The findings of the YouGov poll published in the Sun this morning are remarkable. Not because voters overwhelmingly want politicians not to take any holidays at all (“voters hate politicians” shock) but because of the striking popularity of William Hague, formerly known as one of the Tories’ least effective leaders.

Politicians were ranked in terms of whether they were doing a good job. They ranked between -5 for Theresa May to -35 for Nick Clegg. All except Hague, who scored an impressive +11. He was also the second most identifiable face, behind David Cameron, but ahead of Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband and George Osborne.

Why is he so popular? Here are a few thoughts: Read more

Chris Lennie was Ed Miliband’s choice to be Labour’s general secretary, as Dan Hodges reported some time ago, in the absence of what one aide described to me as a “wow factor” candidate.

Lennie, the deputy gensec, was seen by Miliband’s aides as the candidate who could stop the unions’ choice, Iain McNicol of the GMB: ironic, given that Lennie* himself was a Unison official until 2001. (Ray Collins, the previous incumbent – and Gordon Brown’s second choice – was a former T&G official).

Yet McNicol was always thought to be a likely victor by those in the know, as Read more