Jonathan’s Sunday slot

Jonathan’s Sunday slot

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Did we see the future at Treasury Questions? I enjoyed watching Treasury questions this week. It was a fascinating parliamentary occasion that provided a window on the future and posed lots of questions. We were treated to the initial skirmish of Osborne vs. Balls, the political fight that will probably determine the next election. We got a showcase of fresh talent on the front benches. And we were reminded just how closely the coalition parties are aligning themselves. Why waste…

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Is Ken right about middle class expectations?

Is Ken right about middle class expectations?

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Where will the big cuts fall? Ken Clarke’s comment that ‘the middle classes are unaware of the scale of the government spending cuts that will hit them this year’ has, not for the first time in his career, set off a bit of a political storm. It’s true that in order to make cuts of the order necessary to close the structural deficit by 2015, there’ll have to be painful decisions taken. What’s interesting is his focus on the middle…

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YES to AV opens up a 10 point lead with ComRes

YES to AV opens up a 10 point lead with ComRes

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Latest AV referendum polls Date YES % NO % Question wording ComRes/Indy on Sunday 10/02/11 40 (+4) 30 (nc) Actual wording on the ballot YouGov/Sun 07/02/11 38 (+6) 39 (-2) Bespoke wording – referring to the fact that this is a proposal from the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition Angus Reid/ 25/01/11 37 21 Actual wording on the ballot ICM/Guardian 19/12/10 44 38 Actual wording on the ballot And Labour moves up further with ComRes online Poll/publication Date CON % LAB %…

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Should Iain Gray offer the Scottish Lib Dems a lifeline?

Should Iain Gray offer the Scottish Lib Dems a lifeline?

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A guest slot by Lucien Fletcher With opinion polls suggesting that Labour will perform well in the Scottish Parliament elections on May 5th, the party will have a great opportunity to move on from a difficult couple of years. The party should retain its hold on the National Assembly for Wales, make strong gains in English local authorities and regain power in the Scottish Parliament. Unless all opinion polls are utterly wrong in Scotland, Labour will be comfortably the largest…

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How the coalition plans to beat the filibuster

How the coalition plans to beat the filibuster

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Are MPs and peers about to lose their half term holiday? The whole effort by Labour peers to filibuster the AV referendum and constituencies bill has been driven by the apparent need for the legislation to be in place by next Wednesday to meet the May 5th election date. For there’s a legal requirement that there has to be 10 weeks between a measure for a referendum getting the royal assent and the date of the election. But as Michael…

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Tories up Labour down in new Angus Reid poll

Tories up Labour down in new Angus Reid poll

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Poll Date CON % LAB % LD % Angus Reid/Politicalbetting 10/02/11 34 40 11 Angus Reid/Sunday Express 28/01/11 32 43 11 Angus Reid/Politicalbetting 25/01/11 33 41 12 Angus Reid/ 06/01/11 35 40 12 Angus Reid/ 20/12/10 35 41 9 Angus Reid/ 29/11/10 35 40 13 Angus Reid/ 28/10/10 35 37 15 Angus Reid/Sunday Express 01/10/10 35 38 16 Is this a blip or a reversal of the trend? After a start to 2011 that has seen all the polling momentum…

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Does social democracy have a future?

Does social democracy have a future?

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A special guest slot by Sean Fear Social Democracy has been the dominant political philosophy in Western Europe for the past 50 years or so, and has been influential in the rest of the Western World over the same period. A political philosophy is dominant when even its opponents are obliged to accept its fundamental beliefs, in order to get elected. Essentially, Social Democrats (unlike more traditional Socialists) believe that there is no need for governments to take direct control…

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