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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » UKIP is taking SIX times as many votes from the Tories as i

SystemSystem Posts: 11,702
edited April 2014 in General

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » UKIP is taking SIX times as many votes from the Tories as it is from Labour

There’s consistent talk at the moment of UKIP being a bigger threat to LAB than CON. This is a point that Mr Farage wants to hammer home on virtually every occasion.

Read the full story here


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    RodCrosbyRodCrosby Posts: 7,737
    AndyJS said:

    O/T:

    Looks like the Quebec Liberals have won a landslide victory:

    http://globalnews.ca/news/1251035/live-quebec-election-results-2014/

    The constituency of Ungava is larger than the UK, France and Belgium put together...

    Duplessis is larger than the UK and Holland combined.
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    O/T:

    Looks like the Quebec Liberals have won a landslide victory:

    http://globalnews.ca/news/1251035/live-quebec-election-results-2014/
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    JohnLoonyJohnLoony Posts: 1,790
    But those statistics are just a load of mid-term kerfuffle, hullabaloo and pobblequack. By the time people vote in the GE in 2015 they will be sober and sensible, which means that 0.01% will vote UKIP and 85% will vote Conservative.
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Re. Quebec election:

    Until a few weeks ago it was neck-and-neck in the polls between the PQ and the Liberals:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_general_election,_2014#Opinion_polls
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    fitalassfitalass Posts: 4,279
    "Things could change but for the moment it is the blue team which has been most hit by the rise of Farage’s party."

    In the polls rather than the polling booth.... But are the blue team as at risk of taking the biggest hit from UKIP in the seats where it matters to them at the next GE, or is it the Labour party? When it has come to actual by elections, it seems like UKIP are performing far better in Labour/Libdem held seats due to a form of tactical protest voting that takes in both former Conservative and the C1,C2 and D demographic groups that might normally be expected to turn out to vote Labour if they turn out to vote at all? Quite a heady tactical voting cocktail if they realise that their vote will matter even more when targeted in Labour seats, so just maybe some of those former Conservatives voters are not feeling the love for the Labour party even more.
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    RodCrosbyRodCrosby Posts: 7,737
    AndyJS said:

    O/T:

    Looks like the Quebec Liberals have won a landslide victory:

    http://globalnews.ca/news/1251035/live-quebec-election-results-2014/

    And there is a pro-PQ bias in the electoral system. PQ could have won a majority while trailing badly in the vote...
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699
    It is going to be an overall majority for the Liberals in Quebec but not a landslide . It is however a landslide defeat for PQ . There are still a number of close contests at this stage of the results coming in . QS are running PQ a very close 2nd in 2 seats . Sainte Marie-Saint Jaques has fewer than 60 votes between 3 candidates PQ , PLP and QS with around 1/3rd of the votes in that riding counted
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    edited April 2014
    I see the Liberals are heading for close to 90% in the mostly English speaking riding of Jacques-Cartier in western Montreal.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques-Cartier_(provincial_electoral_district)
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699
    SM-SJ now has QS in the lead by 250 with 2/3rds counted . This would increase their seats from 2 to 3 .
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Popular vote gap between PQ and CAQ down to just 1.8%.
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Marois now behind by 235 votes with 175/186 in.
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699
    fitalass said:

    "Things could change but for the moment it is the blue team which has been most hit by the rise of Farage’s party."

    In the polls rather than the polling booth.... But are the blue team as at risk of taking the biggest hit from UKIP in the seats where it matters to them at the next GE, or is it the Labour party? When it has come to actual by elections, it seems like UKIP are performing far better in Labour/Libdem held seats due to a form of tactical protest voting that takes in both former Conservative and the C1,C2 and D demographic groups that might normally be expected to turn out to vote Labour if they turn out to vote at all? Quite a heady tactical voting cocktail if they realise that their vote will matter even more when targeted in Labour seats, so just maybe some of those former Conservatives voters are not feeling the love for the Labour party even more.

    Sorry , fitalass there have been no by elections in Conservative seats . If there had been then you would soon revise your view that Labour are taking a bigger hit in the polling booth .
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699
    Liberals now leas in Marois seat . Bbonaventure is the closest contest of all , Liberals lead PQ by just 10 votes .
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    "Pauline Marois has led PQ to lowest percentage of vote since 1970 owl.li/vxAn1 #ctvqc2014 #qc2014"

    https://mobile.twitter.com/CTVMontreal
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    RodCrosbyRodCrosby Posts: 7,737
    AndyJS said:

    I see the Liberals are heading for close to 90% in the mostly English speaking riding of Jacques-Cartier in western Montreal.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques-Cartier_(provincial_electoral_district)

    Part of the reason for the pro-PQ bias in the system.

    Wasted votes for the Liberals in most Montreal ridings....
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    Tim_BTim_B Posts: 7,669
    RodCrosby said:

    AndyJS said:

    O/T:

    Looks like the Quebec Liberals have won a landslide victory:

    http://globalnews.ca/news/1251035/live-quebec-election-results-2014/

    And there is a pro-PQ bias in the electoral system. PQ could have won a majority while trailing badly in the vote...
    I lived in Ontario for 4 years in the late 70s and early 1980s, working for a Montreal based company. I spent much time in Montreal and Quebec City. Beautiful places.

    From what I recall, following every census, when reallocating parliamentary constituencies, regardless of population change, and then it was usually a loss, Quebec got an extra seat.

    At that time there was a mass business flight to Toronto. Even the Bank of Montreal moved its head office to Toronto.

    The PQ was then viewed as a threat. The Bureau de la langue Francaise was a real pain. I remember meetings in Montreal where everyone spoke perfect English, yet we had to hold meetings and produce minutes in French.

    One day I was trying to buy a birthday card for my wife, and went into a charming shop in Quebec City, and asked the lady behind the counter for help. She refused (pretended not to understand), until I tried to speak my schoolboy French, after which she was happy to assist me in accentless English.

    That's how it was in those days.

