Peter Hoskin

Today's You Gov poll in the Telegraph tells a similiar story to the ComRes poll from a few days ago - that the Tory lead has more than halved over the past few weeks, but they're still 9 points clear of Labour.  Here are the headline figures in full: the Tories are on 42 percent (no change from a YouGov poll two weeks ago); Labour on 33 percent (down 1); and the Lib Dems on 15 percent (up 1).  The unchanged Tory position leads Political Betting's Mike Smithson to deduce that the polls have reached a "new normality" - by which Cameron & Co would achieve only a "bare majority".

It's no secret that Gordon Brown loathes George Osborne - and that loathing manifests itself in a dossier that Labour released earlier today.  It lists what Labour calls Osborne's "schoolboy errors" over the economy, and is certainly the most shameless version of the "experienced heads vs novices" argument that we've seen so far.  Whether you agree with the substance of Labour's attack or not, there's little doubting that this dossier reflects a general sharpening of their spin/attack operation.  There's a brutal efficiency about them that was lacking during Stephen Carter's time at Downing Street.  But that efficiency could bring trouble down on their own heads.

Ok, so Halloween isn’t until Friday. But I thought I’d post a list of favourite horror films now, so that – should you wish – you’ve got some chance to pick them up on DVD. Two things before I get onto the films. First, many of these aren’t actually scary. On the whole, I like my horror films from the 30s, 40s and 50s, when eeriness was the order of the day. And second: whilst I’d shy away from calling this a list of alternative horror classics – whether they’re “alternative” depends on the reader, not the choices – I have avoided the touchstones of screen horror.

60 years ago, in the economically-depressed aftermath of WW2, Britain successfuly staged an "austerity Olympics" - pared-down, efficient, organised and even profitable, it was widely considered a momentous success.  In today's Guardian, Simon Jenkins persuasively argues for another austerity Olympics in 2012 - the times call for it, he says.  And it's hard to disagree.  Even if you think Darling's spend-our-way-out-of-trouble approach is the right way forward, there remains the question of what all that public cash should be spent on.  There's something deeply irresponsible about "pour[ing] crazy sums of money - £9.3bn - into two weeks of sport".  Particularly when that £9.