So far so good. We might just get to the end of the week without a Cabinet exit

So far so good. We might just get to the end of the week without a Cabinet exit

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PaddyPower This is unlike each of the previous two weeks As BBC Radio 4’s the Now Show has observed TMay’s Cabinet had begun to look like Strictly with a much publicised departure in the previous two weeks. Well so far this week, and I know it is only Thursday, it looks as though TMay’s cabinet will remain intact. Her deputy and long-standing friend from her Oxford days, Damien Green, hangs on and my guess is that TMay will fight tooth…

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NEW PB/Polling Matters podcast: Why aren’t the polls moving?

NEW PB/Polling Matters podcast: Why aren’t the polls moving?

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The PB / Polling Matters podcast returns! Keiran is joined by Leo Barasi and Matt Singh to discuss the latest developments in Westminster (and beyond) and what the numbers tell us about what is going on. On this week’s show the team discuss why the polls are not moving despite the government’s struggles, what the public really think about Brexit and whether the Democrats might be on course to take Alabama in the upcoming U.S. Senate race. Follow this week’s…

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The Telegraph front page that has been making the political weather all day

The Telegraph front page that has been making the political weather all day

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MP Anna Soubry receives threatening tweets after being branded 'Brexit mutineer https://t.co/HmJj6rnbTT — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) November 15, 2017 PB’s David Herdson hit the nail on the head Is this the same Daily Telegraph that's headquartered in Jersey (not in the UK) and owned by tax exiles? https://t.co/ExyEVugKMP — David Herdson (@DavidHerdson) November 15, 2017

Marf on the dramatic events in Harare

Marf on the dramatic events in Harare

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A coup or not a coup? Dr Julia Gallagher, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London, said: “This has all the hallmarks of a military coup. It looks like this is direct consequence of President Mugabe’s sacking of his Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week. Mnangagwa is an unpopular figure, widely associated with brutal repressions in Matabeland in the 1980s, and with election violence more recently. However, he is supported by Zimbabwe’s military, who…

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Now it’s being established that Russia did interfere with EURef what next?

Now it’s being established that Russia did interfere with EURef what next?

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Big Times story on the huge Russian social media effort to influence the Brexit referendumhttps://t.co/NE7FwmPvhh pic.twitter.com/REdGjjRgOZ — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) November 15, 2017 At some stage it might be argued that this undermines the validity of the result In the US the objective of those trying to examine the Russian impact on their Presidential election a year ago is clear – to undermine and possibly get rid of Trump. Whether they succeed or not will be dominate the political narrative…

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Blow for Farage after he loses libel case against anti race hate group

Blow for Farage after he loses libel case against anti race hate group

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Ex-UKIP leader and QuestionTime regular, Nigel Farage just lost £100k libel legal battle after calling anti racist group 'violent' https://t.co/2m5HopfWMb — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) November 14, 2017 But the former UKIP boss denies that he lost even though he withdrew the comments The political legal story today is Nigel Farage agreeing to withdraw offensive comments about anti-racist group Hope not Hate. The action had been brought against him following an appeal for funds which saw 16,000 people make donations. In…

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Punter anger at the way William Hill settled its LAB MPs resigning in 2017 market

Punter anger at the way William Hill settled its LAB MPs resigning in 2017 market

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Bet definitions are so important In the last thread there was a lot of discussion about the precise definition of what particular markets mean. What exactly, for instance, is defined as Britain leaving the EU? The definitions of political bets can often be problematical and can lead to arguments with bookmakers. A current case involves a prominent PBer who has raised the question of how William Hill has settled its number of LAB MPs to resign in 2017 market which…

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