2004 Democratic Primary

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Actually Blair's economic policies would be regarded as far-left in much of the USA.

Left and Right are relative terms.

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Neither Canadian Observer or me have done names for the old districts but...

In most cases the names would have been the same or slightly different depending on geography etc.

There are a few districts(PA-14 used to be PA-18) that have changed numbers due to re-districting anyway.

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Pennsylvania

01 Philadelphia South b
02 Philadelphia North b
03 Erie c
04 Beaver and Allegheny c
05 Tioga c
06 Chester and Berks b
07 Chester b
08 Bucks c
09 Altoona c
10 Susquehanna c
11 Wilkes-Barre c
12 Johnstown c
13 Philadelphia Valley Forge b
14 Pittsburgh Steel Valley b
15 Allentown c
16 West Chester and Lancaster c
17 Harrisburg c
18 Westmoreland and Pittsburgh c
19 Gettysburg c

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Kentucky

01 Paducah c
02 Owensboro c
03 Louisville b
04 Ashland and Covington c  
05 Pikeville and Somerset c
06 Lexington and Frankfort c

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North Carolina

01 Roanoke c
02 Raleigh c
03 Pamlico Sound c
04 Durham c
05 Blue Ridge Mountains c
06 Randolf and Moore c
07 Cape Fear c
08 Concord and Kannapolis c
09 Gastonia c
10 Hickory c
11 Asheville c
12 Charlotte c
13 Greensboro and Raleigh North c

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South-Texaflorida-Deep South=Upper South

Divide and Rule.

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Jefferson was a member of the Democratic-Republican party which is usually regarded as an ancestor of the Democratic Party which was founded by Andrew Jackson.

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Jefferson was never a member of the GOP so don't say he was.

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Carole James has been elected leader of the BCNDP.

Ernie Eves has resigned as leader of the Ontario Tories.

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It's probably worth mentioning that James is a  Metis and is probably the first Native American to lead a major political party.

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Off topic.

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My cousin told me, I'm not 100% certain that it's true... but I'll have a look around the net to see if it is.

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I'm not sure whether that picture will actually damage Bryant a lot...
He's a Labour M.P and is on the wrong end of a homophobic campaign by the Daily Hate Mail, which will probably improve his position in his constituancy(Rhondda. And no, there is no chance of him losing it), he is talented and certainly should be made a minister at some point.

I think that Watson would make a good P.M but he's way too young now.

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I actually would predict a net loss of seats for the Tories...
They are in serious trouble in real rural seats(which is where the Liberals really are expanding), although Howard should hang on in faux-suburban Folkstone and Hythe.
But I'm calling Davis, May and Letwin down.

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A BQ M.P has defected to the LPC, the CA has voted to merge with the PC's, the PC's vote on it TODAY, and a poll for CBC shows the LPC on 58%, the NDP on 18% and the soon-to-be CPC on 13%...

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I've decided to have another go at PA:

Pennsylvania

01 Philadelphia South b
02 Philadelphia North b
03 Erie c
04 Beaver and Allegheny c
05 Pennsylvania North c
06 Chester and Berks b
07 Chester b
08 Bucks c
09 Pennsylvania South c
10 Susquehanna c
11 Wilkes-Barre and Scrantonc
12 Johnstown and Washington c
13 Philadelphia Valley Forge b
14 Pittsburgh and Steel Valley b
15 Allentown c
16 West Chester and Lancaster c
17 Harrisburg c
18 Westmoreland and Washingtonc
19 Gettysburg c

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Voting begins tomorrow!

United Russia(pro-Putin) seems certain to win(according to the BBC) but the Commies might run them close.

