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The Other 2020 US Elections – the Democratic party fight to take back control of the Senate

7/5/2020 robert Comments 0 Comment

Yes, all eyes are on the Presidency. But let us not forget that there are other national US elections taking place on November 3: the Senate and the House of Representatives. I’m not going to dwell on the House, where I think the Republicans will regain some ground, but not enough to take the Chamber back. Instead, let’s talk about the Senate. The current composition is 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and 2 Independents. The two Independents (Bernie Sanders and Angus…

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If TMay hadn’t called GE2017 and lost the CON majority there would have been a general election today

7/5/2020 Mike Smithson Comments 0 Comment

It is perhaps worth reminding ourselves that today would have been General Election day if Theresa May had not gone early in 2017. When she took over as leader and Prime Minister after the referendum she made it very clear that she had no intentions of rushing into an early general election. Under the fixed-term Parliament Act the general election was due to take place on May 7th 2020 which given what is happening now with the coronavirus pandemic would…

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Expectations of an easing are running high and Boris looks set to gamble

7/5/2020 Mike Smithson Comments 0 Comment

The tabloids are very clear this morning that the shutdown is going to be eased next week. Johnson’s comments on yesterday receive great coverage and all sound positive for ministers provided of course, that he hasn’t over promised and that the change does not produce an increase in the death toll. I just wonder whether the tabloids have raised an expectation for an easing of the lockdown which is in excess of what is possible at the moment. One thing…

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The pandemic costs: Who bears the risk?

6/5/2020 Mike Smithson Comments 0 Comment

A look at the huge financial commitment One of the criticisms of the 2008 bank bailouts was that banks had privatised the profits but nationalised the losses. It wasn’t entirely accurate: shareholders and plenty of bank staff lost money and jobs. Had banks failed, plenty of other businesses would have failed too. But it was broadly true. Those whose key job it was to manage risk failed abysmally, took insane risks, pocketed unjustifiably high rewards which did not accurately reflect…

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Boris is going to struggle dealing with the ever so polite but forensic Starmer

6/5/2020 Mike Smithson Comments 0 Comment

Today the new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, faced Boris Johnson for the first time at PMQs. Last week the PM wasn’t there because of the birth of his new baby. This was no ordinary session because clearly, the House was largely empty as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and some MPs were asking their questions by video links. It also came on a difficult day for the government as the UK became the top of the league table for…

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Not good pandemic front pages for the government this morning

6/5/2020 Mike Smithson Comments 0 Comment

So far during the coronavirus crisis the government has had pretty good front pages. We are facing a massive challenges as a nation and generally papers from across the political spectrum have until now been broadly supportive. That, I wonder, might be about to change. The resignation of one of the government leading scientists together with the the UK death toll now being the highest in Europe combine to make this quite a difficult day for the government which, of…

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Mawkish nursery games. It’s time to leave the Second World War in the history books

5/5/2020 TSE Comments 0 Comment

Sir Winston Churchill died in January 1965. He was accorded a state funeral, as befitted the man who embodied Britain’s struggle in the Second World War, and the country poured out its emotion for a giant of the age. An album of his speeches even made the top ten. His death marked the end of an era. Except it didn’t. As the years went by, British veneration of those who fought in that war only grew. “Their finest hour” became our foundation…

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The Road from Glencassley – the last horse to win a UK race

5/5/2020 Mike Smithson Comments 0 Comment

Stodge ponders the restart of horse racing As we all know, Glen Cassley is about eight miles west of Lairg in the Highlands. Glencassley is also the name of the horse that won the 5.25 at Wetherby on March 17th, the last horse race run in the United Kingdom. You can keep your football, cricket, rugby (both codes) and even motor sport – my sport of choice is the Sport of Kings and I miss it and I miss my…

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