During his time running mayoral campaigns for Boris Johnson, Lynton Crosby famously created the "doughnut" strategy. This focused campaigning efforts on the outer boroughs of London where the Tory vote was then strongest. On the face of it, this remains the case. Of the 23 London constituencies that share a border, Labour hold just seven compared to the Tories' 13. But this is up two for Labour from 2015. There are four seats in north and east London where the Tory majority is under 5,000 (five if you include Johnson's majority of 5,034 in Uxbridge). In these, the swings at the 2017 general election range from 2.7% in Hendon and seven percent in Chingford and Woodford Green.
Read MoreThis weekend, people up and down the country will be coming together to remember Jo Cox, the Labour MP who was shot and killed by a man in the name of his extreme right wing beliefs. At The Great Get Together, friends and neighbours of all politics will come together in Jo’s name to celebrate what we have in common.
Jo was killed at a difficult time for our country. We were at the height of an extremely divisive referendum that split the country almost exactly in half. Families fell out, neighbours fought, friends stopped speaking. Since that time, particularly on the left, it has felt like this mode has been constant, with the Labour leadership contest that followed the referendum creating further splits, even between people who had campaigned side by side to remain in the EU. The recent election that followed a year later has helped bring Labour Party back together—but equally demonstrated that we remain a very divided country.
Read MoreThat was an extraordinary night. It wasn’t one I expected and I have had to eat a certain amount of humble pie. Under the circumstances, it is delicious.
Thanks to our weak and wobbly Prime Minister, we now enter a very unstable time in politics...
Read MoreThe people Labour were formed to protect, promote and provide for will be the ones hurt by the result of yesterday’s election results and the result they point to in a month’s time.
Read MoreI have recently finished All Out War by Tim Shipman. I though that Article 50 Eve might be a good time to ruminate on it.It’s a well written book. Though it’s very long it is as a result of being thorough rather than ponderous.
Read MoreIt was through non-comedic shock tactics that populists are now surging throughout the world in the name of ’the unheard people’. For example, it would now feel more daring to actively defend the role politicians play in our society than to attack it
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