Welsh Labour: deal with Plaid Cymru?
Welsh Labour politicians are denying television reports that they are prepared to strike a deal with nationalist party Plaid Cymru major concessions – albeit without entering into formal coalition – if Labour fails to win a majority in the assembly elections next week. But the denials are carefully worded, and include plenty of wriggle room, [...]
Socialist Labour Party: Welsh campaign launch
The Socialist Labour Party – which is standing in all five electoral regions in the Welsh Assembly elections next Thursday – formally launched its campaign in a Cardiff pub yesterday. As I understand it, Forward Wales, the Socialist Party, Respect and the Communist Party of Britain are all also in the running, leaving Welsh voters [...]
Trotskyists for Sarko?
Le Monde reports an opinion poll on how supporters of unsuccessful candidates for the French presidency intend to vote in the second round. It’s looking good for Sarkozy, it has to be said. He’ll mop up 83% of Le Pen’s backing, and 54% of Bayrou’s. That should just about do the job. But here’s an [...]
Bethnal Green & Bow: Labour shortlist
Bethnal Green and Bow Constituency Labour Party has named its prospective parliamentary candidate shortlist, according to East London Advertiser. The eventual winner will almost certain become the next MP once George Galloway steps down: ‘Former Tower Hamlets council leaders John Biggs and Helal Abbas have been named alongside four previously selected contestants. They now battle [...]
Insider dealing and civic responsibility
Insider dealing seems to be endemic on the London Stock Exchange. The Financial Times has analysed the standard deviation in selected share price movements over the last year, and this is what it found: ’Shares in Reg Vardy, the car dealership, rose 8.2 per cent relative to its sector four days before rival Pendragon made [...]
French presidential election: exit polls
Right, so Sarko vs Sego it is, then. No surprises there. Meanwhile, here’s the wire copy on the minor candidates: ‘Among other candidates, those on the left polled as follows, according to exit polls: Olivier Besancenot of the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) 4.1-4.7 pct; Marie-George Buffet of the French Communist party (PCF) 1.9-2.1 pct; Dominique [...]
Report from Norway
Friday night down Aker Brygge – Oslo’s West End – was absolutely kickin’. From handbag house joints to classy upmarket bars, this town’s nightlife has got the lot. My personal recommendation is the Palace Grill at Solligata 2. Nice atmosphere, seventies rock playlist, reported decent restaurant attached. If there were anywhere half as good in [...]
Trip to Norway/open thread
No post today, as I will be in Oslo until the weekend. Mostly I will be up to work-related stuff. But Friday will feature a tour of the better watering holes of the Norwegian capital with an ex-pat pal, and on Saturday I plan to visit Weksal, the village where Trotsky lived in exile. Expect [...]
Neil Kinnock on Charles Clarke’s leadership chances
The Welsh Windbag tells his former bagman not to be so stupid: ‘It isn’t reality that if Charles was to run he could secure a significant vote. I don’t know even if he could get the 44 signatures required – he may, he may not.’ Bookmark It
Greg Dyke ‘to run for London mayor’
Reports are coming in that ousted BBC boss Greg Dyke – pictured – is considering a run for mayor of London as a joint Lib-Dem/Tory candidate, in an all-out bid to oust Livingstone. There have long been stories that Dyke started his political life by selling Socialist Worker, although he has always denied them. In [...]
