UK General Election - May 7th 2015

[Ebsy]

A coup attempt against Bercow is taking place...

I'm confused. Why do Tories want to dump the Speaker from their party in favor of someone from Labour?

[Phony Moderate]

A coup attempt against Bercow is taking place...

I'm confused. Why do Tories want to dump the Speaker from their party in favor of someone from Labour?

Prior to his election Bercow had been something of a thorn in the side of the Tory leadership and often voted with Labour. He was elected mostly on the back of Labour MPs - almost all Tory MPs voted for Sir George Young (another Tory MP) in the final round. During his time in the chair he has been seen as biased against the Tory benches.

[You kip if you want to...]

A coup attempt against Bercow is taking place...

I'm confused. Why do Tories want to dump the Speaker from their party in favor of someone from Labour?

Prior to his election Bercow had been something of a thorn in the side of the Tory leadership and often voted with Labour. He was elected mostly on the back of Labour MPs - almost all Tory MPs voted for Sir George Young (another Tory MP) in the final round. During his time in the chair he has been seen as biased against the Tory benches.

Any obvious candidates to replace him?

I'm reading it's because the  LibDems are having a hissy fit over their botched 'budget' last week. Typical.

[Phony Moderate]

A coup attempt against Bercow is taking place...

I'm confused. Why do Tories want to dump the Speaker from their party in favor of someone from Labour?

Prior to his election Bercow had been something of a thorn in the side of the Tory leadership and often voted with Labour. He was elected mostly on the back of Labour MPs - almost all Tory MPs voted for Sir George Young (another Tory MP) in the final round. During his time in the chair he has been seen as biased against the Tory benches.

Any obvious candidates to replace him?

I'm reading it's because the  LibDems are having a hissy fit over their botched 'budget' last week. Typical.

Lindsay Hoyle may be favorite, despite being a Labour MP (hey, so was Boothroyd).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

How tediously petulant.

[BaconBacon96]

No, this is outrageous. Bercow is a good Speaker. Nothing that I've seen from him indicates any bias. Goddamn Tories.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Have we been keeping track of the YouGovs? The most recent is: Labour 35, Con 34, UKIP 12, LDem 8, Greens 6.

Apparently they've done one with a larger sample size over several days that shows: Con 34, Labour 33, UKIP 14, LDem 8, Greens 6.

Meanwhile... and included for forms sake as much as anything else... ComRes: Labour 35, Con 35, UKIP 10, LDem 8, Greens 7

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Jason Zadrozny, the LibDem candidate for Ashfield, has been arrested on child sexual abuse charges. Local paper reports that he's stood down as a candidate and has been suspended by his party.

[Oakvale]

I thought the usual procedure was to cover it up and then have him selected in Rochdale?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Bercow defeats the Government, 228 votes to 202.

[Phony Moderate]

Check out the look that Bercow gives towards the government benches at around 1:50: http://youtu.be/5-bTTeBdVe0

[Barnes]

It's quite nice to see Hague handed a defeat on his last day in the House of Commons.

[DL]

Can someone please explain - what exactly is the point of trying to dump the speaker literally days before Parliament is to be dissolved?? The new parliament post-election will have to elect a new speaker regardless.

[Barnes]

The motion was not to dump Bercow per se, but to move the vote on re-electing the incumbent speaker at the start of a new parliament to a secret ballot. The government felt they could have a shot a ditching Bercow if MPs didn't have to go through the division lobbies.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Because we don't have enough polls at the moment, Panelbase have expanded operations beyond Scotland. And they tell us that things are: Labour 34, Con 34, UKIP 15, Greens 6, LDem 5.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

And now we enter the world of last minute retirements; there are always a few of these (largely because they entail - for various practical reasons - a suspension of the usual candidate selection methods). It seems that the first is Geoffrey Robinson (Labour, Coventry North West) who has been an MP since a by-election in 1976.

[afleitch]

Because we don't have enough polls at the moment, Panelbase have expanded operations beyond Scotland. And they tell us that things are: Labour 34, Con 34, UKIP 15, Greens 6, LDem 5.

Safety in numbers. Which perhaps suggests no one has a clue what's going on.

[You kip if you want to...]

And now we enter the world of last minute retirements; there are always a few of these (largely because they entail - for various practical reasons - a suspension of the usual candidate selection methods). It seems that the first is Geoffrey Robinson (Labour, Coventry North West) who has been an MP since a by-election in 1976.

I saw something reeling off a list of EdM-ists who'll probably end up getting these. Lord knows he needs some kind've base in the PLP finally.

[Clyde1998]

Just watched the Sky/Channel Four Q&A session thing. I don't think Cameron or Miliband performed too well, too be honest.

Hopefully next week's BBC debate with the seven parties will be better...

[afleitch]

Ed looked like he was 'trying out' some approaches tonight. He had some impressive moments, but others where he really struggled and at times people seemed to be laughing more at him than at the jokes he was making. He has time to hone his technique before the next debate.

YouGov for fun

CON 36
LAB 34
UKIP 13
LD 7
GRN 5

[Phony Moderate]

Miliband came off as more real, Cameron came off as more polished.

ICM gave it to Cameron by 54-46 btw.

[Frodo]

Can we presume there's been no budget bounce or what?

There clearly was, at least according to this poll:

Conservatives enjoy biggest poll lead since 2010: Party enjoys three point advantage of 36 per cent in the wake of the budget

By JAMES CHAPMAN FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 18:21 EST, 22 March 2015 | UPDATED: 06:24 EST, 23 March 2015

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[Filuwaúrdjan]

Apparently Katie Hopkins has pledged to leave the country if Labour wins. A Labour victory is now guaranteed.

[Phony Moderate]

Reminds one of that Spitting Image spoof of Andrew Lloyd Webber - Webber: "If Labour wins, I'll flee the country". Announcer: "That was a party election broadcast on behalf of the Labour Party."

[YL]

Can we presume there's been no budget bounce or what?

There clearly was, at least according to this poll:

Conservatives enjoy biggest poll lead since 2010: Party enjoys three point advantage of 36 per cent in the wake of the budget

By JAMES CHAPMAN FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 18:21 EST, 22 March 2015 | UPDATED: 06:24 EST, 23 March 2015

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You need to look at all the polls, not just the one the Daily Mail cherry picked, and I think when you do that there is no evidence that the Budget moved anything.  Even the movement in Opinium could have been margin of error stuff.