Posts Tagged “george osborne”
The polls in 2014: what they show with 133 days left til 7 May 2015
by Stephen Tall on December 24, 2014
The final polls of the year have been published — getting on for 500 have been commissioned in 2014 — and their story is told in the graph below. It shows Labour’s declining (down from c.38% to c.33%), the Tories static (at c.32%), Ukip on the rise (up from c.12% to c.16%), and the Lib […]
My top 3 Budget 2014 requests
by Stephen Tall on March 19, 2014
ConservativeHome asked me for some top lines about my wishes for George Osborne’s fifth budget today. Here they are… My top three requests: 1) No surprise this one: an increase in the personal allowance to £10,500 take more of the (…)
Marriage tax breaks: Lib Dem members oppose Conservative plans by 62% to 22%
by Stephen Tall on January 26, 2014
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 750 party members responded – thank you – and we’ve been publishing the full results. (There were a couple of results I ran out of time to […]
The Autumn Statement and the unreal economic debate in which everyone pretends the Coalition stuck to ‘Plan A’
by Stephen Tall on December 5, 2013
It’s autumn statement day. George Osborne will stand at the despatch box of the House of Commons this afternoon and present his pre-budget report. The Guardian’s Martin Kettle sums up what it’s all about: For the Conservatives, today is about redefining themselves – in the face of a run of seriously disappointing polls – as […]
The Autumn Statement and the unreal economic debate in which everyone pretends the Coalition stuck to ‘Plan A’
by Stephen Tall on December 5, 2013
It’s autumn statement day. George Osborne will stand at the despatch box of the House of Commons this afternoon and present his pre-budget report. The Guardian’s Martin Kettle sums up what it’s all about: For the Conservatives, today is about redefining themselves – in the face of a run of seriously disappointing polls – as […]
Nice try, George. But the Pupil Premium is happening only because the Lib Dems are in government
by Stephen Tall on September 30, 2013
Who has made sure the Pupil Premium is being delivered in Government? Pretty straightforward question, you might think: the Liberal Democrats. Not if you’re George Osborne, though… “I sit at that Cabinet table and I know who has really put forward the policies that are delivering a fairer society. The pupil premium to support the […]
The Tories’ 35% strategy shows they know they cannot win outright in 2015
by Stephen Tall on July 12, 2013
“The 35% Strategy”. The phrase was initially coined by Dan Hodges to decry the Labour leader’s soft-left leadership: Forget the One Nation strategy, Ed Miliband is pursuing what is known within his inner circle as the 35 Per Cent Strategy. Come 2015, he thinks he can stagger over the line with 35 per cent of […]
Budget 2013: Osborne crosses fingers and hopes ‘steady as she goes’ will come good by 2015
by Stephen Tall on March 20, 2013
Move along, nothing to see here… This was a steady-as-she-goes budget at a time when the economy is anything-but-steady. Of course as Lib Dems it’s great to welcome the final push towards lifting all those paid less than £10,000 out of income tax. As my Co-Editor Caron Lindsay notes here, this is a policy direct […]
UK loses its triple-A rating – George should’ve listened to Danny
by Stephen Tall on February 22, 2013
The BBC reports tonight’s predictable news: UK’s AAA credit rating cut to Aa1 by Moody’s The UK has had its AAA credit rating cut by Moody’s, based on its expectation that growth will “remain sluggish over the next few years”. The ratings agency became the first to lower the UK from its highest rating, to […]
