Could this new party affect voting in university areas?

Could this new party affect voting in university areas?

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Can they repeat their Swedish successes here? I’ve written before about the Piratpartiet in Sweden, but this week saw the announcement that the Electoral Commission has added to its register of political parties in Great Britain “The Pirate Party UK”. For those not aware, this is an offshoot of the Pirate Party International which aims to reduce the burdens of onerous copyright restrictions (essentially supporting filesharing and reducing duration of copyright), combat the surveillance state, and support freedom of speech….

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The NHS: Who really, really, really cares most?

The NHS: Who really, really, really cares most?

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Isn’t this all getting a bit ridiculous? At last the weekend but I fear that we won’t see the end of the “we care most about the NHS” race amongst British politicians. Cameron, back from holiday, was fast off the mark slamming the comments by Tory MEP Daniel Hannan and, of course, arranging suitable photo ops of him with smiling and apparently enthusiastic nurses. Meanwhile with their leader, Gordon Brown, still on holiday in the Lake District it was left…

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In spite of last night are Anne’s days numbered?

In spite of last night are Anne’s days numbered?

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St Albans Review Will Dave dare risk losing the seat to the LDs? It’s been a tough return from vacation for David Cameron. For as well as the Hannan business to contend with he’s also got Anne Main. The immediate response of Ladbrokes to last night’s controversial decision by St. Albans Conservatives not to de-select their MP was to make the Lib Dem the 2/1 second favourite in the seat. On the face of it that’s a very tight price…

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Is Daniel Hannan giving traction to a Gordon recovery?

Is Daniel Hannan giving traction to a Gordon recovery?

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How dangerous for the Tories are his US comments on the NHS? It is no accident that in his first act following his return from holiday that David Cameron has emailed party supporters with a strong defence of the NHS. For he more than anybody realises that what is central to decontaminating the Tory brand is to get his party fully behind the health service. In speech after speech Cameron has stressed that the NHS is safe in Tory hands…

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Is this a 100% denial that Mandy won’t stand?

Is this a 100% denial that Mandy won’t stand?

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Why doesn’t he mention the change of law that’s going through? This is the video clip of Mandy denying that he has plans to stand for the Labour leadership using a form of words, incidentally, that were deployed by Michael Heseltine repeatedly ahead of the ousting of Mrs. Thatcher in November 1990. His reason – that he is a life peer and “In this country if you are made a life peer it’s for life. It’s like a life sentence”….

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The Mandy-George show: A foretaste of what’s to come?

The Mandy-George show: A foretaste of what’s to come?

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Can the Tories “steal” one of Labour’s main words? At one level the current verbal spats between Labour’s lone capable communicator, Peter Mandelson, and George Osborne look like standard silly season stuff when there’s not much other political news about. The Independent is presenting it this morning as a “grudge march” between the two key strategists in the main parties following last autumn’s fiasco about what happened in Corfu. But it is I believe much more than that. What we…

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Would the LDs hold a Cheadle if there was a by-election today?

Would the LDs hold a Cheadle if there was a by-election today?

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Tory leaflet – Cheadle by-election June 2005 Was this the dirtiest campaign since the general election? There have been two over-whelming themes in the series of Westminster by elections during the 2005 parliament: the intertwined stories of the re-emergence of the Conservatives as a party capable of winning seats and the difficulties that the Liberal Democrats had in maintaining their historically excellent record of doing very well in this form of contest. For the latter Westminster by-elections had over the…

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