Whilst I’m enjoying some partisan party politics, someone sent me this clip from last week’s UKIP party conference. Not sure about the bit when he claims that UKIP MEP, Godfrey Bloom stood on his head but at least he was allowed to say his bit. Hurrah for freedom of speech.
This table appeared on Electoral Calculus yesterday. This is a website that averages out recent polls to make a prediction on how many seats would be won at a General Election.
Maybe it was the dismal news for the LibDems that led to this
Surely, I’m allowed a political free hit every now and again?
You may have seen this competition featured on the front page of last week’s Sutton Guardian or in my last ward newsletter.
On the day that people marched through Westminster to continue the protests against the atrocities against peaceful demonstrators in Burma, an article went up on the Sutton Guardian website about my experience at the Burmese Embassy at the end of September. I am very grateful to journalist Heather Darlington and the Sutton Guardian to diverting from their normal diet of local news to highlight such an event. You can read the article here.
I edited my previous video in a hurry before rushing to Blackpool so I have re-edited it with better sound. You can watch it here. Finally whilst I’m linking to everyone, have a quick scoot around the Burma Campaign UK website to see how you can add your voice.
Iain Dale reports that Sam Farage, son of UKIP leader and MEP Nigel, has joined Exeter University branch of Conservative Future. One sensible chap in the family then.
Gordon Brown hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory this week. Having just published a book called “Courage”, he chooses not to show any himself in ducking an election.
It has been an unedifying sight to see the Prime Minister allow election fever to continue in the media and in Westminster when he could have snuffed it out weeks ago. His trip to Iraq during the Tory Party Conference was nothing but electioneering as illustrated by the announcement that he was bringing 1000 soldiers home, depite the fact that 500 of these had already been announced and 270 were already home. The following day he “opened” a new medical centre in Basildon that had, in fact, opened three months earlier.
He has now alienated many journalists as evidenced by ITN’s Daisy McAndrew telling viewers that GB had called his “pet interviewer” (Andrew Marr) into No. 10 to tell him that there would be no election. In this interview he assures us that he never meant to have an election all along and that the polls showing a 7% swing in a single week, had no bearing on his decision. These polls included one for the News of the World showing the Conservatives ahead in the marginal seats that will swing an election. He has spent the first 100 days trying to show himself as a Statesman, dealing with admittedly difficult situations such as the terror attacks, the floods and foot and mouth. However he has undone this work in a few crazy days, when he has shown that when push comes to shove, he is just another politico that wants to play party politics. Unlike the previous situations, his love of party politics meant that he found himself like a child in a sweet shop unable to resist the temptation.
Two things shine out from this debacle. Firstly, if the PM can treat the truth and therefore the public with such disdain and condescension what will he be doing when it comes to other serious state affairs. Secondly, he has confirmed what those in Westminster knew, that he is cautious to the point of losing his best opportunity to win. This happened in 1994 when he did not contest the Labour leadership after the untimely death on John Smith and haunted him through the Blair years. The Conservative Party now has plenty of time to complete its policy review and come up with a comprehensive plan for change over and above the excellent proposals for cutting Inheritance Tax and Stamp Duty. Things won’t be getting any better for Gordon.