Election 2010
The crisis gets closer to the Tories
The news that Neil Wallis was informally advising Andy Coulson without the knowledge of any of the other senior figures in the Tory party is a reminder of just how… Continue reading
39 CommentsFrom the archives – Labour’s road to recovery
The coalition is just a year old and Coffee House compiled an exhaustive Coalition A to Z to mark the occasion. It’s also a year since the Labour leadership saga… Continue reading
3 CommentsWhy Osborne is so interested in merging income tax and National Insurance
When trying to understand George Osborne Budgets, you need to bear in mind the mantra that he and his team live by: in opposition you move to the centre, in… Continue reading
50 CommentsEveryone got the invitation, but the Tories had omitted the dress code
ConHome has published its latest members’ survey. Its (admittedly unscientific) findings into respondents’ recollections of floating voters at the last election have reopened the debate about why the Conservatives didn’t… Continue reading
27 CommentsWrong to be too Right
From a right-wing perspective, there are several things wrong with David Cameron’s leadership – not least the fact that he did not win the 2010 election outright. As an unassailable… Continue reading
46 CommentsThe political year in ten videos
With Westminster winding down for Christmas, and Coffee House with it, it’s probably time to start looking back on the year in politics. In which case, here’s an opener: a… Continue reading
3 CommentsLaws on the formation of the coalition: Labour were simply too divided
David Laws has responded to Andrew Adonis’ partisan review (no link apparently) of 22 Days in May. Laws’ account of the formation of the coalition and its infancy in government.… Continue reading
18 CommentsWho got good value-for-money in the general election?
Coffee House has wrung today’s party expenditure figures through the calculator to produce the colourful graphs below. As the headings suggest, they show how much was spent by each party*… Continue reading
14 CommentsMandy, Gordon and The Thick of It
Hannah Rothschild’s BBC4 programme following Peter Mandelson during the months running-up to the election was, like almost everything involving the Prince of Darkness, a hoot. But, blimey, there were parts… Continue reading
5 CommentsDo Newspapers Influence Elections?
Alex Barker notes that despite the Guardian’s endorsement of the Liberal Democrats this year (still richly amusing!), the Lib Dems actually won a smaller share of the Guardian-reader vote in… Continue reading
6 CommentsThe coalition faces a by-election test
The court’s decision that the Oldham East and Saddleworth election must be re-run because Phil Woolas was guilty of illegal practices under election law presents the coalition with a dilemma.… Continue reading
29 CommentsWhy the Tories didn’t win
Courtesy of John Rentoul, Tim Bale, professor of politics at the University of Sussex, offers this appraisal of the 2010 election: ‘For all the talk in opposition of decontaminating the… Continue reading
23 CommentsWhy Cameron’s conference speech is vital
Forget Ed Miliband’s promise of ‘optimism’ – a mantra that became so repetitive it had me reaching for the Scotch and revolver. Philip Collins has delivered a far more cutting… Continue reading
19 CommentsWhat to make of Warsi’s electoral fraud claim?
Exactly as the headline says, really. Interviewed by Mehdi Hasan in this week’s New Statesman, Sayeeda Warsi claims that the Tories "lost" at least three seats in the election because… Continue reading
29 CommentsAgainst the Political and Constitutional Reform Bill
MPs are back today from their long summer recess, and the Political and Constitutional Reform Bill is right at the top of the agenda. This is likely to dominate politics… Continue reading
16 CommentsThe man who would be shadow international development secretary
Guido says that Gordon Brown wants to become shadow international development secretary. This rumour is uncorroborated, as far as I can gather, and I’m sure it’s a joke. But I… Continue reading
29 CommentsMPs in four-letter tirades against IPSA staff
The new parliament has drawn its teeth but the MPs’ expenses scandal continues. Throughout June and July, Westminster rumbled with aggravation about IPSA. There were whispers of MPs flying off… Continue reading
27 CommentsFuel Poverty and the Winter Fuel Allowance
The Winter Fuel Allowance was an emotive part of the election campaign, with Labour accusing the Tories of planning to scrap it and David Cameron promising not to. At no… Continue reading
31 CommentsThe Price of Nick Clegg’s Success
As Pete says, Danny Finkelstein’s column (£) today is characteristically excellent. The problems facing the Liberal Democrats now and, perhaps, at the next election are problems caused by success, not… Continue reading
2 CommentsClegg confirms his fiscal hawkishness
Nick Robinson’s documentary on the coalition negotiations is just under four hours away, but I suspect we’ve already heard about one of its key moments. As various outlets are reporting… Continue reading
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