Could he just carry on as a minister? There’s been a flurry of activity on the next cabinet exit betting market following the news that Chris Huhne has had another meeting with police and that this now in the hands of the CPS. Paddypower now make Huhne the 4/5 favourite to be first out with Ladbrokes offering 2/1. But how certain is a resignation if he’s charged? Couldn’t Huhne just say that you innocent until found guilty and just carry…
Is Glover right: the coalition could be fighting for its life? One of the best Monday morning columns today is by Julian Glover in the Guardian in which he ponders the consequences if tomorrow’s Q2 growth figures are negative. He writes: “….Everything else, more or less, is survivable: but the coalition could not outlast a collapse of confidence in its economic plans. And with ..the figures confidence will be shaken again. Climbing food and fuel prices, a domestic recovery made…
But have its detractors failed to get their case over? There’ve been lots of rumblings during the past three weeks about the size and the dominating impact impact of the BBC and, indeed, the corporation is going to be looked at as part of the post-hacking inquiries. But is there public support for its wings being clipped? One repeated complaint has been its coverage of the hacking scandal itself with many arguing that because its own interests its coverage is…
But will this improve as the media interest fades? The weekly YouGov leadership ratings for News International are just out and show a further deterioration in Cameron’s position. For the first time since becoming PM his “well” number is below 40% while his “badly” figure at 55% is the worst that he’s seen. At the end of May, just eight weeks ago, Cameron was on 48% – 46% showing a net positive of 2. Miliband’s 35% – 50% is a…
Observer Did NI really bully LDs to get the BSkyB deal? No doubt there’ll be a fair bit in the Sundays about the week’s big domestic news – the developments over New International and the Murdoch’s appearance before the commons committee. There’s a report going in the Observer saying that “….News International launched a campaign of bullying against senior Liberal Democrats in an attempt to force through the company’s bid for BSkyB, high-level sources have told the Observer..Lib Dem insiders…
How did so many lose the plot over the last decade? Banking, politics and journalism have in the last three years been engulfed in their own crises. Is this just a coincidence? In some ways yes – the problems in finance were international in scope whereas those in politics and the media were domestic – but there are still striking similarities in behaviour and timing. Ed Miliband spoke about it in quite a good speech earlier this week, which touched…
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Have we only just seen the beginning? Parliament might be in recess and MPs might be flocking to sunnier parts but judging by the past 24 hours hacking is a story that won’t go away. So much has been put on the record in recent days that it’s set off a whole series of other lines of enquiry which might or might not come to something. Where’s it all going to go? Will there be political casualties? How’s the media…