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Do Britons support the government's proposals to give sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius? Support: 25%Oppose: 21%Don't know: 54%https://t.co/p6yAUTdtDZ pic.twitter.com/gBGtUuZWzq — YouGov (@YouGov) January 9, 2025 Those hoping this policy by Starmer would be unpopular will be disappointed, in the grand scheme of things voters are concerned by public services, taxes, et al, not some faraway islands, these are not the Falkland Islands. TSE

Liz Truss is the gift that keeps on giving. Her cease and desist letter to Sir Keir Starmer is an interesting tactic. David Allen Green has looked at the legal perpective here but I am going to look at the political perspective. My expectation is that her action will be the Streisand effect on stilts. The last thing the Tories need is Liz Truss reminding the country about her tenure. Whilst she didn’t last long enough to crash the economy…

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One of my all time favourite general election constituency results is the one above which shows the absurdity of the first past the post system. Despite being elected as Labour leader under the alternative vote system Starmer has no plans to change the voting system for the UK general election so FPTP is here to stay in all its glory. As a gambler my big fear for the next general election is in the majority of constituencies we might see…

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Rachel Reeves tenure as Chancellor reminds me of a Yodel driver, both rarely deliver and when they do it usually is a bit of a disaster. Her and Labour’s economic chickens are coming home to roost, they spent the last election campaign ruling our direct tax increases which led to the job destroying increase in national insurance for employers. Labour also spent fourteen years deriding austerity as a deliberate choice when it is was a fiscal reality/neccesity and now they…

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Our Parliament is filled with new MPs with little or no experience of how to legislate. Or experience of the consequences of getting new laws wrong. There is, however, one law they need to understand above all…. It was LBJ who said: “You do not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered.“ Wise advice….

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Let me start this article with a question. What is this building in the picture above’s age? The answer depends on your perspective. The building is called The House of the Blackheads and is in Riga, Latvia. It was originally built in 1334 as a warehouse, while Riga was part of the Hanseatic League. During WW2, Latvia was first invaded by the Soviets after the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, then by the Germans and finally by the Soviets again. This led to…

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Mark Carney (yes, that Mark Carney) opens as 6/5 favourite to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal Party Leaderhttps://t.co/DIiC9EqRU8 pic.twitter.com/Kyli4i1kId — Ladbrokes Politics (@LadPolitics) January 7, 2025 My knowledge about Canadian politics is somewhat limited but I am not sure an ex banker, even an excellent one like Mark Carney, is best placed to win an election. Those more knowledgable about Canadian politics could proffer some value in this market. For puntastic potential I hope the Liberals choose François-Philippe Champagne. TSE

The screen grab above is from yesterday’s Sunday Times, like most of Starmer’s inner circle I think this is a bananas ideas for several reasons. Let us say that Badenoch proves to be a disappointment and is replaced, a new leader might experience a new leader bounce which would be sub-optimal for Labour’s chances. The memories of Gordon Brown & Theresa May and snaps elections (hyped but not held and not hyped but held) will also focus minds. Also, having…

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