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Month: December 2011

Henry G Manson: In praise of David Davis

Henry G Manson: In praise of David Davis

A LAB man writes about his favourite Tory Thanks to Gwynfa for offering the ‘Christmas Armistice’ challenge of writing about my favourite Conservative MP. I have been assured by Our Genial Host that this will be reciprocated. One stands out for me above all others. There are plenty of things I admire about the Member of Parliament for Haltemprice and Howden, the Rt. Hon. David Davis MP. In stark contrast to the manicured, coiffed and pink-cheeked Cameron, Davis has lived…

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Two days to go in the PB NightHawks cafe

Two days to go in the PB NightHawks cafe

What would you really like for Christmas? Just two days to go and I’m contemplating the drive on Saturday round the M25 to go to my daughter’s in Croydon where we will be having a family Christmas. So the one thing I’d really love is a clear run, especially in the approach to the Dartford crossing. Meanwhile the politics doesn’t stop and there’s a tight three-way fight going on in a council by-election in Brighton. Last time in the ward…

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What if Cameron did fall under a bus?

What if Cameron did fall under a bus?

Who might fill the gap if it wasn’t an organised departure? Peter Bone has twice asked in the last week if Nick Clegg would take over as prime minister in the event of David Cameron dying in office – or presumably stepping down with immediate effect in any other circumstance. Irrespective of what’s prompted him to pursue the question, it’s worth looking at. Although no prime minister has died in office for almost 150 years, there have been some close…

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It’s time for the PB NightHawks Cafe

It’s time for the PB NightHawks Cafe

Latest YouGov 40/40/10 With Christmas now only three and bit days away we are still waiting for what should be the final phone poll of 2011 – from ICM for the Guardian. I’ve got no news about it but it’s a survey I’m very keen to see given that the last poll from the firm, at the weekend, had CON 40/LAB 34/LD 14. Was that just an outlier or can we expect something in the same region? Who knows? Apart…

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Can the coalition go on avoiding the blame?

Can the coalition go on avoiding the blame?

A year on and the polling’s almost the same Every fortnight since the first coalition budget YouGov has been asking the same question in the same format “And who do you think is most to blame for the current spending cuts?” The response options have been the same: CON-LD coalition: Labour: Both: Neither: Don’t know. What’s been remarkable is how consistent the response pattern has been. Thus the latest figures are very similar to what respondees were saying a year…

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Santorum moves to third favourite in Iowa?

Santorum moves to third favourite in Iowa?

Could Iowa’s evangelicals unify behind him? With just thirteen days to go before the 2012 White House race kicks off with the Iowa caucuses there’s been a fair bit of activity in the betting markets following endorsements for Rick Santorum from two of the state’s leading evangelicals. Surveys in 2008 had 60% of all participants in the Republican caucuses in Iowa describing themselves as evangelical Christians and the big question this time has been whether this key grouping would unify…

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Welcome to Tuesday in the PB NightHawks Cafe

Welcome to Tuesday in the PB NightHawks Cafe

Thanks for all your ideas, suggestions and nominations for the PB Poster of the Year. The next step is for Peter the Punter, Sunil and myself to go through the thread and agree a short-list as well as the categories on which we will vote next week. Have a good night in the PB NightHawks Cafe. Mike Smithson @MikeSmithsonOGH Recent Threads