Could “penalising the motorist” cost votes in the marginals?

Could “penalising the motorist” cost votes in the marginals?

Are English towns more sensitive to extra motoring taxation? One of the most original and thought-provoking guest articles that we’ve had on the site was the one by Blair Freebairn in October on the nature of the marginal constituencies where the next general election will be decided. He observed that the 201 key marginals “….don’t concentrate in Wales, Scotland, London, the major cities or the truly rural areas. They aren’t really regional. They are heavily concentrated in Medium English Towns…

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The PBC online hustings: Cue Nick Clegg

The PBC online hustings: Cue Nick Clegg

Your chance to put your questions to the favourite in the Lib Dem race After our successful session with Chris Huhne on Sunday the other runner for the Lib Dem leadership, Nick Clegg, will be joining the site for an hour from 9am to answer questions and discuss issues with members of the PBC community. Please can you use the comments thread below to make your points. Nick is, of course, holds the home affairs portfolio for his party and…

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Should Gordon listen to Polly?

Should Gordon listen to Polly?

Has the Guardian columnist got the right approach for Labour? There’s an interesting critique of the government’s legislative programme in the Guardian this morning from the writer who used to be one of Brown’s greatest cheer-leaders – Polly Toynbee. Her argument is that Labour needs to develop a rhetoric that goes well beyond the term “aspire” that seems to have been the guiding force behind the Queen’s Speech. Polly suggests that insteads the notion on “fairness to all” could be…

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The PBC Hustings: Nick Clegg – Friday 9am

The PBC Hustings: Nick Clegg – Friday 9am

I am pleased to confirm that the odds-on favourite, Nick Clegg will be appearing on the site from 9 am tomorrow morning in the second of our online hustings for the Lib Dem leadership contenders. Chris Huhne did his spot on Sunday morning. I’ll will publish a new thread at about 8.45am so that people can start posting questions. The plan is that the session should last an hour. Can I thank both candidates and their campaign teams for all…

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Who’d be the “something untoward” favourite?

Who’d be the “something untoward” favourite?

Why my money would be on John Denham and Ruth Kelly I hope that it does not appear too morbid to look at how the “next Prime Minister” market would pan out if something untoward happened to Gordon. So we are talking about leading Labour figures – almost certainly members of the current cabinet. From the list above I would exclude all those who ran for the deputy leadership post in the summer. None of them really shone and the…

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Could Davis claim his fourth home secretary scalp?

Could Davis claim his fourth home secretary scalp?

Is the detention limit extension a good battle-ground for Labour? On the second day of the Queen’s speech debate battle was joined on what’s likely to be a difficult issue for the government in the coming session – the move to extend the maximum period that suspects can be held with trial beyond the current 28 days. This is an issue that the Blair government tried and failed to push before but is one that Brown has decided to raise…

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Will Clegg or Huhne be able to win these voters back?

Will Clegg or Huhne be able to win these voters back?

What can we learn from the “Supervoters”? The above data is from yesterday’s poll and shows how votes are churning between the main three parties from those who told the firm how they voted in 2005. In a previous post I’ve called this group the”super-voters” because those with a record of turning out at a previous general elections are, surely, much more likely to turnout at the next one? This has never been tested before. ICM only started providing this…

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Is Gord on to a winner with this?

Is Gord on to a winner with this?

Or could more flexible working just alienate the childless? Generally the most reliable guide to what the Brown political machine is up to is in The Mole column in the First Post online magazine. And yesterday while everybody was talking about how the leaders performed “The Mole” was reporting that the plans to extend flexible working for people with children was what would “grab the headlines in the morning.” Certainly the idea has caught the attention of the Times and…

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