By Steve Parkhurst, Senior Editor, USDR.
Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.
5-1-17
Campaign Calculus 2017: Can we actually trust the polls?
Let’s start with a confession. In 2015, Electoral Calculus predicted a hung parliament, instead of a majority Conservative government. On the Friday after the election, I received an email from a member of the public who expressed strong disappointment in the error and went on to say “given the events of yesterday I would now have difficulty believing you if your poll indicated tomorrow was Saturday”.
May must seek a mandate for more than just Brexit in this election
A strong lead in the polls is an opportunity to make difficult decisions about funding health and welfare spending.
General Election series: What the Conservative manifesto should pledge on… fiscal policy
The Conservatives 2015 general election manifesto noted that “We have cut the record deficit we inherited to five per cent of GDP, but that is still too high”. It stated: “We will control spending, eliminate the deficit, and start to run a surplus…and cut Income Tax for 30 million working people.”
Does Emmanuel Macron represent the ‘Uber-isation’ of politics?
A French friend tells me that Emmanuel Macron represents the ‘Uber-isation’ of politics. I suppose that makes Le Pen the spokesman for the black cab interest. I want to live in a country which manages a modus vivendi between these two schools of thought. If life is all Uber, it will be freer and cheaper, but also more ignorant and grotty.
4-30-17
May – “I’m very clear that I don’t want to make specific pledges on tax unless I can deliver”
She refuses to recommit to the tax lock that David Cameron reiterated at the last general election, and to the state pension triple lock.
4-29-17
The SNP have lost momentum on independence – and Nicola Sturgeon knows it
The result of the general election in England might be regarded as inevitable, with even Labour MPs telling constituents it’s safe to vote for them because Jeremy Corbyn is not going to become prime minister. But in Scotland, there’s a fierce contest going on between the SNP and the Tories, and this is where the focus of the election might move in the coming days.
20 years after Blair’s landslide victory, Corbyn should remember that he won because of tactical anti-Tory voting
Ukip announced this week that it will stand aside in tens of seats to help hardline Brexiteers, mostly Tories. We can have a regressive, anti-EU alliance, so why not a progressive, pro-EU one?
4-28-17
Be bold Labour: promise to abandon this ruinous Brexit
By offering an unambiguous plan to abort Brexit, the party would be back on the side of the 48%
4-27-17
David Cameron, that EU renegotiation sage, has little to offer Theresa May in her Brexit talks
Within days of declaring “Brits don’t quit”, David Cameron did exactly that as Prime Minister. He followed it up weeks later by quitting as an MP in order to avoid being – as he put it – a “distraction” to his successor.
Making and growing things at home
The Guardian decided to complain when I wrote on my website that were the EU to take the surprising course of seeking to damage their own trade with us, we would have plenty of options to make and grow things here for ourselves, or to import from elsewhere in the world with lower or no tariffs.
4-25-17
‘There are rivers. There are fish.’ Has Emmanuel Macron lost touch with reality?
I assume Emmanuel Macron will be the next French president. So he must now be as good as his word. If he fails, then irate French voters will surely back an extremist candidate all the way to the presidency next time. But what is his word? What does he stand for, this 39 year old who says he is neither of the Left or the Right? Sometimes it is hard to tell what he even means.
Labour has a real Brexit alternative. Now it must get the message to voters
The party will ensure that workers, consumers and the environment are protected. There will be no blank cheque for a reckless Tory Brexit
We must avoid computer chaos disrupting post-Brexit trade
It wouldn’t take much to bring our ports to a grinding halt. Here’s how we can plan ahead to secure smooth-running free trade as we leave the EU.
The demographics dividing Britain
As the campaign starts, YouGov data shows how class, age, gender, education and income will shape the electorate
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Across The Pond is edited daily by Steve Parkhurst. Steve is a political consultant, a writer at his blog as well as a Senior Editor here at US Daily Review. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveParkhurst
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