Peter Bale. Born Bristol, 12.7.1937 Scholarship boy. Aircraftman. Botanist. Biology teacher. Exercise physiologist. Wing three-quarter. Opera-lover. Sun-worshipper. Liberal-socialist. MS-patient. My Dad. Died Eastbourne, 15.7.2020.

“You call that statesmanship? I call it an emotional spasm.” My sceptical (but not Eurosceptical) take for the @NewStatesman newstatesman.com/comment/202…

The evidence that changing PM can help win you a majority at the next election is, shall we say, mixed. Yes: Eden to Macmillan, Thatcher to Major, May to Johnson. No: Macmillan to Home, Wilson to Callaghan, Blair to Brown, Cameron to May, Johnson to Truss, Truss to Sunak.

Thanks @Peston. For those interested in reading further, here's the report in full: esrcpartymembersproject.org/…

And back on the shelf: two definitive classics, newly updated 🔴British Labour Leaders edited by Charles Clarke and @TobySJames 🔵British Conservative Leaders edited by Charles Clarke, Toby S. James, @ProfTimBale and @PatrickDiamond1

COMING ON 18 SEPTEMBER British By-Elections 1789-2025 - The 88 By-Election Campaigns That Shaped Our Politics Preorder a signed copy politicos.co.uk/products/by-… Full list of by-elections and essay authors below. Parliamentary by-election happens when a seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant between general elections, whether the sitting MP dies, resigns, goes bankrupt, is convicted of a crime or is subject to a recall petition. Whatever the circumstances, by-elections have long provided some the most dramatic moments in British parliamentary history. In this latest volume of political essays, Iain Dale picks the most consequential by-elections of the modern era and presents a series of thoroughly researched, and absorbing essays by some of the finest political writers working today. Middlesex 1769 Robin Eagles Co Clare 1828 Richard Gaunt Preston 1830 Gordon Pentland Manchester Withington 1867 Peter Kellner Colchester 1870 Luke Blaxill Northampton 1884 Simon Barrow Mid Lanark 1888 Baroness Pauiine Bryan Oldham 1899 Alex Puffette Barnard Castle 1903 David Laws Norwich 1904 Duncan Brack Colne Valley 1907 Gerard Hetherington Manchester NW 1908 Pippa Caterall North East Derbyshire 1914 Gordon Marsden Merthyr Tydfil 1915 Sir Vernon Bogdanor Clare East 1917 Richard Grayson Spen Valley 1919 Roger Gough Paisley 1920 Hugh Gault Woolwich East 1921 Nan Sloane Cardiganshire 1921 Russell Deacon Newport 1922 Stephen Williams Mitcham 1923 Lewis Baston Westminster Abbey 1924 Lord Lexden Smethwick 1926 James Bird Westminster St George's 1931 Sir Robert Buckland Fulham East 1933 T G Otte Oxford 1938 Simon Heffer Kinross & West Perthshire 1938 Amy Gray Bridgwater 1938 Alun Evans Maldon 1942 Will Timmins West Derbyshire James Heale Motherwell & Wishaw 1945 Richard Finlay Bournemouth 1945 David Hencke Carmarthen 1957 Roger Awan-Scully Torrington 1958 Michael McManus Orpington 1962 Lord Norton Bristol Souh East 1963 Lee Evans Kinross & West Perthshire 1963 Andrew Holt Stratford upon Avon 1963 Scarlett Maguire Roxburgh, Selkirk & Peebles 1965 Sir Peter Riddell Leyton 1965 Richard Johnson Carmarthen 1966 Sam Blaxland Kingston upon Hull North 1966 Nick Thomas-Symonds Hamilton 1967 Mike Russell Sutton & Cheam 1972 Connor Hand Rochdale 1972 Alistair Burt Lincoln 1973 Julia Langdon Govan 1973 Gerry Hassan Woolwich West 1975 Amber Whapshott Walsall N 1976 John Barnes Workington 1976 Michael Mullaney Ashfield` 1977 Robert Waller Grimsby 1977 John Bowers Garscadden 1978 Mark Peel Liverpiool Edge Hill 1979 Lord Chris Rennard Fermanagh & South Tyrone x2 1981 Toby Harnden Crosby 1981 Matthew Cole Warrington 1981 Paul Linford Glasgow Hillhead 1982 Andrew Marr Bermondsey 1983 Sir John Curtice Darlington 1983 Francis Beckett Chesterfield 1984 Greg Rosen Greenwich 1986 Nigel Fletcher Govan 1988 Gerry Hassan Eastbourne 1990 Tim Bale Eastleigh 1993 Mark Garnett Christchurch 1993 Michael Crick Newbury 1993 Elinor Goodman Dudley W 1994 Lucia Henwood Winchester 1997 Jack Brown South Antrim 2000 Richard Bullick Brent East 2003 Joe Pike Haltemprice & Howden 2008 Robert Evans Glasgow East 2008 Lesley Orr Crewe & Nantwich 2008 Lord Stephen Parkinson Clacton 2014 Tim Shipman Richmond Park 2016 Aggie Chambre Batley & Spen 2016 Mathew Hulbert Copeland 2017 Chris Whiteside Hartlepool 2021 Alia Middleton Batley & Spen 2021 Emma Burnell Chesham & Amersham 2021 Rosie Campbell North Shropshire 2021 Corey Froggatt Southend West 2022 Iain Dale Mid Bedfordshire 2023 Henry Riley Selby & Ainsty 2023 Edward Young Rutherglen 2023 Mark McGeoghegan Rochdale 2024 Sunder Katwala Runcorn - 2025 - Harry Horton

➡️ In response to @ProfTimBale's recent article for @ECPR_TheLoop on stopping the use of the term #HardRight, Federico Taddei argues that the term isn't the problem but how journalists misuse the categories political science has worked hard to define.👇 buff.ly/YXQFxwq

Consequences:

Writing for @OnLondon Prof @ProfTimBale warned Tories that copying #Reform will not work for them. Yesterday, Labour held an east London council seat while the Tories, despite having a strong local candidate in @AndrewBoff, finished 4th and last, behind Reform. @philipjcowley

After 50-yrs I've finally had it with the Today prog. It's not the presenters; it's the papers review which is now unlistenable because (inevitably given market share) it's dominated by headlines from increasingly hyperbolic, obsessive titles, leaving me cursing in the shower.

I have some good news for election nerds - "The British General Election of 2024" will be out this autumn, and if you're quick you can grab a 25% pre-order discount from Waterstone's by ordering your copy by 31st July, just enter code SUMMER25

Here's the page for the book at Waterstones: waterstones.com/book/the-bri…

Eric go fix your research skills - and your racism.

Marks and Spencer was founded by Michael Marks (מיכאל מאַרקס) a Yiddish-speaking refugee from Belarus. Few of his original colleagues spoke much English. I imagine they faced a lot of racism, but not, thankfully for them, from employees of @GBNEWS.

Rise of the far Right - and the resurrection of Corbyn @The2Matts from @TheNewWorldmag open.spotify.com/episode/1Ic…

Serious wannabe AOC Bernie energy (not saying that won't help them, though).

Answer would appear to be yes - very relevant research for anyone who listened to @campbellclaret and @RoryStewartUK discuss the need for education to accompany the extension of the franchise on @RestIsPolitics psa.ac.uk/psa/news/citizensh…

The RocknRoll Politics co-operative ahead of the game as ever on the Lee Rowley front:

In which @ProfTimBale and I discuss Norman Tebbit and his legacy with @PippaCrerar.

Slight snag - Angela Rayner resigned her Unite membership some months ago.