politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » It really is squeaky bum time: TNS have the gap down to just one percent
The YES and NO campaigns in the Scottish IndyRef are running neck-and-neck after a dramatic swing over the past month, according to the much anticipated new poll from TNS which does its fieldwork face to face.
If they hold the Devomax PRESS CONFERENCE I've been boring everyone about in Holyrood Palace, by permission of her Majesty, it would be enough of an endorsement to finding a solution without sullying of hands -and it wouldn't be party political, because every party would be invited.
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit as Prime Minister in the case of a Yes vote - up from 22 per cent on Friday, the YouGov poll for The Sun found.
Half (50 per cent) think he should remain as PM while the rest (21 per cent) don’t know.
Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader if Scotland quits the UK, with 47 per cent say he should stay.
» show previous quotes Ah, the junky, scum, Nazi, racist, piece of dogshit, retard, moron, w!nker banter. How we laughed.
I have seen plenty of that talk from the Yes side. I'm sorry, but I don't see how anyone can claim moral high ground here, and if it becomes a debate of worse offenders, one side may well be worse, but no-one's coming off well.
» show previous quotes If it was anything like today it would have been individuals posting a paradoxical combo of suggested cruel and unusual punishments for ungrateful Scotland leaving whilst ostensibly wanting a No vote. It's rather like telling your wife you'll make sure she is ruined if she ever tries to divorce you.
Unfortunate, but not really paradoxical - one side does not want a divorce, therefore if pleading does not work threats will follow, along with indignant comments that they'll be fine, but you won't be. To my mind the No side have not tried enough pleading. I doubt it would work, it comes across as a bit pathetic, but I'd sacrifice dignity in this fight quite quickly.
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit as Prime Minister in the case of a Yes vote - up from 22 per cent on Friday, the YouGov poll for The Sun found.
Half (50 per cent) think he should remain as PM while the rest (21 per cent) don’t know.
Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader if Scotland quits the UK, with 47 per cent say he should stay.
@Luckyguy1983 Pointless, those in Scotland that are "royalists" will have already made up their mind to vote "yes". The voters "no" needs to shift are at the republican end (left wing/labour mainly), and a call by the monarch will fall on deaf ears.
» show previous quotes Ah, the junky, scum, Nazi, racist, piece of dogshit, retard, moron, w!nker banter. How we laughed.
I have seen plenty of that talk from the Yes side. I'm sorry, but I don't see how anyone can claim moral high ground here, and if it becomes a debate of worse offenders, one side may well be worse, but no-one's coming off well.
Seeing that gurning idiot Brown on the news, promising things for England to deliver, has coverted me to the cause of Yes. Let him join Salmond in room 101.
So based on current trends, Yes are looking at like a 20 point lead, right?
In all seriousness, I think it's too late to change things. The momentum has taken hold, the narrative of Yes has been adopted, and as we've seen from their steady march in all these decades, once it takes hold, people have that fervour for the long term.
Now just a question of what Wales can be offered to stop them going further, but once Scotland goes it's hard to not see them going as well at some point - Scotland will do fine in the long term, and they have all the time in the world, it is not as though Wales will become less Labour dominated (unless it is to PC), so if England is tacking right, they will feel even more distinct before too long.
Perhaps we can at least prevent Cornwell splintering off in the long run? Yorkshire?
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit ... Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader ....
I fail to see why either should resign. Scotland seems to have been edging closer and closer to an independence vote for as long as I can remember. It is just that up to this point no one was prepared to believe that a post indy Scotland was viable.
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit as Prime Minister in the case of a Yes vote - up from 22 per cent on Friday, the YouGov poll for The Sun found.
Half (50 per cent) think he should remain as PM while the rest (21 per cent) don’t know.
Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader if Scotland quits the UK, with 47 per cent say he should stay.
"It is difficult to overstate how weak Mr Cameron’s leadership and strategy have been throughout [the indyref campaign]. He has never made a sustained argument for the continuation of the United Kingdom. What is now clear is that his decision in 2012 to veto a second question on the ballot paper asking Scots if they would accept further devolution was a strategic blunder."
He's toast, after a YES. He might just try and cling on but the tide will utterly overwhelm him.
We should, however, consider the alternative. Such is the bile being spat at Cameron and Osborne, if he now gets a NO, his position will be enhanced, and he might even get a big boost in the polls.
It's double or quits.
It would be beyond belief if a Unionist PM did not resign after losing the Union. Didn't Cameron read some history in between Bullingdon dinners?
» show previous quotes Ah, the junky, scum, Nazi, racist, piece of dogshit, retard, moron, w!nker banter. How we laughed.
