Polls for the 2015 general election have just closed and ballot papers will be on their way to counting stations across the country. I’m going to stick my neck out and make a few predictions before the results start to come in. UKIP: I suspect they will hold on to their current seats and perhaps pick […]
The future of rail in the North
This week the Department for Transport released a document entitled Transforming the North’s Railways, which is a summary of responses to a consultation carried out in June 2014 and the specifications in the tender documents issued to the bidders shortlisted for the Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE) franchises. This document is important for two reasons. First […]
Upcoming by-elections and UKIP
Two defections and a death have provided UKIP with three by-elections in which to secure its first representation at Westminister. Nigel Farage is no doubt rubbing his hands with glee that, like buses, he has waited years for such opportunities and then three come along at once. Clacton A seaside resort with one of the […]
Why the independence referendum wasn’t rigged
Apparently there are some people out there who believe that the recent referendum on Scottish independence was rigged – presumably in favour of the ‘no’ vote. This is a serious allegation, and I’d like to explain why electoral fraud (impersonation, fake ballot papers, collusion etc.) is extremely difficult on a small scale, and pretty much […]
Scottish independence and the European Union
With the referendum on Scottish independence less than two weeks away, a second key question – almost as important as the currency question, and in many ways interdependent – is what will happen to Scotland’s membership of the European Union in the event of a ‘yes’ vote? One option would be for Scotland to be […]
What currency for an independent Scotland?
One of the key questions regarding the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence is: what currency will Scotland use if the ‘yes’ vote prevails? At present, Scotland uses the same currency – sterling – as the rest of the UK, albeit with some minor quirks such as a one pound note and different designs for other […]
UKIP’s first MP?
The normally quiet summer season was shattered yesterday by the defection of Douglas Carswell, MP for Clacton, from the Conservatives to UKIP. The announcement came out of the blue to most of the media, though it had clearly been planned for some time, given that Nigel Farage had a press conference lined up to which […]
Boris Johnson wants to be an MP (again)
Anyone with the slightest interest in politics or current affairs will have heard that Boris Johnson is planning to make a return to the Commons by standing for election as an MP in May next year. So important was the blond mop-top’s announcement that it even made it into the BBC ‘breaking news’ email. To […]
How are the party leaders faring?
The return after the summer recess will signal the beginning of the run-up to the general election, which, thanks to fixed-term parliaments, we know will take place on the 7th May 2015. So how are the party leaders faring at this crucial point in the electoral cycle? David Cameron At long last, the economy appears […]
Newark by-election results
Yesterday voters in the Nottinghamshire constituency of Newark went to the polls in a by-election caused by the resignation of the former Conservative MP Patrick Mercer. This was considered a traditional Conservative seat – though it did switch to Labour for one term in 1997 – and with a majority of 16,000 the party was […]