It has now been a few weeks since the Liberal Democrats were, broadly speaking, humiliated at the local and European elections. This humiliation was repeated at the subsequent Newark by-election, although…
The result from the most eagerly awaited by-election of this parliament was something of an anti-climax. While parts of the leafy Nottinghamshire seat succumbed to the Ukip fever gripping the nation…
The Queen’s Speech marks the start of the fourth and final session of the 2010 Parliament. Final sessions are usually relatively uncontroversial. An approaching general election has traditionally calmed…
In a post for The Telegraph the Conservative MEP and journalist Daniel Hannan, reckons that the Liberal Democrats are finished. Referencing both William Shakespeare and Walter Scott, Hannan claims the…
Lord Oakeshott has resigned from the Liberal Democrats because he believes Nick Clegg has turned the party he loves into a party with “no roots, no principles and no values”. With these words he thrust…
It is clear from the European and local election results that there are some interesting and fairly nuanced things happening. Labour has not done as well as it expected to do – and there are a lot of people…
Two countries have synchronised their EU election and local election dates this cycle: Greece and parts of the UK (England and Northern Ireland). On May 25, Greeks vote in run-off elections in all their…
The ticking clocks and “year to go to the election” brain dumps have made the final lap of the coalition government hard to miss: there appears to be universal agreement the general election will be held…
The second Nick vs Nigel matchup was entertaining viewing for the political obsessives likely to make up most of its audience – both sides made their cases with clarity and passion. After an hour of detailed…
Most commentators agreed that Nigel Farage won round one of the Clegg vs Farage debates – if only on points. The UKIP leader was able to convey a clear message that the UK is marginalised in the EU and…
In the budget that will set the tone for the Conservatives in the run-up to the general election George Osborne needed to establish a narrative of success without removing the need for more of the same…
From September, state-funded infant and primary schools in England will have a legal duty to offer free meals at lunchtime to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2. A decision championed by deputy…
Predicting the outcome of the next general election is, at best, a risky undertaking because the game is still very much in flux. Nick Clegg’s problem is that he doesn’t have the luxury of waiting before…
If a week is a long time in politics, as Harold Wilson famously claimed, then it would seem like a hopeless task to try to predict now what might happen at the general election of May 2015. But we know…
Nick Clegg “is for in”. In for Europe, in for the economic benefits, and in for better student access to European finances. His argument is that Britain being in Europe will help the UK economy prosper…
The Liberal Democrats are in trouble. The party appears to be engaged in a very public form of hari-kiri, accelerating its own political meltdown. The heady days of 23% polling and Cleggmania in 2010 seem…
A few years ago I conducted a feminist analysis of the Liberal Democrats as my PhD thesis. During the research, people (both inside and outside of the party) would often say my project was “a bit niche…
The election to the EU Parliament in May looks likely to be nothing short of a car-crash for Britain’s main political parties. The most recent poll by YouGov suggests UKIP is well-placed to poll in second…
George Osborne’s announcement this week that a Conservative government would implement £25 billion of cuts over two years after the next election is a bold statement of intent both economically and politically…
The 1996 election campaign that brought Bill Clinton to the White House fundamentally changed the way campaigns are run in more ways than one. Clinton’s success owed much to the genius of James Carville…