What, if anything, is Leveson going to say about Hunt?
Could Cameron be put on the spot about his handling? The hearing stage of the Leveson Inquiry into the media is drawing to a close with the prime minister, David Cameron, being today’s witness. It’s perhaps easy to forget the prime purpose of the Inquiry which is to “make recommendations on the future of press regulation and governance consistent with maintaining freedom of the press and ensuring the highest ethical and professional standards. The process, I’d suggest, has got somewhat…
Ed Balls leads Osborne by 8pts as “most capable chancellor”
Ipsos-MORI On voting intentions it’s CON 31%(-2): LAB 40%(-3): LD 10%(+1) While all eyes were focused on Leveson and this afternoon’s commons debate the latest telephone poll from Ipsos-MORI came out and there was bad news for George Osborne who has seen a big decline in his rating as “most capable chancellor”. When the pollster last asked this in March George was on 36% – today that is down at 29%. At the same time the rating for Ed Balls…
Was Dave right – Hunt is an open goal for Labour?
Does the PM think he’s on shaky ground? Inevitably on the day of the Labour-instigated on Jeremy Hunt debate Ed Miliband devoted all his six questions at PMQs to the issue that will be voted on later. There was was strange line from Cameron. He claimed in the exchanges that the issue was an “open goal” for Miliband. Does that mean that the PM thinks that he is on shaky ground? It certainly came over like that. For what was…
The Tories now a 28.57 pc chance for a majority
CON MAJORITY 28.57% LAB MAJORITY 33.55% NO MAJORITY 37.03% In January punters gave the blues a 42% chance The first PMQs after the extended break seems a good opportunity to introduce the punters’ general election forecast – something that we’ll come back to repeatedly over the next two and a half years. The percentages are based on the latest Betfair betting exchange prices. These are calculated by taking the last price traded on the exchange and presenting that as a…
Is the Lib Dem Hunt abstention plan the worst of both worlds?
That this House believes that the Secretary of State for Culture Olympics, Media and Sport should be referred to the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests to investigate whether he breached paragraph 1.2c (giving accurate and truthful information to Parliament) and paragraph 3.3 (responsibility for his special adviser) of the Ministerial Code. Surely they should be voting in favour? So the stage is set for tomorrow’s commons vote on whether Cameron was right not to refer Jeremy Hunt to the Independent…
How long will Nick Clegg remain as leader of the Lib Dems?
When will Nick Clegg cease to be leader of the Lib Dems? Before May 31st 2013 June 2013 – May 2014 June 2014 – May 2015 June 2015 – May, 2016 June 2016 or after Take part in the PB Wisdom Survey On the face of it the party leader whose position is most precarious is Nick Clegg whose party has seen a dramatic decline since the heady days of the 2010 general election. The Lib Dem polling…
Remember the Sun front page from election day 2010
The endorsement that failed to get the Tories a majority In spite of the backing of the Sun, of course, Dave didn’t win a majority. His party’s national vote share edged up just 3.7% and in spite of winning 100+ seats the Tories fell short. The final divide was the Conservative party 306 to 344 non-Tory seats. The 2010 outcome was unlike the paper’s endorsements at the 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections. I also wonder whether…