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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The polls have the battle broadly tied – the spread betting

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  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,044

    RobD said:

    ICM is surely going to be bad for the Blues?

    Generally speaking, there's been a swing from Lab to Con in the last week.

    I mean, if ICM replicate that, a double digit lead for the blues is possible.
    I know it isn't going to happen, but 40% Con would make me very happy....

    Still, not going to happen :p
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,149
    edited April 2015
    On Easter Sunday, ELBOW gave its first (and so far only) significant Tory lead of 0.4%.

    This is how it split between YG and non-YG.

    YouGov only (5 polls, sample 7,236):

    Con 35.2
    Lab 34.3
    UKIP 12.5
    LD 8.0
    Grn 4.6

    Non-YouGov only (8 polls, sample 7,558):

    Lab 33.3
    Con 33.1
    UKIP 14.9
    LD 7.9
    Grn 5.0
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,044
    surbiton said:

    RobD said:

    ICM is surely going to be bad for the Blues?

    Why ?
    Did you see the last poll?
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    surbiton said:

    Mr. SMukesh, do you see Labour making sweeping gains in England, or holding on better than expected in Scotland?

    To make up for 35 SLAB losses Labour in E and W would need 75 or so gains from LD and Tories. I cannot see it happening.

    I stand by my Nojam prediction of 288 Con, 270 Lab which is very close to the consensus view, though my 14 for LD is definitely an outlier.
    Huh ?

    Let's do the maths again !

    Lab 258 -35 = 223

    SNP 6 + 35 = 41

    Let's say Lab wins only 40 from Con in E&W.

    Con 307 - 40 = 267

    Lab 223+ 40 = 263

    LD loses 10 to SNP makes SNP 51.

    LD loses 15 to Con and 10 to Labour. LD 57 - 10 - 15 - 10 = 22

    Con 267 + 15 = 278

    Lab 263 + 10 = 273.

    Labour does not need to make 75 gains in E&W to "make up" Scottish losses.
    Smukesh predicted Lab on 300, which is where my figure came from. Plurality is a different matter. A lot depends on how LD seats fall.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,591

    Mr. Eagles, does it include an obscure reference to classical history?

    Sadly not. But it references modern history.
    Comparing the political debates to the Heptarchy?
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,044

    Mr. D, when's it due?

    Tomorrow, according to TSE.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,546
    RobD said:

    ICM is surely going to be bad for the Blues?

    I don't think it will put the Conservatives on 39%. But 35-37% would be no surprise.
  • surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    RobD said:

    surbiton said:

    RobD said:

    ICM is surely going to be bad for the Blues?

    Why ?
    Did you see the last poll?
    I am not so sure. There is a great divide amongst pollsters. I think the ICM / Opinium methodology will produce better results for the Tories.

    Whether it is "better" or actual, only May 8th will tell us.
  • DaemonBarberDaemonBarber Posts: 1,626
    Smarmeron said:

    @JosiasJessop
    There is nothing wrong with "nationalisation", you are making a monopoly work for the benefit of the public, instead of shareholders.
    How you manage it is the difficult part.

    and therein lies the rub.
    The idea of a national service, run for the benefit of the nation sounds great. Making it cost effective, and as satisfactory is probably impossible. My local council can't organise bin collection. Local government is hopeless at delivering anything more complex than a lunch meeting. National government aren't much better and hopelessly bureaucratic. I remember British Rail, it is much better now.
  • kle4 said:

    Mr. Eagles, does it include an obscure reference to classical history?

    Sadly not. But it references modern history.
    Comparing the political debates to the Heptarchy?
    It's a reference to history all PBers will understand.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,736
    Speedy said:

    surbiton said:

    Mr. SMukesh, do you see Labour making sweeping gains in England, or holding on better than expected in Scotland?

    To make up for 35 SLAB losses Labour in E and W would need 75 or so gains from LD and Tories. I cannot see it happening.

    I stand by my Nojam prediction of 288 Con, 270 Lab which is very close to the consensus view, though my 14 for LD is definitely an outlier.
    Huh ?

    Let's do the maths again !

    Lab 258 -35 = 223

    SNP 6 + 35 = 41

    Let's say Lab wins only 40 from Con in E&W.

    Con 307 - 40 = 267

    Lab 223+ 40 = 263

    LD loses 10 to SNP makes SNP 51.

    LD loses 15 to Con and 10 to Labour. LD 57 - 10 - 15 - 10 = 22

    Con 267 + 15 = 278

    Lab 263 + 10 = 273.