    I was having dinner one night with my wife at a Greek restaurant in downtown Toronto, when in walked several men, obviously a man and bodyguards. He went round the tables, charming and smelling of cigarette smoke, introducing himself. It was Rene Levesque.
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    The PQ leader Pauline Marois's seat is Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré. Current situation:

    PQ (Marois): 9,396
    Lib: 9,202
    CAQ: 7,053
    QS: 1,137

    146/186 counted
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699
    SM-SJ QS lead now 71 with Liberals a clear 2nd . 24 polling stations to declare . This was a PQ seat
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699
    QS lead by 29 with 4 polling stations to declare
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Tim_B said:

    RodCrosby said:

    AndyJS said:

    O/T:

    Looks like the Quebec Liberals have won a landslide victory:

    http://globalnews.ca/news/1251035/live-quebec-election-results-2014/

    And there is a pro-PQ bias in the electoral system. PQ could have won a majority while trailing badly in the vote...
    I lived in Ontario for 4 years in the late 70s and early 1980s, working for a Montreal based company. I spent much time in Montreal and Quebec City. Beautiful places.

    From what I recall, following every census, when reallocating parliamentary constituencies, regardless of population change, and then it was usually a loss, Quebec got an extra seat.

    At that time there was a mass business flight to Toronto. Even the Bank of Montreal moved its head office to Toronto.

    The PQ was then viewed as a threat. The Bureau de la langue Francaise was a real pain. I remember meetings in Montreal where everyone spoke perfect English, yet we had to hold meetings and produce minutes in French.

    One day I was trying to buy a birthday card for my wife, and went into a charming shop in Quebec City, and asked the lady behind the counter for help. She refused (pretended not to understand), until I tried to speak my schoolboy French, after which she was happy to assist me in accentless English.

    That's how it was in those days.

    I was having dinner one night with my wife at a Greek restaurant in downtown Toronto, when in walked several men, obviously a man and bodyguards. He went round the tables, charming and smelling of cigarette smoke, introducing himself. It was Rene Levesque.
    Were you in Quebec at the time of the first referendum?
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    Tim_BTim_B Posts: 7,669
    AndyJS said:

    Tim_B said:

    RodCrosby said:

    AndyJS said:

    O/T:

    Looks like the Quebec Liberals have won a landslide victory:

    http://globalnews.ca/news/1251035/live-quebec-election-results-2014/

    And there is a pro-PQ bias in the electoral system. PQ could have won a majority while trailing badly in the vote...
    I lived in Ontario for 4 years in the late 70s and early 1980s, working for a Montreal based company. I spent much time in Montreal and Quebec City. Beautiful places.

    From what I recall, following every census, when reallocating parliamentary constituencies, regardless of population change, and then it was usually a loss, Quebec got an extra seat.

    At that time there was a mass business flight to Toronto. Even the Bank of Montreal moved its head office to Toronto.

    The PQ was then viewed as a threat. The Bureau de la langue Francaise was a real pain. I remember meetings in Montreal where everyone spoke perfect English, yet we had to hold meetings and produce minutes in French.

    One day I was trying to buy a birthday card for my wife, and went into a charming shop in Quebec City, and asked the lady behind the counter for help. She refused (pretended not to understand), until I tried to speak my schoolboy French, after which she was happy to assist me in accentless English.

    That's how it was in those days.

    I was having dinner one night with my wife at a Greek restaurant in downtown Toronto, when in walked several men, obviously a man and bodyguards. He went round the tables, charming and smelling of cigarette smoke, introducing himself. It was Rene Levesque.
    Were you in Quebec at the time of the first referendum?
    No
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    2010 Labour voters were the "bitter-enders" - how many historical Labour voters in 2010 voted Lib Dem - or more likely, stayed at home? And how many of these people, who don't count as "2010 Labour" now support Ukip? That would be a more useful discussion.......
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    MonksfieldMonksfield Posts: 2,227
    As Mark Senior observes, a by election in the right type of Tory seat would be very instructive. If the kippers poll 8% come GE there's no doubt in my mind it will hurt Con more than Lab.
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    fitalassfitalass Posts: 4,279
    edited April 2014
    Indeed it would, as would a discussion on the assumption that its only Labour and Libdem voters who will efficiently continue to tactically vote for each other in marginal seats where it matters at the next GE. SeanF has now joined UKIP, yet he has also stated that he is still considering voting Conservative in his seat to keep Labour out at the next GE.

    2010 Labour voters were the "bitter-enders" - how many historical Labour voters in 2010 voted Lib Dem - or more likely, stayed at home? And how many of these people, who don't count as "2010 Labour" now support Ukip? That would be a more useful discussion.......

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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    edited April 2014

    2010 Labour voters were the "bitter-enders" - how many historical Labour voters in 2010 voted Lib Dem - or more likely, stayed at home? And how many of these people, who don't count as "2010 Labour" now support Ukip? That would be a more useful discussion.......

    Absolutely. In fact, going back still further, a lot of traditional Labour supporters stopped voting for anyone in 1997 and 2001, particularly the latter year, which is one of the main reasons why turnout fell from 78% in 1992 to 71% in 1997 and 59% in 2001. A lot of those voters may now be supporting UKIP. (Good news for turnout, at least).
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    RodCrosbyRodCrosby Posts: 7,737
    edited April 2014
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    Edin_RokzEdin_Rokz Posts: 516
    fitalass said:

    Indeed it would, as would a discussion on the assumption that its only Labour and Libdem voters who will efficiently continue to tactically vote for each oteher in marginal seats where it matters at the next GE. SeanF has now joined UKIP, yet he has also stated that he is still considering voting Conservative in his seat to keep Labour out at the next GE.

    2010 Labour voters were the "bitter-enders" - how many historical Labour voters in 2010 voted Lib Dem - or more likely, stayed at home? And how many of these people, who don't count as "2010 Labour" now support Ukip? That would be a more useful discussion.......

    And of course, how many people in Scotland voted tactically to unseat Tories. Please remind me how many Tory MPs there are north of the border, and how many Pandas? Sorry, but I also have a problem with remembering the number of Tory constituency MSPs as opposed to list ones.
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815
    edited April 2014
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,055
    AndyJS said:

    2010 Labour voters were the "bitter-enders" - how many historical Labour voters in 2010 voted Lib Dem - or more likely, stayed at home? And how many of these people, who don't count as "2010 Labour" now support Ukip? That would be a more useful discussion.......

    Absolutely. In fact, going back still further, a lot of traditional Labour supporters stopped voting for anyone in 1997 and 2001, particularly the latter year, which is one of the main reasons why turnout fell from 78% in 1992 to 71% in 1997 and 59% in 2001. A lot of those voters may now be supporting UKIP. (Good news for turnout, at least).
    Looking at the figures I formed the impression that it was Tory voters who stayed at home in 1997 and 2001, and came out again in 2010./
    Has anyone actually researched this?
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815
    edited April 2014
    Good News or what?

