Labour U-Turn as Tories Take 18 Point Lead

Two bits of big news.

The government has taken a U-turn on the 10p tax rate as pressure mounted from backbench Labour MPs. Darling announced measures to compensate those hit worst by the abolition of the 10% rate on Wednesday, although he didn't mention anything specific. Labour MPs were informed by flyers handed out just before Prime Minister's Questions, presumabley to stop backbenchers from asking embarrassing questions of Gordon Brown in the chamber.

In today's Telegraph, the Conservatives are shown to have extended their lead over Labour to 18 percentage points. The Tories are polled on 44%, with Labour on 26 and the Lib Dems on 17. You'll notice that the sum of Labour and Lib Dem support is now lower than that of the Conservatives, giving them the majority of the popular vote of the three main parties. If repeated in a general election, the Conservatives would win a landslide majority of 154 seats.

The English and Welsh local elections take place on Thursday 1 May. Remember to get out and vote, whoever you are voting for.

JR

Today's Weather - Rain and Showers!

As you might have guessed, the first match of the season was called off because of the wet weather.

The problem with Cricket is the comparatively small amount of rain that has to fall before play is suspended. The only game I can think of that requires more protection from the weather is Tennis.

The forecast isn't looking so good either, so it could be a week or so before I get to play.

When I do get a match, you'll find out here!

JR

Is Brown Less Popular Than Hitler?

Gordon Brown's approval ratings have dropped faster and further than Neville Chamberlain's when Hitler invaded Norway in 1940.

Chamberlain's ratings dropped 48 points (+21 to -27) in six months in early 1940, while Brown has fallen a huge 85 points (+48 to -37) in the same period of time this year. The joke being that he is now even less popular than Hitler was at the time of Chamberlain's nose dive.

Now I suspect that had the British public been asked about Hitler's popularity in 1940 then he would have polled much lower than -37, however what is clear is the reason behind this sharp drop for Brown.

If there was one thing that Brown was credited for in the ten years he was Chancellor, then it was the stability of the economy. But after the Northern Rock crisis and the current global credit crunch, Brown has been found to have failed to save for the rainy days.

It's the equivalent of being promoted to a higher paid position ten years ago, going out every weekend and spending the extra cash and even taking an expensive holiday and paying for it on your credit card. You then find that you've been made redundant on the same day that your credit card bill arrives and just to cap it off, your house is found to have a major structural defect that means it will fall down within six months, unless thousands of pounds are spent on putting it right.

There's no money left in the taxpayer's wallet, and government borrowing is at 39% of GDP (just short of the 40% limit Gordon set for himself in 1997). So taxes are having to rise just at the time when the people haven't got the money to pay for it.

Come back Tony, all is forgiven!

JR

India's Premier Twenty20 Competition

The Indian Premier League began today with a sell out 55,000 crowd at Bangalore and millions more on television.

I can see all one-day Cricket being 20 overs a side in the not too distant future. The only problem with that is the possibility that Test Cricket might go into decline. Of course it might have the opposite effect, with more people being introduced to the game with Twenty20, going on to follow the test matches also.

Time only will tell.

JR

Conference Report

Sorry for the delay, however the first item in my report is the sore throat that was effecting me throughout conference, and ever since.

OK, lets get the big one out of the way; The Governance Review.

Unfortunately the ratification of the core constitution, which required a two-thirds majority, fell by 23 votes. That's twelve delegates short (assuming those delegates changed their votes; from no, to yes).

Sixty-six percent of delegates voted for change (remember, 66.7% was required to pass), but this didn't stop the hard left from claiming that the review had been "rejected".

Those of you that study, or are interested in, language, will already know that something that isn't one thing doesn't mean that it's automaticly the opposite. For example, if something is not white then it isn't necessarily black! So using the same theory, the governance review didn't pass, but it doesn't mean it was rejected. Mind you, the far left have never quite got that Labour are not right wing. Honestly, the Tories (mostly) aren't even right wing ... but that's an argument for another post!

Moving on now; I had a speech to do (even with the sore throat), that was on sport coaching in the community. Good enough for a maiden speech I thought. The motion passed anyway!

Other than that, I had a lot of fun when I wasn't coughing myself to death (and probably annoying the other delegates around me). Highlights have to include Wednesday night's comedy routine, and Wes in the chair (truely amazing)!

Those of you who know me will already be aware that I am a member of the Conservative Party. However, that shouldn't preclude me from voting for members of Labour Students (and it didn't) in the NEC and committee elections. I also know that the Organized Independents tend to be members of the Labour Party (although not always Labour Students). However I was still asked why I was voting for them!

Simply, student politics has two basic camps, the far left (Respect, SWP et al.) and the moderates (Labour, Lib Dem, most true independents, and probably a surprisingly high amount of Tories). Obviously I place myself in the latter camp, so even though I'm not in the Labour faction, I will quite happily vote for their candidates.

If you still don't understand, tough!

Cricket season starts this weekend. Here's hoping for a dry summer.

JR