    Labour does not need to make 75 gains in E&W to "make up" Scottish losses.
    Now here is a person who can do math (but still needs a calculator, CON seats are 306 not 307, and 267+15 =282 not 278, but a decent effort), a necessity for profitable betting.
    306 - 40 + 15 = 281
  • SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    Prediction:Labour over 300
    Con under 250
    Lib 20-30
    UKIP 5
    SNP45

    Really? Fancy backing your prediction with hard cash?
    I'll lower the bar on Labour winning >290 seats (compared with your 300+)
    What do you say to a £20 even money bet on Labour seats. 290 seats or more you win, 289 seats or fewer I win. Settlement within 7 days of GE, by electronic bank transfer.
    Bet to be recorded with PtP.
    What do you say? Accept or reject by 9.00pm tonight.
    Offer me the correct value and I will agree.
    Oh and I thought you were making a confident prediction in which you actually believed.
    I even offered you significantly better terms but still you declined.
    You're evidently all mouth and no trousers mate!
    Could other posters help out as I don't normally bet.

    What would be correct odds for Lab>290 seats?
    Why are you so concerned with so called "correct odds"?
    You made an unqualified seats prediction.
    I offered to better this in your favour and offered you an even money bet on that basis.
    What's your problem exactly?
    £20 too much for you ?..... thought so.
  • surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    Speedy said:

    surbiton said:

    Mr. SMukesh, do you see Labour making sweeping gains in England, or holding on better than expected in Scotland?

    To make up for 35 SLAB losses Labour in E and W would need 75 or so gains from LD and Tories. I cannot see it happening.

    I stand by my Nojam prediction of 288 Con, 270 Lab which is very close to the consensus view, though my 14 for LD is definitely an outlier.
    Huh ?

    Let's do the maths again !

    Lab 258 -35 = 223

    SNP 6 + 35 = 41

    Let's say Lab wins only 40 from Con in E&W.

    Con 307 - 40 = 267

    Lab 223+ 40 = 263

    LD loses 10 to SNP makes SNP 51.

    LD loses 15 to Con and 10 to Labour. LD 57 - 10 - 15 - 10 = 22

    Con 267 + 15 = 278

    Lab 263 + 10 = 273.

    Labour does not need to make 75 gains in E&W to "make up" Scottish losses.
    Now here is a person who can do math (but still needs a calculator, CON seats are 306 not 307, and 267+15 =282 not 278, but a decent effort), a necessity for profitable betting.
    Calculator and better specs !
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    edited April 2015
    There will be a swing in the last week?
    Will the swing be for more of the same, or for a different direction?
    If I knew the answer , I would be on a Caribbean cruise at the end of May.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,546

    Dadge said:

    MaxPB said:

    Labour leads in ELBOW since August - week-ending 19th April = 0.5% (-0.7%)

    https://twitter.com/Sunil_P2/status/589749837446434816

    Sunil what does your ELBOW show if yougov is left out. Personally I think there is a possibility that they are underrepresented with regards to Tories and as they report so frequently this is driving poll averaging out
    Hi Nemtynakht

    I did play around with this a few weeks ago, then stopped :blush:

    Anyway, here is this week's ELBOW divided into YG and non-YG

    YouGov only (7 polls, sample 11,232):

    Lab 34.7
    Con 33.2
    UKIP 13.5
    LD 7.9
    Grn 5.2

    Non-YouGov only (9 polls, sample 8,364):

    Con 34.0
    Lab 33.2
    UKIP 13.6
    LD 8.2
    Grn 5.1
    Looks like a stale YouGov panel. It is turning into a safety blanket for Labour. I have been in the YouGov VI at least 6 times in the past couple of weeks.
    I did wonder about this. The lack of variation in the YouGov polls is beginning to make their approach look quite dodgy. Asking the same question over and over again and expecting a different answer... what's that the definition of?
    On the other hand, last week's (12th April) ELBOW split into YG and non-YG gives this:

    YouGov only (5 polls, sample 7,631):

    Lab 34.6
    Con 33.9
    UKIP 13.0
    LD 7.9
    Grn 5.0

    Non-YouGov only (7 polls, sample 6,939):

    Lab 33.9
    Con 32.3
    UKIP 14.6
    LD 8.6
    Grn 4.9
    It's odd that Yougov should show a shift to Labour, while the rest show a shift to the Tories.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,498
    Smarmeron said:

    @JosiasJessop
    There is nothing wrong with "nationalisation", you are making a monopoly work for the benefit of the public, instead of shareholders.
    How you manage it is the difficult part.

    There is lots wrong with nationalisation - or indeed privatisation - if it is applied as an ideological tool rather than one of need. Sadly, that is how most people proposing renationalisation of the railways seem to see it.

    The stupid "but look at East Coast" cries are an example, when other franchises also return money (in some cases much more money) to the taxpayers.

