Does it matter that public school boys run Britain?

Does it matter that public school boys run Britain?

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What do we think of the Andrew Neil programme? One of the big talking points today, I’m sure, will be last night’s hour long documentary on BBC2 presented by Andrew Neil – “Posh and Posher: Why Public School Boys Run Britain”. As the programme blurb states “David Cameron and Nick Clegg seem made for each other: Eton and Oxford meets Westminster School and Cambridge. But does the return of public school boys to the top of our politics say something…

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The coalition starts to lose ground in the “cuts blame game”?

The coalition starts to lose ground in the “cuts blame game”?

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Which is most to blame for the cuts? (YouGov) CON-LD coalition Last Labour government Both of them Neither 25/01/11 26 40 24 5 10/01/11 22 40 25 8 11/12/10 23 41 24 7 15/11/10 22 43 23 7 07/10/10 17 47 20 10 20/09/10 21 44 22 7 06/09/10 22 45 20 6 31/08/10 23 45 20 6 16/08/10 22 45 21 6 02/08/10 22 45 20 6 19/07/10 21 48 19 7 05/07/10 21 44 21 8 23/06/10 18…

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How important is Ken to Labour’s recovery plan?

How important is Ken to Labour’s recovery plan?

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Will the old bruiser win his job back We’ve not looked at it for some time but one of the key battles next year will be for the Mayor of London. Every single elector throughout the capital can vote in what is a massive election. Boris Johnson won the crown in 2008 at a time when the popularity of the Tories was at a height and Labour was down in the doldrums. Nearly 2,5m people voted, a turnout of 45%,…

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Does Ed Balls have problems arguing with women?

Does Ed Balls have problems arguing with women?

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Why the strange reticence? The publication of the economic figures yesterday gave us our first chance to see how the protagonists for the government and opposition would perform – and as I observed in an article yesterday I thought that Osborne was poor. But what about Ed Balls – Labour’s new economic spokesman of whom great things are expected by the red team. How did he do? Would his sharp brain and normal combative approach see him through? The answer…

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The Lib Dems move to 15 percent with ICM

The Lib Dems move to 15 percent with ICM

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Poll/publication End date CON (%) LAB (%) LD (%) ICM Guardian 23/01/11 35 39 15 ICM Guardian 19/12/10 37 39 13 ICM Guardian 21/11/10 36 38 14 ICM/Guardian 24/10/10 39 36 16 ICM/NOTW 22/10/10 40 36 16 ICM/Sunday Telegraph 07/10/10 38 34 18 ICM/Guardian 29/09/10 35 37 18 ICM/Guardian 15/08/10 37 37 18 ICM/Guardian 25/07/10 38 34 19 ICM/Sunday Telegraph 24/06/10 41 35 16 ICM/Guardian 20/06/10 39 31 21 ICM/Guardian 23/05/10 39 32 21 ICM/Sunday Telegraph 13/05/10 38 33 21…

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Has “the weather” become Osborne’s “It started in America”?

Has “the weather” become Osborne’s “It started in America”?

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BBC News Does he need a more sophisticated response? We all remember how Gordon Brown and others responded in the final days of the last government whenever issues over the economy were raised. “It all started in America” we were told time and time again to the extent that it became a bit of a joke. I just wonder whether George Osborne is making a similar error with his response to the latest growth numbers showing a decline in Q4…

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What will the phone pollsters be saying?

What will the phone pollsters be saying?

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Poll/publication Date CON % LAB % LD % ICM/Guardian 23/01/11       Populus/Times 24/10/10       Ipsos-MORI/Reuters 12/12/10 ComRes/Independent 14/01/11 36 40 10 YouGov/Sun 24/01/11 37 42 11 Angus Reid 06/01/11 35 40 12 ***PAPA*** LATEST 36.0 40.7 11.0 ICM and MORI expected today One of the things that’s to be most regretted about current UK political polling has been the dramatic decline in the number of telephone surveys coming out. The political world is so dominated by…

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Does it matter if it’s called “The Conservative-led” coalition?

Does it matter if it’s called “The Conservative-led” coalition?

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Should the media acquiesce to Baldwin’s call? James Forsyth at the Speccie Coffee House blog takes up the ongoing argument over whether the term “Conservative-led” rather than “coalition” should be used to describe the government. Labour is keen for its purposes for the former to be used and broadcasters and other media outlets have been written to by EdM press chief, Tom Baldwin, suggesting that they do the same. Channel 4 has become the first to agree. But doesn’t this…

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