When I first moved into project management I asked my boss what he thought the top attribute of a successful project manager was. He said: ‘be lucky’, which is undoubtedly correct but hardly actionable. Was there ever a luckier Prime Minister than Rishi Sunak? I think not, here’s why: At six key points the dice have fallen heavily Sunak’s way. Family. Even before he was born, luck was on Sunak’s side. His grandparents and parents were able to move from…
Last week I texted fellow PBer JohnO with my fear/expectation that we would have a snap election in the new year caused by the Rwanda kerfuffle. John is the voice of sanity and experience when it comes to politics and his view was that he would eat one of my old trainers if there was an early election, in his words ‘Paddy Ashdown only had to consume a hat.’ I suspect this is a bit like the Nobody Moves Or…
This week Rishi Sunak is giving evidence to the Covid-19 inquiry and the polling is largely grim for him. The Times report that Twice as many people now think Rishi Sunak handled the pandemic badly than well, a poll has revealed before the prime minister’s crucial day of evidence to the Covid inquiry. More than half — 52 per cent — of those asked in a YouGov survey for the Times said Sunak’s flagship Eat Out to Help Out scheme…
Thanks to bondegezou for posting this link on the previous thread about Scottish independence which found These Islands polling has found that 76% of SNP supporters believe that “Scotland sends more to Westminster than it gets back in public spending” and that they consider this claim to be very important to their constitutional view. Unless reserved spending which takes place in Scotland – that is spending on things like pensions and Network Rail – doesn’t count as Scotland “getting back” public spending,…
The judgment It wasn’t even close. Every argument of the Scottish government was rejected by Lady Haldane. The S.35 judgment should have come as no surprise. Despite the much touted claims that the GRR Bill had been carefully considered and consulted on over many years, in reality the SNP and Greens had refused to acknowledge or engage with the very many feminist groups raising objections and concerns and evidence of problems. It consulted only with lobby groups they funded (£900,000…
In recent times first big event in the White House race has been the Iowa Caucuses where GOP voters in the state become the first to have a say on the party nominees. The Democrats won’t be making their Iowa choice for a month or so. Trump is throwing a lot at the contest and the big question is which of the others is in a better position to take him on. There’s been media support for Haley but others…
If Rishi Sunak does manage to send illegal migrants to Rwanda I don’t think he will get any polling boost with even Tories and Leavers think the policy isn’t value for money. For those Tories wanting a Get Rwanda Done election this last stand might prove as successful as the Celtiberians at the Siege of Numantia. (Spoiler alert, the Celtiberians were all wiped out as was their city.) TSE
This market from Ladbrokes is probably a market to avoid. I can understand why Rachel Reeves is the favourite but there are rumours that Sunak wishes to preempt Starmer and have his former adviser Claire Coutinho as the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer but I would want better odds than 2/1. Additionally with the Tories in their current Jonestown phase it is possible Sunak is replaced before the election and say Suella Braverman replaces him and appoints Robert Jenrick…