    Instead perhaps they should "think out of the box" so they do not appear "thick".
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,387
    edited April 2015

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
  • SpeedySpeedy Posts: 12,100

    Speedy said:

    surbiton said:

    Mr. SMukesh, do you see Labour making sweeping gains in England, or holding on better than expected in Scotland?

    To make up for 35 SLAB losses Labour in E and W would need 75 or so gains from LD and Tories. I cannot see it happening.

    I stand by my Nojam prediction of 288 Con, 270 Lab which is very close to the consensus view, though my 14 for LD is definitely an outlier.
    Huh ?

    Let's do the maths again !

    Lab 258 -35 = 223

    SNP 6 + 35 = 41

    Let's say Lab wins only 40 from Con in E&W.

    Con 307 - 40 = 267

    Lab 223+ 40 = 263

    LD loses 10 to SNP makes SNP 51.

    LD loses 15 to Con and 10 to Labour. LD 57 - 10 - 15 - 10 = 22

    Con 267 + 15 = 278

    Lab 263 + 10 = 273.

    Labour does not need to make 75 gains in E&W to "make up" Scottish losses.
    Now here is a person who can do math (but still needs a calculator, CON seats are 306 not 307, and 267+15 =282 not 278, but a decent effort), a necessity for profitable betting.
    306 - 40 + 15 = 281
    Subtract 4 UKIP gains and it's 277 vs 273 and that's on the account that the Tories gain 5 LD seats more than Labour.

    Largest party will probably be whoever crosses the 275 line or even lower if swings in scotland towards the SNP and to LAB in E&W that the polls show are replicated.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,736

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    Prediction:Labour over 300
    Con under 250
    Lib 20-30
    UKIP 5
    SNP45

    Really? Fancy backing your prediction with hard cash?
    I'll lower the bar on Labour winning >290 seats (compared with your 300+)
    What do you say to a £20 even money bet on Labour seats. 290 seats or more you win, 289 seats or fewer I win. Settlement within 7 days of GE, by electronic bank transfer.
    Bet to be recorded with PtP.
    What do you say? Accept or reject by 9.00pm tonight.
    Offer me the correct value and I will agree.
    Oh and I thought you were making a confident prediction in which you actually believed.
    I even offered you significantly better terms but still you declined.
    You're evidently all mouth and no trousers mate!
    Could other posters help out as I don't normally bet.

    What would be correct odds for Lab>290 seats?
    Why are you so concerned with so called "correct odds"?
    You made an unqualified seats prediction.
    I offered to better this in your favour and offered you an even money bet on that basis.
    What's your problem exactly?
    £20 too much for you ?..... thought so.
    Well as LAB most seats is 2.96 on Betfair about 3.5 would be fair on 290+ seats.

    I think PFP you are trying to take advantage or make a point maybe would be fairer.
  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,313

    kle4 said:

    Mr. Eagles, does it include an obscure reference to classical history?

    Sadly not. But it references modern history.
    Comparing the political debates to the Heptarchy?
    It's a reference to history all PBers will understand.
    Illusory? Victorian simplification that probably never existed?

  • SpeedySpeedy Posts: 12,100
    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    Nope it's from an NOP pollster.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,591

    kle4 said:

    Mr. Eagles, does it include an obscure reference to classical history?

    Sadly not. But it references modern history.
    Comparing the political debates to the Heptarchy?
    It's a reference to history all PBers will understand.
    I actually know next to nothing about the anglo-saxon period of the heptarchy to be honest. But 7 political leaders vs 7 anglo saxon kingdoms was the best I could come up with on the fly for something not really modern I could pretend was modern compared to classical antiquity.
  • Danny565Danny565 Posts: 8,091

    Mr. Herdson, are you saying they were sixty seats too good for Labour, or too bad?

    Too good.

    In 1997, the nine polls in the three last days before the election gave Labour leads varying between 10% and 24%, with only two at less than 17%, and all bar one gave Labour 46% or more.

    In 2001, they were a little better but all the bias was still top-side for Labour.
    That's always the case for landslide elections. The Tories were overestimated in 1983.
  • GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,591
    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    He is already here in spirit, if one will only listen, I am sure.
  • SpeedySpeedy Posts: 12,100
    Meanwhile in Finland the Finns might get into the government with demands such as euro membership referendum and kicking Greece out.

    Peter Spiegel ✔ @SpiegelPeter
    Can a 3rd #Greece bailout get through #Finland's parliament with True Finns in govt? I suspect not. #finelec2015
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @JosiasJessop
    It is idealogical insanity to argue which is best, both private and public ownership have their place, what we need to do is work out where each works the best.
  • ArtistArtist Posts: 1,893
    edited April 2015
    I don't understand the criticism of YouGov's new methodology, even if YouGov is only taking into account participants who took part in surveys in January and February, that'll still be a larger number of people compared to the size of the panels of other online companies wouldn't it?
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,975
    edited April 2015
    Artist said:

    I don't understand the criticism of YouGov's new methodology, even if YouGov is only taking into account participants who took part in surveys in January and February, that'll still a bigger number of people compared to the size of the panels of other online companies wouldn't it?

