We first published this piece after her funeral. Today, we re-issue it in honour of the Conservative win there last Thursday. Warm congratulations to Chris Green.
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. I wrote yesterday that it is perhaps surprising not to see the economy or tax in the top five issues raised by respondents to our "red lines" poll. It's therefore necessary to say today that an economic issue came in sixth. On a scale of one to ten, in […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. I reported yesterday that the top "red line" for Conservative Party members for any coalition negotiations with the Liberal Democrats after the 2015 election is holding the In/Out EU referendum in 2017 – after the promised renegotiation. If these commitments are treated as one, the next four red lines […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. Utterly unsurprisingly, holding the promised In/Out EU referendum in 2015 was the top "red line" issue for any future Conservative/Liberal Democrat negotiations in our survey which over 800 Conservative Party members answered. We asked respondents to list a series of issues on a scale of one to ten, with […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. Recent opinion polls written up by Anthony Wells of YouGov show the Conservatives at 34, 33 and 33 per cent, and Labour at 38, 37 and 37 per cent. Let's apply three conclusions. First, neither of the main parties is in a strong position. Second, David Cameron has closed […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. Ed Miliband has broken all the conventional rules of opposition: neutralise your Party's weaknesses, work hard early to make an impression on the electorate, appeal to floating voters. These rules are far from being perfect or complete, but Labour's leader has done himself no good by breaking them. He […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. Here are three measures that, if implemented – Will help to quell the charge that the Party is being led by a "Chumocracy" unrepresentative of its MPs and members. Will stop David Cameron being ambushed by Conservative backbenchers on EU policy, as he was by John Baron's amendment to […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. The next general election will not be concentrated in the counties, but it will decide the government. For this reason, voters will return to the two major parties, the Conservatives and Labour, one of which must lead in forming an administration, if not win outright. Turnout will rise, UKIP's […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. I'm in a position to offer this morning to offer an insight into current thinking in Number 10. Tim Montgomerie touched on its current charm offensive yesterday, of which the Jo Johnson appointment was a part. I'm not going to comment on this thinking – though I will certainly […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. A free school battling for its future in a Labour-held marginal. An imaginative housing development set up by a Conservative-run council. A childcare facility which shows how provision can be made more affordable. These were three settings I suggested David Cameron should visit to follow up his aspiration-centred and […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. LibDem bloggers Stephen Tall and Mark Pack, and Mike Smithson of Political Betting, raised some solid objections to the Coalition breaking up some six months before the 2015 general election – which I recommended on this site earlier this week. (Mike suggested that I should see "This House", the […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Photographs in this post are the copyright of i-Images Matthew Parris has conducted an interesting survey of thirty Tory MPs in marginal seats. You can read my summary of the results he found on the MPsETC page. The MPs come across as a pretty cautious bunch and are anxious […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter I have never been a huge fan of Cameron. The über-modernisation. The disregard for the views of Tory MPs and grassroot members. The incompetent 2010 general election campaign. The rush to coalition, including a badly-negotiated deal on AV. The decision to backload spending cuts and frontload tax rises. The […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter David Cameron could have ended his talks with Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, and refused to put his proposals to a vote in the Commons at all. If he had done so, however, Labour and the Liberal Democrats would have moved amendments seeking statutory regulation of the press to […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter John Rentoul Tweeted that the presentation of yesterday's ConHome conference resembled a 1982 Michael Foot event. Kevin Culwick, Director of LordAshcroftPolls.com, joked that there was a Soviet look to the event! I certainly wanted a different feel to the event… although I made have gone too far. If you […]