David Ottewell's Politics

This is heartening. Or maybe just very strange.
Here’s the Greater Manchester Momentum Group’s anti-congestion charge shark getting friendly with GMPTE staff during consultation on the Transport Innovation Fund bid.
Perhaps this is a sign that the referendum will bring a good natured, constructive debate that ends with both sides saying: “You know what… those other guys have a point.”
Or perhaps not.

Just run the latest YouGov poll for the Telegraph (Conservatives 45pc, Labour 26pc, Liberal Democrats 17pc) through my election predictor.
Results:
*Labour lose Stretford and Urmston to the Conservatives (by 500-odd votes)
*Labour lose Bolton North East to the Conservatives
*Labour Lose Bolton West (Ruth Kelly’s seat) to the Conservatives, with the Tories’ Susan Williams landing a 7,000 majority
*Labour lose Bury North to the Conservatives
*Rossendale and Darwen, High Peak and Warrington South also go from red to blue.
*The Lib Dems lose Cheadle to the Conservatives

Heading towards the party conference…
And on it goes.
Just when you think John Prescott, Jack Straw and Harriet Harman might have stilled the backbench grumblers, up pops Gordon Prentice to call for Gordon Brown’s head.
“I hope Gordon [Brown] reflects on things during August and accepts that it is in the party’s best interests, and perhaps his own, for him to stand down,” said the Pendle MP.
This “crisis” now has a momentum of its own. It increasingly reminds me of a scene in Speed. Bus hurtling down the road; backed-up traffic one way; dangerous looking slip road the other; Sandra Bullock behind the wheel screaming “Stay on or get off?”; everyone else frozen with fear.

Bet this is going down a storm with the unionists…
A leading gay rights activist has raised the temperature in the row over homosexuality by claiming there was evidence King Billy had male lovers.
Peter Tatchell highlighted the controversial allegation as evidence of hypocrisy over homosexuality in Northern Ireland, but he was condemned by unionists for setting out to deliberately cause offence.
The campaigner will tonight deliver the Amnesty International Pride Lecture in Belfast.
Mr Tatchell’s appearance at the city’s week-long gay pride festival comes after the DUP’s Iris Robinson sparked controversy by branding homosexuality an abomination.
Mrs Robinson, wife of First Minister Peter Robinson, has condemned all attacks on the gay community, but Mr Tatchell said: “It is particularly hypocritical for unionist politicians to play the homophobic card when their hero William of Orange had male lovers.”