I have seen plenty of that talk from the Yes side. I'm sorry, but I don't see how anyone can claim moral high ground here, and if it becomes a debate of worse offenders, one side may well be worse, but no-one's coming off well.
There's none so blind as those that will not see
Are you saying I do not see that the Yes side get nasty comments going their way? Of course they do. All I'm saying is that this debate has descended into some pretty nasty stuff over the years on both sides, and I leave it to those with a broader experience of it to determine who is worse in terms of extent - that, at least, seems entirely uncontroversial.
So based on current trends, Yes are looking at like a 20 point lead, right?
In all seriousness, I think it's too late to change things. The momentum has taken hold, the narrative of Yes has been adopted, and as we've seen from their steady march in all these decades, once it takes hold, people have that fervour for the long term.
Now just a question of what Wales can be offered to stop them going further, but once Scotland goes it's hard to not see them going as well at some point - Scotland will do fine in the long term, and they have all the time in the world, it is not as though Wales will become less Labour dominated (unless it is to PC), so if England is tacking right, they will feel even more distinct before too long.
Perhaps we can at least prevent Cornwell splintering off in the long run? Yorkshire?
Yorkshire will never leave the UK.
We realise we are the heartbeat and glue of the UK.
Purely as a point of discussion, SeanT reckons England will shift "right" politically in the event of a yes. I think it will lead eventually to a more "federalized" country (old counties perhaps?), and the political shift will be far more complex
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit ... Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader ....
I fail to see why either should resign. Scotland seems to have been edging closer and closer to an independence vote for as long as I can remember. It is just that up to this point no one was prepared to believe that a post indy Scotland was viable.
Didn't Dave say he would quit if he lost the Union?
Mind you he also promised no Top Down NHS reorganisation
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit ... Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader ....
I fail to see why either should resign. Scotland seems to have been edging closer and closer to an independence vote for as long as I can remember. It is just that up to this point no one was prepared to believe that a post indy Scotland was viable.
Didn't Dave say he would quit if he lost the Union?
No. He explicitly, clearly and loudly said the exact opposite.
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit as Prime Minister in the case of a Yes vote - up from 22 per cent on Friday, the YouGov poll for The Sun found.
Half (50 per cent) think he should remain as PM while the rest (21 per cent) don’t know.
Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader if Scotland quits the UK, with 47 per cent say he should stay.
So Cameron has better stay/go numbers than Miliband.
So he's the one that must resign. Obviously.
I'm surprised that both have more people saying they should remain in place, but their positions are slightly different. Cameron may have been able to do more, but he has to go mainly by virtue of the position he holds and the shattering of that from a Yes vote, being the last PM of the UK (last one prior to the referendum anyway). How could he survive that when he already cannot control his own party? Miliband though might consider resigning, or rather be pushed, because Labour as a party will have been more cruelly cut by the outcome given that it will have been their voters which swung it in the end.
Of the two, I can see Cameron resigning very easily in shame, despite his protestations and such a poll supporting him staying on. Miliband I cannot see going of his own accord, given he will be PM in less than a year, and I cannot see him being pushed unless Labour think someone else would appeal to England more than him. Any ideas?
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit ... Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader ....
I fail to see why either should resign. Scotland seems to have been edging closer and closer to an independence vote for as long as I can remember. It is just that up to this point no one was prepared to believe that a post indy Scotland was viable.
The PM of the UK who presided over the end of the UK. If that's not something he should resign for I don't know what is. He has been unbelievably useless throughout the campaign.
Perhaps he secretly favours Yes so he can get out on a point of high-minded principle rather than face near certain defeat at the ballot box?
Purely as a point of discussion, SeanT reckons England will shift "right" politically in the event of a yes. I think it will lead eventually to a more "federalized" country (old counties perhaps?), and the political shift will be far more complex
That's a really interesting question. I agree with the general concensus that Scotland is more socially conservative than England, and a little more left wing on economic issues but the difference is frequently exaggerated. And I suspect in the event of independence, that when things have settled down a broad right of centre Scottish party post independence, and a broad centre left party in rUK could quite feasibly both be in power at the same time
David Cameron has said he "emphatically" will not resign if Scotland votes to leave the UK, as his leadership is not the matter at stake in the referendum.
The surprising thing about Johann Lamont is that she beat other candidates to become leader of her party. How terrible were they?!
Let's start at the bottom with PB fave Tom Harris.
I dont think leading the party from Westminster would have been a great idea.
Labour in Scotland truly is a talent free zone. I wonder if it has gotten worse or better since a lot of list candidates were unexpectedly elected due to the catastrophic loss of constituency MSPs.
The first poll with fieldwork dates after the announcement of this and the YouGov polls will be interesting. Will it snowball, or will there be a bit of a pushback?
