Commentariat

Evidence, if it were needed, that sleaze is a monster vote loser for David Cameron and the Tories comes in a Populus poll for The Times. The good news for the Conservatives is that on current voting intentions they are…

With the vote on 42 days detention due next wednesday, it’s time for some digging. Some of the press gallery have viewed Jacqui Smith’s speech to the Parliamentary Labour Party as the turning point… Her eloquence finally bringing most of…

With the vote on 42 days detention due next wednesday, it’s time for some digging. Some of the press gallery have viewed Jacqui Smith’s speech to the Parliamentary Labour Party as the turning point… Her eloquence finally bringing most of…

So Jacqui Smith told the Matthew d’Ancona at the Spectator that “West Midlands housewives” are probably better judges of the threat of terrorism than some Labour MPs. An interesting turn of phrase considering Nick Robinson’s blog is touting her as…

Now that Boris Johnson has announced he is standing down as MP for Henley, precipitating a by-election, he now has a new title. Under one of the more wonderful of our anachronistic parliamentary conventions, MPs cannot simply resign their seats,…

On the ‘End of Alcohol on the Tube’ Party: “It has been anthropologically misunderstood…I think what we had there was a kind of exuberant Celtic style wake.” On getting rid of London’s bendy buses: “We are not bringing back the…

PMQs is back after the Whitsun recess, and as the tide continues to turn against Gordon Brown there is much for the Opposition leaders to go on. But who will emerge victorious? Will the Prime Minister rise to the challenge?…

Conservative MPs love to mock “bottler Brown”. But is the Tory leader becoming “ditherer Dave” over the Henley byelection? The Tories enjoyed their moment of gloating when Crewe and Nantwich byelection winner Edward Timpson triumphantly took his seat in the…

Another day, another poll - and yet more cause for panic in the Labour ranks. According to the Telegraph, the PM is now less popular than either John Major or Michael Foot. Hardly likely to put a smile on the…

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery Presidential hopeful Snator John McCain will be in the UK’s good books. If elected McCain has proposed that he should appear before both houses of Congress “to take questions and address criticism,…

Flicking through our Crewe and Nantwich by-election photo gallery you may have noticed a rather dapper fellow kitted out in a top hat and tails next to Edward Timpson’s campaign poster. Part of a Labour ‘dirty tricks’ campaign it emerged…

When Barack Obama won the Iowa Caucuses back in January, I cautioned against counting out Hillary Clinton too soon. Now as conventional wisdom grows that she may bow out soon after the Primary season ends on 3rd June I’d repeat…

We’re hosting another live online discussion. This one’s related to today’s fuel protest by lorry drivers attempting to blockade London. Click here to put in your penny’s worth!

Adam Boulton will be presenting live from the annual literary festival in Hay-on-Wye. Political guests include both the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband and the Welsh First Minister, Rhodri Morgan. Also on the show, the Bishop of New Hampshire, the Rev…

We’re sure Boulton & Co. readers have plenty to say about the result of the Crewe and Nantwich by-election so we’ve set up a live discussion with Adam. The discussion is live NOW. Don’t miss it! Click here to join…

Over on our main politics section Adam Boulton ponders whether the Crewe and Nantwich by-election is a turning point for the Conservatives… and David Cameron. If Cameron was to become the next British Prime Minister, would he deal with the…

Oops! Crewe and Nantwich nationwide would put nearly five times as many Tories in parliament as Labour. And leave half the cabinet on jobseekers’ allowance. So, the question goes, what’s the Prime Minister going to do about it? As a…

23:49 - The Tories are revising their estimates……upwards! With all the ballot boxes in and open Timpson’s own people are tipping him for a 20 point plus lead over Dunwoody. The Lib Dem prediction is not wildly different. It looks…

What is the point of Harriet Harman? Earlier this week, Labour’s deputy leader disowned the “Tory toff” campaign being fought by her own party in the Crewe and Nantwich by election. And now, wearing her Leader of the Commons hat,…

Here’s one of the images from a new Government ad campaign to tackle knife crime. It’s aimed at parents, calling for them to talk with their children about knives before it’s too late. What do you think? Is this an…

Daniel Finkelstein has put this graph - from Andrew Cooper at Populus - on his excellent Comment Central site at Times Online… The blue line tracks the popularity of John Major’s government from 1992 to 1997. The red one charts…

On the eve of the Crewe and Nantwich byelection, I have just bumped into Fraser Kemp, the splendid Labour MP for Houghton and Washinton East and mastermind of past byelection triumphs for his party. Sadly for the Labour Party, I…

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As the Crewe byelection approaches its boiling point on Thursday, tales are mounting of fear and loathing on the campaign trail - and that’s just between MPs from the same party. On the Labour side, known Blairites are getting no…

Everyone’s at it - after David Cameron reaffirmed his commitment to tax-cuts somewhere down the track, Nick Clegg is stepping up the rhetoric today, insisting the tax burden is currently too high, and the Lib-Dems want to reduce it. I…