    The first of the big Retail Sales predictions for March are out: the Visa Europe UK Consumer Expenditure Index compiled by Markit and based on aggregate spending on consumer Visa debit and credit cards and a similar report from Barclaycard.

    Visa's Conclusion: 2014 Q1 has been the best for retail sales since the Olympics quarter in 2012.

    “Warm weather, growing consumer confidence, a buoyant property market and the end of the inflation squeeze – retailers are cheering all four as spending roared ahead in clothing, footwear and household goods in March. Publicans, hoteliers and restaurant owners will be raising a glass as well, with spending increasing at the quickest rate in over two years.

    “The only cloud is over food and drink sellers, including the supermarkets, as spending in this category fell by 3.2% in March following a fall in February. The late Easter this year is giving no respite to the sector as it continues to gear up for a price war.”


    With yesterday's news that new car registrations in March were at their highest since 2004, all might seem luvvly jubbly in the retail world, but the Barclaycard report, compiled on similar data to Visa's, had directly contradictory findings:

    "Although inflation has fallen to 1.7%, household bills are up more than 3% and wage growth is stuck at around 1.4%, leaving consumers with little choice but to cut discretionary spending to balance the books," Barclaycard said.

    The group said people were spending more online to get the best deals, although online growth dropped to its slowest rate since the end of 2011, at 6.4%.

    Spending on groceries and petrol fell 5.2% against last year, but clothing and entertainment spending stayed strong.


    So what is going on?

    Both Barclays and Visa base their indices on payment card spend. However, Barclays's figures will be skewed towards credit card purchases whereas the Visa figures will record a higher proportion of debit card payments. What seems to be happening, particularly with non-food discretionary expenditure, is that consumers are less willing than before to use unsecured lending on credit cards to fund their purchases.

    So quite a bit of churn in retail spend both in category and method of expenditure.

    Visa Statistics and Yellow Box to follow in next post.
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815
    The unalloyed good news

    Visa: Headline findings

    • Year-on-year household spending increased in March (+0.7%), following a slight increase in February (+0.3%).

    • Month-on-month expenditure rose solidly in March (+1.6%), following a marginal reduction in February (-0.3%).

    • Quarterly spending figures signalled that underlying expenditure improved in March (+1.2%), after a slight deterioration in February (-0.5%).

    • Non-seasonally adjusted year-on-year expenditure continued to rise solidly through Online spending channels (+4.0%), declined through Mail/Telephone Order categories (-2.2%), and was relatively unchanged in Face-to-Face categories (+0.1%).


    Table
    =================================================================
    Visa Europe UK Consumer Expenditure Index
    March 2014 Summary Table
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    2014
    Mar Feb Jan
    Overall Spending Annual SA +0.7% +0.3% +1.5%
    Overall Spending 3m/3m SA +1.2% -0.5% +0.8%
    Overall Spending Monthly SA +1.6% -0.3% +0.0%

    Face-to-Face Spending Annual NSA +0.1% -0.9% +1.5%
    Online Spending Annual NSA +4.0% +4.4% +4.8%
    Mail/Telephone Order (MOTO) Annual NSA -2.2% -0.7% +1.3%
    =================================================================
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    Avery, didn't John Major actually have quite a lot of good news in 1997? Sometimes it works for incumbents, and sometimes... it doesn't.
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815
    edited April 2014

    Avery, didn't John Major actually have quite a lot of good news in 1997? Sometimes it works for incumbents, and sometimes... it doesn't.

    The main difference, IA, was that Major was on a fourth term of Conservative Government and he followed almost three terms in which the public perceived the UK economy had been turned around under Thatcher: "the sick man of Europe cured" and all that.

    Cameron is leading a Coalition government in its first term following three terms under a Labour government the latter of which gave the country its deepest and most long lasting recession in modern memory and brought the country to its highest ever level of indebtedness.

    Electors in 2015 may be rather less willing to disregard the importance of sound fiscal management and economic growth than they were in 1997.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,055
    Voters in 1997 didn’t have unalloyed experience of "sound fiscal management and economic growth” from the Tories.
    Having said that, conversations in pubs and shops suggest that there is the start of a "feelgood factor”, although there are still a lot of people struggling.
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815
    Why are growing retail sales important?

    Bloomberg in a review article on the UK economy summarises:

    U.K. pay growth accelerated to the fastest pace in almost seven years at the end of the first quarter as companies reported stronger overseas demand.

    An index of wage growth for full-time employees rose to 62.2 in March, the highest since July 2007, from 61.7 in February, KPMG LLP and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said in London today. Separately, the British Chambers of Commerce said measures of export sales at manufacturers and services companies increased in the first quarter, as did their employment intentions.

    The strengthening of pay growth coupled with cooling inflation may support consumer spending, the main driver of the economy in 2013. The government and the Bank of England are counting on a pickup in exports and investment to keep momentum in the recovery. Industrial production probably rose 0.3 percent in February, economists said in a survey before a report today.

    “Growth is strengthening in the short term, but challenges persist and, despite this progress, the recovery is not yet secure,” said BCC Chief Economist David Kern. “U.K. growth is still reliant on consumer spending, driven by a resurgent housing market and a declining savings ratio.”


    Business investment, both foreign and domestic, and growth in exports tend to lag in an economic recovery. Early indicators such as housing market revivals, consumer spending and borrowing are the kick starts. They generate the confidence and increased demand which provides incentives to invest.

    If the current government is to be successful in sustaining economic growth, then the boost provided by consumer spending must be replaced over the medium term as there is a limit to how long household savings (or credit lines) can be raided.

    Recent signs are positive in business investment (good growth through 2013), inbound foreign direct investment and in exports (if gas & oil extraction; slow recovery in investment and wholesale banking; and, depressed returns and liquidation of overseas investments are excluded). So patience is all. Especially as two of the three exclusions should recover in the medium term and even gas extraction has a fracking future in the longer term.
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    NinoinozNinoinoz Posts: 1,312
    AveryLP said:

    Avery, didn't John Major actually have quite a lot of good news in 1997? Sometimes it works for incumbents, and sometimes... it doesn't.