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Constituancy by Constituancy predictions(assuming election called before the boundary commision finishes, which is not certain) :

Key:

Lab=Labour, C=Conservative, LD=Liberal Democrat, SNP=SNP, PC=Plaid, Ind=Independent

The first party mentioned is the holder of the seat. (-) means that the party holding the seat does not have a hope in hell of holding on to it.
[-] means: depends on candidate


County Durham:

Bishop Auckland=Lab
City of Durham=Lab
Easington=Lab
North Durham=Lab
North West Durham=Lab
Sedgefield=Lab
Darlington=Lab

Shropshire:

North Shropshire=Con v Lab
Shrewsbury and Atcham=(LD), Lab v Con
Ludlow=LD v Con
The Wrekin=Lab [v Con]
Telford=Lab

Northumberland:

Berwick-upon-Tweed=LD
Hexham= Con v Lab
Blyth Valley=Lab
Wansbeck=Lab

More soon...

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You underestimate quite how homophobic the Hate Mail is...(they have published an article called "how gay is my valley". Not funny, not clever, homophobic and possibly racist), and as Bryant is the M.P for Rhondda(and a good one from what I've heard) being attacked by a Tory newspaper is like christmas coming early(the Tories lost their deposit(5%) in Rhondda last election)
Of course Bryant is used to homophobic attacks;
Plaid's attempt to stop him getting elected in 2001 revolved around calling him "exotic".
Bryant won 68% of the vote on a low turnout.

If the Hate Mail wants to bang on about M.P's sexual preferances, they should look at Paul Marsden(and that IS worrying)

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Russians vote in Duma elections
 
 
The pro-Putin United Russia party is likely to be a clear winner
Voting has begun among the people in Russia to elect a new Lower House of Parliament, the State Duma.
It is the fourth such election in Russia since the collapse of communism.

Some 23 parties are running for 450 places, with a party backed by President Vladimir Putin, United Russia, tipped to win.

Foreign observers and other parties have said that the run-up to the election has been marred by open bias towards United Russia in the media.

Mr Putin has vowed not to let the bombing of a train on Friday which killed 42 people to disrupt the polls.

  It's all been decided and nothing changes anyway

Alexander Likhachov
voter  
The chairman of the Russian Central Electoral Commission, Alexander Veshnyakov, said all polling stations would open despite attempts to thwart the ballot and destabilise the situation, and he promised a free and fair vote.

He has promised to publish results from across the country's 11 time zones on the internet within 24 hours of polling stations closing.

Apathy

The election will decide the make-up of the Duma for the next four years.

Any party gaining 5% of the vote will be represented in parliament.

Reports from BBC correspondents around the country suggest there is a sense of apathy among voters who believe the outcome is largely a foregone conclusion - United Russia first, followed by the Communist Party second.

"Why should I bother?" one Russian, 40-year-old Alexander Likhachov, told Reuters news agency in St Petersburg.

"It's all been decided and nothing changes anyway."

Popular policies

The BBC's Russian affairs analyst Stephen Dalziel said no one was expecting the shocks which reverberated during the country's elections a decade ago.

Then, President Boris Yeltsin expected to welcome a Duma which would act in his interests and instead was greeted by the confrontational Vladimir Zhirinovsky and his so-called Liberal Democrat Party.

In 1995 another Duma, challenging President Yeltsin won through, until by 1999 he had stepped down after victory to hand over power to Mr Putin.


Russian election factfile


At-a-glance
 

A number of parties have expressed their anger at the public backing President Putin has given the United Russia party.

Our correspondent says that if Mr Putin has a Duma which largely supports him, it will be more difficult for any challenger in the presidential elections next March.

After nearly four years in the Kremlin, Mr Putin, the former head of the secret police, still appears to be riding a wave of genuine support.

The hard line his administration has taken against corruption and wealthy oligarchs has gone down well with voters.

Some analysts say victory for United Russia, plus the backing of some liberal parties, could see the Russian constitution changed to give Putin more than the current two terms as leader.

More than 1,100 international observers from 48 states have been accredited for the election, but their numbers may increase to 2,000.

The first polling stations open in the Far East of Russia at 2000 GMT on Saturday and the last ones close in the enclave of Kaliningrad at 1800 GMT on Sunday.



 

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The PC's have voted to leave a life raft and join a sinking ship...
Rt. Hon. Joe Clark has refused to join the new  Reformatory party, as has John Herron(Fundy-Royal)
Where will they and other Red Tories go?
I won't ask that of the Orchardites, as it seems a just a little bit obvious where they will be going...

