The Tory voter suppression plan appears to be working

The Tory voter suppression plan appears to be working

As I am sure most who follow this site will know that in the local elections a week on Thursday voters are going to be required to provide a form of photo ID like a passport or a driving license. The problem was always going to be that there would be a significant proportion of the electorate who do not have the relevant documentation and a special scheme was set up to deal with this. As can be seen from…

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Biden is going for a second term

Biden is going for a second term

The big news in US politics today is that aging Joe Biden is to seek a second term and the response on the WH2024 nomination betting is very clear – he’s being rated as an 82% chance. As to the race itself, he is being traded as a 40% chance. He is by far and away the oldest occupant of the White House and clearly his age does raise questions about his ability to serve the full four years. This…

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Without the NHS improving Sunak’s government looks doomed

Without the NHS improving Sunak’s government looks doomed

The oldies rate healthcare top Yesterday I took a very big decision and booked an appointment with a private surgeon for my spine. This is going to cost me but I had a procedure on the NHS two months ago which does not seem to have done the trick and now I can barely walk. My plight is not unusual. I am sure that many PBers can relate stories of how difficult it is to see their GP and many…

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With the SNP declining could we see results like this again?

With the SNP declining could we see results like this again?

This from GE1992 is really quite extraordinary with the winner on just 26% of the vote and the Tories in fourth place only 3.4% behind. The rise of the SNP at GE2015 has rather obscured what happens under first past the post when in some seats four parties have a chance of taking the seat. My guess is that with the drop in fortunes for the SNP that we might see results similar again though not necessarily this close. Mike…

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How long before the LAB lead is in single figures?

How long before the LAB lead is in single figures?

Given the current state of UK politics, it comes as something of a shock to recall that a little over two years ago one of the leading betting markets was on which month LAB would get at least one pollster recording a lead. Now even though the Tories have made quite a big recovery from last October they still seem a fair way behind in the polls though there is real hope given the way Sunak is getting relatively good…

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The Scottish Question

The Scottish Question

Scotland is fast becoming to British politics what Ireland was in the 19th century: a country with endless, seemingly unresolvable, political grievances and issues defying easy answers. It has voted against independence but since 2007 has voted into power a party whose raison d’ĂȘtre this is. The current travails (today’s development a whistleblower about SNP finances claiming threats by the police, whose chief retired earlier than expected shortly before Sturgeon announced her resignation) are what almost inevitably happen when a…

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