@HanDodges As some on here might have noticed, I am not Dave C's biggest fan. But, I see no reason why he should feel the need to resign over a democratic vote that he could never of had control of.
If the answer to that question is "someone worse" it would not be a good idea to go
Handing over is not that important I should think, it's not as though much important business will be conducted, and the bureaucrats can handle the early negotiations and events under a caretaker PM until 2015, plenty of places seem to get by without a proper government for quite some time so long as state institutions have the stability to make sure day to day business carries on.
I find it very hard to believe that Cameron will resign after a yes vote. It just makes no political sense. The only people who will call for his resignation are the people who are currently wanting him out. And who is going to replace him?
Having said all that, there will be a lot of pressure if it's a Scottish yes, followed by a UKIP victory in Clacton - then the media and tory backbenches really will be baying for blood.
Perhaps Hammond next tory leader @ 16/1 (lads) would be the best bet to cover such a scenario? - That bet would also keep alive into a post 2015 conservative defeat leadership election scenario.
Can anyone else see any value bets if Cameron is forced out?
Given the vast majority of normal people in England don't pay that much interest in politics (just watch an episode of Pointless whenever there is a political question) and those that do tend to consider this an issue for the Scots and not really something for the English to be involved in, there really isn't going to be a public opinion wave from normal, non-political people, calling for DC to quit, let alone EM.
Some people on here seem to be in a bubble cut off from where normal non-political people inhabit.
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit ... Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader ....
I fail to see why either should resign. Scotland seems to have been edging closer and closer to an independence vote for as long as I can remember. It is just that up to this point no one was prepared to believe that a post indy Scotland was viable.
The PM of the UK who presided over the end of the UK. If that's not something he should resign for I don't know what is. He has been unbelievably useless throughout the campaign.
Perhaps he secretly favours Yes so he can get out on a point of high-minded principle rather than face near certain defeat at the ballot box?
I agree,cameron should go,if it's a yes vote, but -
Labour have been fronting the NO campaign,you forget to mention this,how useless,this negative campaign by the labour party
So based on current trends, Yes are looking at like a 20 point lead, right?
In all seriousness, I think it's too late to change things. The momentum has taken hold, the narrative of Yes has been adopted, and as we've seen from their steady march in all these decades, once it takes hold, people have that fervour for the long term.
Now just a question of what Wales can be offered to stop them going further, but once Scotland goes it's hard to not see them going as well at some point - Scotland will do fine in the long term, and they have all the time in the world, it is not as though Wales will become less Labour dominated (unless it is to PC), so if England is tacking right, they will feel even more distinct before too long.
Perhaps we can at least prevent Cornwell splintering off in the long run? Yorkshire?
For the umpteenth time do not read Wales equals Scotland. Looks like there'll be a bit more tax raising but the latest test of opinion ( BBC Wales poll in about March I think) showed all of five percent in favour of independence rising to about seven or eight if Scotland left. The economics is up for debate in Scotland, in Wales it isn't. Plaid are nowhere close to the SNP's position, hopelessly led (IMO), there's a possible linguistic divide, and about 30% of the voters were not born in Wales - the vast majority of those in England. There will be changes round the edges but Wales ain't going anywhere fast.
I find it very hard to believe that Cameron will resign after a yes vote. It just makes no political sense. The only people who will call for his resignation are the people who are currently wanting him out. And who is going to replace him?
Having said all that, there will be a lot of pressure if it's a Scottish yes, followed by a UKIP victory in Clacton - then the media and tory backbenches really will be baying for blood.
Perhaps Hammond next tory leader @ 16/1 (lads) would be the best bet to cover such a scenario? - That bet would also keep alive into a post 2015 conservative defeat leadership election scenario. The corals 33/1 on Hammond next PM is less tempting.
Can anyone else see any value bets if Cameron is forced out?
Purely as a point of discussion, SeanT reckons England will shift "right" politically in the event of a yes. I think it will lead eventually to a more "federalized" country (old counties perhaps?), and the political shift will be far more complex
That's a really interesting question. I agree with the general concensus that Scotland is more socially conservative than England, and a little more left wing on economic issues but the difference is frequently exaggerated. And I suspect in the event of independence, that when things have settled down a broad right of centre Scottish party post independence, and a broad centre left party in rUK could quite feasibly both be in power at the same time
Tory-UKIP is a Coalition made in heaven, just waiting to happen, which already commands a majority of public opinion, and voter intention, in England. I predict it will only grow after a YES.
The one thing stopping this obvious Coalition is the metrosexual, Old Etonian tendency in the Tory party, epitomised by Cameron, who worry more about polite opinion in Primrose Hill and Ladbroke Grove. He and they will be swept away after a YES.
