Am I being a kill-joy…?

Am I being a kill-joy…?

Sky News But should we be betting on things like this? William Hill has put out this press release:- Following the ‘green custard’ attack on Peter Mandelson, bookmakers William Hill have opened a book on which popular dessert will next be thrown over any British government minister, and have installed Spotted Dick as their 3/1 favourite. ‘Of course this should not be regarded as a trifling matter’ said William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe, ‘But over the centuries British democracy has…

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Is this PoliticsHome poll misleading?

Is this PoliticsHome poll misleading?

PoliticsHome Would it have been different if other words had been used? There’s a poll finding out overnight which seems to suggest that voters have had enough with the media and Tory demands for Brown to say “sorry” for his past mistakes on the economy. Labour is taking great comfort in the survey and, indeed, Nick Palmer MP was posting here at 2am to alert us. But is the poll all it seems and is the simplified way the PH…

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Could this ever happen to Gordon?

Could this ever happen to Gordon?

Lindsey Duncan in BBC’s “Margaret” leaving Number 10 I’ve just got round to viewing the BBC film “Margaret” in which Lindsey Duncan portrays the Tory leader who was famously ousted in November 1990. It’s a good watch, very well made and I’d thoroughly recommend it to those who haven’t seen it. For its focuses not on one plot to bring down a Tory leader but two. Mrs Thatcher, of course, became leader of the party fifteen years earlier after being…

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How can Gord deal with the “sorry” issue?

How can Gord deal with the “sorry” issue?

Tory Party website And is this Tory “effort” silly or smart? You got to feel a bit sorry for Gordon. Wherever he goes these days and faces questioning from serious journos he’s pressed to say “sorry”. It happened in the Oval Office and Tuesday and last night Sky News did an analysis of the words and phrases used in yesterday’s Congress address building up to the punch-line that the number of times he had said sorry was zero. Now the…

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Isn’t politics boring without Dave?

Isn’t politics boring without Dave?

Hopefully things be more interesting next week? Just skimming through this morning’s papers or looking at Newsnight last night I can only sympathise with a comment by Sally C that “politics is boring without Dave”. That’s absolutely spot on. Whatever your allegiance, whether you like Cameron or not, it’s hard to deny that he’s the one that politics is about at the moment and in his absence things seem to lack any spark. Is he indeed going to make it…

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Is this going to give Labour a poll boost?

Is this going to give Labour a poll boost?

BBC Online But how long will it last? So there we have it. Brown’s address to Congress with its series of what was it seventeen separate standing ovations. The big question is whether it will help Labour’s standing in the polls. For the whole visit, particularly this event, is being reported in positive terms and there’s little doubt that for a British PM to be seen to be lauded in this way will go down well. My guess is that…

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Is Alan Sugar really a credible mayoral candidate?

Is Alan Sugar really a credible mayoral candidate?

Brunel University Can businessmen ever become successful politicians? There’s a lot of traction at the moment behind Alan Sugar, the star of the Apprentice and the man who made his fortune with Amstrad, to become Labour’s 2012 candidate for the London Mayoralty. He’s been a strong party supporter for most of his life and has been used a lot by Labour in its promotions. He’s also a solidly based Londoner with East End origins and is listed as the 92nd…

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Could Shadsy be the hero at Ladbrokes tonight?

Could Shadsy be the hero at Ladbrokes tonight?

BBC News Online Will the bookie win back its party sponsorship and more? Judging by level of activity going through PB’s odds comparison micro-site the Ladbrokes market on the words that Gordon Brown will use in today’s Congress speech has been one of the most popular non-election political betting events that we’ve seen. It will be recalled that punters have been offered odds on a range of words and phrases that the PM might use in the speech and if…

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