    The main difference, IA, was that Major was on a fourth term of Conservative Government and he followed almost three terms in which the public perceived the UK economy had been turned around under Thatcher: "the sick man of Europe cured" and all that.

    Cameron is leading a Coalition government in its first term following three terms under a Labour government the latter of which gave the country its deepest and most long lasting recession in modern memory and brought the country to its highest ever level of indebtedness.

    Electors in 2015 may be rather less willing to disregard the importance of sound fiscal management and economic growth than they were in 1997.
    So, coalition government, eh? That means you Tories can't claim all the credit.

    As for "highest ever level of indebtedness", you quote credit card figures to illustrate sound economic management?

    Nice formatting of your previous post, though.
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    FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916
    YouGov

    In today's poll which is favourable to UKIP, the 2010 VI splits (ignoring WNV and DK) show:

    Cons have lost 19% of their 2010 VI to UKIP (this is high compared to recent polls)

    Labour have lost 7% and
    LibDems have lost 9%.

    So the Cons:LAB ratio for UKIP defections is less than 3 to 1.

    Regionally the strongest UKIP support comes from Midlands/Wales (19%), Rest of South (17%) and then North (13%).
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815
    edited April 2014

    Voters in 1997 didn’t have unalloyed experience of "sound fiscal management and economic growth” from the Tories.
    Having said that, conversations in pubs and shops suggest that there is the start of a "feelgood factor”, although there are still a lot of people struggling.

    OKC

    John Major's government delivered average quarterly GDP growth in excess of 1%, making his five year term the most successful in terms of growth of any in the post war period.

    By contrast, Maggie's first government (1979-83) delivered only half a per cent growth in aggregate across the whole term.

    You would never have known that from pub conversations.

    On fiscal management, debt did increase in the first half of Major's 1992 government but was brought under control and started to decline in the final two years.

    In terms of lowest debt per GDP, it was Brown and Labour, who achieved that in the 1997 government, after committing to Major's expenditure plans for a term which also enjoyed peak North Sea output in volume and value.

    It was not until 2002-3 on government debt and 1998-99 on household debt, after Tony B. let Mrs Rochester out of the No 10 attic, that fiscal management started to show symptoms of insanity.

    Labour as sound fiscal managers? Again not a meme you will hear in pubs but undoubtedly true at least for the first three years of their 1997 term (if you exclude household debt) and five years to 2002 (if you only look at government debt).
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,374
    This is good news for the Tories. They are 3-5% behind and can hope for the return of nearly half the UKIP vote for the GE. Rather than a concern it is the best hope they have.
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    In 1997 New Labour were believable and believed in their plans for financial prudence, in 2015 I cannot see that being true for the two Eds.
    AveryLP said:

    Voters in 1997 didn’t have unalloyed experience of "sound fiscal management and economic growth” from the Tories.
    Having said that, conversations in pubs and shops suggest that there is the start of a "feelgood factor”, although there are still a lot of people struggling.

    OKC

    John Major's government delivered average quarterly GDP growth in excess of 1%, making his five year term the most successful in terms of growth of any in the post war period.

    By contrast, Maggie's first government (1979-83) delivered only half a per cent growth in aggregate across the whole term.

    You would never have known that from pub conversations.

    On fiscal management, debt did increase in the first half of Major's 1992 government but was brought under control and started to decline in the final two years.

    In terms of lowest debt per GDP, it was Brown and Labour, who achieved that in the 1997 government, after committing to Major's expenditure plans for a term which also enjoyed peak North Sea output in volume and value.

    It was not until 2002-3 on government debt and 1998-99 on household debt, after Tony B. let Mrs Rochester out of the No 10 attic, that fiscal management started to show symptoms of insanity.

    Labour as sound fiscal managers? Again not a meme you will hear in pubs but undoubtedly true at least for the first three years of their 1997 term (if you exclude household debt) and five years to 2002 (if you only look at government debt).
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    A lot depends on where the ex Tory kippers are. If they are in safe Tory seats then the % doesn't matter a great deal. If they are in Labour or Tory target seats then it becomes more critical.
    DavidL said:

    This is good news for the Tories. They are 3-5% behind and can hope for the return of nearly half the UKIP vote for the GE. Rather than a concern it is the best hope they have.

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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,055
    edited April 2014
    AveryLP. what I said was that voters didn’t have "unalloyed experience”. The problems of Black Wednesday and the concurrent interest rates left deep scars. Remember too, that interest rates had been significantly higher than post-war averages for some time, with the result that, unless one was sitting on the apparent gains from rises on house prices funding businesses was becoming increasingly difficult. I still bear the mental scars!

    I agree that things were getting better in the later Major years but it was "too little too late”. Had Black Wednesday occurred later in the electoral cycle I suspect that the Tory bloodbath would have been even greater.

    And I don’t take my views on Labour or Tory financial management from my friends in pubs; I simply listen to their views on how they’re feeling, where they think they can afford holidays and so on.
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    Thing is, OKC, that you had your oppos, mental scars and all, across the Western world. And many of your oppos' scars were far deeper than yours. AveryLP can't blame Brown for that. Although it's fun to watch him try...

    Tip to all Peebies (including myself): you can write a credible post, or you can write a post that makes you feel good about yourself. But probably not both at once...
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    And UKIP will continue to take votes off the Tories until Cameron mans up and explains why UKIP are just wrong, instead of pretending to be a better ersatz version of them.
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815
    Ninoinoz said:

    AveryLP said:

    Avery, didn't John Major actually have quite a lot of good news in 1997? Sometimes it works for incumbents, and sometimes... it doesn't.

    The main difference, IA, was that Major was on a fourth term of Conservative Government and he followed almost three terms in which the public perceived the UK economy had been turned around under Thatcher: "the sick man of Europe cured" and all that.

    Cameron is leading a Coalition government in its first term following three terms under a Labour government the latter of which gave the country its deepest and most long lasting recession in modern memory and brought the country to its highest ever level of indebtedness.

    Electors in 2015 may be rather less willing to disregard the importance of sound fiscal management and economic growth than they were in 1997.
    So, coalition government, eh? That means you Tories can't claim all the credit.

    As for "highest ever level of indebtedness", you quote credit card figures to illustrate sound economic management?

