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Month: May 2018

Taking Back Control

Taking Back Control

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At this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, Birmingham City Council had an exuberantly floriferous display celebrating the Windrush generation.  It is a reminder (to non-gardeners at least) that many of the plants we think of as essential to the British garden come from the farthest reaches of the world.  A gentle – and quintessentially British – pastime (often unkindly seen as an activity best suited for the limbo between retirement and death) owes its beauty and variety to imports from China,…

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Esther McVey’s betting problem is why I’m taking the 20/1 on her as next out of the cabinet

Esther McVey’s betting problem is why I’m taking the 20/1 on her as next out of the cabinet

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With news of Esther McVey's betting problem you might want to take the 20/1 @LadPolitics are offering on McVey as next out of the cabinet. https://t.co/Dzuo01GnLQ pic.twitter.com/8aXBnOqpC7 — TSE (@TSEofPB) May 27, 2018 There’s a very interesting story in today’s Sunday Times about Esther McVey, the Sunday Times say Esther McVey, the work and pensions secretary, has been accused of breaching the ministerial code after she led a cabinet revolt against gambling reforms weeks after accepting hospitality from a betting firm….

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Nick Palmer ponders: What should a Brexiteer do next?

Nick Palmer ponders: What should a Brexiteer do next?

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  I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m not just a Remainer but a Europhile. I like the EU. I admire the work of the European Parliament. I would cheerfully sign up to a single European country. Nonetheless, it’s always important to see politics from different viewpoints. Suppose you are a keen Brexiteer Tory MP. You’re delighted that we voted Leave. However, it appears that the Government is inching towards a very soft Brexit. Lots of money will be…

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Why betting on the Republicans in the House mid-terms may be the right strategy

Why betting on the Republicans in the House mid-terms may be the right strategy

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Ian Whittaker on his betting plan The consensual view on the November mid-terms has been that the Democrats are favourites to win back the House in November.It is almost a given that a party that holds the White House loses seats – Clinton and Bush picked up a few seats in 1998 and 2002 but under unusual circumstances (pushback against Impeachment for Clinton, the aftermath of 9/11 for Bush). Trump disgust is seen as a powerful force for Democrats to…

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Local By-Election Review : May 24th / 25th 2018

Local By-Election Review : May 24th / 25th 2018

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Aylsham on Broadland (Con defence) Result: Lib Dem 1,018 (46% +15% on last time), Con 865 (39% +7% on last time), Lab 328 (15% -7% on last time) (No UKIP candidate this time -15%) Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative with a majority of 153 (7%) on a swing of 4% from Con to Lib Dem) Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead on Horsham (Con defence) Result: Con 661 (68% -3% on last time), Lab 158 (16%, no candidate last time), Lib…

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On another planet

On another planet

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Rebel Tory MPs have lost a sense of reality if they think an election will improve their position Politics is supposed to be the art of the possible. In one sense that’s just a truism: that which happens is, by definition, within the bounds of the possible. However, this week’s shown up again that Bismarck’s aphorism is only true to a degree. There are plenty of politicians who are not interested in the possible but only in their own priorities….

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Sajid Javid moves to second favourite to succeed Theresa May

Sajid Javid moves to second favourite to succeed Theresa May

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From a 3.7% chance to 9%+ in just 25 days Following a glowing write-up by Fraser Nelson in The Telegraph this morning there’s been a lot of been a fair bit of betting interest in the Home Secretary for next Conservative leader. This is from the Nelson piece in which he looks at how Javid is handling his new job: “His first change – rhetorical style – is relatively easy. The bigger test will be if he can win the…

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Think of this weekend on PB as being like the Thameslink changes

Think of this weekend on PB as being like the Thameslink changes

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Thanks to Liverpool getting through to the Champion’s league final and the ongoing series of strikes on SNCF – the French railway system we have a problem this weekend running PB. TSE is off to Kiev to support his beloved Liverpool while I am having to bring my holiday forward by two days so our train trip down to Andalusia won’t be disrupted by the strikes. The result is there is no one “on duty” over the weekend. So we…

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