Fishburn Hedges

“Extraordinary times”In the most significant PBR yet, Alistair Darling detailed the Government’s economic strategy for mitigating the worst effects of the recession, and threw down the gauntlet to the Conservatives, with a series of measures that could see a 2009 election. With a “fair and responsible” package for what he called “extraordinary times”, the Chancellor nailed his colou...

The party conferences are over but the political drama continues. With his reshuffle, the Prime Minister surprised commentators with his boldness, and wrong-footed pundits who had expected a limited reshuffle. True, the main offices of state are untouched, but make no mistake, this is a significant exercise.OverviewThe Prime Minister presented the reshuffle as a response to the global economic cri...

"Let sunshine win the day!" was the rallying call from David Cameron in his 2006 speech to the Conservative Conference, his first as Leader, contrasting an optimistic style with Brown's sometimes dour demeanour. Two years on, and he is basking in the warmth of consistently healthy - sometimes dazzling - opinion poll leads, and the steadfast loyalty of a Party sensing power. But while many Conserva...

Make or break for Labour?This year’s Labour Party Conference in Manchester came at a critical point for the party. At its lowest ebb in the polls since the early 80s, the conference was a pivotal moment for Gordon Brown – would it buy him more time or see him quickly deposed? Some Cabinet Ministers, unsure about the party’s electoral prospects, used the conference fringe as a test-bed for th...