F**king heck. I love The Sopranos. RIP.

[April 25th 2015]

April 25th 2015

The Daily Express

Osborne pelted with tomatoes in Derby



During a visit to Derby, the Chancellor, as he talked to the locals in the town centre, was suddenly covered in tomatoes thrown by local BNP activists. "Britain for the British" one of them shouted. The Chancellor responded in a good-natured way - "They must have bought them from that fruit and veg stall around the corner. I tried one of their apples earlier and it was delicious. I would imagine the tomatoes are too. Seems like a waste of good food to me."

April 26th 2015

UK Polling Report

With 11 days to go, Labour retains its lead

Today's YouGov/Sunday Times poll is now up. Voting intentions are CON 32% (nc), LAB 36% (+1), LDEM 14% (nc), UKIP 8% (nc). That would be a swing of 5.5% to Labour, which would almost certainly give them a workable majority.

The voters haven't been impressed with the campaign. 12% said it's been very interesting, 21% fairly interesting, 33% not very interesting and 26% boring. 64% said they are absolutely certain to vote. It should be noted that around 70% were saying the same thing in 2010, but turnout ended up being around 65%. The lowest turnout since WWII was 2001's derisory 59%, so we could be looking at that again.

On the subject of the upcoming debate, 21% said they will definitely watch it, 24% probably will, 18% probably not and 31% definitely not. 34% expect Cameron to perform the best, 18% Miliband, 11% Clegg and 10% Farage.

[April 21st 2015]

April 21st 2015

The Daily Telegraph

Carol Thatcher: Vote UKIP



Carol Thatcher came out in support of the United Kingdom Independence Party today. The daughter of the late ex-PM said that "Mr. Farage and his party are the ones who can best continue the work of my mother".

April 22nd 2015

BBC

US politician thinks debate could lead to another round of 'Cleggmania'



Howard Dean, the former Governor of Vermont, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, said that April 30th's debate between the leaders could lead to a surge in support for the Liberal Democrats. "Nick Clegg has done a good job at keeping the Conservatives at bay in government, and I hope the British people will recognise that". Mr. Dean made a similar prediction in 2010, but although Mr. Clegg's party did gain support in the polls after the first debate, it didn't translate into extra seats.

----

The Daily Record

Scottish National Party faces a tough election



Having failed to break-up the Union last year, the SNP faces its most challenging election in several years. The polls show the SNP battling for second place with the Tories in the Westminster voting intentions, and First Minster Sturgeon's party also trails badly in next year's battle for Holyrood.

[April 17th 2015]

April 17th 2015

The Guardian

Miliband promises a review of the electoral system if Labour forms a government



In an interview on The Andrew Marr Show, Ed Miliband was asked if electoral reform was high on his party's agenda. "We'll certainly look into it" he said. "Our current electoral system has many flaws." But he stressed that "getting Britain's public services working again and getting people back to work" would be the top priorities of a Labour government.

April 18th 2015

UK Polling Report

UKIP support showing signs of ebbing away

ICM's latest voting intentions are CON 33% (+1), LAB 37% (nc), LDEM 13% (nc), UKIP 8% (-2). The 8% for UKIP is their lowest share with ICM since 2013. It's in line with YouGov's recent daily polls that also show UKIP falling into single digits.

[April 14th 2015]

April 14th 2015

The Independent

The Battle for Norwich South



One of the most closely-watched local contests is Norwich South. The Labour Party's candidate Stephen Fry is hoping to overturn Lib Dem MP Stephen Wright's majority of 310. Aside from being a national household name, Fry is seen as a strong candidate due to his connections with the city; he was educated at City College Norwich and is a passionate supporter of Norwich City FC. His campaign so far has been buoyant - he's even employed the John Major soapbox tactic. Local Labour activists say they are confident of an overwhelming victory.

April 15th 2015

The Daily Mail

You simply cannot trust Labour, says Cameron



The Prime Minister had this to say in Bristol:

"When Labour was rightly removed from office five years ago, Britain was suffering from its worst recession, highest deficit and highest unemployment rate in decades. Five years on, growth has returned and the deficit and unemployment rate is falling. Ed Miliband wants you to believe that another Labour government would be economically competent. Don't believe his lies. Labour took a strong economy in 1997 and promptly ruined it. He also wants you to believe that another Labour government would have sensible rules on immigration. That's another lie. The previous Labour government alienated millions of its own voters by letting immigration rise to unprecedented levels, which put much strain on our valued public services. Only a Conservative government can continue the recovery."