IF the CPC is seen as the CA in blue, 13% is possible, but I think they would get at least 15% and probably over 20%
LPC support will be lower than 58%, but it will be over 45%

I wouldn't bet on the NDP getting to lead the opposition next parliament, but they should get a solid gain of seats(as they only have 14 M.P's now, a solid gain would be +5), especially in Nova Scotia and the Praries.

But the LPC is going to win a HUGE victory, if only because they are going to slaughter the BQ

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I've just watched Bowling for Columbine so doing Michigan seemed appropriate:

Michigan

01 North c
02 Muskegon and Holland c
03 Grand Rapids c
04 Midland and Mount Pleasant c
05 Flint c
06 Kalmazoo c
07 Battle Creek and Jackson c
08 Lansing c
09 Oakland c
10 Macomb and Port Huron c
11 Livonia c
12 Warren b
13 Detroit East b
14 Detroit West b
15 Dearborn Heights and Ann Arbor c

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Pro-Putin party leads Russia poll
 
 
President Putin faces election himself in March
First exit polls from Russia's parliamentary election have put the party supported by President Vladimir Putin in the lead, as expected.
The poll, of 20,000 people in all seven federal districts, said United Russia had secured 34% of the vote, followed by the Communists with 14%.

Some 23 parties are running for 450 places in the State Duma.

Election officials said the turnout had passed the minimum 25% needed for the poll to be considered valid.

The poll, conducted by the Romir-Monitoring research centre said Liberal Democratic Party of Russia was in third place with 11% of the vote, followed by Motherland on 9%.

This is the fourth general election in Russia since the collapse of communism.

Foreign observers and other parties have said that the campaign has been marred by open bias in favour of United Russia in the media.


'Free and fair'

Mr Putin, whose popularity ratings top 80%, cast his ballot with wife Lyudmila at an institute in southern Moscow.

When asked for whom he voted, he smiled and said: "That could be considered electioneering, but my preferences are well known."


Central Election chief Alexander Veshnyakov has promised to publish results from across the country's 11 time zones on the internet within 24 hours of polling stations closing.

  It's all been decided and nothing changes anyway

Alexander Likhachov
voter  

The election will decide the make-up of the Duma for the next four years.

Any party gaining 5% of the vote will be represented in parliament.

Reports from BBC correspondents around the country suggested there was a sense of apathy among voters who believe the outcome is largely a foregone conclusion - United Russia will win and the Communist Party will come second.

"Why should I bother?" one Russian, 40-year-old Alexander Likhachov, told Reuters news agency in St Petersburg.

"It's all been decided and nothing changes anyway."

Popular policies

BBC Russian affairs analyst Stephen Dalziel said no-one was expecting the shocks which reverberated during the country's elections a decade ago.

In the 1993 election, President Boris Yeltsin expected to welcome a Duma which would act in his interests and instead was greeted by the confrontational ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and his misleadingly named Liberal Democrat Party.

In 1995 another Duma challenging Mr Yeltsin was elected, this time dominated by the Communist Party.


Russian election factfile


At-a-glance
 

A number of parties have expressed their anger at the public backing President Putin has given the United Russia party.

Our correspondent says that if Mr Putin has a Duma which largely supports him, it will be more difficult for any challenger in the presidential elections next March.

After nearly four years in the Kremlin, Mr Putin, the former head of the secret police, still appears to be riding a wave of genuine support.

The hard line his administration has taken against corruption and wealthy oligarchs has gone down well with voters.

Some analysts say that if United Russia and its allies gain a two-thirds majority, they could change the Russian constitution and potentially pave the way for Mr Putin to stand for more than the current two terms as president.

More than 1,100 international observers from 48 states have been accredited for the election, but their numbers may increase to 2,000.

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PARTIAL RESULTS
United Russia 36.25%
"Liberal" Democratic Party 15.2%
Communist Party 12.8%
Motherland 7.89%
Yabloko 4.19%
Agrarian Party 3.5%
Union of Right Wing Forces 3.4%

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If only to see Heston squirm