65 days until key elections in Scotland, Wales, PCC and local authorities - who wins, who loses?

In 65 days we will know how well the electorate think the various parties are doing around the country. Primarily all eyes are on Labour. Put simply will Corbynista politics be popular to the voters in Scotland, Wales, PCC elections and for the metropolitan authorities? I find the Scottish election most interesting, not least as the Scots are our neighbours over the border at Carter Bar.
At present Corbyn's labour are struggling for even second place in Scotland. We see at Westminster the two opposition parties trying to be even more left wing than each other, and I believe that Ruth Davidson MSP is beginning to convince people in Scotland that you can be fiscally conservative but socially liberal, with a consequential impact on voting intention; given the SNP strong left wing approach, albeit with very poor outcomes in education, policing and all devolved public services, why would you vote for a alternative left wing party, like labour? That is Corbyn's problem, and that is why labour is struggling.
I am going to help by spending a day or two in Scotland and Wales over the next months campaigning and helping our conservative candidates, not least to get a better understanding of what the local electorates are thinking.
Ruth Davidson is our inspirational leader in Scotland: her recent article is here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/12163811/We-need-to-challenge-the-SNPs-increasingly-arrogant-rule-in-Scotland.html

Catch a Salmond once, throw it back, then catch it again

So Alex Salmond wants to return to Westminster. Despite having lost the Referendum by a significant margin he is putting himself forward for the Gordon seat. This is no shoe in for the ageing former SNP leader, as many of the papers have made clear: 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/scottish-politics/11278658/Watch-out-Westminster-Alex-Salmond-wants-back-in.html
However, if he wins, the House of Commons will, I am sure welcome him back.

Understanding the Afghan Election

Who takes over in Afghanistan really matters, both to the Afghans, but also the wider region as well and to us in the UK. The election saw no one win 50% in the first round. But how this country goes forward is vital to the stability of the region and the growth of democracy. It is a wonderful thing that Iraq and Afghanistan now have democratic elections not dictatorships. Also every one of our brave troops who fought so long to return this country to democracy will want this beautiful country returning to normal life, normal elections and a decent role for women. It is a great feature of these elections that not only did women take part but they ran for many of the seats.

The election is a bit like the French election in that many candidates vie for the top two spots and then those 2 candidates have a run off to be President.

The development last week was that the Afghan presidential election front-runner, Abdullah Abdullah, won the backing of a key rival, Zalmai Rassoul; Rassoul did not do enough to make the last 2 even though he was the successor favoured by outgoing President Hamid Karzai. As every politician knows being anointed as the favoured son / choice of the outgoing PM [or Speaker] of whatever country is normally a certain way to lose support. Rassoul duly did not make the final 2. He has now pledged his support for Mr Abdullah, the top candidate from the first round.

The second and final round, due in mid-June, pits Mr Abdullah against Ashraf Ghani, a former World Bank economist. The vote comes as international forces prepare to leave at the end of 2014.
Millions of Afghans defied Taliban threats to take part. The scenes and commitment to voting is something truly special. I love in particular this iconic picture of Afghans queuing in the pouring rain to vote.