Hmmmm.  

http://www.examiner.com/article/mike-huckabee-says-churches-should-give-up-tax-exempt-status

Then this vile website would (presumably) be revitalised. I guess that would count as one of the cons of a Hillary bid.

Probably Eisenhower in '52.

Anderson, I suppose. Candidates aren't as good this time.

FTV when they're not doing call-in shows.

[April 10th 2015]

April 10th 2015

Daily Mirror

"An electoral revolution is on the way" says Farage



Speaking to us in Buckingham, the constituency in which he's once again challenging Speaker John Bercow, Nigel Farage senses an "electoral revolution".

"We've shocked the three parties in local elections, by-elections and European elections over the course of this parliament, and I am confident that we will do so once again in a few weeks' time. Millions of people, white, black, young, old, rich, poor, are going to vote for us. Never has a so-called fourth party dealt such a huge dent to the political establishment. The British people are fed up of the relentless lies and corruption, both in Brussels and Westminster. I think the 2015 general election will go down as the most transformational since the 1920s."

A recent poll conducted by Survation in Buckingham shows Mr. Farage trailing Mr. Bercow by 7% - 46% to 39%. This would be a dramatic improvement on his performance there in 2010, where (after narrowly escaping an horrific plane crash) he came third with 17% of the vote. "Oh, well, Speaker Bercow. What can you say about him? It's amazing how a single man can represent everything wrong about the modern political elite, and with so little effort too."

April 11th 2015

BBC

Dimbleby looks ahead to his final election night



After 40 years of anchoring British election night programmes on the BBC (beginning with the 1975 referendum on the European Economic Community), the 2015 general election will be Dimbleby's last before retirement. "It's sad in a way, but a relief in another. Last time was difficult for all of us. We were on the air almost non-stop for 18 hours. Certainly a lot of caffeine was consumed!" Mr. Dimbleby is sure of surprises, and not just from the election results either. "I don't want to spoil much, but new features will be introduced and the technology is going to be more sophisticated than ever. Jeremy Vine will have a lot of work on his hands." But he can reveal that the Rick Wakeman theme tune "Arthur" will be returning on May 7th after an absence in 2010. "We all love that. It always sends a chill down our spines when it's played over the opening titles". Mr. Dimbleby is also retiring from the flagship political panel show Question Time after the current series ends. "The last day will be very emotional I imagine. So many memories. The most challenging programme was undoubtedly the one with Nick Griffin (leader of the British National Party). Never has our dear old late evening show gotten so much national and international attention."

The BBC's Decision 2015 programme begins at 9:55PM on May 7th. David Dimbleby will be joined in the studio by the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson, Jeremy Paxman, Jeremy Vine, Emily Maitlis, the President of YouGov Peter Kellner and others.

a Coalition victory somewhere in the range of 90-115 seats... the idea of which makes me feel physically ill.

I think that it's more likely going to be in the upper half of that range.

What makes you think that? The polls were showing a very similar story at this stage in 2007. Gillard isn't as strong or popular as Howard, granted, but Abbott also doesn't have the appeal and newness of Rudd.

Bit of a shock. RIP.

HP, but quite an interesting and amusing figure. I was just reading his Wikipedia article and saw this hilarious paragraph:

Ultimately, the end of Muldoon's government came following a late-night clash with National backbencher Marilyn Waring over highly contentious Opposition-sponsored nuclear-free New Zealand legislation, in which Waring told him she would cross the floor (giving the Opposition a victory). On 14 June 1984, a visibly drunk Muldoon called a snap election for 14 July that same year; historians noted the unfortunate coincidence with Bastille Day. A journalist commented that a month-long campaign was too short. Muldoon replied "It doesn't give my opponents much time". He was heavily defeated by David Lange's resurgent Labour Party, which won 56 seats to National's 37 with massive vote splitting caused by the New Zealand Party in particular. Muldoon's drunkenness when announcing the election date led to it being known as the schnapps election.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Muldoon

So Ed Balls announces that Labour will stick to Tory spending targets if they win the next election. Always a joy to hear.