    Nice formatting of your previous post, though.
    The Tories have undoubtedly led the coalition government but that is no reason to deny the Liberal Democrats due praise for their contribution to the progress made to date in recovering the economy. Danny Alexander individually and the Lib Dems collectively have all made vital contributions to this government's success.

    The Visa and Barclaycard consumer spending indices are compiled from aggregate expenditure on payment cards in the UK. This will be a mixture of transactions on debit cards (accessing consumer deposits) and credit cards (sometimes but not always accessing unsecured credit lines). the use of cards as opposed to say cash or cheques does not tell us much about whether current salaries, savings or credit lines are being used.

    Overall 'fiscal' management by a government in its narrowest sense refers to management of public finances (government and public sector), particularly taxes and revenues. But it can have a broader sense extending across all three sectors (government, public and private) and including both funding (revenues and borrowing) and expenditure (current, capital etc.). In my comments on Major and Brown was using the term 'fiscal' in its broader sense.


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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,374
    If the UKIP vote is in safe Tory seats then the remaining Tory vote is also likely to be more efficient than it was in 2010 reducing the bias in the system. Put another way, with UKIP on 14% Labour should be doing a lot better than this.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,055

    Thing is, OKC, that you had your oppos, mental scars and all, across the Western world. And many of your oppos' scars were far deeper than yours. AveryLP can't blame Brown for that. Although it's fun to watch him try...

    Tip to all Peebies (including myself): you can write a credible post, or you can write a post that makes you feel good about yourself. But probably not both at once...

    Indeed, Mr Abroad, I eventually came out of a very unpleasant situation a lot better than I expected to. Thanks in part to the Labour Govt and the opportunities I found in the NHS.
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    DaemonBarberDaemonBarber Posts: 1,626

    And UKIP will continue to take votes off the Tories until Cameron mans up and explains why UKIP are just wrong, instead of pretending to be a better ersatz version of them.

    Yeah 'cause the best way of persuading somebody to come back to your side of the fence is to just tell them they are wrong.


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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    IndyRef betting: YES continues to shorten

    Current best prices

    Yes 10/3 (YouWin)
    No 3/10 (Betdaq)
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    edited April 2014
    Euro betting: CON continues to lengthen.

    Now out to 10 at Betfair (their most votes market).
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    To go back to the megasample: I would guess that UKIP now have a clear lead amongst white male voters who left full-time education at 16 (for which C2DE is to some extent a proxy) and in all honestly I can't see why they should lose it. Ever. Unless they make the mistake of going into government as the junior member of a coalition. That would be very silly...
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    I would agree. I think the rise of UKIP will reduce the FPTP effect on the Tories.

    Certainly this is going to be a more interesting year for political punters than last year.
    DavidL said:

    If the UKIP vote is in safe Tory seats then the remaining Tory vote is also likely to be more efficient than it was in 2010 reducing the bias in the system. Put another way, with UKIP on 14% Labour should be doing a lot better than this.

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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    The Separatist PQ have been ejected from office in the Quebec general election polling only 25% and with their leader Pauline Marois losing her seat. The Liberals have taken 70 seats to date requiring only 63 for a majority.

    http://www.ctvnews.ca/election-quebec-2014
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    DaemonBarberDaemonBarber Posts: 1,626
    SeanT said:
    Nice use of the word: fissiparous.

    Difficult to disagree with the nominations for Blame Monkeys.

    But I think you also have to give some credit to Salmond for making the SNP more than just a protest party, but actually a credible, successful and popular party of government.
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Further to my Quebec post it now appears all seats are allocated with no recounts.

    Liberals gain power with 70/125 seats.
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    On topic, message to Tory High Command.

    Farage Delenda Est.

    (Which is terrible Latin I know)
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815

    AveryLP. what I said was that voters didn’t have "unalloyed experience”. The problems of Black Wednesday and the concurrent interest rates left deep scars. Remember too, that interest rates had been significantly higher than post-war averages for some time, with the result that, unless one was sitting on the apparent gains from rises on house prices funding businesses was becoming increasingly difficult. I still bear the mental scars!

    I agree that things were getting better in the later Major years but it was "too little too late”. Had Black Wednesday occurred later in the electoral cycle I suspect that the Tory bloodbath would have been even greater.

    And I don’t take my views on Labour or Tory financial management from my friends in pubs; I simply listen to their views on how they’re feeling, where they think they can afford holidays and so on.

    OKC

    I was using 'pub conversations' as a generic designator of received popular wisdom rather than personally impugning your data sources!

    Black Wednesday had an odd effect on me. I had just bought a flat in London on an horrendous but interest subsidised mortgage so I was lucky to just see rather than feel the impact of the rate rises. I was also mostly, about two thirds of the year, abroad during this time.

    But I still think it has gained a weight in left wing mythology which is not justified by its real economic impact. The impact of high rates was relatively short lived and didn't much affect the long trend of bank rate across the term:
    BANK OF ENGLAND BASE RATE 
    1992 - 1997
    Date Rate
    --------------------------
    Tue, 05 May 1992 9.8750
    Tue, 22 Sep 1992 8.8750
    **************************
    Wed, 16 Sep 1992 Up to 15
    **************************
    Fri, 16 Oct 1992 7.8750
    Fri, 13 Nov 1992 6.8750
    Tue, 26 Jan 1993 5.8750
    Tue, 23 Nov 1993 5.3750
    Tue, 08 Feb 1994 5.1250
    Mon, 12 Sep 1994 5.6250
    Wed, 07 Dec 1994 6.1250
    Thu, 02 Feb 1995 6.6250
    Wed, 13 Dec 1995 6.3750
    Thu, 18 Jan 1996 6.1250
    Fri, 08 Mar 1996 5.9375
    Thu, 06 Jun 1996 5.6875
    Wed, 30 Oct 1996 5.9375
    Tue, 06 May 1997 6.2500
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    OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143
    What if you ask current UKIP voters how they voted in 2005, or 2001?

    UKIP are certainly a threat to Labour if they are taking votes from the Lib Dems and the Conservatives that might otherwise have gone to the Official Opposition. Sure, I'm not suggesting that people like Sean Fear would be contemplating voting Labour if UKIP weren't around, but looking at the effect of UKIP solely in respect to changes on the 2010 votes is misleading because it was Labour's nadir.
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    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322

    And UKIP will continue to take votes off the Tories until Cameron mans up and explains why UKIP are just wrong, instead of pretending to be a better ersatz version of them.