The surprising thing about Johann Lamont is that she beat other candidates to become leader of her party. How terrible were they?!
Let's start at the bottom with PB fave Tom Harris.
I dont think leading the party from Westminster would have been a great idea.
Labour in Scotland truly is a talent free zone. I wonder if it has gotten worse or better since a lot of list candidates were unexpectedly elected due to the catastrophic loss of constituency MSPs.
Iain Gray kept his seat and now contributes to SLAB font bench talent; not sure if that's worse of better.
"TNS surveys over the past six months have consistently shown that 70%-75% said they were certain to vote. This has leapt to 84% in the latest poll."
It looks like those (and you know who you are) who were suckered into taking Shadsy's two pronged bet requiring both the NOs to win and for the turnout to be less than 80% have lost their money. If not on the first count, then almost certainly on the second.
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit as Prime Minister in the case of a Yes vote - up from 22 per cent on Friday, the YouGov poll for The Sun found.
Half (50 per cent) think he should remain as PM while the rest (21 per cent) don’t know.
Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader if Scotland quits the UK, with 47 per cent say he should stay.
"It is difficult to overstate how weak Mr Cameron’s leadership and strategy have been throughout [the indyref campaign]. He has never made a sustained argument for the continuation of the United Kingdom. What is now clear is that his decision in 2012 to veto a second question on the ballot paper asking Scots if they would accept further devolution was a strategic blunder."
He's toast, after a YES. He might just try and cling on but the tide will utterly overwhelm him.
We should, however, consider the alternative. Such is the bile being spat at Cameron and Osborne, if he now gets a NO, his position will be enhanced, and he might even get a big boost in the polls.
It's double or quits.
And also don't forget that the vast majority of people in SLAB in 1997 thought that devolution would kill any independence movement stone dead - how outdated does that look now?!! Yet another area where Salmond and the SNP were light years ahead of their political opposition.
Evening all and having spent the evening with a group of business colleagues who will almost all vote NO, it looks bleak for the Union. We decided to look out for possible business opportunities arising from a YES vote and the uncertainty that will lead to for many SMEs.
So tonight we have the 2nd poll in 2 days basically saying it is 50/50. Jonah Brown couldn't save himself let alone the UK. We are doomed doomed doomed as Pte Fraser would say.
There were suggestions this morning that the Scottish Sun is going to come out for YES. Has anyone else heard this?
At the least it will be hilarious to see. And hard - Labour having to try to tone down the anti-Tory stuff due to sharing a stage on BT is awkward enough (and pretty rare it seems anyway), and Tories trying to suggest sometimes Brown is right will be hard as well.
I've never thought him as bad as seems to be common thinking, I personally find Blair far more odious though perhaps it is a raw talent issue and Blair does have some of that, but I will happily see him honoured if he can manage it.
OTOH he may be being set up as a scapegoat. There will be a lot of blame to go around, plenty to Brown anyway, but the more ire can be focused on one person the easier it might be for others to divert blame and save themselves.
If Dave goes and the Tories want to show the country they aren't a bunch of posh Buller boys, what better than electing the Northern working class Muslim son of an immigrant
A No win by a point or two isn't worth having. It will just lead to immense bitterness about English living in Scotland, or the BBC, or wicked banker Tories, or a million and one other reasons to harbour. On top of which, it'll also lead to an even more unbalanced DevoMax offer, which itself will no doubt offer new causes for disagreement.
I would have liked Scotland to stay but all things considered, it might be best having the Nats outside the tent pissing in, than inside the tent pissing in.
The surprising thing about Johann Lamont is that she beat other candidates to become leader of her party. How terrible were they?!
Well, she didn't actually beat the other candidates. Ken Macintosh MSP easily won the support of the ordinary party members, but those votes were heavily downweighted in favour of trade unions, MPs and MSPs.
'So more people believe that Miliband should resign?? That has to be angry Labourites. '
It's Labour voters that will swing the result for Yes,he will permanently lose 40 of his MP's & it will be very difficult for Labour to get an overall majority in rUK.
Ed started campaigning in Scotland last week, and Friday afternoon, Roger said no would win and it has been downhill for No ever since.
Has our PM campaigned yet?
If not why?
Labour have,what a great job they doing for the yes vote ;-)
Anyone who cant see how toxic Tory policies like the bedroom tax and NHS private sector involvement are in Scotland deserves to lose a lot of money on No IMHO
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit ... Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader ....
I fail to see why either should resign. Scotland seems to have been edging closer and closer to an independence vote for as long as I can remember. It is just that up to this point no one was prepared to believe that a post indy Scotland was viable.
The PM of the UK who presided over the end of the UK. If that's not something he should resign for I don't know what is. He has been unbelievably useless throughout the campaign.