    Size isn't important, it's what you do with it that counts.

    The final YouGov poll for the 2010 General Election had a sample size of over 6,000.

    It wasn't as accurate as other pollsters, with a smaller sample size
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Mr. kle4, there was a time when six chaps claimed to be emperor or 'an' emperor of the Roman Empire, when Diocletian's tetrarchy collapsed.

    Mr. Eagles, the supremacy of Hannibal over Caesar?

    Also, Dawkins is wrong.

    Mr. D, cheers.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,302
    One thing the Sturgeon phenomenon shows is that a federal UK ought to be able to produce a greater pool of leaders with real experience before moving to the national level.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,736

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    What is GFK? Thought it was an airport.

    Next to a grassy knoll
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,591
    I was going to say what odds a politician believing the same thing, but of course many clearly do, even if they cannot be so blunt about it.

    Personally I don't think the public can be trusted to weight up the issues of a GE properly, given the indecisive nature of the last and almost certainly this forthcoming election.

  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,949

    would love there to be a fun market on the smallest majority seat. I don't know why but I think it will be Torbay

    Maybe, but I doubt it. Reckon it will be a Midlands Con-Lab marginal myself.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,546
    Danny565 said:

    Mr. Herdson, are you saying they were sixty seats too good for Labour, or too bad?

    Too good.

    In 1997, the nine polls in the three last days before the election gave Labour leads varying between 10% and 24%, with only two at less than 17%, and all bar one gave Labour 46% or more.

    In 2001, they were a little better but all the bias was still top-side for Labour.
    That's always the case for landslide elections. The Tories were overestimated in 1983.
    Not by the end. Polls in the last fortnight picked up the rise in support for the Alliance.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @TheScreamingEagles
    How far out was You Gov for the two major parties?
  • Mr. kle4, there was a time when six chaps claimed to be emperor or 'an' emperor of the Roman Empire, when Diocletian's tetrarchy collapsed.

    Mr. Eagles, the supremacy of Hannibal over Caesar?

    Also, Dawkins is wrong.

    Mr. D, cheers.

    Now that would be nonsense on stilts.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,546
    kle4 said:

    I was going to say what odds a politician believing the same thing, but of course many clearly do, even if they cannot be so blunt about it.

    Personally I don't think the public can be trusted to weight up the issues of a GE properly, given the indecisive nature of the last and almost certainly this forthcoming election.

    I trust the Great and the Good even less than I trust the public.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,736

    Artist said:

    I don't understand the criticism of YouGov's new methodology, even if YouGov is only taking into account participants who took part in surveys in January and February, that'll still a bigger number of people compared to the size of the panels of other online companies wouldn't it?

    Size isn't important, it's what you do with it that counts.

    The final YouGov poll for the 2010 General Election had a sample size of over 6,000.

    It wasn't as accurate as other pollsters, with a smaller sample size
    That what I tell Mrs BJ.

    In terms of harems presumably size is quite important (more than 2)
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,949
    Artist said:

    I don't understand the criticism of YouGov's new methodology, even if YouGov is only taking into account participants who took part in surveys in January and February, that'll still be a larger number of people compared to the size of the panels of other online companies wouldn't it?

    But why would you choose to further restrict that panel? I just don't get their logic.
  • SpeedySpeedy Posts: 12,100
    edited April 2015
    Smarmeron said:

    @TheScreamingEagles
    How far out was You Gov for the two major parties?

    In 2010.
    Lab -1, Con -2, LD +3.
  • Smarmeron said:

    @TheScreamingEagles
    How far out was You Gov for the two major parties?

    Understated Labour by 1.7% and the Tories by 1.9% and Overstated the Lib Dems by 3.4%
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Mr. F, Sallust felt similarly.

    Mr. Eagles, did you know Caesar had his men use stilts during the Gallic War?

    Presuming that's what you meant by nonsense on stilts :)
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,387
    edited April 2015

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    Oh! :smiley:

    It would be nice to have NOP doing regular polls again. And Gallop. And Harris. And Angus Reid.

    #bringiton

  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,546

    Mr. kle4, there was a time when six chaps claimed to be emperor or 'an' emperor of the Roman Empire, when Diocletian's tetrarchy collapsed.

    Mr. Eagles, the supremacy of Hannibal over Caesar?

    Also, Dawkins is wrong.