    He's certainly running frit from debating Farage.
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    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322

    What if you ask current UKIP voters how they voted in 2005, or 2001?

    UKIP are certainly a threat to Labour if they are taking votes from the Lib Dems and the Conservatives that might otherwise have gone to the Official Opposition. Sure, I'm not suggesting that people like Sean Fear would be contemplating voting Labour if UKIP weren't around, but looking at the effect of UKIP solely in respect to changes on the 2010 votes is misleading because it was Labour's nadir.

    Indeed. Also, we know a lot of the UKIP vote got so far is more Conservative leaning, but in terms of the further in-roads to be made, I think they're more among old Labour areas.

    If UKIP were really smart they might back a minimum wage increase. It would fit with a "make work pay" message, but also appeal to the left-leaning WWC.
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    AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Socrates said:

    And UKIP will continue to take votes off the Tories until Cameron mans up and explains why UKIP are just wrong, instead of pretending to be a better ersatz version of them.

    He's certainly running frit from debating Farage.
    Never argue with an idiot because he'll drag you down to his level then beat you with experience.
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    MillsyMillsy Posts: 900
    Seats like Great Grimsby will be interesting to watch come 2015. When Austin Mitchell first got elected in 1977 it was a classic 50-50 Labour-Tory seat, with Labour on 47% and the Conservatives on 46%.

    Fast forward to 2010 and the result was:

    Labour - 33%
    Tory - 31%
    LD - 22%
    Others - 14%

    (Others included Ukip 6% and BNP 5%)

    Are Labour really going to hoover up the votes and get back to well over 40% of the vote? Maybe, maybe not. If Ukip surge, it will also be in seats like this. There are plenty of other seats like it, look also at Dudley North.
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    Millsy said:
    Yup: when people are poor they blame Labour, and when their position improves they thank the Tories. Perhaps someone can explain to me how the Labour Party's lasted so long.

    Actually, if I was Cammo, I'd give UKIP a clear run in Doncaster North...

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    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    I see Russia Today is reporting the Ukrainian government is supposedly using "Right sector" units and "American mercenaries in Ukrainian uniforms" to take back Donetsk. Sounds like they're trying to justify a military intervention.
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    antifrank said:

    Socrates said:

    And UKIP will continue to take votes off the Tories until Cameron mans up and explains why UKIP are just wrong, instead of pretending to be a better ersatz version of them.

    He's certainly running frit from debating Farage.
    Never argue with an idiot because he'll drag you down to his level then beat you with experience.
    Are you going to tell them ALL my secrets? Jeezuss...

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    MillsyMillsy Posts: 900
    Ukip have a brand problem of course, seen as the Tories' grumpy grandad or libertarian teenager whereas if they play their cards right they can be a working class alternative to all mainstream parties. Hence Farage's focus on Labour.

    It's not surprising that the Tories are losing most voters to Ukip as they have the most 2010 voters to lose anyway and plenty of people are pissed off with the party in government. But come 2020 they might actually be in a position to challenge Labour
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    JohnOJohnO Posts: 4,215
    Apparently there was a Euro-election Populus Poll yesterday for the FT with Lab 31, Con 27 and UKIP 25.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,055
    edited April 2014
    Avery LP; comment re sources noted and appreciated. The problem for me personally is that those rates, when the normal sorts of premiums were added on, were crippling and ultimately fatal to the small business I was trying to run.

    Perception does play a significant part of how people “remember” events!

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    Millsy said:

    Ukip have a brand problem of course, seen as the Tories' grumpy grandad or libertarian teenager whereas if they play their cards right they can be a working class alternative to all mainstream parties. Hence Farage's focus on Labour.

    It's not surprising that the Tories are losing most voters to Ukip as they have the most 2010 voters to lose anyway and plenty of people are pissed off with the party in government. But come 2020 they might actually be in a position to challenge Labour

    Indeed. A political spectrum on which Cammo is the far left seems ridiculous now, but so would a Labour government have done in the dying days of Balfour's administration. They were 18 years apart.

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    JohnO said:

    Apparently there was a Euro-election Populus Poll yesterday for the FT with Lab 31, Con 27 and UKIP 25.

    Yup

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dc007520-be5d-11e3-961f-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=uk#axzz2yESEmi33
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    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,128
    AveryLP said:



    Black Wednesday had an odd effect on me. I had just bought a flat in London on an horrendous but interest subsidised mortgage so I was lucky to just see rather than feel the impact of the rate rises. I was also mostly, about two thirds of the year, abroad during this time.

    But I still think it has gained a weight in left wing mythology which is not justified by its real economic impact. The impact of high rates was relatively short lived and didn't much affect the long trend of bank rate across the term:

    BANK OF ENGLAND BASE RATE 
    1992 - 1997
    Date Rate
    --------------------------
    Tue, 05 May 1992 9.8750
    Tue, 22 Sep 1992 8.8750
    **************************
    Wed, 16 Sep 1992 Up to 15
    **************************
    Fri, 16 Oct 1992 7.8750
    Fri, 13 Nov 1992 6.8750
    Tue, 26 Jan 1993 5.8750
    Tue, 23 Nov 1993 5.3750
    Tue, 08 Feb 1994 5.1250
    Mon, 12 Sep 1994 5.6250
    Wed, 07 Dec 1994 6.1250
    Thu, 02 Feb 1995 6.6250
    Wed, 13 Dec 1995 6.3750
    Thu, 18 Jan 1996 6.1250
    Fri, 08 Mar 1996 5.9375
    Thu, 06 Jun 1996 5.6875
    Wed, 30 Oct 1996 5.9375
    Tue, 06 May 1997 6.2500
    The impact of Black Wednesday on interest rates was to lower them so you were UNLUCKY in not experiencing the effect.

    The increase to 15% was reversed in under 24 hours followed by as you show a rapid fall in interest rates.

    If it hadn't been for Black Wednesday then thousands more business would have gone bankrupt and tens of thousands more homes would have been repossessed.

    What was damaging politically was the image of the government being not of control of its economic policy rather than the beneficial effects that the forced change to its economic policy brought.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    OGH, you are missing the point. "Threat" is a forward looking term.

    The damage has already been done to the Tories: the next 5% from them will be progressively harder to secure because you are coming up against the likes of Mr Nabavi who, I suspect, is unlike to be a natural UKIP supporter.