Perhaps he secretly favours Yes so he can get out on a point of high-minded principle rather than face near certain defeat at the ballot box?
Labour created devolution. Labour lost power in Scotland - to Nationalists. Labour have been behind the Scottish NO campaign. Cameron inherited zero seats in Scotland. And Cameron's enemies who are saying he would have to resign? They are the very right wing extremists that Salmond is using to encourage the YES vote. Do you really think that the sight of Nigel Farage and rising polls for UKIP is encouraging people to vote NO?
So based on current trends, Yes are looking at like a 20 point lead, right?
In all seriousness, I think it's too late to change things. The momentum has taken hold, the narrative of Yes has been adopted, and as we've seen from their steady march in all these decades, once it takes hold, people have that fervour for the long term.
Now just a question of what Wales can be offered to stop them going further, but once Scotland goes it's hard to not see them going as well at some point - Scotland will do fine in the long term, and they have all the time in the world, it is not as though Wales will become less Labour dominated (unless it is to PC), so if England is tacking right, they will feel even more distinct before too long.
Perhaps we can at least prevent Cornwell splintering off in the long run? Yorkshire?
For the umpteenth time do not read Wales equals Scotland. Looks like there'll be a bit more tax raising but the latest test of opinion ( BBC Wales poll in about March I think) showed all of five percent in favour of independence rising to about seven or eight if Scotland left. The economics is up for debate in Scotland, in Wales it isn't. Plaid are nowhere close to the SNP's position, hopelessly led (IMO), there's a possible linguistic divide, and about 30% of the voters were not born in Wales - the vast majority of those in England. There will be changes round the edges but Wales ain't going anywhere fast.
Agree with that, and also Welsh geography means that South Wales has far more in common with Bristol than N Wales. Ditto N Wales with Liverpool / Manchester than S Wales. Has anyone driven along the length of that great north south Wales road the A470?! 5 hours or more along its whole length!
"I think it will lead eventually to a more "federalized" country (old counties perhaps?), and the political shift will be far more complex"
Depending on what you'd devolve, it doesn't make much sense to federalize down to that level. Should Essex really have it's own education system, for example?
So based on current trends, Yes are looking at like a 20 point lead, right?
In all seriousness, I think it's too late to change things. The momentum has taken hold, the narrative of Yes has been adopted, and as we've seen from their steady march in all these decades, once it takes hold, people have that fervour for the long term.
Now just a question of what Wales can be offered to stop them going further, but once Scotland goes it's hard to not see them going as well at some point - Scotland will do fine in the long term, and they have all the time in the world, it is not as though Wales will become less Labour dominated (unless it is to PC), so if England is tacking right, they will feel even more distinct before too long.
Perhaps we can at least prevent Cornwell splintering off in the long run? Yorkshire?
There will be changes round the edges but Wales ain't going anywhere fast.
Given the vast majority of normal people in England don't pay that much interest in politics (just watch an episode of Pointless whenever there is a political question) and those that do tend to consider this an issue for the Scots and not really something for the English to be involved in, there really isn't going to be a public opinion wave from normal, non-political people, calling for DC to quit, let alone EM.
Some people on here seem to be in a bubble cut off from where normal non-political people inhabit.
A fair point. The change in the Scots polling has been so significant as to break through into general consciousness it seems, but on the leaders quitting I can see that not many people will have even considered it.
Evening all and having spent the evening with a group of business colleagues who will almost all vote NO, it looks bleak for the Union. We decided to look out for possible business opportunities arising from a YES vote and the uncertainty that will lead to for many SMEs.
So tonight we have the 2nd poll in 2 days basically saying it is 50/50. Jonah Brown couldn't save himself let alone the UK. We are doomed doomed doomed as Pte Fraser would say.
There were suggestions this morning that the Scottish Sun is going to come out for YES. Has anyone else heard this?
Wouldn't surprise me - Murdoch is a heritage McScot with a soft spot for Salmond and Yes is he not?
A No win by a point or two isn't worth having. It will just lead to immense bitterness about English living in Scotland, or the BBC, or wicked banker Tories, or a million and one other reasons to harbour. On top of which, it'll also lead to an even more unbalanced DevoMax offer, which itself will no doubt offer new causes for disagreement.
I would have liked Scotland to stay but all things considered, it might be best having the Nats outside the tent pissing in, than inside the tent pissing in.
Music to my ears.
And you are not alone.
This is what is commonly referred to as "a tipping point".
Evening all and having spent the evening with a group of business colleagues who will almost all vote NO, it looks bleak for the Union. We decided to look out for possible business opportunities arising from a YES vote and the uncertainty that will lead to for many SMEs.
