Guardian Would DaveM have dared to take on the unions like this? The main lead in the Guardian this morning trails what’s likely to be a massive battle within Labour as Ed seeks to reduce the power of the big unions – those who used their power and influence to get him into the job in the first place. The leader is pressing forward with a range of reforms that would blunt the power of the big unions at Labour…
Could this create the vacancy so Boris could return? I’m picking up a vibes from Tories in Yorkshire, where I used to work, that David Davis is thinking about leaving the commons early next year so he can be his party’s candidate in next year’s election for the Police commissioner of Humberside where, of course, he is currently MP for Haltemprice and Howden. These elections, which have hardly attracted any attention, are set to take place almost all over England…
Year Post-war elections with a change of government w 1951 Outgoing LAB government had lost an effective majority. The Tories won outright 1964 Incoming Labour government with minuscule majority. Second election eighteen months later 1970 Outgoing Labour government with working majority replaced by Tory government also with a working majority 1974F Incoming Labour minority government – second election held seven months later 1979 Outgoing LAB government had lost a working majority. The Tories won outright 1997 Outgoing CON government had…
Guardian Will this open a new line of enquiry? The Guardian is reporting this afternoon that News International deleted hundreds of thousands of emails between April 2010 and July 2011. The new information has come in a letter from the technology firm HCL to Keith Vaz, chairman of the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee. The letter, from the firm’s lawyers, says:”.. the firm says: “My client is aware of nothing which appeared abnormal, untoward or inconsistent with its…
Could the whole lot be blown because of the seat reductions? In just over six weeks time the first of the planned electoral maps for 2015 will be published – a development that’s likely to have a big impact on the next election result and be one of the major political rows from the conference season onwards. This will be the first stage of the new process enacted in February which brings in equalised constituencies and fast-track reviews every five…
Ipsos-MORI Why this divide on bringing capital punishment back? As most PBers probably know Guido has launched a campaign for the re-introduction of capital punishment which hasn’t been used as a penalty in the UK since the summer of 1964. I remember it well because at the time I was doing a vacation job at a printers next to Strangeways prison in Manchester and was one of the group waiting outside for the notice of the execution to be posted…
Is the hacking effect starting to recede? The latest YouGov party leadership ratings for News International are out and show the prime minister gaining some ground. As can be seen Dave is up a net five on last week with Ed down a net two and Clegg unchanged. Looking back over the past few weeks both Clegg and Miliband are still in much better positions than before the scandal erupted. Miliband is a net 17 points up while Clegg is…
Betfair Politics But shouldn’t Labour be capitalising more on their poll position? The next big scheduled UK election is that for London mayor next May. The main battle, like last time, will be between Ken and Boris with the former attempting to make it three wins out of four. As the chart of Betfair prices illustrates punter sentiment is strongly with the incumbent. In 2008 Ken ran Boris reasonably close at a time when his party, Labour, had slumped to…