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Month: August 2015

Now most LAB leadership votes are in Osborne moves to undermine the likely winner

Now most LAB leadership votes are in Osborne moves to undermine the likely winner

Guardian's Andrew Sparrow says Osborne’s Faslane announcement is CON plan to frame Corbyn. http://t.co/ApC9o124Zx pic.twitter.com/AU8XrBH9BD — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 31, 2015 The Tory attack on Corbyn and his party has begun For the last four months the Tories have been almost totally disciplined about the LAB leadership election. There’ve been virtually no comments whatsoever in public until now. Today, with George Osborne’s Faslane announcement things have changed. This is Andrew Sparrow in the Guardian: “Osborne is keenly aware that…

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The big LAB leadership news is the Sun report that Corbyn described the death of Osama Bin Laden as a “tragedy”

The big LAB leadership news is the Sun report that Corbyn described the death of Osama Bin Laden as a “tragedy”

A taste of what a Corbyn led LAB could expect in the run up to GE2020? The Sun's exclusive on Corbyn describing death of Bin Laden "a tragedy" http://t.co/4zBzNQC9Ii pic.twitter.com/Yqht41uvPO — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 31, 2015 On Betfair Mr. Corbyn chances of becoming LAB leader are rated at 82% pic.twitter.com/StF5IWfXt4 — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 31, 2015 Has anyone else noticed that Parliament is debating the assisted suicide proposals the day before Labour elects its new leader? — Ian…

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Hills starting taking bets on when we’ll see the likes of this again – LAB winning a majority

Hills starting taking bets on when we’ll see the likes of this again – LAB winning a majority

The Exit poll. 10pm May 5th 2005 Will Corbyn make the red-team unelectable? AS JEREMY CORBYN’s LAB leader odds are cut to their shortest yet at 2/9 (stake £9 for potential £2 profit) by William Hill, the bookies have also opened a market on when Labour will next achieve an overall majority government – and make between 2026-30 their 5/2 favourite – offering just 3/1 that it will not happen before 2031. Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe said ‘With so many…

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Iowa shock for Hillary Clinton as the state’s most accurate pollster has her caucus lead down to just 7%

Iowa shock for Hillary Clinton as the state’s most accurate pollster has her caucus lead down to just 7%

New Des Moines Register poll from Iowa, 1st state to decide, has Hillary lead down to 7%http://t.co/mkKa7O4us4 pic.twitter.com/ZsI6IBVIPb — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 30, 2015 If she looks vulnerable it could open up the whole race In the next five months we are going to hear an awful lot from Iowa which traditionally, with its caucuses, is the first state to decide on choosing a contender for the White House race. Because this is not a normal primary where people…

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In a strange land

In a strange land

Antifrank looks at The politics of immigration and asylum “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”  These are words which find absolutely no purchase in Britain in 2015.  Fully 50% this month see immigration as one of the three most important issues facing Britain in Ipsos MORI’s regular poll for the Economist and it’s a safe bet that few of them are concerned that Britain isn’t getting enough foreigners. Proving anything with statistics If one…

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Opposition Leader Corbyn would be playing a dangerous game if he refused Privy Council status

Opposition Leader Corbyn would be playing a dangerous game if he refused Privy Council status

He really hasn’t thought this one through The reports earlier this week that Jeremy Corbyn would refuse membership of the Privy Council if he’s elected leader of the Labour Party would be more than a symbolic gesture against a seemingly anachronistic body; it would be a serious strike against the country’s unwritten constitution. Westminster is governed by rules evolved by gentlemen for gentlemen and the fact that the Commons is populated by professional politicians rather than the gentlemen amateurs of…

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Ex LAB voters in Newsnight Ipsos MORI focus groups rate Cooper top and Corbyn bottom

Ex LAB voters in Newsnight Ipsos MORI focus groups rate Cooper top and Corbyn bottom

IPSOS MORI focus groups of ex LAB voters for Newsnight finds Cooper most favoured. Corbyn lasthttp://t.co/dPd3A8Dv6J pic.twitter.com/mFnWKlH05R — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) August 28, 2015 Could the party be making a terrible mistake? Two sessions were held in Nuneaton and Croydon. These were both top targets for Labour on May 7th which they failed to win. The sessions will be shown on Newsnight this evening and be available on BBC IPlayer later. Mike Smithson Follow @MSmithsonPB Tweet

Why it is not smart making non-voters your main priority

Why it is not smart making non-voters your main priority

Basing your electoral strategy on appealing to non-voters is like trying to sell cars to people who don't drive http://t.co/CpyWEYxRts — David Boothroyd (@220_d_92_20) August 28, 2015 If you couldn’t be arsed last May then the chances are that it will be the same next time It’s a seductive strategy that all parties try from time to time – make going for non-voters the main strategy but it is a wrong one. I’d argue that it is easier to persuade…

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