So tonight we have the 2nd poll in 2 days basically saying it is 50/50. Jonah Brown couldn't save himself let alone the UK. We are doomed doomed doomed as Pte Fraser would say.
There were suggestions this morning that the Scottish Sun is going to come out for YES. Has anyone else heard this?
Wouldn't surprise me - Murdoch is a heritage McScot with a soft spot for Salmond and Yes is he not?
Just being on the winning side would have to be useful to some degree, surely?
Well, polling is polling, and as the referendum approaches it should become a better predictor of the result. With both YouGov and TNS showing such big shifts, it certainly looks like a real effect.
And yet, and yet.. the shift looks too sudden, and the apparent causes too trivial. This looks very odd - it's not as though Salmond has suddenly come up with a credible answer to anything in the last couple of weeks. Rather the reverse, in fact. And the record, such as it is, on referendum polls in the UK is dire.
I wonder if the key to this conundrum is perhaps this paragraph:
TNS surveys over the past six months have consistently shown that 70%-75% said they were certain to vote. This has leapt to 84% in the latest poll. This increase is evident across the population, but is especially pronounced among women and those aged 16-34 years.
Is this because people feel they ought to say they will vote, given the intensity of the campaigns and the media attention? And, if so, will they actually do so, and vote Yes? If they've changed their minds in the last couple of weeks in one direction, will they stick to it? Is it a Cleggasm Mark 2?
I don't know the answer to these questions, so I'm keeping my betting position limited and tactical.
Ed started campaigning in Scotland last week, and Friday afternoon, Roger said no would win and it has been downhill for No ever since.
Has our PM campaigned yet?
If not why?
Labour have,what a great job they doing for the yes vote ;-)
Anyone who cant see how toxic Tory policies like the bedroom tax and NHS private sector involvement are in Scotland deserves to lose a lot of money on No IMHO
If the Coalition's reforms to healthcare, which is a devolved matter, made a difference then there was no hope of a rational argument.
So based on current trends, Yes are looking at like a 20 point lead, right?
In all seriousness, I think it's too late to change things. The momentum has taken hold, the narrative of Yes has been adopted, and as we've seen from their steady march in all these decades, once it takes hold, people have that fervour for the long term.
Now just a question of what Wales can be offered to stop them going further, but once Scotland goes it's hard to not see them going as well at some point - Scotland will do fine in the long term, and they have all the time in the world, it is not as though Wales will become less Labour dominated (unless it is to PC), so if England is tacking right, they will feel even more distinct before too long.
Perhaps we can at least prevent Cornwell splintering off in the long run? Yorkshire?
For the umpteenth time do not read Wales equals Scotland. Looks like there'll be a bit more tax raising but the latest test of opinion ( BBC Wales poll in about March I think) showed all of five percent in favour of independence rising to about seven or eight if Scotland left. The economics is up for debate in Scotland, in Wales it isn't. Plaid are nowhere close to the SNP's position, hopelessly led (IMO), there's a possible linguistic divide, and about 30% of the voters were not born in Wales - the vast majority of those in England. There will be changes round the edges but Wales ain't going anywhere fast.
Agree with that, and also Welsh geography means that South Wales has far more in common with Bristol than N Wales. Ditto N Wales with Liverpool / Manchester than S Wales. Has anyone driven along the length of that great north south Wales road the A470?! 5 hours or more along its whole length!
A weird fact about Wales is that has a longer border than that of Scotland. Many more interface areas and as you say the mountains in the middle means the country is strongly split between north and south. Scotland is a much more enclosed unit. Wales is safe.
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit as Prime Minister in the case of a Yes vote - up from 22 per cent on Friday, the YouGov poll for The Sun found.
Half (50 per cent) think he should remain as PM while the rest (21 per cent) don’t know.
Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader if Scotland quits the UK, with 47 per cent say he should stay.
"It is difficult to overstate how weak Mr Cameron’s leadership and strategy have been throughout [the indyref campaign]. He has never made a sustained argument for the continuation of the United Kingdom. What is now clear is that his decision in 2012 to veto a second question on the ballot paper asking Scots if they would accept further devolution was a strategic blunder."
He's toast, after a YES. He might just try and cling on but the tide will utterly overwhelm him.
We should, however, consider the alternative. Such is the bile being spat at Cameron and Osborne, if he now gets a NO, his position will be enhanced, and he might even get a big boost in the polls.
It's double or quits.
And also don't forget that the vast majority of people in SLAB in 1997 thought that devolution would kill any independence movement stone dead - how outdated does that look now?!! Yet another area where Salmond and the SNP were light years ahead of their political opposition.
The Scottish people wanted devolution. The UK gave the party offering it a landslide majority. Devolution was neither a mistake by Labour nor an ingenious trick by the SNP.
