What will Gord’s final message be next time?

What will Gord’s final message be next time?

Is there still the potential to demonise the Tories? This was Labour’s final election broadcast of the 2005 campaign – which was very similar to the closing messages in 2001 and 1997. Almost everything was based on the threat of what would happen if the Tories managed to win. Each of Labour three general election victories have been based on very astute negative campaigning and whatever your allegiance you have to concede that it proved it to be highly effective,…

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Will it be house prices that eventually decide it?

Will it be house prices that eventually decide it?

Mail Online What are the trends in the key marginals? One of the key elements that “did” for the Major government in the post 1992 period was the collapse in house prices and the whole spectre of negative equity. For the value of someone property is one of the key determinants in how well or badly they view their personal economic futures. These things can have a lasting impression. Even in the 2005 general election campaign Labour was able to…

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Is it time to cross Hattie off the list?

Is it time to cross Hattie off the list?

Is there anything to justify her favourite status? Just looking down the list of potential runners in the next Labour leader race betting and one names stands out, the current leader of the house and the person who won the deputy contest in June 2007, Harriet Harman. The best you can get on her is 10/3 – a price that owes a lot to her success in that election two years ago. But are we giving too much emphasis to…

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Why is RBS politically vetting potential customers?

Why is RBS politically vetting potential customers?

RBS Will this be another big headache for Labour? One of the big services that the taxpayer-owned bank provides is RBS Streamline – a mechanism by which retailers and other others can offer credit/debit card facilities. As we move more and more away from cash this side of the bank’s business has grown and grown and RBS is now a leader in its field. So how come that the firm is now, apparently, subjecting those merchants who want to use…

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Does this show that Cameron is “sealing the deal”?

Does this show that Cameron is “sealing the deal”?

PoliticsHome Is PH’s “Voter enthusiasm” survey a good guide to the result? A new survey this afternoon from PoliticsHome appears to provide a massive boost to David Cameron on ther second day of his return to work after being on bereavement leave following the death of his son. Firstly respondents were asked a constituency specific voting intention which is somewhat different to that which we normally see. It read “How would you vote if there was a general election tomorrow”,…

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Have the Tories become a one man band?

Have the Tories become a one man band?

What are the dangers if something should happen to Dave? Over the past fortnight quite a few people have commented about the lack of sparkle in the UK political scene because of the absence of David Cameron following the death of his son. And this extended, to a certain extent, to his party as a whole for without their leader the Conservative had a much smaller impact on the media agenda. Thus George Osborne’s big speech on the economy at…

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Are politicians relying too much on the internet?

Are politicians relying too much on the internet?

Is Pickles right – there’s no substitute for personal contact? Hardly a day goes by, it seems, without one grouping or another promising us great things “because of the internet”. Look at this week. We had the launch of “The Jury Team” party where everything is supposed to happen magically because of the internet. Funding? No problem – we’ll raise money on internet. Finding and selecting candidates? No problem – it’ll all be done via the internet….and so on. Then…

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Could Washington ruin Gord’s G20 hopes?

Could Washington ruin Gord’s G20 hopes?

Guardian.co.uk Why won’t they even answer the phone? A story running tonight suggests that Brown’s plan to use next month’s G20 meeting in London as key part of his personal recovery plan might not work out so smoothly after all. As the Guardian reports the cabinet secretary, Sir Gus O’Donnell, told a conference in Gateshead that No 10 was having trouble even getting in touch with key personnel at the US treasury department. “There is nobody there – you cannot…

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