General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: 9. Bedfordshire

  • 24 Apr 2017

Seats: 6 Current Political Makeup: Con 4, Lab 2 Predicted Political Makeup after June 8: Con 5, Lab 1 Revised: Con 4, Lab 2 BEDFORDSHIRE 1. Bedford 2010 Result: Conservative: 17546 (38.9%) Labour: 16193 (35.9%) Lib Dem: 8957 (19.9%) BNP: 757 (1.7%) Green: 393 (0.9%) UKIP: ...

My 20 Pieces of Advice to First Time General Election Candidates

  • 24 Apr 2017

This is a rehash of a blog I wrote at the beginning of the 2010 election campaign, having just re-read my blogposts from the 2005 election, when I was Conservative candidate in North Norfolk. The experience brought back lots of memories – not all of them bad! But it did make ...

General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: 8. Northumberland

  • 24 Apr 2017

NORTHUMBERLAND Seats: 4 Current Political Makeup: Con 2, Lab 2 Predicted Political Makeup after June 8: Con 2, Lab 2 1. Berwick upon Tweed 2010 Result: Conservative: 14116 (36.7%) Labour: 5061 (13.2%) Lib Dem: 16806 (43.7%) BNP: 1213 (3.2%) UKIP: 1243 (3.2%) MAJORITY: 2690...

General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: 7: Central London

  • 24 Apr 2017

LONDON CENTRAL Seats: 6 Current Political Makeup: Con 2, Lab 4 Predicted Political Makeup after May 8: Con 3, Lab 3 Cities of London & Westminster 2010 Result: Conservative: 19264 (52.2%) Labour: 8188 (22.2%) Lib Dem: 7574 (20.5%) Green: 778 (2.1%) UKIP: 664 (1.8%) E...

General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: 6: Scotland - Borders & Ayrshire

  • 23 Apr 2017

Scotland – Borders & Ayrshire Seats: 7 Current Political Makeup: SNP 6, Con 1 Predicted Political Makeup after June 8: SNP 4, Con 3 North Ayshire & Arran 2010 Result: Conservative: 7212 (15.6%) Labour: 21860 (47.4%) Lib Dem: 4630 (10%) SNP: 11965 (25.9%) Others:...

General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: 5: Wales - Gwynedd & Powys

  • 23 Apr 2017

Gwynedd Seats: 3 Current Political Makeup: Lab 1, Plaid Cymru 2 Predicted Political Makeup after June 8: Plaid Cymru 3 1. Arfon 2010 Result: Conservative: 4416 (16.9%) Labour: 7928 (30.4%) Lib Dem: 3666 (14.1%) Plaid Cymru: 9383 (36%) UKIP: 685 (2.6%) MAJORITY: 1455 (5.6%)...

General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: 4. Somerset

  • 22 Apr 2017

SOMERSET Seats: 5 Current Political Makeup: Con 5 Predicted Political Makeup after June 8: Con 5 1. Bridgwater & Somerset West 2010 Result: Conservative: 24675 (45.3%) Labour: 9332 (17.1%) Lib Dem: 15426 (28.3%) BNP: 1282 (2.4%) Green: 859 (1.6%) UKIP: 2604 (4.8%) Inde...

General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: 3. Cornwall

  • 21 Apr 2017

CORNWALL Seats: 6 Current Political Makeup: Con 6 Predicted Political Makeup after June 8: Con 6 1. Camborne & Redruth 2010 Result: Conservative: 15969 (37.6%) Labour: 6945 (16.3%) Lib Dem: 15903 (37.4%) Green: 581 (1.4%) UKIP: 2152 (5.1%) Others: 943 (2.2%) MAJORITY: ...

General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: 2. Norfolk

  • 21 Apr 2017

NORFOLK Seats: 9 Current State of the Parties: Con 7, Labour 1, LibDem 1 Predicted State of the Parties: Con 8, Labour 1 Broadland 2010 Result: Conservative: 24338 (46.2%) Labour: 7287 (13.8%) Lib Dem: 17046 (32.4%) BNP: 871 (1.7%) Green: 752 (1.4%) UKIP: 2382 (4.5%) MAJOR...