    Mr. D, cheers.

    In 238 AD, they managed six emperors in one year.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @Speedy
    Margin of error then?
  • GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    Oh! :smiley:

    It would be nice to have NOP doing regular polls again. And Gallop. And Harris. And Angus Reid.

    #bringiton

    In 2005, NOP were the most accurate pollster, and after the election the Independent dropped them.

    They were replaced by a company called Communications Research. Now better known as ComRes
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Mr. F, the murder of Alexander Severus was one of the more stupid regicides in imperial history.
  • SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    Prediction:Labour over 300
    Con under 250
    Lib 20-30
    UKIP 5
    SNP45

    Really? Fancy backing your prediction with hard cash?
    I'll lower the bar on Labour winning >290 seats (compared with your 300+)
    What do you say to a £20 even money bet on Labour seats. 290 seats or more you win, 289 seats or fewer I win. Settlement within 7 days of GE, by electronic bank transfer.
    Bet to be recorded with PtP.
    What do you say? Accept or reject by 9.00pm tonight.
    Offer me the correct value and I will agree.
    Oh and I thought you were making a confident prediction in which you actually believed.
    I even offered you significantly better terms but still you declined.
    You're evidently all mouth and no trousers mate!
    Could other posters help out as I don't normally bet.

    What would be correct odds for Lab>290 seats?
    Why are you so concerned with so called "correct odds"?
    You made an unqualified seats prediction.
    I offered to better this in your favour and offered you an even money bet on that basis.
    What's your problem exactly?
    £20 too much for you ?..... thought so.
    Well as LAB most seats is 2.96 on Betfair about 3.5 would be fair on 290+ seats.

    I think PFP you are trying to take advantage or make a point maybe would be fairer.
    Not at all ..... I was simply responding to a big mouth who wasn't prepared to back his judgement and tried to hide behind "market odds" as if that had anything to do with the price of fish. We can all make outlandish, unsubstantiated claims. In doing so SMukesh should remember that PB.com is first and foremost a political betting site.
    It's wholly academic now anyway since my 9.00pm deadline has passed, conveniently for him.
  • Artist said:

    I don't understand the criticism of YouGov's new methodology, even if YouGov is only taking into account participants who took part in surveys in January and February, that'll still a bigger number of people compared to the size of the panels of other online companies wouldn't it?

    Size isn't important, it's what you do with it that counts.

    The final YouGov poll for the 2010 General Election had a sample size of over 6,000.

    It wasn't as accurate as other pollsters, with a smaller sample size
    That what I tell Mrs BJ.

    In terms of harems presumably size is quite important (more than 2)
    12
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,736
    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    Oh! :smiley:

    It would be nice to have NOP doing regular polls again. And Gallop. And Harris. And Angus Reid.

    #bringiton

    Angus Reid they were very funny.

    Huge Tory Majority nailed on.

    Rod Crosby is the AR of 2015 IMO or it could be me of course.
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 26,803
    Sean_F said:

    kle4 said:

    I was going to say what odds a politician believing the same thing, but of course many clearly do, even if they cannot be so blunt about it.

    Personally I don't think the public can be trusted to weight up the issues of a GE properly, given the indecisive nature of the last and almost certainly this forthcoming election.

    I trust the Great and the Good even less than I trust the public.
    I trust 'the Great and the Good' to look after their own interests at the expense of those of everyone else.

    Lord Janner will confirm.

  • SpeedySpeedy Posts: 12,100
    Well with Anonymous hijacking the finnelec2015 feed, I'm off.

    Goodnight.
  • Mr. F, Sallust felt similarly.

    Mr. Eagles, did you know Caesar had his men use stilts during the Gallic War?

    Presuming that's what you meant by nonsense on stilts :)

    You'll be delighted to know there is a thread which compares a British politician to Hannibal and the second Punic War
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,774
    edited April 2015
    AndyJS said:

    Does anyone have a link to the Finnish election live results page?

    If you can read Finnish, the state broadcaster: http://yle.fi/uutiset/

    update: Speedy got there first, and in English.
    .. living up to his/her name !!
  • MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584
    edited April 2015

    Dawkins thinking he knows better than us?

    Quelle Surprise.

  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,228

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    Oh! :smiley:

    It would be nice to have NOP doing regular polls again. And Gallop. And Harris. And Angus Reid.

    #bringiton

    In 2005, NOP were the most accurate pollster, and after the election the Independent dropped them.

    They were replaced by a company called Communications Research. Now better known as ComRes
    So it isn't actually short for Comedy Results? Shame.
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207
    MP_SE said:

    What a shame:

    Finnish election early votes show defeat for pro-Europe PM
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/19/us-finland-election-advancevotes-idUSKBN0NA0VZ20150419

    Perhaps they can just run it again until they get a pro Europe answer?
  • SpeedySpeedy Posts: 12,100
    edited April 2015
    Smarmeron said:

    @Speedy
    Margin of error then?

