@stephentall’s weekly Twitter updates for 2011-09-30
by Stephen Tall on September 30, 2011
Good news: Clegg gets ratings boost from ICM, up from -21% net approval to -8% (better than Miliband's -14%): http://t.co/03vOIdfJ # Bad news: Lib Dems dip back from Aug's 17% to 14% in latest ICM poll (with Lab on 38%, (…)
How to say ‘thank you’ (or ‘ta’) in 58 seconds
by Stephen Tall on September 28, 2011
Yesterday I blogged about how the University of Oxford is asking our alumni for money. But of course saying ‘Thank You’ is at least as an important part of fundraising. Here’s one approach we trialled for the first time this (…)
Asking for money by mail: here’s how Oxford’s done it
by Stephen Tall on September 27, 2011
The moment of truth is here. A couple of weeks ago, I declared: We signed it off today: the first ‘annual fund’ for the University of Oxford in a couple of decades. Well, it was mailed out on Friday, so (…)
Labour’s odd messaging: how the party was for reversing Coalition cuts before it was against them
by Stephen Tall on September 27, 2011
Mark Pack has already highlighted the pitfalls of political opponents commentating on other parties’ conferences. And he’s right of course. But it didn’t stop him, so I won’t let it stop me… I am genuinely puzzled by Labour’s key messages based on the first two days of their conference. Day 1 kicked off with the […]
Hopi Sen on the Labour party, unicorn net-catching, and student debt
by Stephen Tall on September 27, 2011
They say you should never judge the success of a budget based on its reception within the first 24 hours. Perhaps we can extend the ruling to policy pronouncements too. On Sunday, Ed Miliband vowed that Labour would ‘slash’ student (…)
Lib Dem members back Coalition on economy – but real worries about impact on public services
by Stephen Tall on September 26, 2011
Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 550 party members responded, and we’re currently publishing the full results. Large majority of Lib Dems back the Coalition’s economic policies… LDV asked: On balance, do […]
You can haz CUTE TERRAPIN VIDZ
by Stephen Tall on September 26, 2011
I learned a valuable blogging lesson earlier this year… Cute pictures of kittens score over considered articles on politics every time in terms of reader popularity. Well, I’m not so desperate for readers — yet — that I’m simply going (…)
LDVideo | Nick Clegg speaking Dutch, Spanish and German
by Stephen Tall on September 26, 2011
Today, 26th September, is the European Day of Languages. But you knew that, of course. At the initiative of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg, the European Day of Languages has been celebrated every year since 2001 on 26 September. Throughout Europe, 800 million Europeans represented in the Council of Europe’s 47 member states are encouraged […]
LDV Caption Competition | Julian Huppert “it’s all a bit of a blur” Edition
by Stephen Tall on September 25, 2011
There’s no prize at stake – just the opportunity to prove you’re wittier than any other LDV reader… Here’s rising star Dr Julian Huppert, Lib Dem MP for Cambridge, flanked by Reading councillor Daisy Benson and LibDemVoice’s own Mark Pack at a conference fringe event. What do you think they might be saying or thinking? […]
Disagreeing with Andrew Rawnsley: I’m sorry, but Ed Miliband is the very definition of cautious
by Stephen Tall on September 25, 2011
Ever since Alan Watkins’ death, the political commentator to whom I turn first and whose opinion I value most is Andrew Rawnsley. But that doesn’t mean I always agree with him, and today is a case in point. Here’s the (…)