Backing for Darling in first budget poll

Backing for Darling in first budget poll

Results of a “quickie” Populus poll of 586 people on yesterday’s budget are just out on the Times website and shows broad public backing for the measures on drinking and motoring. The survey did not include a voting intention question and was almost certainly not past vote weighted. This is likely to have produced a smallish but significant nevertheless pro-Labour sample. This factor is important when judging findings like the one that “most voters do not think the Budget would…

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Could Balls have just lost Labour the election?

Could Balls have just lost Labour the election?

Will his “So what” to higher taxes heckle come to haunt him? The most electorally significant moment of the 2008 budget might come to be seen as a heckle by the School Secretary and the man who is said to be Brown’s chosen successor, Ed Balls, when the leader of the opposition was making his formal response. It came after Cameron had told the house that Britain had the highest tax burden in its history when Balls blurted out in…

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Should Clinton have done more than “regret” Ferraro”?

Should Clinton have done more than “regret” Ferraro”?

How MSNBC is reporting the “racist comment” row If you’ve got ten minutes just check out how MSNBC is covering the remarkable attack on Barack Obama by the Hillary fundraiser and campaigner, Geraldine Ferraro, who ran on the unsuccessful Democratic ticket with Walter Mondale in 1984. It gets over far better than anybody could write the nature of this latest issue to blow up in the Democratic nomination. It’s also (see my previous article) great political television. Hillary’s reaction has…

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Should BBC politics be outsourced to one of these?

Should BBC politics be outsourced to one of these?

How long are will to have to ensure tedious BBC coverage? For the last few months I’ve spent an hour or so each day watching the developing story of US election on CNN and on the web-sites of the major networks – ABC, CBS and MSNBC and its been hugely impressive. The graphics are innovative, the presentation is sharp and most of all the analysis is superb and expertly prepared. Complex situations and stores are presented in an informative and…

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The Budget thread….

The Budget thread….

Can Darling pull something out of the hat? After a decade of Gordon Brown budgets it’s going to be quite a change seeing Alistair Darling delivering his first budget with his predecessor at his side. What has he got in store? Will he be able to wrong-foot Cameron who has to make a response immediately afterwards without having had any chance to read and assimilate the details? Given that a general election might only be thirteen months away what’s announced…

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What about Hillary being on the ticket as Obama’s V-P?

What about Hillary being on the ticket as Obama’s V-P?

Is she worth backing at 5/1? After the weekend suggestions from the Clinton Camp that the current delegate leader, Barack Obama, could join Hillary on the ticket as the V-P nominee there’s increasing discussion that she could accept it the other way round. One of her most outspoken and influential backers, Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania, says he would be happy to support an Obama-Hillary ticket even if it meant that his choice was in the number 2 slot. Such…

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Paddy Power, Mike Huckabee and a Voided Bet

Paddy Power, Mike Huckabee and a Voided Bet

A cautionary tale from Peter the Punter Take care, political punters. The bets you think you may have struck with bookmakers may not be as watertight as you think. In the Republican Caucus for Kansas held on Feb 9th 2008, Mitt Romney was hot favorite to win ahead of his main rival, Mike Huckabee. The first indication on this Site of a possible upset came at 8.11pm (GMT) with Jfsl posting at 165 – “Fox predicting Huckabee will win Kansas.”…

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