    All pollsters got it wrong back then within the margin of error , except ICM whose methodology is more resistant to sudden changes from past elections, that is why they were the only pollster to say that the LD had not collapsed since 2010 or that UKIP is non existent and became one of the worst accurate poll company since 2010 (we will see if their bad streak ends in 2 weeks).
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    I think that may well be the first thing that Dawkins has said that I agree with.

    Like Mrs T, I am not a fan of referenda. Deciding such issues is what we elect MPs for. The AV referendum was a case in point, it became all about bashing the LibDems rather than an intelligent discussion of how to elect our representatives.



  • AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Sturgeon gets involved in northern England politics:

    http://news.sky.com/story/1467977/sturgeon-to-make-manifesto-offer-to-the-north
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,387

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    Oh! :smiley:

    It would be nice to have NOP doing regular polls again. And Gallop. And Harris. And Angus Reid.

    #bringiton

    In 2005, NOP were the most accurate pollster, and after the election the Independent dropped them.

    I always fear that is the fate that awaits ICM at The Guardian...
  • SMukeshSMukesh Posts: 1,759

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    Prediction:Labour over 300
    Con under 250
    Lib 20-30
    UKIP 5
    SNP45

    Really? Fancy backing your prediction with hard cash?
    I'll lower the bar on Labour winning >290 seats (compared with your 300+)
    What do you say to a £20 even money bet on Labour seats. 290 seats or more you win, 289 seats or fewer I win. Settlement within 7 days of GE, by electronic bank transfer.
    Bet to be recorded with PtP.
    What do you say? Accept or reject by 9.00pm tonight.
    Offer me the correct value and I will agree.
    Oh and I thought you were making a confident prediction in which you actually believed.
    I even offered you significantly better terms but still you declined.
    You're evidently all mouth and no trousers mate!
    Could other posters help out as I don't normally bet.

    What would be correct odds for Lab>290 seats?
    Why are you so concerned with so called "correct odds"?
    You made an unqualified seats prediction.
    I offered to better this in your favour and offered you an even money bet on that basis.
    What's your problem exactly?
    £20 too much for you ?..... thought so.
    Well as LAB most seats is 2.96 on Betfair about 3.5 would be fair on 290+ seats.

    I think PFP you are trying to take advantage or make a point maybe would be fairer.
    What would that be in terms of odds?

    1:3.5 or 1:2.5.
  • GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    Oh! :smiley:

    It would be nice to have NOP doing regular polls again. And Gallop. And Harris. And Angus Reid.

    #bringiton

    In 2005, NOP were the most accurate pollster, and after the election the Independent dropped them.

    I always fear that is the fate that awaits ICM at The Guardian...
    Nah, the Guardian value their relationship with ICM. Goes back 31 years.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,387

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    Oh! :smiley:

    It would be nice to have NOP doing regular polls again. And Gallop. And Harris. And Angus Reid.

    #bringiton

    In 2005, NOP were the most accurate pollster, and after the election the Independent dropped them.

    I always fear that is the fate that awaits ICM at The Guardian...
    Nah, the Guardian value their relationship with ICM. Goes back 31 years.
    Yeah but money is money at the end of the day and ICM must be very expensive for a newspaper that looks like it could go bust at any moment...

  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,736
    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    Prediction:Labour over 300
    Con under 250
    Lib 20-30
    UKIP 5
    SNP45

    Really? Fancy backing your prediction with hard cash?
    I'll lower the bar on Labour winning >290 seats (compared with your 300+)
    What do you say to a £20 even money bet on Labour seats. 290 seats or more you win, 289 seats or fewer I win. Settlement within 7 days of GE, by electronic bank transfer.
    Bet to be recorded with PtP.
    What do you say? Accept or reject by 9.00pm tonight.
    Offer me the correct value and I will agree.
    Oh and I thought you were making a confident prediction in which you actually believed.
    I even offered you significantly better terms but still you declined.
    You're evidently all mouth and no trousers mate!
    Could other posters help out as I don't normally bet.

    What would be correct odds for Lab>290 seats?
    Why are you so concerned with so called "correct odds"?
    You made an unqualified seats prediction.
    I offered to better this in your favour and offered you an even money bet on that basis.
    What's your problem exactly?
    £20 too much for you ?..... thought so.
    Well as LAB most seats is 2.96 on Betfair about 3.5 would be fair on 290+ seats.

    I think PFP you are trying to take advantage or make a point maybe would be fairer.
    What would that be in terms of odds?

