So, Gord drove to see an old lady - who can't vote - she said alright and Gord drove back. Welcome to the 2010 campaign.
In the meantime, and rather cynically to steal media attention, don't call me Dave jumped up and set out his campaign. Yes, just him. In contrast, Gord wheeled out the cabinet. (Mandy and Jowell seemed particularly bored). Nick seemed slightly confused and only later grabbed his wife - Vince - and managed a rather lacklustre speech.
So, what is the state of play after the first day?
Dave drove home the National Insurance row, after Gordon dropped the NI bomb during a GMTV interview (hard-hitting it was too). Speaking at a Warburton's factory in Bolton, Cameron repeated the need not to risk economic recovery.
Gordon spent most this afternoon rowing back in media interviews on his NI position. Constitutional reform also suddenly popped up again.
Nick visited my neck of the woods - Liverpool Wavertree. After a quick 10 minutes tour of a community centre, he attacked the Tories and Labour. Interestingly, he didn't shy away from a full on attack on Labour during the last PMQs - accusing them of blocking reform etc.
Labelled as the 'new Militant tendency', Unite have come into CCHQ's firing line for their links to Labour MPs and, specifically, Gordon - following the announcement of BA strikes.
Having just written a chapter on Militant for my impending dissertation, I find the Gove announcement interesting.
Firstly, it seems to affirm that Gove is indeed in the 'A List' - a group of Tories who will be wheeled out across the country to demonstrate that the Tories have changed. Eric Pickles, the party's chairman, has been left out.
Secondly, in invoking the idea of Militant tendency, with their entryist strategy and Trotskyite ideology, the Tories are attempting to highlight Labour own funding 'issues' - much the same as Labour has down with Lord Cashcroft.
It does say a lot though that the most effective tactic the 'new' Tories seem to have is to attack Union funding...
Nevertheless, it does raise interesting prospects for the post-election environment and it seems to suggest that the Unions have once again become a rattling stick for the Tories.
An ill fitting union
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The defection of Natalie Elphicke looks like a short term mistake by
Starmer. I don’t think this is because voters dislike defectors as Opinium
note ‘The p...
Looking Forward to the Fowey Festival, 17-18 May
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[image: Fowey]
I first appeared at the Fowey Festival at least 20 years ago. My role was
to interview Ann Widdecombe about one of her novels. I fell i...
Conservatives whistling in the dark
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All but one mayoralty taken except Tees Valley, where the victor did not
identify as a Conservative; all council targets taken by Labour except
Harlow; t...
How to improve your poker game - use my software!
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One of the reasons I haven't posted much political content on here in the
last year or two is because I have been very busy head down on my latest
softwar...
Back to Blogging...
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...in which it's another new year.
It appears there's no way of stopping new years arriving, It also appears
that even though I know it's entirely a fiction...
Sorry About This
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I'm sorry about this- though regualr visitors will already have made the
obvious conclusion- but I've stopped posting on my blog. I've been doing it
since...
So long....
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Dear Readers,
Thanks for supporting this blog over the last few years. Writing it has
been an absolute pleasure, though the time has come to shut this part...
Eurozone: UK ready to back IMF bailouts
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Britain is standing by to give more money to the IMF so that it can, in
turn, lend more money to Eurozone countries like Greece, Italy or Spain who
are str...
Now for something completely different...
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This is my last blog in this format. I'm getting a new picture and a new
biography, but the good news is that you still get me - here....
Too Human To Keep Going
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Too Human has been sitting in my pile of un-played games for quite some
time. The combination of tales of astronomical development costs, a great
story roo...