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A very British coup. A way back for the defeated centre?

29/5/2018 TSE Comments 0 Comment

These have been dark times for pragmatic politicians. Both the Conservative party and the Labour party have been taken over by politicians pursuing projects for ideological reasons, uninterested in any evidence as to whether those projects were actually beneficial for the nation. In both parties, moderates have been marginalised as the extremists compete to apply purity tests for their projects. Since the election last year, neither group of ideologues has yet established a decisive polling lead. In the wake of…

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‘Bluntly, older, mainly Leave, voters are dying—and younger, mainly Remain, voters are joining the electorate.’

28/5/2018 TSE Comments 0 Comment

There’s some analysis by Peter Kellner on a second referendum. The UK would vote to remain in the EU if a second Brexit referendum were held, new polling analysis has suggested. Peter Kellner, former president of YouGov and polling analyst, suggested that up to one million Labour supporters who voted Leave in the 2016 referendum are having second thoughts. In an article for Prospect, he points out that YouGov has carried out 14 polls this year asking people if the UK was right or wrong to vote for Brexit….

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Taking Back Control

28/5/2018 CycleFree Comments 0 Comment

At this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, Birmingham City Council had an exuberantly floriferous display celebrating the Windrush generation. It is a reminder (to non-gardeners at least) that many of the plants we think of as essential to the British garden come from the farthest reaches of the world. A gentle – and quintessentially British – pastime (often unkindly seen as an activity best suited for the limbo between retirement and death) owes its beauty and variety to imports from China,…

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Esther McVey’s betting problem is why I’m taking the 20/1 on her as next out of the cabinet

27/5/2018 TSE Comments 0 Comment

With news of Esther McVey's betting problem you might want to take the 20/1 @LadPolitics are offering on McVey as next out of the cabinet. https://t.co/Dzuo01GnLQ pic.twitter.com/8aXBnOqpC7 — TSE (@TSEofPB) May 27, 2018 There’s a very interesting story in today’s Sunday Times about Esther McVey, the Sunday Times say Esther McVey, the work and pensions secretary, has been accused of breaching the ministerial code after she led a cabinet revolt against gambling reforms weeks after accepting hospitality from a betting firm….

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Nick Palmer ponders: What should a Brexiteer do next?

27/5/2018 Mike Smithson Comments 0 Comment

I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m not just a Remainer but a Europhile. I like the EU. I admire the work of the European Parliament. I would cheerfully sign up to a single European country. Nonetheless, it’s always important to see politics from different viewpoints. Suppose you are a keen Brexiteer Tory MP. You’re delighted that we voted Leave. However, it appears that the Government is inching towards a very soft Brexit. Lots of money will be…

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Why betting on the Republicans in the House mid-terms may be the right strategy

26/5/2018 Mike Smithson Comments 0 Comment

Ian Whittaker on his betting plan The consensual view on the November mid-terms has been that the Democrats are favourites to win back the House in November.It is almost a given that a party that holds the White House loses seats – Clinton and Bush picked up a few seats in 1998 and 2002 but under unusual circumstances (pushback against Impeachment for Clinton, the aftermath of 9/11 for Bush). Trump disgust is seen as a powerful force for Democrats to…

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Local By-Election Review : May 24th / 25th 2018

26/5/2018 Editor Comments 0 Comment

Aylsham on Broadland (Con defence) Result: Lib Dem 1,018 (46% +15% on last time), Con 865 (39% +7% on last time), Lab 328 (15% -7% on last time) (No UKIP candidate this time -15%) Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative with a majority of 153 (7%) on a swing of 4% from Con to Lib Dem) Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead on Horsham (Con defence) Result: Con 661 (68% -3% on last time), Lab 158 (16%, no candidate last time), Lib…

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On another planet

26/5/2018 David Herdson Comments 0 Comment

Rebel Tory MPs have lost a sense of reality if they think an election will improve their position Politics is supposed to be the art of the possible. In one sense that’s just a truism: that which happens is, by definition, within the bounds of the possible. However, this week’s shown up again that Bismarck’s aphorism is only true to a degree. There are plenty of politicians who are not interested in the possible but only in their own priorities….

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