So, Wendy Alexander’s standing firm in the face of calls for her to quit. Not good, says Alan Cochrane in today’s Telegraph. His article is among the angriest you’ll read all year – a perfect kickstart to the day. Here are some highlights: “Wendy Alexander has landed Labour and Gordon Brown into one of the
When Fraser asked for CoffeeHousers’ questions for Cameron yesterday, a number of you asked: “Why do you let Gordon Brown get away with his Brownies?” (For the uninitiated, Brownies are the little lies that our Prime Minister tells on a regular basis). We’ll be putting up the Tory leader’s full responses tomorrow, but – on the Brownies front –
As Boulton & Co. are reporting, Cameron’s marshalling his MPs for a meeting this evening – “all must attend”, apparently. As things go, it’s hardly earth-shattering news. But it’s a nice insight into the Team Cameron approach, nonetheless. What will be said? Sky’s source summarises the message as “We’re in for the long haul. Mustn’t get complacent”.
A few people have mentioned this in various comment sections, but I thought I’d give it its own post. Madame Tussauds are holding a vote on whether they should make a Gordon Brown waxwork. Go and have your say. It’s democracy in action.
You can trust Wendy Alexander to make things more difficult for the Government. The Labour MSP, and close ally of Brown, has called for a snap referendum on whether Scotland should break away from the Union – she might even table her own Bill to that end. Thing is, none of this has been rubber-stamped
Over at the Spectator 180th anniversary blog, we’re holding a mini-celebration of all things Boris. How did Our Man get on in post-Saddam Baghdad? What does he think of our Puritanical government? Find out here and here.
For those who missed it, here’s Boris’ victory speech from City Hall last night. His tribute to Ken is a highlight:
The Tories’ recent success has got people looking back to Gordon Brown’s failure to call a general election in October last year. In today’s Sun, George Pascoe-Watson calls that decision “one of the worst blunders in political history”. Although it certainly set up a glorious what-if: what if Brown had called (and, most likely, won) an election? Would Labour have received such a
I’ve just been enjoying a cup of tea in my local cafe (Jose’s, Morden), and listening to the general chatter about Boris’ stunning election victory. Here, at least, there’s a bit of regret that Ken’s going – but this was tempered by talk about the cost of living. In the face of rising food and energy prices, most
If Brown feels like taking his mind off things, he shouldn’t flick through the latest Time 100 – the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Thing is, he’s not in it. But Tony Blair is, complete with a glowing tribute from Bill Clinton. I’m sure a few Labour MPs will be reading through
Over at Comment Central, a senior Conservative tells Daniel Finkelstein that “Boris has got” the role of mayor. It isn’t quite the fat lady singing, but enough for the Times to run an article on. Not too long to wait now for proper confirmation…
A nice summary from ConservativeHome: “All these ministers would lose their seats if last night’s elections were repeated at the General: Ed Balls, Jacqui Smith, James Purnell, John Hutton, Caroline Flint, Ruth Kelly, John Denham.”
James reported on Geoff Hoon’s remarkable denial over his party’s local election results. Now, some computer whizz has put together an irreverent video clip – here it is, for your viewing pleasure:
Just an update on some of the election figures: 139 of 159 councils have now declared their results, and it just gets better and better for the Tories. They’ve picked up 221 seats; Labour have lost 257; and the Lib Dems have picked up 29. But the battering’s not over for Labour – Sky are
Last night gave yet another example of the Tories’ more finely-tuned internet operation. A visit to their website, and you’d find twitter feeds and behind-the-scenes video footage (the most recent of which you can watch below). Not vote-winners yesterday, I know, but quite engaging nonetheless. None of these features graced the Labour site – no live coverage there at all,
For those who missed the drama of last night, a quick round-up… At time of writing, results have come in for 100 of 159 councils. So far, the Tories have gained 147 seats and 8 councils; Labour have lost 162 seats and 6 councils; and the Lib Dems have gained 9 seats and lost 1 council. In terms
If the BBC national projections aren’t giving Brown a headache right now, then this Times prediction sure will. It suggests that Labour’s on course to lose around 270 seats. That’s some distance from the 200 losses that party insiders expected before the elections, and would leave our Prime Minister stranded in grim territory.
There we have it – the Tories have gained outright control of Bury. It’s a key victory – perhaps even more significant than the Southampton result – and it fits neatly into a pattern of strong Tory support in the North of the country. Team Cameron really couldn’t have hoped for things to go better
The Tories have held Tamworth, gaining one seat in the process. Expect a flurry of results around 23:30.
The early word isn’t good for Labour. A few outlets have called the mayoral election for Boris. And now Benedict Brogan and Sam Coates reveal some Labour insiders think the Tories could hit around 47 percent of the vote. A cyncial attempt by Team Brown to alter expectations? Or are Labour heading for even more of a battering than