The SNP is smiling while coalition relations cool
Channel 4 News Political Editor Gary Gibbon blogs on Scottish success for the SNP and the inevitable tensions in the Coalition following the AV vote.
Channel 4 News Political Editor Gary Gibbon blogs on Scottish success for the SNP and the inevitable tensions in the Coalition following the AV vote.
Not a single pro-democracy candidate has been elected in Burma’s “sham” election, writes Asia Correspondent John Sparks.
At the height of the MPs expenses scandal, the then Commons Speaker Michael Martin – himself under siege – agreed a meeting with the three main Westminster party leaders.
Iain Duncan Smith is the new work and pensions secretary. A huge thrill to the Tory right, though in truth they don’t always like what he recommends. Some of it costs serious money as well! Will there be any around? One mystery solved. The PM sees the prospective ministers first then they see the deputy…
There’s no objective evidence so far that the hung parliament hiatus is causing market panic. The single best indicator: demand to buy UK government debt, was tested in what could have been an unfortunately-timed debt auction at 1030 this morning.
Bit coals to Newcastle this it might seem! Fair Votes Now campaigners are besieging the Lib Dem meeting in Transport House. I didn’t think it could get more bizarre after the arrivals had to criss-cross Morris Dancers on the way in. But amongst the demonstrators, which includes Greens, Marxists and others – found Lib Dems…
More strange framing from the worst photographer in the universe but I thought it poignant that the Lib Dems are holding their internal talks on power-sharing in Transport House, long the home of the Labour party which the Lib Dems were hoping to displace in this election.
Perhaps I was right first time round – this did prove to be thus far the “none of the above” election. At 2.30 am that’s what it looks like with 112 seats declared. The XFactor – Nick Clegg – denied a great electoral romp. Labour heavily swung against, losing seats but not as many as…
Mmm hung say the exit polls – read my Snowblog re the Year of The Broken Swing. I am deluded enough to believe that this is the year of the seat by seat election – conventional polling, conventional swings won’t obey the rules.
Can Gordon Brown get the sort of late surge he needs? What are the precedents? Folk sometimes talk about a late surge in 1992 that saved John Major but the text books tell us that was actually more of a case of the polls misreading things throughout the election. February 1970 does seem to have…
I came to after my post-debate reverie on the 17th floor of the Radisson Hotel in Birmingham at 6:05am to the dulcet tones of Evan Davis and the Today Programme. Had a bath, caught the 6:30am to Euston. One scrambled egg and salmon and a black coffee later I arrived having been online throughout the…
Interesting tactics from the Tories – vote Lib Dem get the IMF was the message from Ken Clarke and George Osborne at their London press conference just now. In a word association would you say that reeks of “old politics” or “change?” As one shadow cabinet member put it to me, if the message from…
On crime, it’s come to life a bit. Gordon Brown told three jokes (well, quips) – very Commons style ones, a dig at the Tory posters of his face and the “airbrushed” ones of DC and a go at DC saying: “It’s not Question Time it’s answer time.” Really did sound a lot – too…
In the spin room…though I gather there are plans to confect “real spin” rooms where the hacks can talk to the politicos away from the cameras. This was supposed to be all about an “unmediated” dialogue with the British people but you get the impression that Messers Alexander, Coulson, Ashdown etc are here to do…
In the few hours before this seminal, historic, semi-colon in the 21st century story of Britain, I advise the three not-so-wise men who have come from afar to gather in Manchester to go on a last minute walk around the world’s greatest city. My home town can illuminate the issues in this election.