The Poliblogs 1st August 2007

An early election? Not on Brown's watch

Peter Riddell explains clearly this morning why Gordon Brown is likely to resist the temptations of an early election. He doesn't mention cash constraints, and he's right not to. If Mr Brown needs the cash, it will be there. And, in any case, the role of cash in election campaigns is greatly over stated - this is not America.

Daniel Finkelstein

The world stage

New York: We're heading home from the Big Apple after a fascinating two days in America. Today at the United Nations, Gordon Brown looked passionate where yesterday at Camp David he looked ill at ease.

Nick Robinson

Opinion: What Brown should be saying to Bush

Recently Lib Dem leader Ming Campbell commented on three things that Gordon Brown should be saying to George Bush;

Lib Dem Voice

Deal on Darfur, and more

When we saw Gordon Brown for drinks in the Waldorf Astoria bar last night, he was brimming with enthusiasm. And who can blame him? He had just come from a successful Camp David summit at which he duffed up George Bush, and had just heard that a UN security council resolution was within reach. As I write he's fielding questions from UN ambassadors after delivering a meaty speech on reinvigorating the attempts to deliver the 2000 Millennium development goals. The UN Secretary General has just praised him as "invigorating and visionary", which is hardly surprising. The UN and its supporters must be thrilled to bits to have a British leader who is such an enthusiast for multilateralism.

Ben Brogan

BBC Poll Results Belie Claim Britain Suffers from Rampant Islamophobia

To mark next month’s sixtieth anniversary of the independence of India and Pakistan, earlier this month the BBC Asian Network commissioned a poll of 500 young British citizens of south Asian extraction, aged between 16 and 34. A control group was also polled about the same matters made up of 235 young whites of comparable age currently residing in Britain. However, the results of the poll, whch were published yesterday, leave it unclear how many of these whites were British citizens as opposed to being immigrants from the EU.

Civitas

Peter Franklin: Of kettles and car engines - why nuclear power is not the solution to energy security

National security is an all important issue, and the security of our energy supplies a vital part of this equation. Thus the Dave-baiters couldn’t believe their luck when the National and International Security Policy Group, chaired by Dame Pauline Neville-Jones – now a member of the Shadow Cabinet , appeared to contradict the Conservative leader on the subject of nuclear power.

Conservative Home

Zimbabwe inflation is at 4500 per cent as $200,000 note is issued

President Robert Mugabe's incompetence reaches new heights as the Zimbabwean bank issue a $200,000 note and the IMF predict inflation at 4,500 per cent. The new note has been issued due to the fact that the $100,000 note (pictured above) now only has an official exchange rate of $7.58 ($0.58 on Zimbabwe's black market). Mugabe has forced shop owners to slash their prices by at least half and those who refuse are fined or arrested. This master stroke has now made even the most basic of provisions extremely difficult to find on the shelves.

Daily Referendum

It really is the economy, stupid

David Cameron only has himself to blame - trying to win 'hearts and minds' while postponing hard policy debate was a dreadful mistake.

Anthony Giddons

How much damage has Miraj done?

The ongoing saga that is the Tory party took another turn today with the revelation from David Cameron that Ali Miraj, the former parliamentary candidate who had attacked his leader, had only yesterday asked to be made a peer.

Political Betting

Coming out fighting

David Cameron demonstrated that his days of Bullingdon Club destruction aren't that far behind him when he came out attacking those who have criticised him in recent days with the tried and tested method of playing the man and not the ball.

Political Hack UK

Keeping order?

So Ali Miraj, whose extraordinary criticisms of David Cameron I first reported on the Ten O'Clock News on Monday night, is struck off the list of approved candidates for the Conservative Party.

The view from the leadership, his behaviour was completely unacceptable and he therefore should be punished.

Nick Robinson

Cameron is beginning to reassert his authority

Candidates should always enjoy a certain freedom of expression. I am glad, for example, that Eurosceptic candidates are free to support the Better Off Out campaign, despite the frontbench's commitment to EU membership. Many candidates take strong positions against the Iraq war that disappoint me but I respect their convictions. There has to be certain discipline, however, in candidate-party relations. Ali Miraj's pattern of ill discipline justified CCHQ's decision to suspend him from the candidates' list.

Conservative Home

The world's biggest list of really annoying, offensive, niggling, irritating, infuriating, thoughtless, fat-headed, arrogant, anti-social behaviour

Here's your chance to perform a service to mankind. We're going to help create a nicer, more civilised society. Sort of.

Between us we are going to draw up a comprehensive list of anti-social behaviour. Not big things - murder, rape, impolite use of chemical weapons - but the small and medium sized things that make life just that bit more irritating.

Daniel Finkelstein

Brown still sending Blair abusive emails

Gordon Brown is in regular contact with his predecessor Tony Blair through a relentless stream of angry, foul-mouthed emails.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said Mr Blair's 10 years in power meant Mr Brown would always look to him as a source of raw hatred.

The Daily Mash