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general election 2010

  • 9 Apr 2010
    How powerful is your vote?

    How powerful is your vote? There's now a new website which can tell you.

    In the 2005 election, more than half of all voters voted against their winning MP. There were an estimated 25 million wasted votes, which were 'thrown away'.

    In the absence of a proportional voting system, in the UK, the voters with real power to choose the government are those who live in marginal constituencies, and these are who the main parties and media focus on.

  • 9 Apr 2010
    Plaid Cymru call time on 'politics as usual' in 'the Westminster bubble'

    Plaid Cymru, the Party of Wales, said that it was "time to burst the Westminster bubble" as it launched its UK election campaign platform yesterday.

  • 9 Apr 2010
    Friday's 'ethics election' agenda and comment

    7.00am Nick Clegg on GMTV

    8.10am David Cameron on Radio 4 Today Programme

    10.15am David Cameron and Boris Johnson at campaign event in West London

    10.30am Gordon Brown speech at Labour campaign event

    Gordon Brown's battle bus begins to make its way around the country

    Nick Clegg returns to his constituency of Sheffield Hallam

    David Cameron will visit a business in Aberdeen.

    Brown will use a speech this evening on economy to reject claims that the bulk of tax rises could be avouded by 'efficiencies'.

    Most MPs back in their constituencies after Parliament prorogued yesterday

    You can follow the party leaders around the country today and see how narrow their focus is on a small number of 'marginal' constituencies, with the Electoral Reform Society: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/11752

  • 8 Apr 2010
    David Cameron’s ‘maximum wage’ could affect around 200 people (possibly)

    A few weeks ago I argued on BBC1’s Big Questions for a ‘maximum wage’ – a link between the lowest paid workers and the highest paid, to tackle inequality. The idea has been proposed by the New Economics Foundation.

    Writing in today’s Guardian David Cameron seems to be advocating it for the public sector:

  • 8 Apr 2010
    'Efficiency savings'? This row is about people, not numbers

    The row over the proposed National Insurance increase has continued today, which some are interpreting as small change. It is true that £6 billion isn’t very much compared to the overall annual Government budget of hundreds of billions.

    What has become lost in the row - and is symptomatic of a much wider problem with many election issues - is that this is about people’s lives. To put things in a different perspective, £6 billion is also what it costs to employ 300,000 people a year on £20,000.

  • 8 Apr 2010
    Ethical election games: 'Follow the Leader'

    The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) have produced a fantastic tool which will highlight how the big party leaders will be spending their time this election - targeting a very small number of marginal seats. It will be very revealing about where their values lie.

  • 8 Apr 2010
    Candidates urged to break silence over political reform

    Candidates are being urged to openly declare their views on reforming politics, following yesterday’s policy announcements by Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

  • 8 Apr 2010
    ‘Come out posh boy’ Cameron told over gay rights

    Tory leader David Cameron has been invited to ‘Come Out’ on gay rights by campaigners for human rights and equality.

  • 8 Apr 2010
    BBC Today Programme stoking immigration debate?

    Those who want a sensible debate about migration would have been frustrated by The Today Programme stoking up the issues this morning when John Humphrys interviewed Gordon Brown.

  • 8 Apr 2010
    Michael Caine: 'Self-Preservation Society' or 'Big Society' ?

    The Tories brought out Michael Caine to their press conference this morning alongside David Cameron, which raises serious questions about the extent to which they believe 'we are all in this together'.

    What message does this send? As well as showing how willing some parties are to embrace the cult of celebrity, it also shows how Cameron (and Caine) are reluctant to tackle the issue of growing inequality. This seems to be more about the 'Self-Preservation Society' than the 'Big Society'.