Does the outcome of the Ashes dictate who wins a general election?

Party speak

Should the next Speaker of the House of Commons be a Labour MP on the basis that John Bercow was a Conservative before taking the chair? There has been a tradition in recent decades that the two main parties alternate in filling the role. But it doesn’t go back far — Michael Martin, Labour MP for Glasgow Springburn, succeeded Betty Boothroyd, also Labour, in 2000, not least because the Conservatives had only 165 MPs at the time and didn’t want to lose one. Between 1928 and 1965 a succession of four Speakers had been Conservative MPs. Between 1835 and 1905, by contrast, the Commons had two Whigs followed by four Liberals. Prior to that, four Conservatives were elevated to the Speaker’s chair between 1789 and 1835.

Caught out, voted in

Most popular

Julie Burchill

Will I ever pee again?

Is there a link between the Ashes and UK general elections? In ten of the past 11 home Ashes series an English victory has been followed by the election of a Conservative government or an Australian victory has been followed by a Labour government.

— In 2015 England won the Ashes 3-2;
Tory minority victory in 2017 election
— In 2013 England won 3-0;
Conservative victory in 2015
— In 2009 England won 2-1;
Conservative minority victory in 2010
— In 2005 England won 2-1;
Conservative minority victory in 2010
— In 2001 Australia won 4-1
Labour victory in 2005
— In 1997 Australia won 3-2;
Labour victory in 2001
– In 1993 Australia won 1-4;
Labour victory in 1997
— In 1989 Australia won 4-0;
Conservative victory in 1992
— In 1985 England won 2-1;
Conservative victory in 1987
— In 1981 England won 3-1
Conservative victory in 1983
— In 1977 England won 3-0;
Conservative victory in 1979

Charging ahead

The government said it would double the number of rapid charging points for electric vehicles to 5,000 by 2024. Which EU countries have the highest market shares for electric vehicles?