A New Labour man for sure.

What about the Election What-Ifs? board?

It was deleted?

No, but virtually every thread on there contains copyrighted pictures.

[April 5th 2015:]

April 5th 2015:

UK Polling Report

As the election nears, most voters expect and want a Labour government, according to YouGov's poll for the Sunday Times. 34% say the want to see a Labour majority, 15% want a coalition between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, 28% want a Conservative majority and only 12% want to see a continuation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. In terms of expectations, 35% think Labour will win an overall majority, 18% believe they will form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, 22% think the Conservatives will win an overall majority and 11% expect to see another coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

In terms of party leaders, David Cameron's personal ratings remained largely unchanged from last week (36% (-1)/58%), Ed Miliband has seen a slight rise (34% (+3)/55% (-2) ), Nick Clegg's are completely unchanged (22%/69%) and Nigel Farage's have also risen somewhat (38% (+4)/34% (-1) ). 32% prefer Cameron as PM, 28% Miliband, 8% Clegg and 7% Farage.

April 6th 2015:

BBC News

Today, the Prime Minister went to Buckingham Palace. When he returned, he formally announced that parliament will be dissolved and that a general election will take place on May 7th.



April 9th 2015:

The Daily Telegraph

Tories hint of a negative campaign; Labour to focus on public services; 'vast achievements in government' to be centrepiece of Liberal Democrats' campaign, UKIP to 'hit home' on the EU and immigration.

[March 31st 2015:]

March 31st 2015:



by Peter Kellner



With just over a month to go until the general election, no one can predict with any degree of certainty what the final outcome will be. Labour still enjoy a lead of around five points in YouGov's daily polling, but there is an issue which complicates matters - UKIP. They aren't enjoying the 25% ratings that they achieved in the aftermath of their victory in the European elections last year, but they are still averaging 10-12%. Last month, we heard the news that Nigel Farage would be participating in the only televised debate. What the effect of this will end up being is not clear. The Liberal Democrats got a 10% boost in the aftermath of the first debate in 2010, but it gradually faded by election day. This time, with there being only one two-hour long debate to be held a week before election day, maybe any 'Faragemania' would be more difficult for the other parties to quash.

The Conservatives' ratings have improved from their all-time low of 17% last year, but it's very difficult to see how Mr. Cameron can achieve his longtime ambition of an overall majority. The economy is beginning to show signs of improvement and that fact will surely be appearing in many Tory election broadcasts. But they still trail.

Labour can be pleased that their lead hasn't been wiped out despite Ed Miliband's still low popularity. Still, many party activists fear that an all-out Tory attack against their leader could still cost them the election.

For the Liberal Democrats, this election is about defense. That is to say, defense of the seats they currently hold. Liberal Democrat marginal seats are historically quite difficult to budge, with many of their MPs having a high personal vote. But after five years in government, these factors may have been dampened.

What about the Election What-Ifs? board?

The Democrats....

There's a rather interesting story on the Daily Mail website right now.

According to Wikipedia's timeline on the 2008 election, the major contenders began to formally enter the race in late 2006 (McCain and Giuliani both formed exploratory committees in November 2006, for example). Biden, Gravel, Dodd and Hunter began even earlier, although I'm not sure I'd count them as 'major contenders'. But for 2012, the process took longer - most entered well into 2011.

As 2016 will be (barring something unforeseen) a non-incumbent election, will this process look more like 2008? If so, then we are only a year or so away from the first candidacies.

The Swedish Social Democrats are the most competent and the most left-wing. I'd probably rank them as follows:

1. Swedish Social Democrats
2. Labour
3. French Socialists
4. Democrats
5. SPD

The SPD would have been first or second (probably) in the 1970s though.

Labour Party, because of the "New Labour" faction of the party.

If that is still a faction of the party then it would technically include the current leader (given his closeness and ideologically similarity to Brown, who was arguably a more important player in 'New Labour' than Blair himself).

Our Tories (ugh), as they are the least socially conservative of those (which is not saying much) and the differences between them economically are minuscule.

My question is who becomes opposition leader?

I think it'll be someone incredibly dull, such as Stephen Smith perhaps (if he keeps his seat).