Fifty years on the campaign trail
What I’ve learned from five decades of reporting on British elections.
ByLocal elections
Labour is yet to win over the north
Also this week: red-on-red mayor wars, lessons from the locals, and Michael Gove’s hanging baskets.
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The Tory doomscroll
Dismayed by the local elections, Conservatives fear the party faces not only electoral defeat but a crisis of identity.
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Labour has triumphed but it should reflect too
The voters who abandoned Keir Starmer’s party are an early warning of potential trouble ahead.
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The Tories need to avoid false comfort
Labour’s victories in Yorkshire and the East Midlands are far more telling than Ben Houchen and Andy Street’s survival.
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Should Rishi Sunak really celebrate Ben Houchen’s victory?
The Tees Valley mayor only won by running against the Prime Minister.
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The Tories are doomed but Rishi Sunak is safe
Even the Prime Minister’s biggest opponents recognise that a change of leader will not save the Conservatives.
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What the local elections mean for Westminster
If Andy Street and Ben Houchen can hold on, Rishi Sunak will claim that defeat is not inevitable.
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The Tories are facing a moment of great peril
Rishi Sunak may gamble on a summer general election if he fears being removed by Tory MPs.
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A bluffer’s guide to rural politics
Initially a reluctant candidate for a Herefordshire Council seat, I discovered the camaraderie, conflict and thrill of local elections.
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Have the Conservatives already lost the next election? With Andrew Marr and David Gauke
The local elections may have confirmed one thing: the writing is on the wall for the government.
The Tory right says the quiet part out loud
Day two of the National Conservatism conference offered an unnerving insight into our ruling party.
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PMQs: Keir Starmer enjoys a victory parade
The Labour leader relished Rishi Sunak’s electoral woes.
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Who’s afraid of a Lib-Lab coalition?
With the country displaying a strong anti-Tory mood, neither Keir Starmer nor Ed Davey is ruling out an electoral pact…
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Why Labour is winning back Leave voters
The local elections vindicated the party’s strategy of minimising Brexit and focusing on the cost of living.
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A bad night for the Conservatives at the local elections
The Tories are under siege in both Red Wall and Blue Wall
Rishi Sunak, not Keir Starmer, is now the leader under pressure
A resumption of the Tory civil war would be yet another gift for the ever-fortunate Labour leader.
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The Tories’ voter ID laws have damaged our democracy
Far too many of those who were needlessly turned away at polling stations did not return to vote.
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The local election results suggest Keir Starmer is heading for No 10
Labour has made considerable gains on its 2019 performance including in key Leave areas.
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What does Keir Starmer stand for?
The Labour leader lacks a big idea that encapsulates how he will run the country.
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