A freewheeling, shirt-sleeve kind of speech from Cameron in Kennington this morning. But not one that was without substance. His main purpose was, as he put it, to “redouble the positive” – which meant more about the Big Society. Cameron has fashioned a persuasive narrative out of this, but question marks still remain over whether
If the Lib Dem surge shows anything, then it’s the growing power of personality politics in this country. A few days ago, they’re languishing in third place with around 20 percent of the vote. One dose of TV razzmatazz later, and they’re topping the polls on over 30 percent. Yes, even though I admire much
Tonight’s YouGov tracker has the Lib Dems on 33 percent (up 4), the Tories on 32 percent (down 1) and Labour on 26 percent (down 4). So the topsy-turviness continues – but for how long?
So far as the Tories are concerned, Peter Mandelson is the political equivalent of an itch that you can’t scratch: irritating, elusive and impossible to ignore. And he’s at it again today, with an article in the Independent on Sunday chiding the Tories’ over their Big Society agenda. It’s not the “agenda of abandoment”
We’ve had the insta-polls and that eyectaching YouGov poll, and now we get the political reaction to Thursday’s TV debate. Interviewed in the Times, Alan Johnson plays up what Labour and the Lib Dems have “in common,” and opens the door on a potential coalition. While, in the Telegraph, David Cameron sets about Lib Dems
Ok, this won’t be one of my more popular opinions, but here goes … Nick Clegg is a Good Politician. And I don’t mean that in some Machiavellian sense – although, for all I know, that might be true. But, rather, that he’s got some decent ideas and ideals, and he presents them convincingly. This is
The question is: how much has really changed after last night? And the answer is hard to pin down. There are the plastic, surface changes, of course. Nick Clegg may now be recognised by more that one-third of the nation. His party will probably come under greater scrutiny from the media and his opponents. And
So, who won? Well, hold your horses, dear CoffeeHouser. First, it’s worth noting that that was a good shade more compelling than I thought it would be. There were moments of heat, drama and political tension, of course. But there was also a sprinkling of light as well. I suspect anyone watching that would have
2207, PH: Well, we’ve just been through all that – and guess what’s leading the News at Ten. Yep, the ash cloud… 2205, PH: And that’s it. I’ll be writing a verdict post shortly. 2203, PH: And Cameron has pre-empted Brown’s statement well. He says that the other two have tried to frighten the audience
Right – the pizza has been ordered, my glass is overflowing with raspberry Ribena (New! And delicious!), and I’ve fired up the old cathode ray tubes. But, somehow, I’m still feeling quite ambivalent about tonight’s TV debate. Maybe it’s because I still suspect it will be a cautious affair – with neither side wanting to
Make what you will of his political agenda, but I think this is quite a refreshing admission from Zac Goldsmith today: “There are various things I have said in this campaign with absolute certainty. I said there will be no Heathrow expansion under our Government, there will be no charges for parking in Richmond Park
Hat-tip: ConservativeHome
Only 58? Labour’s last letter attacking Tory spending cuts this year had 60 economists’ signatures attached to it. Their latest, released today, has only 58. Number 10’s signature-marshalling skills are clearly on the wane. I sincerely hope that the Tories don’t marshal some economists of their own. The last time that happened, back in February,
The figures from YouGov’s daily tracker have just been released, and they have the Tories on 41 percent (up 2), Labour on 32 (up 1), and the Lib Dems on 18 (down 2) – so a lead of 9 points for Cameron & Co. It’s worth noting, as well, that the Tory manifesto comes out
Well, that was quick. After the Tories’ one-hour-and-forty-minutes-long manifesto launch yesterday, and Labour’s comparable event the day before, it was quite a relief that the Lib Dems got through theirs in a nerve-soothing 45 minutes. And that included introductions from Sarah Teather, Danny Alexander and Vince Cable, and a speech from Nick Clegg – all
Anyone else think that Labour’s latest poster is like a negative of the Tories’ “Vote For Me” effort? White text on a black background, instead of black text on a white background. A picture of Cameron, instead of Brown. I mean, the only thing that isn’t swapped over is the tone: both go on the
So now it’s the Lib Dems’ turn to present their prospectus for the country. And, in some respects, I expect they’ll want a fairly uneventful day. They have, after all, endured the most topsy-turvy campaign of the three main parties so far. Brown has given us no more, and no less, than what we expected.
Insightful work from the FT’s Chris Giles, who has dug out a couple of academic articles – including one co-authored, in 2007, by George Osborne’s current chief of staff, Rupert Harrison – to work out how many jobs Labour’s national insurance rise might cost the economy. The results? Well, according to Giles, one says that
Adam Boutlon’s interview with Chris Grayling this afternoon felt like a pressure valve being released. Grayling’s recent low profile had already become a rolling story, and his absence from the speaking line-up at his party’s manifesto launch was bound to fuel more murmuring and speculation – so the Tories clearly decided to wheel him out
Stay tuned for live coverage from 1100. 1238: And that’s it. Phew – quite a marathon. A strong central message, I think, but it could have been said in fewer words. Thanks for tuning in. 1235: The Guardian’s Nick Watt asks why the Tories aren’t talking more about the extent, and the consequences, of spending