Iconic Films

A leader left with very few options

The key, as Mr Brown recognises, is the economy. The trouble is the political pressures on him are more urgent

History suggests that there's no way back

No prime minister has recovered from a bad a set of local election results and won the subsequent general election

Commentary: unpredictable and idiosyncratic

In local elections nothing will be quite what it seems, not least because the first results after midnight will be atypical

David Cameron is profiting from 10p tax row, but for how long?

The Tories are heading for a very good day in tomorrow's elections, whether or not Boris Johnson wins in London

Brown must not press the panic button

Labour's only hope is to point to the end of economic bad times and say Britain is less damaged than other countries

Mayoral elections set to dominate agenda

Ken Livingstone could squeak home for a third term as mayor even if Labour has dreadful results elsewhere in the country

Why it’s so hard to be specific on promises

Alistair Darling is not being deliberately obtuse in declining to spell out how, and when, the losers will be compensated

Gordon Brown's leadership is seriously damaged

His failure to appreciate for so long the depth of grassroots feeling then his eventual concession reinforce Tory charges about dithering

A rough patch, but it won’t be the last

Brown’s conditional leasehold is not under serious threat. The real danger is more insidious as his authority is undermined

Commentary: voters are unhappy and disillusioned

The Budget cannot be rewritten and helping the various categories of losers could be complicated and expensive

Timing is all, as long as you’ve got empathy

The row over ending the 10p starting rate of income tax has been revealing, and damaging for the Government

Analysis: trophy peers are a muddled strategy

There is nothing wrong with bringing in non-politicians to the Lords, provided they appreciate what a minister's role is

May poll: it’s more about morale

If Ken Livingstone manages to hold on for a third term, Labour leaders will be mighty relieved and feel they are not doomed

That’s it for now, but the pressure will remain

The pressures for an inquiry into the war in Iraq will not disappear following this latest ruling in the House of Lords

Penny for ’em: Tories need tax plan

If the Conservatives say they want to reverse a tax change that has already taken effect, they have to say where they would raise the money

Analysis: Brown's last hope is economic U-turn

The striking feature of the latest poll is the public’s pessimism about the outlook for the economy

Centre Left proclaims new hero

The global Centre Left has a new star: Kevin Rudd, the Australian Prime Minister

The rot at the heart of 10 Downing Street

The sense that something is seriously wrong has spread, ominously, to Labour MPs - disgruntled ex-ministers and loyalists

Immigration: A talking point, but not a vote mover

Immigration can be a 'code', a convenient scapegoat, for worries about affordable housing, job and healthcare

Their lordships’ Lisbon amendments make sense

Peers want the Government to obtain approval from Parliament before using opt-ins or opt-outs in areas such as security