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general election 2010

  • 10 Apr 2010
    Clare Short: 'Hung Parliament is what we need'

    Clare Short has become the latest political figure to suggest that a hung or ‘balanced’ Parliament would be a very positive thing.

  • 10 Apr 2010
    Ethics election poll watch: Norwich South

    There is a new poll from IPSOS/MORI out, commissioned by the University of East Anglia, for Charles Clark’s Norwich South Constituency, where the Greens are hoping to make inroads.

    The results have Greens making gains of 12 pts on the 2005 notional general election result. Labour 39 pts(+2), Conservative 20 pts(-2), Liberal Democrats 19 pts(-11), Green 19 pts(+12).

  • 10 Apr 2010
    Giving the independents a voice

    Total Politics has a short interview with Luke Wilkins who saved up his McDonald’s wages to run as an independent for Parliament.

    At 18 years old, he made a few headlines recently when it emerged he had collected together his £4.65 an hour wage from his job at McDonald's to raise the £500 deposit needed to stand.

    He is one of hundreds of independents who will be standing at this election. Many will be doing so as part of the new Independent Network, which quotes our research as part of its background and inspiration. It has been set up to provide support to the people who have no party machines behind them and so usually start from a natural disadvantage.

  • 10 Apr 2010
    Push for 'real debate' on saving public finances by cutting nuclear weapons

    Britain's best know peace campaigner will this Sunday (11th April) highlight the lack of debate during the general election campaign so far over levels of spending on nuclear weapons.

  • 10 Apr 2010
    Saturday's 'ethics election' agenda and comment

    Labour's daily press conference featuring Liam Byrne, Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper with a focus on Tory marriage tax breaks

    Vince Cable on BBC Radio 4's Today programme

    David Cameron visits Kingston Hospital in Surrey. (Lib Dem-held Richmond Park, and Kingston and Surbiton, both key target seats for the Tories).

    Gordon Brown is in his constituency of Kirkcaldy before heading to Cowdenbeath to take part in a pensioners' forum

    Grand National

  • 10 Apr 2010
    Tory tax policy on marriage will please no one

    As predicted a few days ago, the detail of the Tory policy on tax breaks for married couples which has just been announced, looks like pleasing no one.

  • 9 Apr 2010
    Tory tax breaks wouldn't support marriage, they would undermine it

    The Tory party is offering a new Tax Break for Married couples and civil partnerships in a bid to support stable relationships. The tax reform will be modest. But neither does it support marriage, it supports a certain type of marriage - one that is out of touch with modern relationships and makes for unhappy couples. If the token £150 a year actually succeeded in changing behaviour, it could increase separation and divorce.

  • 9 Apr 2010
    Greens top non-partisan policy survey

    An independent website which allows users to pick a political party based on policy alone has found that most people go for Greens with Lib Dems in second place.

  • 9 Apr 2010
    An ‘irrelevant’ argument? No, actually

    For years, the Lib Dems have struggled with the accusation of ‘irrelevance’. They have pointed out quite rightly that smaller parties struggle against an electoral system which works against them, and media which give most of the attention to the two big parties.

    For Nick Clegg to now lay into the SNP leader as "irrelevant" and a "two bit player" smacks of double standards. Nether does it do anything to encourage respect, or aid the development of a ‘new politics’. But the most important point is that it perpetuates an arrogant narrative also held by the two big parties, which suggests that smaller parties have little of value to say.

  • 9 Apr 2010
    The electoral myth of redemptive violence

    Two interesting comments so far today about the use of (verbal) violence in politics and election campaigns.

    Walter Wink amongst others, has highlighted the 'Myth of Redemptive Violence' which extends too to the words that are used, and suggests there is another, and better way - particularly when it comes to blows to the face.