From our UK edition
Will the elections on 4 June finish off Gordon Brown? The theory that an embarrassing result for Labour – finishing behind the Lib Dems and/or UKIP – could trigger a leadership challenge gets frequent hearings in Westminster. And now Guido blogs that plans are afoot, with David Miliband and Alan Johnson readying their “campaign teams”.
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You’ve got to love Nick Clegg’s declaration that “warm words, rhetoric and consideration are not enough,” in an article for today’s Guardian, and hot on the heels of some, er, “warm words” in the Independent yesterday. Although, in seriousness, I imagine that one of Clegg’s proposals will be fairly popular: no more holiday time for
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I missed Julie Kirkbride’s extended interview with Sky this afternoon, but ConHome have covered all the main points. Basically, she says she can justify all her expense claims and would like to remain an MP at the next election. Here are Sky’s highlights, so you can judge for yourself: P.S. While this has been going
From our UK edition
Well worth reading Professor John Taylor’s article for the FT today, in which he extrapolates from Standard and Poor’s recent assessment of the UK’s creditworthiness to deliver a warning about the rising national debt in America. This passage jumped out at me: “While there is debate about whether a large deficit today provides economic stimulus,
From our UK edition
The pressure sure is mounting for Julie Kirkbride, the wife of the disgraced – and discarded – Tory MP Andrew MacKay. A ConservativeHome poll this morning showed that 81 percent of the grassroots think she should step down as an MP. While Guido’s also on the case, asking: where’s Julie? David Cameron was quizzed about
From our UK edition
Is Brown trying to save the world again? It’s hard not to get that impression from reading his dreary article in the FT today. Headlined “What Europe must do to build a recovery,” it adopts the same lecturing tone, and the same misleading claims about the UK position, that Brown patented last autumn and carried
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An intriguing set-up in today’s Indpendent, as all three of the main party leaders write articles on the need for political reform. The result, though, is a little underwhelming. Despite some differences in tone and emphasis – Brown bangs on about Bills and committees; Cameron talks about strengthening Parliament; and Clegg dwells on party funding
From our UK edition
Look, I know that the expenses mess needs sorting swiftly and decisively – I’ve been saying as much for the past few weeks. But there’s still a sense that things are now moving a little too quickly. Under the correct interpretation that “this is about more than expenses,” polticians have rushed from discussing second home
From our UK edition
It has been a few days now since we asked CoffeeHousers to put forward their questions for Theresa May. We’ve since picked out the best, which have now been put to the shadow work and pensions secretary. She’ll get back to us in the next few days. Anyway, here are the questions: John Moss “Is
From our UK edition
There’s something perturbing about this story on party funding in the Times: “Hundreds of donations to political parties are to be kept secret under plans being slipped through the House of Lords. Labour and the Conservatives have been accused of collusion over plans to raise the threshold above which parties must report donations from £5,000
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Wow. The Bracknell Forest Standard has released footage (see below) from Andrew MacKay’s meeting with his constituents last week. If you remember, the MP didn’t allow TV cameras into the hall, and subsequently claimed that most of those present were on his side. This footage gives the lie to that, as it shows them subjecting
From our UK edition
So has Alan Johnson taken a first step towards the Labour leadership? He’s written a comment piece on electoral reform for today’s Times – and the paper reports it on their frontpage with the headline “Johnson seizes intiative over Labour leadership.” It’s hard to disagree. While Johnson makes sure to mention Gordon Brown is his
From our UK edition
An intriguing little story in the FT about the worsening relations between Gordon Brown and Mervyn King. Apparently, our Dear Leader doesn’t like the downbeat rhetoric that the Governor of the Bank of England is deploying: “There is growing irritation in Downing Street and the Treasury towards Mr King. The prime minister and Alistair Darling,
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One of the continuing mysteries of this expenses scandal is why Labour backbenchers who haven’t been implicated aren’t speaking out for stronger action against those who have. Sure, it would ruffle some feathers in their own party – but, as this week’s Bagehot column suggests, they may not lose out by doing so: “Unfortunately, the
From our UK edition
We keep talking about which party leader is taking the lead on expenses but – from a Labour perspective – it might be more useful to look at which Cabinet ministers are doing all the running. After all, with Brown on the ropes, his potential replacements might be looking to seize the mantle of de
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Uh-oh. It sounds like Gordon Brown is going to unleash a “national plan” on the country in the aftermath of the June elections. Here are the details from today’s Indy: “A ‘national plan’ for Britain will be unveiled by Gordon Brown as he tries to fight back after Labour’s expected elections rout next month, The
From our UK edition
Ok, so what to make of the latest Populus poll? Here are the headline figures: Conservatives — 39 percent (unchanged from a poll 10 days ago) Labour — 27 percent (up 1) Lib Dems — 17 percent (down 5) I imagine CCHQ will be slightly pleased and slightly concerned, but not by much either way.
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There have been strong rumblings throughout the day, but now ConHome have confirmed it: Ann Widdecombe will run for the Speakership. The big problem, of course, is that she’s standing down as an MP at the next election – so she’d only be an interim Speaker – and I’m not sure either the public or
From our UK edition
Oh dear. With each day that passes, it gets clearer that Brown’s June reshuffle may cause him more trouble than it’s worth. For instance, this passage from today’s Mail caught my eye: “A senior Labour figure said: ‘You can’t plan a reshuffle around those who have transgressed on their expenses because that would quickly involve
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So Joanna Lumley continues to cast a spell over British politics, as Gurkha veterans finally – and deservedly – get the right to settle in the UK. Standing outside Number 10, she now has kinder things to say about Gordon Brown – calling him a “brave man who has made a brave decision”. But the
