On the face of it all but two should go LAB – but will they? In a month’s time we see the first elections for the Mayors of the 6 new combined authorities in England. Elections are via the supplementary vote system so all voters have a first and a second choice. This is the same system that was first used for the election of Ken Livingstone in London in 2000, and has become a model for all elected mayors…
Jeremy Corbyn reacts angrily to a question from @PaulBrandITV about his leadership https://t.co/oxUZs7yWuj pic.twitter.com/9VD4gsXsZc — ITV News (@itvnews) April 4, 2017 There has been quite a lot of coverage of Jeremy Corbyn’s interview on ITV news in which he hit back after the interviewer raised questions about his leadership. There’s some merit in his complaint. Labour is saying things about a wide range of issues at the moment but the problem is nobody’s wanting to listen. The reason is not…
Typical of Labour to shy away from a decision Ken Livingstone escapes expulsion from Labour over his Hitler remarks. Party disciplinary panel suspends his membership for one year. — David Wooding (@DavidWooding) April 4, 2017 Labour's commitment to finding the option that irritates everyone is second-to-none. — Stephen Bush (@stephenkb) April 4, 2017 Ken Livingstone: "I apologise for the offence caused by those Labour MPs who lied and said I said Hitler was a Zionist." — Kevin Schofield (@KevinASchofield) April…
“I want us to employ the power of government as a force for good to transform the way we deal with mental health problems right across society, and at every stage of life.” Fine words from the Prime Minister in her Charity Commission lecture in January. It’s an issue I care about – I ran a small mental health charity for several years. But as so often with the PM the words don’t match the reality. As a letter in…
They’re defending seats won at their 2013 highpoint For me this week is all about the May 4th elections. Yesterday the Tory psephologist, Lord Robert Hayward, gave his annual presentation and predictions and there’s a fair bit of coverage in today’s press. Unlike the Rallings and Thrasher seat projection which is confined to the English local council elections Lord Hayward embraced Wales and Scotland as well and in the latter suggested that would produce more big problems for LAB including…
Now that the trigger has been pulled, the EU27 and the United Kingdom have begun the public posturing over the Brexit negotiations. So far this is not looking encouraging. Theresa May’s warm words about wanting a ”deep and special partnership between the UK and the EU” to include ”both economic and security cooperation” seem to have been, bizarrely, interpreted as a threat. The EU continues to insist that we have to settle the outline of the ‘exit deal’ before we…
Last Thursday the Dublin-based PaddyPower issued a press release embargoed for April 1st announcing that former UKIP leader had become the firm’s political advisor. With minutes it was assumed that this was an April Fool and the story barely got any coverage. Well we were wrong. This has actually happened and the firm has confirmed that he’s now taken up the role. Noting that the bookie lost on Trump last November Farage had these comments to make: “.. Clearly, Paddy…
French polling watchdog issues warning after Russian news report claims Fillon regains lead. He's 3rd https://t.co/d4TLEo9qRk — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) April 3, 2017 Fillon moves sharply in the betting to 19% at Macron’s expense All the movememt in the French betting in the past 24 hours has been to the Republicn candidate, Francois Fillon, following a Russian news report quoting a Russian “poll” that he’s now in the lead. This is the Telegraph report “..In a statement released on Sunday,…