Labour recovery fades

Posted by John Rentoul Saturday, 15 November 2008 at 08:54 pm In the ComRes poll in tomorrow's Independent on Sunday the Conservative lead stretches to 11 percentage points. This is up from eight points in the last ComRes poll for the daily Independent on 28 October, and up from nine points from last month's IoS poll …

Copycat Cameron

Posted by John Rentoul Wednesday, 19 November 2008 at 12:54 pm An inconclusive engagement at Prime Minister's Questions, as the main party leaders get used to their new clothes for the Great Cross-Dressing Election of 2010. Gordon Brown redefined spending the money he intends to borrow from future taxes as "helping people", and David Cameron posed …

The game of Hillary’s footsteps

Posted by John Rentoul Thursday, 20 November 2008 at 12:47 pm Hard to decode what Hillary Clinton was doing, seeing President-Elect Barack Obama in Chicago last week. So here is Dick Morris's take: Move One: Obama Makes An Offer Move Two: Clinton Leaks the “Offer” Move Three: Obama Puts Out Mikva To Throw Cold Water on Appointment …

Green fascism

Posted by John Rentoul Thursday, 20 November 2008 at 01:19 pm One thing I got wrong in trying to answer The Big Question in The Independent this morning, was to say that "one of the most surprising" names on the leaked BNP membership list was that of someone who stood as a Green Party candidate in the 2001 and 2005 …

Jeremy Hunt for Tory leader

Posted by John Rentoul Friday, 21 November 2008 at 02:26 pm I know this is two weeks old, but it is good. And it's Friday. Jeremy Hunt was one of the 2005 Conservative intake, already in the shadow cabinet (as culture spokesman), and I am told that David Cameron thinks highly of him. After reading this excerpt from …

Early Christmas

Posted by John Rentoul Friday, 21 November 2008 at 02:54 pm Not only is there a Christmas tree in Euston station, has Matthew d'Ancona written his review of the political year, and has Barack Obama won the election, but now this ... Coldplay are to break up next year. At The New Yorker, Sasha Frere-Jones celebrates.* (Via Clive Davis.)   *[Scroll down - Ed]

The Labour Party! It’s still alive!

Posted by John Rentoul Saturday, 22 November 2008 at 08:37 pm Encouraging sign of life in Victoria Street. The Labour Party, once a fearsome campaigning organisation, has put out an attack on David Cameron that is simple, effective, web-literate and funny. Now, that's not something you see every day. Thanks, Tom Watson.

Ken Clarke’s spanner

Posted by John Rentoul Sunday, 23 November 2008 at 02:17 pm Bit of a problem for George Osborne tomorrow. Kenneth Clarke, in his interview with The Times yesterday, supported Labour's mini-Budget even before the main policy was briefed to the Sunday newspapers. The Government should, he says, consider cutting VAT to 15 per cent in the Pre-Budget Report on Monday …

Boot, foot. Biter, bit

Posted by John Rentoul Friday, 28 November 2008 at 10:35 am Outrageous, obviously, although no one yet knows the full facts behind Damian Green's arrest yesterday. But joyous too, certainly. To hear the squealing from the Conservative blogs and newspapers about the political use of the police, about how Jacqui Smith (at least) if not Gordon Brown (probably) ordered …

The only time I ever agreed with Peter Hitchens

Posted by John Rentoul Friday, 28 November 2008 at 03:27 pm Was when he wrote this in January last year: Silly people are rejoicing over the arrest of New Labour's Ruth Turner. This is wrong, dangerous and short-sighted. Just because this creepy totalitarian method has been used against someone you don't like, it doesn't mean it's right. Just …