The Me Show
It's as if somebody is actually planning #MrsME's election. The latest episode of the "ruthless, scripted campaign" (Norman Smith, BBC) was a "Meet the Mays" session on the One Show couch. Luckily I was doing something else at the time and didn't even have to decide not to watch it.
Philip May will join the PM on @BBCTheOneShow tonight. Here he is back in 1986 - aged 29 - speaking about... the importance of the EU pic.twitter.com/pcgmSixPas— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) May 9, 2017
“There’s boy jobs and girl jobs, you see,” said Theresa May, prime minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. And "I quite like ties, jackets, stuff like that."
A lot of people watch the One Show, and their defences will be down, at least in comparison to the Six o'clock News audience, and there are other audiences to exploit.
LBC is hosting the first broadcast interview with Theresa May in which voters can ask the questions #LBCLeadersLive pic.twitter.com/eAuVPln73v— LBC (@LBC) May 9, 2017
Labour
It was campaign launch day and somebody had driven a big red bus into an exhibition hall in Salford to kick things off (as if it hasn't been going on for weeks already). Ian Lavery (Labour, Wansbeck, majority 10,881), one of the election coordination twins, took the stage to thump a few tubs in front of an enthusiastic Labour audience.Lavery referred to "Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party", which seemed to ape the #MrsME approach, and used "it doesn't have to be this way", which reminded me of Ed Miliband. At least some of it came from the heart: "They don't call it the struggle for nothing".
The gossip among journalists was that Andy Burnham had taken a seat in the front row alongside Lucy Powell (Labour, Manchester Central, majority 21,639). These are the two who were reported missing when Corbyn visited Manchester on the day of Burnham's election as Manchester city region metro mayor (it's important not to say just "Manchester mayor"; there's a lot of worry that the centre will get all the attention and the money).
Corbyn called Burnham onto the stage. "Andy will be a great mayor," he said, "but think how much better with a Labour government." Then began the Corbyn speech - not as tedious and shallow as #MrsME's but still much the same every time.
Corbyn didn't answer questions after his speech but went on to do TV interviews and a session with journalists.
This is what elections should be like - political leaders in a room of journalists taking questions....Refreshing to see Corbyn do it today pic.twitter.com/SRrJRbUofX— Matt Dathan (@matt_dathan) May 9, 2017
On presidential elections
A series of tweets from Michael Crick was worrying.
Theresa May in York right now, addressing Tory candidates, councillors & activists, not local York voters pic.twitter.com/oliUbgdkhk— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) May 9, 2017
Only pre-arranged journalists get questions at May events. Those chosen asked by May aide to state Qs in advance pic.twitter.com/4KLHTvCarv— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) May 9, 2017
Then, as Andrew Sparrow reported in the Guardian,
I imagine this made Crick less likely to be called to ask a question later in the day.
Campaign snippets
The local UKIP candidate in Clacton, blessed by Arron Banks on his flying visit two weeks ago, has been rejected by the party's NEC "after social media messages emerged from accounts linked to him which disparaged Muslims".The Greens on the Isle of Wight derided the Tories' "cruel shock therapy" of the NHS.
NATO has asked the UK for more troops to perform training roles in Afghanistan. When asked, Corbyn told reporters he would reject such a request if it came to him.
The fallout from #MsME's energy price ban continued, with Martin Lewis (moneysavingexpert) telling the BBC that Greg Clark (Conservative, Tunbridge Wells, majority 22,874, currently Secretary of State for Business etc) was a disgrace for recommending that we should all switch energy suppliers even if he'd never got round to doing it himself.
Labour complained that their policy has been nicked, and their 2015 manifesto did indeed have a very similar policy. LibDems say the cap will hit investment and raise prices (if the variable rate is held down, suppliers will raise the fixed deal tariffs to maintain their profits). The industry agrees with the LibDems.
Perhaps Ofgem could establish a real price comparison site. You know, one which isn't actually an agent or broker for energy supply companies who pay the right fees to get preferential placings.
Progressive Alliance news
Labour has expelled three members for joining a campaign to replace Jeremy Hunt with an National Health Action party MP.The Greens are standing aside to help Labour win Ed Balls' old seat from Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative, Morley and Outwood, majority 422). They're also giving Mary Creagh (Labour, Wakefield, majority 2,613) an easier run, and supporting the Women's Equality Party's Sophie Walker as she stands against Philip Davies (Conservative, Shipley, majority 9,624).
Tim Farron (Lib Dem, Westmorland and Lonsdale, majority 8,949) has "made it very clear" that there will be no pacts or coalitions. But he's "relaxed" about local parties deciding to stand aside somewhere like Brighton Pavilion and less relaxed, by the sound of it, about Vince Cable's support for Rupa Huq (Labour, Ealing central and Acton, majority 274).
Heading in the opposite direction, are rumoured "potential mass defections" from Labour, as reported by the Telegraph and denied by a likely "suspect".
. @Telegraph front page story is utter nonsense. It's another attempt by Tory press to undermine Labour & sow division. Zero truth in it.— Lucy Powell (@LucyMPowell) May 10, 2017
