Illogan Parish Council
On 24th June: The Labour Party vs Mebyon Kernow
Monday, 7 June 2010
It really was a two-horse race
Newquay Town Council Gannel ward by-election
Lib Dems 591; Conservatives 405.
Turnout 22 per cent.
Lib Dems 591; Conservatives 405.
Turnout 22 per cent.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Two out of three voters don't know what Lib Dems are for
A worrying snippet for many in the Cornwall political classes from yesterday's ComRes poll in the Independent: 65 per cent don't know what the Lib Dems stand for. On voting intentions, Lib Dems are down 3 points to 21 per cent, Labour up 3 to 33 per cent, Conservatives unchanged on 37 per cent, compared with the actual May 6th general election result.
Will turkeys vote for Christmas?
A few of Cornwall's MPs tell me my previous blog post about a possible consequence of the Parliamentary Reform Bill, as outlined in the Queen's Speech, has put them on "high alert" to fight any suggestion that parts of their existing constituencies might be lost to Devon.
The Boundary Commission is waiting to see what the draft legislation looks like but we do know what the various bits of the coalition government were thinking before the recent general election.
Both Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties want every constituency to contain roughly equal numbers of voters. For example, each of Cornwall's six MPs currently represents more people than their two counterparts in Plymouth.
Before the election, the Conservatives were looking to cut the number of MPs by 10 per cent (65 constituencies.) The Liberal Democrats were looking for a cut of 23 per cent (150 constituencies.) A happy compromise would be around 16 or 17 per cent, which would spell the end for about one in six of our MPs. Any volunteers?
The Queen's Speech promised the Parliamentary Reform Bill would enable the Boundary Commission to complete its work during the current Parliament, before the next general election on 7th May 2015. Nick Clegg has taken personal responsibility for this Bill, which the Boundary Commission expects to see in draft form "very soon."
The Boundary Commission is waiting to see what the draft legislation looks like but we do know what the various bits of the coalition government were thinking before the recent general election.
Both Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties want every constituency to contain roughly equal numbers of voters. For example, each of Cornwall's six MPs currently represents more people than their two counterparts in Plymouth.
Before the election, the Conservatives were looking to cut the number of MPs by 10 per cent (65 constituencies.) The Liberal Democrats were looking for a cut of 23 per cent (150 constituencies.) A happy compromise would be around 16 or 17 per cent, which would spell the end for about one in six of our MPs. Any volunteers?
The Queen's Speech promised the Parliamentary Reform Bill would enable the Boundary Commission to complete its work during the current Parliament, before the next general election on 7th May 2015. Nick Clegg has taken personal responsibility for this Bill, which the Boundary Commission expects to see in draft form "very soon."
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Crossing the line
One potential consequence of the coalition government's enthusiasm for another review of Parliamentary boundaries is that it might pose a threat to Cornwall's exclusive ownership of its own constituencies.
The basic idea is laudable - every Parliamentary constituency should contain, as far as possible, the same number of voters. The Boundary Commission routinely changes the map as it tries to keep up with an electorate that likes to move house.
Recent trends have seen upwardly-mobile voters moving out of relatively deprived inner-city areas to the leafy green countryside. One consequence has been that Conservative and Liberal Democrat constituencies tend to be larger than Labour ones - which is one reason why Labour got more MPs than its general election vote share implied.
The drive to make all UK constituencies contain the same number of voters has unusual implications for Cornwall, particularly the South East Cornwall constituency. We don't yet know the detail, but if the aim is to reduce the number of constituencies, while moving some voters into city seats, there is clearly the potential for something like "Plymouth & Saltash."
There could be trouble ahead....
The basic idea is laudable - every Parliamentary constituency should contain, as far as possible, the same number of voters. The Boundary Commission routinely changes the map as it tries to keep up with an electorate that likes to move house.
Recent trends have seen upwardly-mobile voters moving out of relatively deprived inner-city areas to the leafy green countryside. One consequence has been that Conservative and Liberal Democrat constituencies tend to be larger than Labour ones - which is one reason why Labour got more MPs than its general election vote share implied.
The drive to make all UK constituencies contain the same number of voters has unusual implications for Cornwall, particularly the South East Cornwall constituency. We don't yet know the detail, but if the aim is to reduce the number of constituencies, while moving some voters into city seats, there is clearly the potential for something like "Plymouth & Saltash."
There could be trouble ahead....
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Fed's exit
Just watched Robin Soderling thump a tennis ball harder than I ever thought possible, and knock the world's best-ever player Roger Federer out of the French Open.
For an old has-been like myself, plummeting down the rankings faster than one of Soderling's serves (currently a mere 668 places behind Andy Murray in the GB lists,) it's the painful, reluctant acceptance that most of today's athletes really are bigger, faster and stronger than they were in the 1960s and 70s.
They are much more professional, of course, and the financial rewards far greater. Is the same true of our politicians? Would David Cameron beat the living daylights out of Harold Wilson? I have to say I doubt it - a line of argument I would be happy to make my last trench.
For an old has-been like myself, plummeting down the rankings faster than one of Soderling's serves (currently a mere 668 places behind Andy Murray in the GB lists,) it's the painful, reluctant acceptance that most of today's athletes really are bigger, faster and stronger than they were in the 1960s and 70s.
They are much more professional, of course, and the financial rewards far greater. Is the same true of our politicians? Would David Cameron beat the living daylights out of Harold Wilson? I have to say I doubt it - a line of argument I would be happy to make my last trench.
Council prayers
Listen to Donna Birrel's programme on BBC Radio Cornwall on Sunday morning for an in-depth discussion about why so many Cornwall councillors still say their prayers before some meetings. I'm grateful to councillor Jeremy Rowe for reminding me about this oddity - his blog post is the best exposition of the issue I have read for a long time.
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