David Mellor, the former Tory minister of many various portfolios under both Thatcher and Major, was on Murnaghan this weekend, talking about Theresa May and the various comparisons to Thatcher she is always receiving: “When I was a minister for four years she treated me with even more disrespect than my mother did, but Margaret […]
What will this “populist” version of Jeremy Corbyn look like then?
The Labour Party have announced that in the new year, there will be a Jeremy Corbyn “re-launch”, one positing him as a “left-wing populist”. The first thing to say is that, ironic given the content, this story is so achingly Corbyn era Labour in its design it hurts: telling the Guardian you’ll be doing something […]
Have you heard the Labour MP’s Christmas song? It’s way worse than you think
Last night, someone asked me if I’d heard the Labour Christmas record. “You mean “JC for PM for Me?” I asked. “No, the one Jarvis, Rayner and McDonagh have done about workers rights.” “Oh my God no! I must hear this immediately.” “It’s way worse than you think.” “Worse than “JC for PM for Me”?” […]
Labour’s reaction to the two by-elections tells its own tale
Following on from the Sleaford by-election, in which Labour came fourth, Labour MP for Croydon North Steve Reed said: “Labour risks becoming the party of the 0% if we manage to upset both Remainers and Leavers by equivocating our position.” It was a pithy statement I think will be remembered for years to come. For […]
What does the Sleaford North Hykeham by-election result actually mean?
Another week, another by-election – this time in Lincolnshire, where a former sitting Tory MP, Stephen Phillips, had resigned over the government’s handling of Brexit. As soon as it was called, UKIP bigged it up as a potential by-election victory; that it would demonstrate that they have what it takes to upset the apple cart, much like what happened […]
This is what Labour’s Brexit strategy should be, plain and simple
Over the last few months, I’ve had many conversations in Westminster around how appalling Labour’s handling of the Brexit debate has been. Many respond to my exhortations about Corbyn’s incompetence in this area by saying “what else could he have done?”, as if everything that has taken place since June 24th has been part of an unstoppable force […]
Why it’s inevitable that Momentum will eventually split – and what may happen afterwards
It was the big story for anyone who attended this year’s Labour conference in Liverpool: the energy at the Momentum World Transformed thing versus the feeling of death warmed over at Labour conference itself. Another narrative around this emerged, post-conference: how long until Momentum itself splits, taking down the Labour Party with it? After all, […]
How Theresa May could be walking into a trap partly of her own making
There has been a lot of speculation as to why Theresa May, upon becoming the prime minister, appointed the “Three Brexiteers” to their respective cabinet positions: Boris in the FCO, David Davis as head of the newly found Department for Leaving the European Union, and Liam Fox as Secretary of State for International Trade. Was […]
Holy crap – the Lib Dems did it. Lessons from Richmond Park
At last, a 2016 election result that does not make me despair. I am unequivocally overjoyed that the Lib Dems won Richmond Park. Top of the reasons why this makes me happy comes down to being glad that Zac Goldsmith lost. Not really because of his dreadful mayoral campaign so much as the fact that the whole […]
The latest ICM poll is beyond apocalyptic for Labour – here’s what that means
Everyone is pooing on polls these days, saying they are all terribly wrong so why should we listen to them. Only they aren’t really all that incorrect when you examine them closely. On Brexit, the telephone polls got it pretty close to bang on, while in America they said Clinton would be ahead in the […]