So how did you do in predicting 2008?

So how did you do in predicting 2008?

Michael Kennedy is the 2008 PB Forecaster of the Year The final results for the 2008 prediction competition have now been number-crunched – the top 20 are shown above, while the full results are available via the link below. Congratulations to the leading forecasters, with Michael Kennedy finishing ahead of Houndtang and Ian Hunter, and thanks to everyone who took part. Just check out the questions here. PB 2008 competition results For the 2008 events section, only two players predicted…

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Is Brown losing Polly’s support again?

Is Brown losing Polly’s support again?

Guardian video after about 2 minutes Are Toynbee’s comments an attack or an excuse? In a New Year video the veteran Guardian columnist, Polly Toynbee, makes some highly pointed comments about Gordon Brown’s communication capabilities which I have not seen picked up elsewhere. She says of the PM “He’s not a very good speech maker. He doesn’t have a great facility with the English language. He’s not very emotionally intelligent. He can’t reach out and touch people and make them…

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The Sunday papers round-up

The Sunday papers round-up

Israel’s invasion of Gaza leads the broadsheets Last night’s entry of Israeli ground forces into Gaza leads most of the Sunday newspapers, although the Mail on Sunday chooses instead to highlight the UK waste paper mountain. The Times, Telegraph, Observer and Independent all feature the stepping up in military operations by Israel, after several days of air strikes. With Knesset elections still scheduled for 10th February, and Defense Minister Barak and Foreign Minister Livni leading Labor and Kadima into the…

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Would a deal with Brown destroy the Lib Dems?

Would a deal with Brown destroy the Lib Dems?

Is Oborne right about a pre-election LAB-LD “arrangement” There’s a fascinating piece in the Mail today by columnist, Peter Oborne, in which he suggests that something might be going on between Brown’s government and the Lib Dems that would bring the latter more closely into a “government of national unity”. The pretext, of course, would be the need for coming together in order to deal with the economic storm. “Unity” in this context, of course, does not extend to the…

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Cardinal Who?

Cardinal Who?

Is there time for a last-minute bet? “He has made the role his own – never aspired to be the heavyweight that his predecessor was, but proved amiable and popular with many. It must be difficult for him to watch someone else take on that particular mantle, and the weight of expectation that comes with it, but he made the right choice in stepping aside. The millions of British followers will be eagerly anticipating today’s announcement. If it were a…

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Are “Brown Bounce 1” losers still affecting the markets?

Are “Brown Bounce 1” losers still affecting the markets?

Is this why the Tory spreads continue to advance? The New Year PB “Balance of Money” Index based on the average prices on the spread betting markets suggests that Cameron’s Tories will win the next general election with an overall majority of 28 seats. The Index is so called because it reflects the collective views of punters based on how much they are prepared to risk on the number of seats the parties will get in the coming contest. These…

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The PB New Year International Quiz

The PB New Year International Quiz

Help clear the hangover with the questions below… Answers now at post 346 Following on from StJohn’s crossword and Rod Crosby’s quiz, an international quiz to welcome in 2009. No prizes, but a full set of answers will be posted later. As Peter Snow said, “… it’s just a bit of fun…” 1. Which book features canine characters based on members of Harold Wilson’s Cabinet? 2. “So dumb he can’t fart and chew gum at the same time” was whose…

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And the winner is…..SeanT

And the winner is…..SeanT

The result:- SeanT 39% David Herdson 30% JackW 18% SallyC 13% Overall total votes cast 544. Very well done to all the entrants and particularly to SeanT who has helped enrich PB during 2008. An interesting feature of the election is that after I had appealed for non-posters to express their views more than a third of all votes cast appeared from the email addresses to be from women. I had always assumed that the PB gender divide was much…

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