Ed started campaigning in Scotland last week, and Friday afternoon, Roger said no would win and it has been downhill for No ever since.
Has our PM campaigned yet?
If not why?
Labour have,what a great job they doing for the yes vote ;-)
Anyone who cant see how toxic Tory policies like the bedroom tax and NHS private sector involvement are in Scotland deserves to lose a lot of money on No IMHO
On the bedroom tax -
I think I was one of the first on here with tim to criticize the policy.
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit ... Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader ....
I fail to see why either should resign. Scotland seems to have been edging closer and closer to an independence vote for as long as I can remember. It is just that up to this point no one was prepared to believe that a post indy Scotland was viable.
Didn't Dave say he would quit if he lost the Union?
Mind you he also promised no Top Down NHS reorganisation
Not like you to make something up so you can criticize.
By the way did you ever provide an answer to which party pioneered the bedroom tax and NHS privatization?
I'll be back in the morning to check no rush for the answer, any time tonight will do.
@bigjohnowls It's Why the "Oz and Dave" duo had no cards to play in the referendum. They really are toxic for the large majority of Scots......we are, like parts of the north of England, intrinsically socialist* *small "S" intentional.
Comments
27th of August to the 4th of September
Some 30 per cent now believe Mr Cameron should quit as Prime Minister in the case of a Yes vote - up from 22 per cent on Friday, the YouGov poll for The Sun found.
Half (50 per cent) think he should remain as PM while the rest (21 per cent) don’t know.
Meanwhile 31 per cent believe Ed Miliband should resign as Labour leader if Scotland quits the UK, with 47 per cent say he should stay.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/5893617/third-voters-david-cameron-resign-scottish-independence.html
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Ah, the junky, scum, Nazi, racist, piece of dogshit, retard, moron, w!nker banter. How we laughed.
I have seen plenty of that talk from the Yes side. I'm sorry, but I don't see how anyone can claim moral high ground here, and if it becomes a debate of worse offenders, one side may well be worse, but no-one's coming off well.
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If it was anything like today it would have been individuals posting a paradoxical combo of suggested cruel and unusual punishments for ungrateful Scotland leaving whilst ostensibly wanting a No vote. It's rather like telling your wife you'll make sure she is ruined if she ever tries to divorce you.
Unfortunate, but not really paradoxical - one side does not want a divorce, therefore if pleading does not work threats will follow, along with indignant comments that they'll be fine, but you won't be. To my mind the No side have not tried enough pleading. I doubt it would work, it comes across as a bit pathetic, but I'd sacrifice dignity in this fight quite quickly.
Surely time for certain PBers wallowing in catharsis to tediously bang on about a certain South Yorkshire town?
So he's the one that must resign. Obviously.
EICIPM less than 8 months to go
Pointless, those in Scotland that are "royalists" will have already made up their mind to vote "yes". The voters "no" needs to shift are at the republican end (left wing/labour mainly), and a call by the monarch will fall on deaf ears.
In all seriousness, I think it's too late to change things. The momentum has taken hold, the narrative of Yes has been adopted, and as we've seen from their steady march in all these decades, once it takes hold, people have that fervour for the long term.
Now just a question of what Wales can be offered to stop them going further, but once Scotland goes it's hard to not see them going as well at some point - Scotland will do fine in the long term, and they have all the time in the world, it is not as though Wales will become less Labour dominated (unless it is to PC), so if England is tacking right, they will feel even more distinct before too long.
Perhaps we can at least prevent Cornwell splintering off in the long run? Yorkshire?
She is Queen of the Commonwealth, and will still be Queen of Scots under a Yes.
We realise we are the heartbeat and glue of the UK.
It's the equivalent of an ICM Wisdom Index and it shows a large lead for No in terms of what people think the result will be.
That could be key. ICM Wisdom has a history of being a good predictor.
I think it will lead eventually to a more "federalized" country (old counties perhaps?), and the political shift will be far more complex
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxCfDTgIMAApANG.jpg
Mind you he also promised no Top Down NHS reorganisation
If the answer to that question is "someone worse" it would not be a good idea to go
Mind you I wouldnt trust him.
Of the two, I can see Cameron resigning very easily in shame, despite his protestations and such a poll supporting him staying on. Miliband I cannot see going of his own accord, given he will be PM in less than a year, and I cannot see him being pushed unless Labour think someone else would appeal to England more than him. Any ideas?
Perhaps people will re-evaluate him as a politician. Discuss
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxClFwpIQAASZWp.jpg
Perhaps he secretly favours Yes so he can get out on a point of high-minded principle rather than face near certain defeat at the ballot box?
Good man in a crisis - it was everything else he struggled with.
Ed started campaigning in Scotland last week, and Friday afternoon, Roger said no would win and it has been downhill for No ever since.