ConHome Diary: Where Were You When Theresa May Called the Election?

  • 21 Apr 2017

It was one of those moments when you’ll always remember where you were when you heard the news. I was sitting in my car outside Wembley Stadium… But I’m getting ahead of myself. At just after 10am I was driving down the M11 from Norfolk when a news alert from Sky flashed up on...

General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: 1. Essex

  • 20 Apr 2017

Essex Seats: 18 Current Political Makeup: Con 17, Independent 1 *Prediction: Con 18 1. Basildon & Billericay 2010 Result: Conservative: 21922 (52.7%) Labour: 9584 (23.1%) Lib Dem: 6538 (15.7%) BNP: 1934 (4.7%) UKIP: 1591 (3.8%) MAJORITY: 12338 (29.7%) 2015 Result: Con...

General Election 2017 Seat by Seat Predictions: Predictions So Far...

  • 19 Apr 2017

Click on the links below to see my seat by seat predictions for each area of the United Kingdom. 650 seats predicted so far… RUNNING TOTAL Con 389 Lab 165 Lib 18 SNP 52 Plaid 5 Green 2 DUP 8 Sinn Fein 5 SDLP 3 UUP 1 Independent 1 Speaker 1 Bedfordshire Berkshire Birmingham...

A Few Election Thoughts...

  • 19 Apr 2017

For the first time in seven years part of me wishes I was a candidate in this election. Exciting political times ahead. But I can’t/won’t be. Watch out for an exciting announcement later today about something I’ll be doing for the next 8 weeks. Virtually everyone I know...

ConHome Diary: In Defence of Boris & What Will the Local Elections Bring For Jezza?

  • 14 Apr 2017

Boris Johnson has copped a lot of flak this week, unfairly so in my opinion. The media, and indeed some of his colleagues, have been waiting for him to commit a diplomatic howler ever since he was appointed Foreign Secretary back in mid-July. I was certainly not a founder memb...

ConHome Diary: Hitler, Hitler, Hitler

  • 7 Apr 2017

Helen Szamuely, who died this week, wasn’t famous, but she should have been. She was a Brexiteer years before the word Eurosceptic was even invented. Her work in the broader Eurosceptic movement was vital to making the case for leaving the European Union. I first met her when ...

Why I've Said Yes to Hosting the Morning Show on Radio X

  • 1 Apr 2017

This wasn’t supposed to be announced until Monday but Radio Today seem to have got hold of it, so I thought I’d share some news with you. As you know, I’ve been hosting LBC’s Drivetime Show for four years now. LBC is part of Global Radio, which owns several massive music rad...

ConHome Diary: Amber & Boris, Sayeeda & Douglas & Keir Starmer's Mirror

  • 31 Mar 2017

Listening to the BBC coverage of triggering Article 50 you’d think we were entering a period of national mourning. It started with the Today programme who relished interviewing anyone who had anything negative to say – and believe me, most of their carefully chosen guests did....

When Will Someone Hold Highways England to Account?

  • 25 Mar 2017

Back in the 1990s the Major government embarked on a much heralded programme of hiving off government responsibilities into stand alone and stand apart agencies. The idea was to keep politics out of these agencies. Fears were expressed that they would become politically unacco...

ConHome Diary: Terror in Westminster & Dreaming About Tim Shipman

  • 24 Mar 2017

Steve Uncles is a name you probably won’t be familiar with. He has been a leading light in the English Democrats for a number of years, particularly in the south east, and has stood in a number of elections, including for Kent Police & Crime Commissioner and in the Europea...

Why Jacqui Smith and I Are Saying Good Bye to the Sky News Paper Review

  • 22 Mar 2017

h/t to @Liarpoliticians for the video clip. Last night on Sky News Jacqui Smith and I announced we were doing our last paper review. (CLIP above). Several of you have been in touch with both of us to ask why. I started doing paper reviews on Sky around 17 years ago. Jacqui...