ICM: the ‘gold standard’ pollster?
by Stephen Tall on April 27, 2015
It’s not just the political leaders whose careers are on the line on 7th May – so are the pollsters’ reputations. Never before in the UK has an election been as polled as this one — well over 2,000 in (…)
LibDemVoice Fantasy Football League: how it stands after Week 33
by Stephen Tall on April 25, 2015
It’s election time, so first here’s a bit of political commentary… Labour/Tory election battle looks a bit like Man Utd/City prem campaign. Reds' success only relative. Neither anywhere near winning title. — Stephen Tall (@stephentall) April 22, 2015 Now, back (…)
Happy birthday, Trollope!
by Stephen Tall on April 24, 2015
It’s 200 years to the day since Anthony Trollope was born. I was first introduced to Trollope — like any other, ordinary 13 year-old — in 1990, when BBC2 repeated The Barchester Chronicles, Alan Plater’s adaptation of the first two (…)
The 8 seats where I’d consider voting tactically – Conservative or Labour – to keep out Ukip
by Stephen Tall on April 24, 2015
Tim Montgomerie has (apparently) risked expulsion from the Conservative party for declaring “If I lived in Sheffield Hallam I’d definitely vote for Nick Clegg” – quite a turnaround for a commentator who said last year “The Lib Dems must ditch Nick (…)
My must-reads this week April 24, 2015
by Stephen Tall on April 24, 2015
Here’s some of the articles that have caught my attention this week… The polls could decide the fate of the Lib Dems – Spectator Blogs Can’t follow logic here: Lib Dem MP in Tory-facing seats thinks s/he’s more at risk (…)
Lib Dem manifesto 2015 – my takes for The Times and Total Politics
by Stephen Tall on April 19, 2015
This week was Manifesto Week — curb your excitement — and I offered my views on what the Lib Dems have to say to the electorate over at The Times’s Red Box blog… Commitments to balance the budget, cut taxes (…)
LibDemVoice Fantasy Football League: how it stands after Week 32
by Stephen Tall on April 18, 2015
Congratulations to George Murray, whose Marauding Fullbacks again top the LibDemVoice Fantasy Football League after Week 32, with 1,925 points. Meanwhile, Jon Featonby (1,856), Mark Widdop (1,829), Sam Bowman (1,827) and Edward Douglas (1,826) vie for the number two slot. (…)
For the benefit of Michael Crick – why Clegg wasn’t at the BBC’s challengers’ debate
by Stephen Tall on April 17, 2015
Political journalist Michael Crick was in apologetic mood this morning: It is a big failing on my part & other broadcasters that none of us have really discovered or explained why Clegg wasn’t there last night — Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) (…)
What should be the next government’s top priority for education?
by Stephen Tall on April 17, 2015
‘What should be the next government’s top priority for education?’ That was the question I was asked by the Association of Charitable Foundations for their April 2015 magazine, Trust and Foundation News, wearing my day-job hat as development director of (…)
‘One Hundred Days for Early Action’. Why evidence-based policy is a ‘Yes, but…’ way forward
by Stephen Tall on April 13, 2015
Alongside folk like Polly Toynbee, Gus O’Donnell and Richard Layard, I have a chapter in One Hundred Days for Early Action: Time for Government to put prevention first, published this weekend by the Early Action Task Force. Here’s how the (…)