    The next targets are those tribal loyal Labour voters that EdM doesn't enthuse plus those former Labour voter who have given up voting for anyone. One is a direct challenge to Labour, the other is competing with Labour for a similar pool of voters.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    AndyJS said:

    Re. Quebec election:

    Until a few weeks ago it was neck-and-neck in the polls between the PQ and the Liberals:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_general_election,_2014#Opinion_polls

    Aye, a very timely reminder that political punters should not make the big mistake of thinking that the polls a whole year before the election are a good predictor of the final result.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    fitalass said:

    "Things could change but for the moment it is the blue team which has been most hit by the rise of Farage’s party."

    In the polls rather than the polling booth.... But are the blue team as at risk of taking the biggest hit from UKIP in the seats where it matters to them at the next GE, or is it the Labour party? When it has come to actual by elections, it seems like UKIP are performing far better in Labour/Libdem held seats due to a form of tactical protest voting that takes in both former Conservative and the C1,C2 and D demographic groups that might normally be expected to turn out to vote Labour if they turn out to vote at all? Quite a heady tactical voting cocktail if they realise that their vote will matter even more when targeted in Labour seats, so just maybe some of those former Conservatives voters are not feeling the love for the Labour party even more.

    Sorry , fitalass there have been no by elections in Conservative seats . If there had been then you would soon revise your view that Labour are taking a bigger hit in the polling booth .
    Corby?
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    AveryLP said:

    Can the good news get any better?

    Bloomberg overnight:


    Industrial production probably rose 0.3% in February, economists said in a survey before a report today.

    ONS at 9:30 a.m. this morning:

    Total production increased by 0.9% between January 2014 and February 2014. There were upward contributions from three of the main sectors, with manufacturing being the largest contributor increasing by 1.0%, its third consecutive monthly rise.

    ........ and yet the FTSE 100 Index fell yet again this morning!

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    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,261
    Lord Robertson keeping up his fine tradition of striking precisely the wrong note:

    'The loudest cheers for the break-up of Britain would be from our adversaries and from our enemies', 'cataclysmic', 'forces of darkness'.

    Wafi.

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    BobaFettBobaFett Posts: 2,789
    SeanT said:
    Excellent, challenging article from Sean this morning on the Torygraph site. Well worth a read.
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815

    AveryLP said:



    Black Wednesday had an odd effect on me. I had just bought a flat in London on an horrendous but interest subsidised mortgage so I was lucky to just see rather than feel the impact of the rate rises. I was also mostly, about two thirds of the year, abroad during this time.

    But I still think it has gained a weight in left wing mythology which is not justified by its real economic impact. The impact of high rates was relatively short lived and didn't much affect the long trend of bank rate across the term:

    BANK OF ENGLAND BASE RATE 
    1992 - 1997
    Date Rate
    --------------------------
    Tue, 05 May 1992 9.8750
    Tue, 22 Sep 1992 8.8750
    **************************
    Wed, 16 Sep 1992 Up to 15
    **************************
    Fri, 16 Oct 1992 7.8750
    Fri, 13 Nov 1992 6.8750
    Tue, 26 Jan 1993 5.8750
    Tue, 23 Nov 1993 5.3750
    Tue, 08 Feb 1994 5.1250
    Mon, 12 Sep 1994 5.6250
    Wed, 07 Dec 1994 6.1250
    Thu, 02 Feb 1995 6.6250
    Wed, 13 Dec 1995 6.3750
    Thu, 18 Jan 1996 6.1250
    Fri, 08 Mar 1996 5.9375
    Thu, 06 Jun 1996 5.6875
    Wed, 30 Oct 1996 5.9375
    Tue, 06 May 1997 6.2500
    The impact of Black Wednesday on interest rates was to lower them so you were UNLUCKY in not experiencing the effect.

    The increase to 15% was reversed in under 24 hours followed by as you show a rapid fall in interest rates.

    If it hadn't been for Black Wednesday then thousands more business would have gone bankrupt and tens of thousands more homes would have been repossessed.

    What was damaging politically was the image of the government being not of control of its economic policy rather than the beneficial effects that the forced change to its economic policy brought.
    We are in agreement, ar!!!

    All I would add is that is that the image was of a tired government not in control of its own party more than one not in control of economic policy. The mistake was not in the government's response to Black Wednesday but the decision to enter the ERM in the first place.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    Socrates said:

    And UKIP will continue to take votes off the Tories until Cameron mans up and explains why UKIP are just wrong, instead of pretending to be a better ersatz version of them.

    He's certainly running frit from debating Farage.
    To quote Sun Tze: Only fight battles you can win, and only fight battles that matter.

    Cameron is right not to debate Farage. He has nothing to gain and plenty to lose.
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815

    BLUE ON BLUE INCOMING:

    Won't be seen, 'pouter.

    As I explained downthread today is "Turquoise Tuesday" which means all blue on blue fire will be lost to the background.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,055

    AndyJS said:

    Re. Quebec election:

    Until a few weeks ago it was neck-and-neck in the polls between the PQ and the Liberals:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_general_election,_2014#Opinion_polls

    Aye, a very timely reminder that political punters should not make the big mistake of thinking that the polls a whole year before the election are a good predictor of the final result.
    Actually what seems to have happened is that there was a late and very significant switch between the PQ and the CAQ.
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    JohnO said:

    Apparently there was a Euro-election Populus Poll yesterday for the FT with Lab 31, Con 27 and UKIP 25.

    That makes me think that CON 10 at Betfair (most votes) might not be bad value!
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815

    Letter of the day (in today's telegraph)

    SIR – Before ministers are appointed to the Cabinet, they should be required to sit a short intelligence test:

    1. You have two homes and spend more nights each year in one than the other. Which one is your main home?

    2. Can you recognise whether your parents are also living in one of your homes?

    Guy Smith
    Reigate, Surrey

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/10750669/The-Maria-Miller-scandal-is-damaging-the-Conservatives-electoral-hopes.html


    TSE

    I thought the real issue was whether the parents were able to recognise which of their children were living at home.
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    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    edited April 2014
    BobaFett said:

    SeanT said:
    Excellent, challenging article from Sean this morning on the Torygraph site. Well worth a read.
    But no shares... the Editor will be disappointed....
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815
    edited April 2014
    Can the good news get any better?

