The current LAB/Corbyn approach raises the question: What are oppositions for?

The current LAB/Corbyn approach raises the question: What are oppositions for?

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  At the start of Francesco Rosi’s 1984 film of Carmen, there is a scene in which the bull, enraged but weakened by the fight, the loss of blood from wounds caused by lances and the many banderillas thrust into its head, is finally despatched by the toreador inserting a sword between the beast’s shoulder blades into the heart.  It mirrors the final scene when Jose, maddened by Carmen’s indifference, kills her in the same arena.  The scene does not…

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Swinson and Farage should now be included in polling “best PM” ratings alongside Johnson and Corbyn

Swinson and Farage should now be included in polling “best PM” ratings alongside Johnson and Corbyn

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Latest surveys are clear  – the binary CON-LAB choice much less applicable Given that UK politics has changed dramatically in the last three months to reflect a four party choice  surely the time has come to to include in the options the newly elected leader of the Lib Dems, Jo Swinson and the Brexit party leader for life Nigel Farage in “Best PM” polling. Simply sticking to the old CON-LAB leader format is not providing interesting information that could help…

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PM Johnson’s first front pages after the day when he was most powerful

PM Johnson’s first front pages after the day when he was most powerful

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Team Boris will be very pleased with the way the papers are treating his arrival at number 10 and and his new cabinet. They reflect that he has made a massive impact. In one sense he is fortunate that the parliamentary summer holiday starts today day and and MPs won’t be back until early September. It was all designed like this to prevent an early vote of confidence. One of the things about taking over as prime minister is that…

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Punters pile on to a 2019 general election in reaction to Johnson’s cabinet

Punters pile on to a 2019 general election in reaction to Johnson’s cabinet

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The view of those ready to risk their cash betting on politics is that Johnson’s cabinet appointments suggest that the new PM is aiming for an early general election perhaps this year. GE2019 is now almost an evens chance on the Betfair exchange. He takes over a parliamentary party that is somewhat smaller than TMay inherited when she became leader in 2016. She had a majority and blew it with her decision to call GE2017 which, of course, saw the…

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Why I’ve resigned from the Conservative Party

Why I’ve resigned from the Conservative Party

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  From longstanding PBer Richard Nabavi After five decades of support for the Conservatives, I have now resigned as a party member. Naturally this hasn’t been an easy decision; it has been a pleasure working with my MP Nus Ghani, and before her Charles Hendry, and helping in a small way in various constituencies to achieve six years of sound Conservative-led government under David Cameron, even if the past two years have been increasingly difficult. I shall miss the opportunities…

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The first post leadership elections’ poll has Swinson’s party the main gainer and LAB below 20%

The first post leadership elections’ poll has Swinson’s party the main gainer and LAB below 20%

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New YouGov carried out after Johnson win has the LDs the big gainerCon 25% (-)Lab 19% (-2)Lib Dem 23% (+3)Brexit 17% (-2)Green 9% (+1) — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 24, 2019 After all the developments in the past couple of days it is good to have some new polling carried out entirely after the announcement of the results in the Lib Dem and Conservative leadership elections. The numbers are above and will be encouraging to Jo Swinson and very discouraging…

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Mandate, what mandate?

Mandate, what mandate?

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Boris’s election as Tory party leader and Prime Minister is the 8th occasion since WW2 when a new PM has been chosen in between general elections. On 5 of the previous 7 occasions, it was the Tories changing leader (Churchill to Eden, Eden to Macmillan, Macmillan to Douglas-Home, Thatcher to Major and Cameron to May). Only Macmillan and Major went on to win majorities at the subsequent election. On the 2 occasions when Labour made a similar change (Wilson to…

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Prime Minister May : Her electoral record

Prime Minister May : Her electoral record

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When Theresa May became Prime Minister she spoke about wanting to make the JAM’s (Just About Managing) feel confident about voting Conservative. As she departs as Prime Minister, let’s see if the electorate have taken that message to heart. Local Government By-Elections: July 2016 – July 2019 During the last three years there have been close to four hundred local by-elections up and down the country, each of those by-elections sees thousands of people walk into polling stations and cast…

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