Arise, Sir Vince: Cable’s back – and he’s still worrying about the economy Former business secretary Vince Cable may now be Sir Vince, after he was awarded a knighthood for his political and public service in last month's dissolution honours list – but he is still worrying about the economy. Cable, who was ousted from his Twickenham seat after 18 years in May during a bloodbath for the Liberal [...]
Institute for Public Policy Research: Re-draw the UK’s constituency map to get rid of safe seats and boost voter turnout Safe parliamentary seats should be scrapped to boost voter turnout, according to a new report out today. In the report, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank argues that the Boundary Commission’s responsibilities should be expanded to “consider the electoral competitiveness of a seat when reviewing constituency boundaries”. The Boundary Commission, which is responsible [...]
General Election 2015: Ukip is much more popular than its one parliamentary seat lets on It's been a terrible day for Ukip, after it managed to secure just one parliamentary seat in the General Election. Former Conservative MP Douglass Carswell, who held onto his seat in Calcton, was the party's only successful candidate. Even and Nigel Farage failed to beat the Conservative candidate in Thanet South. Yet if you [...]
Devolution is coming: Now the Midlands needs to make the most of it June 25, 2015 Speaking outside Number 10 on 8th May, the Prime Minister declared that his new government’s mission was “ensuring this recovery reaches all parts of our country.” At Birmingham Airport, we are clear that unlocking new growth in our region means supporting new direct aviation connectivity opportunities around the world. This is why we are focused [...]
Nick Clegg has no regrets about going into coalition with the Conservatives June 25, 2015 Nick Clegg has insisted he has "no regrets" about being in government, saying he did not destroy the Liberal Democrats and that changing leader would not have helped. In his first interview since his party was virtually wiped out at the election, the Sheffield Hallam MP conceded that he left his party at a low [...]
Ukip could face £20,000 fine over General Election funding debts June 21, 2015 Ukip is struggling to fill a £500,000 black hole in its finances, after overspending during the General Election. According to The Independent on Sunday, a source said the party had “lost control” of its finances during the election. It must balance its election books by 6 July or face a possible reprimand under the Political [...]
Grant Shapps sockpuppet whistleblower Richard Symonds forced out by Wikipedia committee June 8, 2015 The man behind the claims that Grant Shapps was favourably editing his own Wikipedia page (and doing down his political rivals) has had all his privileges revoked. In the run-up to the General Election, Wikipedia blocked the account Contribsx, saying it suspected it of being used by Shapps or someone “under his clear direction”. [...]
David Cameron’s first PMQs in full Tory goverment: The bunfight returns June 3, 2015 The economy took centre stage during David Cameron's first Prime Minister's questions in this parliament – but if the electorate was looking for any particular commitments to anything, they would have been left frustrated. Several new MPs were welcomed to the weekly bun-fight but the rhetoric on both sides was all business as usual. [...]
Bargains galore: Ukip’s summer sale is now on June 2, 2015 Roll up, roll up, it's the Ukip summer sale, and there are just a handful of bargains left for the discerning kipper… Nigel Farage may have got the backing of some big-name donors in the run up to the General Election, but that isn't stopping the purple party looking to make a bit of [...]
Metropolitan police release images of men in connection with Douglas Carswell attack June 2, 2015 Police have released the images of three men in connection with the verbal attack on Ukip MP Douglas Carswell last week. Carswell was caught up during the anti-austerity protests that took place around Whitehall and St James' Park following the Queen's Speech last Wednesday. Demonstrators chanted “Ukip racist” and “don't come this [...]