    1:3.5 or 1:2.5.
    5/2 you should win £50 plus your stake on £20
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,964
    Mr. Eagles, one shudders to think what cruel marring of history your ignorance will inflict upon the site.

    Mr. Speedy, goodnight. That seems a weird thing for a group to do.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,591
    One does wonder at what point the EU bureaucracy will consider that they actually have to reverse course or at least halt for the time being their relentless absorption of power and increasing interference across the continent. At some point making weak or glib remarks about understanding concerns but then doing whatever they had planned on doing before will not work, and their reputation could cross a line from mild dislike to active hostility with too many nations to continue on.

    Given their utter contempt for any hint of even mild reform however, I am not certain they would acknowledge what they 'know' to be best for the continent is not wanted until the barbarians of euro-scepticism were knowing down the gates.

    But then, even now, it seems a majority of governments at the least are opposed to even talking about genuine reform, so they are probably safe for awhile yet.
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @Speedy
    A fair point, but was it better than a coin toss?
  • anotherDaveanotherDave Posts: 6,746

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    Oh! :smiley:

    It would be nice to have NOP doing regular polls again. And Gallop. And Harris. And Angus Reid.

    #bringiton

    In 2005, NOP were the most accurate pollster, and after the election the Independent dropped them.

    I always fear that is the fate that awaits ICM at The Guardian...
    Nah, the Guardian value their relationship with ICM. Goes back 31 years.
    I thought political polls were essentially produced as PR for the polling companies? Free, or nearly free, for the newspapers.
  • FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,928

    I think that may well be the first thing that Dawkins has said that I agree with.

    Like Mrs T, I am not a fan of referenda. Deciding such issues is what we elect MPs for. The AV referendum was a case in point, it became all about bashing the LibDems rather than an intelligent discussion of how to elect our representatives.



    So what about Scottish independence? Should that have been left to the politicians? And if so, would an SNP government running Scotland and an army of SNP MPs at Westminster be enough for Sturgeon to demand immediate secession?
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 26,803
    Am I the only person bored with the election campaign ?

    With postal votes now being returned and all the debates done things might fizzle out somewhat as more people become bored.

    Which means that the GOTV operation will become more important.
  • SMukeshSMukesh Posts: 1,759

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    SMukesh said:

    Prediction:Labour over 300
    Con under 250
    Lib 20-30
    UKIP 5
    SNP45

    Really? Fancy backing your prediction with hard cash?
    I'll lower the bar on Labour winning >290 seats (compared with your 300+)
    What do you say to a £20 even money bet on Labour seats. 290 seats or more you win, 289 seats or fewer I win. Settlement within 7 days of GE, by electronic bank transfer.
    Bet to be recorded with PtP.
    What do you say? Accept or reject by 9.00pm tonight.
    Offer me the correct value and I will agree.
    Oh and I thought you were making a confident prediction in which you actually believed.
    I even offered you significantly better terms but still you declined.
    You're evidently all mouth and no trousers mate!
    Could other posters help out as I don't normally bet.

    What would be correct odds for Lab>290 seats?
    Why are you so concerned with so called "correct odds"?
    You made an unqualified seats prediction.
    I offered to better this in your favour and offered you an even money bet on that basis.
    What's your problem exactly?
    £20 too much for you ?..... thought so.
    Well as LAB most seats is 2.96 on Betfair about 3.5 would be fair on 290+ seats.

    I think PFP you are trying to take advantage or make a point maybe would be fairer.
    Not at all ..... I was simply responding to a big mouth who wasn't prepared to back his judgement and tried to hide behind "market odds" as if that had anything to do with the price of fish. We can all make outlandish, unsubstantiated claims. In doing so SMukesh should remember that PB.com is first and foremost a political betting site.
    It's wholly academic now anyway since my 9.00pm deadline has passed, conveniently for him.
    This is my offer to you sir.

    You can choose any amount of upto £1000 at odds of 1:2.5 that Lab win>290 seats.(If Lab win <290 I will give you x,if Lab win>290,you give me 2.5 times x).

    Deadline tomorrow night 9 pm.
  • AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395

    Am I the only person bored with the election campaign ?

    With postal votes now being returned and all the debates done things might fizzle out somewhat as more people become bored.

    Which means that the GOTV operation will become more important.

    No.
  • NemtynakhtNemtynakht Posts: 2,329

    Mr. Herdson, are you saying they were sixty seats too good for Labour, or too bad?

    Too good.

    In 1997, the nine polls in the three last days before the election gave Labour leads varying between 10% and 24%, with only two at less than 17%, and all bar one gave Labour 46% or more.