    Bloomberg overnight:

    Industrial production probably rose 0.3% in February, economists said in a survey before a report today.

    ONS at 9:30 a.m. this morning:

    Total production increased by 0.9% between January 2014 and February 2014. There were upward contributions from three of the main sectors, with manufacturing being the largest contributor increasing by 1.0%, its third consecutive monthly rise.

    Champagne fuelled dancing in the aisles of the City trading floors today.

    Full headlines from ONS report:

    • Production output increased by 2.7% between February 2013 and February 2014. This reflects increases of 3.8% in manufacturing; 8.5% in water supply, sewerage & waste management and 0.2% in mining & quarrying.

    • The only decrease was in electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning output, which decreased by 8.8% between February 2013 and February 2014. This was attributed to the average temperature in February 2014 being warmer than February 2013.

    • The main manufacturing components contributing to the increase between February 2013 and February 2014 were the manufacture of rubber & plastic products & other non-metallic mineral products; the manufacture of transport equipment and the manufacture of machinery & equipment not elsewhere classified.

    • Total production increased by 0.9% between January 2014 and February 2014. There were upward contributions from three of the main sectors, with manufacturing being the largest contributor increasing by 1.0%, its third consecutive monthly rise.

    • The main components contributing to the increase in manufacturing between January 2014 and February 2014 were the manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products & pharmaceutical preparations; the manufacture of transport equipment and the manufacture of food products, beverages & tobacco.

    • In this release the earliest period open for revision was January 2014. There is no impact on previously published GDP estimates from revisions reported in this release.


    Even the Lib Dems are getting excited. In honour of St. Vince they are proposing that today be referred to henceforward as "Turquoise Tuesday"!
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited April 2014


    Actually what seems to have happened is that there was a late and very significant switch between the PQ and the CAQ.

    As often happens, although that's a particularly big and particularly late switch, reminiscent of Holyrood 2011 (albeit in the opposite direction!).

    Sometimes it's more a gradual drift, as in the last German Federal elections.

    It's actually rather unusual for nothing much to change over a year, although that too can certainly happen. The 2005 UK general election was one good example.
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    Enjoyed Sean T's article on indyref in the Telelgraph. Spot on about Devo Max. Both Labour and the Tories have gambled on denying people the chance of Devo Max (albeit for different reasons) and the lack of a third option on the paper will push many towards Yes.
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    SeanT said:
    You missed out James Callaghan
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    Letter of the day (in today's telegraph)

    SIR – Before ministers are appointed to the Cabinet, they should be required to sit a short intelligence test:

    1. You have two homes and spend more nights each year in one than the other. Which one is your main home?

    2. Can you recognise whether your parents are also living in one of your homes?

    Guy Smith
    Reigate, Surrey

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/10750669/The-Maria-Miller-scandal-is-damaging-the-Conservatives-electoral-hopes.html
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699

    AndyJS said:

    Re. Quebec election:

    Until a few weeks ago it was neck-and-neck in the polls between the PQ and the Liberals:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_general_election,_2014#Opinion_polls

    Aye, a very timely reminder that political punters should not make the big mistake of thinking that the polls a whole year before the election are a good predictor of the final result.
    Actually what seems to have happened is that there was a late and very significant switch between the PQ and the CAQ.

    AndyJS said:

    Re. Quebec election:

    Until a few weeks ago it was neck-and-neck in the polls between the PQ and the Liberals:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_general_election,_2014#Opinion_polls

    Aye, a very timely reminder that political punters should not make the big mistake of thinking that the polls a whole year before the election are a good predictor of the final result.
    Actually what seems to have happened is that there was a late and very significant switch between the PQ and the CAQ.
    When the election campaign began there was an immediate switch to the Liberals from both PQ and CAQ . In the later stages the CAQ recovered significantly as the voters decided to vote against PQ for whoever was best placed to beat them . QS also gained one seat from PQ and came close in a couple of others .
    We should remember that there was no need for an election to be called after just 2 years of the parliament , it was only the desire of Marois and PQ for a majority government that led them to call it . The polls were not massively saying that they were certain to do so .
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    The brutal murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby is being exploited by the British National Party in a bid to win support ahead of next month’s European elections, The Independent can reveal.....

    .....The tactic comes after last week’s revelatons in The Independent that BNP activists are trying to woo support by taking mobile food banks to poor areas – echoing the Greek extremists Golden Dawn.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/mod-condemns-immoral-bnp-for-exploiting-brutal-murder-of-lee-rigby-in-campaign-video-9244883.html
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    compouter2compouter2 Posts: 2,371
    BLUE ON BLUE INCOMING:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10751255/Tory-MPs-call-for-Miller-to-be-sacked.html

    "A source* said senior members of the 1922 Committee were “in no doubt that this is absolutely toxic” for the party. Mr Brady would “make that very clear” to Mr Cameron. "

    * Very Dan Hodges, I do say.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,993
    Hmm I wonder if Procter & Gamble or Unilever will have ideas for a new advertising campaign this morning.
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    Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 1m

    Populus EU poll took place after last week's debate

    CON 27
    LAB 32
    UKIP 25
    LD 10
    GRN 3
    SNP/PC 4
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    isamisam Posts: 40,995

    Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 1m

    Populus EU poll took place after last week's debate

    CON 27
    LAB 32
    UKIP 25
    LD 10
    GRN 3
    SNP/PC 4

    These difference between polling companies in these Euro polls is ridiculous isn't it?

    What price they're just guessing?!
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,993
    Charles said:

    OGH, you are missing the point. "Threat" is a forward looking term.

    The damage has already been done to the Tories: the next 5% from them will be progressively harder to secure because you are coming up against the likes of Mr Nabavi who, I suspect, is unlike to be a natural UKIP supporter.

    The next targets are those tribal loyal Labour voters that EdM doesn't enthuse plus those former Labour voter who have given up voting for anyone. One is a direct challenge to Labour, the other is competing with Labour for a similar pool of voters.

    I doubt R Nabavi is in the 'next' 5%. With all respect he's probably 90-95th percentile least likely to switch. Avery Limp Pole I'd put at 95-100 least likely.
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    Backed PSG to win tonight at 15/4 with Bet365, also backed Chelsea to qualify at 3/1 with Coral.

    Obviously this means Chelsea will win tonight, but not qualify.
This discussion has been closed.