Would choosing Clarke be blowing smoke into the eyes of the membership?

Would choosing Clarke be blowing smoke into the eyes of the membership?

Can the veteran Europhile make it in a party of Europhobes? To many of his supporters Ken Clarke’s greatest strength is that like on the EU, or his link with a tobacco company the former Chancellor has never been prepared to tone down his positions in order win political popularity. What a contrast, they say, with Tony Blair and New Labour. On the face of it the moves to give a bigger role to Tory MPs in the leadership selection…

Read More Read More

Blair fourth term market goes online

Blair fourth term market goes online

It’s 16/1 against him winning a fourth term and staying as PM If you do not mind locking your money up for several years Ladbrokes have now begun taking online bets on whether Tony Blair will fight and win the next General Election and stay at Number 10. The price is an attractive 16/1 which we think is a fair reflection of the risk and the cost of the bookmaker and not you holding onto your stake until possibly May…

Read More Read More

The money’s going on David Davis not doing it

The money’s going on David Davis not doing it

Can he still get to the top? With Tory MPs due to vote on how the leadership contest should operate doubts have started to develop in the betting markets over whether the Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, will do it. For the first time since the election “was declared” punters are moving against Davis and the most popular current bet is on him not doing it. The 2005 Tory leadership race is the first one to be held since the…

Read More Read More

In memory of Edward Heath – Prime Minister 1970-74

In memory of Edward Heath – Prime Minister 1970-74

I cannot remember whether I had a bet on the 1970 General Election but if I did I certainly did not foresee the extraordinary victory of Edward Heath’s Conservative party. Everybody had written him off and Harold Wilson, it is said, had not even put in place the most rudimentary of removal plans in case he had to get out of Number 10. Whenever people talk about election certainties I always think of Heath’s achievement. His term in office was…

Read More Read More

Is this the face of a man who is on his way out?

Is this the face of a man who is on his way out?

Could Blair stay to fight another election? As the polls were closing at the Hartlepool by-election on September 30th 2004 Tony Blair issued a statement that he was about to go into hospital for a small procedure and that he would stand down as Labour leader and Prime Minister before the then next General Election but one – which is probably scheduled for 2009. The move seemed designed to deal with ongoing unpopularity following the Iraq war and to end…

Read More Read More

Are Howard, Hague and IDS trying to thwart Davis?

Are Howard, Hague and IDS trying to thwart Davis?

Is Liam Fox being lined up as the stop DD candidate? According to the Sunday Telegraph this morning the last three Tory leaders who failed to make it to Number 10 are considering giving their support to Liam Fox in what the paper says would be “a co-ordinated stop David Davis campaign”. Melissa Kite, the paper’s Deputy Political Editor, notes that William Hague “….. has expressed privately his admiration for Dr Fox but will demonstrate it publicly when the pair…

Read More Read More

Congratulations to Mark Senior

Congratulations to Mark Senior

Winner of our Cheadle prediction competition There were no prizes for the winner of our by-election competition except something which is pricelsss – the recognition of fellow users of the site. This is Mark Senior our winner and these were his answers. 1 – Winning party – Lib Dems 10 points 2 – Percentage turnout – 60 % against actual of 55% giving 3 points 3 – Lib Dem Share – 52 % against actual of 52.15% giving the maximum…

Read More Read More

When will voters stop hating the Tories?

When will voters stop hating the Tories?

Has the party moved on since Theresa May’s “nasty party” judgement? At the 2002 Tory party conference the then Chair, Theresa May, stunned delegates by telling them that..There’s a way to go before we can return to government. There’s a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies, You know what some people call us: the nasty party” Nearly three years on from that speech the Cheadle…

Read More Read More