No sooner had Ed unveiled his £6,000 tuition fees policy than Jim confirmed the Labour agenda was different in Scotland. It shows how entrenched the differences now are north and south of the border
As polling day approaches, the main parties face an electorate that is deeply dissatisfied with politicians in general. It’s best to be cautious about reading too much into polls but the latest two do…
Alan Milburn, Labour health secretary from 1999 to 2003, has caused quite a stir by attacking the party over its plans for the NHS. In an interview with the BBC, Milburn warned that Labour risked repeating…
The horrific murder of four Jewish men in a Paris supermarket has understandably provoked a debate about levels of anti-Semitism throughout Europe, including, of course, the UK. According to some campaigning…
Eunice Goes, Richmond American International University
Ed Miliband’s promise to hold four million doorstep chats with voters during this year’s electoral campaign was met with derision by some commentators. The Guardian mockingly calculated that the Labour…
May’s general election is widely being viewed as one of the most unpredictable in living memory. Yet there is one prediction that can probably be safely made – the campaign in Scotland will be a very distinct…
Ed Miliband has kicked off the 2015 election campaign with a new strategy. He’ll be shunning glossy advertising to meet people at their doors. But it’s already clear that he will have to fight to be heard…
Alan Gamlen, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Ed Miliband has admitted that Labour is “on a journey” when it comes to immigration. He has promised that his party “will never again turn our backs on people who are worried about immigration” but also…
So the bookies were right. The new leader of Labour in Scotland is indeed Jim Murphy. The challenge from Neil Findlay (less so Sarah Boyack) wasn’t enough to produce an upset. Not only is the future of…
Polling is shortly to close in the battle to become the next Scottish Labour leader, the result of which will be announced on December 13. Given the party’s position in the polls, whoever takes on this…
While the dust settles on the proposals just published by the Smith Commission into extending new powers to the Scottish parliament, attention now turns to the final key political event north of the border…
Eunice Goes, Richmond American International University
As prime minister David Cameron works on the finishing touches of his much-awaited speech on Europe and immigration he is under considerable pressure from his backbenchers and some frontbenchers to signal…
Another very bad week for Ed Miliband, which has ended with resignation of the shadow attorney-general, Emily Thornbury, over her “sneering” tweet during the Rochester and Strood by election, got off to…
Eunice Goes, Richmond American International University
If we’ve learned anything from Labour backbenchers over the past four-and-a-half years it’s that being in opposition can seriously damage your cognitive abilities. At least, that appears to be the only…