
Why the 5 year law is not the blockage it appears? This week’s Michael Gove O-level story and David Cameron’s somewhat controversial speech as Conservative leader on welfare stuck out for me as being a bit peculiar. They were spun as what we might see from a future majority Conservative government. But who will remember this in May 2015? There are two plausible political explanations. The most likely is the Prime Minister needed to butter up the troops especially before…
Home of the web’s best political conversation Rekax and converse into the night on the day’s political events and, no doubt, this evening’s football. If you’ve always been a lurker why not join in tonight? Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB
Will opposing really be “an interesting career” move? In what sounds a rather sinister move a Number 10 spokesman has said that those Tory MPs who rebel on the Lords reform proposal will be making “an interesting career move”. That sounds a bit Mafiosi. The problem about being fierce is that it could be counter-productive – though with a possible ministerial re-shuffle in the offing aspiring ministers might not be too keen on upsetting the boss. Clearly Cameron is totally…
Would Labour still be in power if they’d stuck with Tony? Exactly five years ago today, June 27th 2007, was a pivotal point in British politics. It was the moment when the triple general election winner Tony Blair stood down and when Gordon Brown took over after Labour MPs had given him the job without a contest. Blair, of course, was one of only three leaders in Labour’s entire history to lead the party to overall majorities The clip featured…
Why allow a victory for the Sun and Ed Balls? Given the pressure that’s been rising this afternoon’s announcement by the chancellor not to go ahead with the fuel duty increase is not that great a surprise. Labour had a been upping the ante and the newspaper that apparently calls the shots in Downing Street, the Sun, had been campaigning hard including a special piece from Ed Balls After all so much from his March budget has subsequently been amended…
Labour maintains its 5% lead from last month. Conservatives 34% (-2%) Labour 39% (-2%) Lib Dems 14% (+3%) The Lib Dems will be very relieved to move away from their fifteen year low with ICM that they achieved last month. Before the adjustment for those who refused to say who they will vote for, the Labour lead would be 10%, which is in line with other pollsters, Â but as the Guardian notes Past experience has demonstrated that this…
James Kelly on the pro-independence campaign If there is to be a Yes vote in the Scottish independence referendum, a prerequisite is surely that the Yes campaign itself is as broadly-based as possible, and extends well beyond the SNP’s ranks. The potential is certainly there – the Scottish Green Party is supportive of independence, and its charismatic leader Patrick Harvie attended the Yes launch, where he was accorded virtual parity with Alex Salmond. The Scottish Socialist Party will also be…