Just found this comment
David Cameron has said he "emphatically" will not resign if Scotland votes to leave the UK, as his leadership is not the matter at stake in the referendum.
Labour in Scotland truly is a talent free zone. I wonder if it has gotten worse or better since a lot of list candidates were unexpectedly elected due to the catastrophic loss of constituency MSPs.
It's nonsense.
As some on here might have noticed, I am not Dave C's biggest fan.
But, I see no reason why he should feel the need to resign over a democratic vote that he could never of had control of.
Gordon Brown ready to deploy the campaigning nous that won Labour 29% of the vote at the last election.
If not why?
Having said all that, there will be a lot of pressure if it's a Scottish yes, followed by a UKIP victory in Clacton - then the media and tory backbenches really will be baying for blood.
Perhaps Hammond next tory leader @ 16/1 (lads) would be the best bet to cover such a scenario? - That bet would also keep alive into a post 2015 conservative defeat leadership election scenario.
Can anyone else see any value bets if Cameron is forced out?
Some people on here seem to be in a bubble cut off from where normal non-political people inhabit.
Labour have been fronting the NO campaign,you forget to mention this,how useless,this negative campaign by the labour party
Vastly different I would suggest.
Why would he bother resigning then?
It looks like those (and you know who you are) who were suckered into taking Shadsy's two pronged bet requiring both the NOs to win and for the turnout to be less than 80% have lost their money. If not on the first count, then almost certainly on the second.
So tonight we have the 2nd poll in 2 days basically saying it is 50/50. Jonah Brown couldn't save himself let alone the UK. We are doomed doomed doomed as Pte Fraser would say.
There were suggestions this morning that the Scottish Sun is going to come out for YES. Has anyone else heard this?
I've never thought him as bad as seems to be common thinking, I personally find Blair far more odious though perhaps it is a raw talent issue and Blair does have some of that, but I will happily see him honoured if he can manage it.
OTOH he may be being set up as a scapegoat. There will be a lot of blame to go around, plenty to Brown anyway, but the more ire can be focused on one person the easier it might be for others to divert blame and save themselves.
Hence why Sajid is a good bet
I would have liked Scotland to stay but all things considered, it might be best having the Nats outside the tent pissing in, than inside the tent pissing in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Labour_Party_leadership_election,_2011
The Mail has always had a bit of a weird crush on Brown. Dacre is good mates with him.
'So more people believe that Miliband should resign?? That has to be angry Labourites. '
It's Labour voters that will swing the result for Yes,he will permanently lose 40 of his MP's & it will be very difficult for Labour to get an overall majority in rUK.
And Cameron's enemies who are saying he would have to resign? They are the very right wing extremists that Salmond is using to encourage the YES vote. Do you really think that the sight of Nigel Farage and rising polls for UKIP is encouraging people to vote NO?
Depending on what you'd devolve, it doesn't make much sense to federalize down to that level. Should Essex really have it's own education system, for example?
And you are not alone.
This is what is commonly referred to as "a tipping point".
Ta ra.
Ben Page, Ipsos MORI
@bgreysk @IpsosMORI our final poll will be out on 17th - day before. No published results before then
And yet, and yet.. the shift looks too sudden, and the apparent causes too trivial. This looks very odd - it's not as though Salmond has suddenly come up with a credible answer to anything in the last couple of weeks. Rather the reverse, in fact. And the record, such as it is, on referendum polls in the UK is dire.
I wonder if the key to this conundrum is perhaps this paragraph:
TNS surveys over the past six months have consistently shown that 70%-75% said they were certain to vote. This has leapt to 84% in the latest poll. This increase is evident across the population, but is especially pronounced among women and those aged 16-34 years.
Is this because people feel they ought to say they will vote, given the intensity of the campaigns and the media attention? And, if so, will they actually do so, and vote Yes? If they've changed their minds in the last couple of weeks in one direction, will they stick to it? Is it a Cleggasm Mark 2?
I don't know the answer to these questions, so I'm keeping my betting position limited and tactical.
It suggests that deep down people think it will be a carbon copy of Quebec.
More than 100 MPs and ministers will travel to Scotland between now and the date of the referendum on September 18
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/11082963/Labour-to-flood-Scotland-with-MPs-to-save-union-and-their-political-future.html
I think I was one of the first on here with tim to criticize the policy.
By the way did you ever provide an answer to which party pioneered the bedroom tax and NHS privatization?
I'll be back in the morning to check no rush for the answer, any time tonight will do.
It's Why the "Oz and Dave" duo had no cards to play in the referendum.
They really are toxic for the large majority of Scots......we are, like parts of the north of England, intrinsically socialist*
*small "S" intentional.