    In 2001, they were a little better but all the bias was still top-side for Labour.
    In a way the polls partly contributed to that. They showed a massive lead which when reported reduced the reason for those voters to actually bother.
  • GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Crossover has happened with the phone pollsters.

    We should be getting two phone polls tomorrow, ICM and Lord A, exciting times.

    But tomorrow, there's a great guest article by a pollster, that none of you will want to miss.

    The Good Lord set to join PB? :open_mouth:
    No, Keiran Pedley of GFK NOP.

    They were the pollsters who were the most accurate pollster at the 2005 GE, and worked on the 2010 and the 2015 exit polls.
    Oh! :smiley:

    It would be nice to have NOP doing regular polls again. And Gallop. And Harris. And Angus Reid.

    #bringiton

    In 2005, NOP were the most accurate pollster, and after the election the Independent dropped them.

    I always fear that is the fate that awaits ICM at The Guardian...
    Nah, the Guardian value their relationship with ICM. Goes back 31 years.
    I thought political polls were essentially produced as PR for the polling companies? Free, or nearly free, for the newspapers.
    lol no

    You're talking around 10 to 15k per phone poll.
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,569
    Well, tomorrow is the end of registration - when do we get national data on comparative levels? Our postal votes go out on Tuesday when PV registration closes.

    Idle anecdotia: I found an SNP voter last week, pondering what to do as sadly they've not put someone up here. The "oh God you might join the evil Nats" line doesn't seem to be manifesting itself here much, though I'm getting the slightly uncomfortable opposite from time to time ("Why have you ruled out a coalition with Sturgeon, she seems quite sensible?"). The Tories have switched their billboards from Salmond to "Labour will cost you £3205.63" or something like that.

    After doing the first three debates, Ms Soubry is skipping the next two, so we'll have opposition-only debates just like the BBC. One Tory garden stake has appeared (vs 80 Labour ones) and one window poster (vs hundreds of Labour ones). I don't get the strategy of having just one printed and erected in a random place - surely either they should make an effort and have lots (there are more than two Conservatives in Broxtowe), or make a virtue of having none ("we do not concern ourselves with such trivia, we are debating the issues", etc.)? Perhaps more will yet appear.

    And yeah, Flightpath, this is not a neutral commentary - just idle chatter after a busy day.

  • FlightpathFlightpath Posts: 4,012
    edited April 2015

    Artist said:

    I don't understand the criticism of YouGov's new methodology, even if YouGov is only taking into account participants who took part in surveys in January and February, that'll still be a larger number of people compared to the size of the panels of other online companies wouldn't it?

    But why would you choose to further restrict that panel? I just don't get their logic.
    They say
    ''This means that we can be confident that any material change in the polls from that position reflects a genuine shift in public opinion since January & February. There will be still be some random sample variation from poll to poll - it can never be eliminated completely - but it will mean any substantial change in the polls will be down to individual people changing their minds (or making their minds ups) since we interviewed them in February.''

    But if they were wrong then, well it exaggerates it now - doesn't it? They are going out of their way to be less random (??)
  • MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584

    Am I the only person bored with the election campaign ?

    With postal votes now being returned and all the debates done things might fizzle out somewhat as more people become bored.

    Which means that the GOTV operation will become more important.


    I have had a visit from my Tory wannabe MP and loadsa Labour leaflets (and one UKIP).

    People may be bored, but the parties seem keen enough to make the best impression they can.

  • chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    Is the Comres phone poll in tonight or do we have to wait until tomorrow for something worthwhile?
  • tysontyson Posts: 6,117
    @Peter_from_Putney
    I have become slightly disconcerted that one of our most level headed, long standing contributors has been venturing into pbCOM Tory mould recently.
    Snap out of it and return back to your consensual (albeit blue tinged self)

    BTW- I still am sorry for giving you that very bad Tommy Haas tip many moons again versus Nadal. I managed to scrape out of that on evens, but now I only bet on Federer matches. He has been so consistent of late, and usually only loses to outsiders he has a problem with such as Montfils
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 26,803
    Is there a reason why there wasn't any county cricket on Saturday ?
  • SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @chestnut
    All polls are worthwhile.
    Money is made on the ones that are correct.
    ;)
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    I think that may well be the first thing that Dawkins has said that I agree with.

    Like Mrs T, I am not a fan of referenda. Deciding such issues is what we elect MPs for. The AV referendum was a case in point, it became all about bashing the LibDems rather than an intelligent discussion of how to elect our representatives.



    So what about Scottish independence? Should that have been left to the politicians? And if so, would an SNP government running Scotland and an army of SNP MPs at Westminster be enough for Sturgeon to demand immediate secession?
    That is how the Irish Free state was formed. It seemed to be accepted as the will of the people.
  • PeterCPeterC Posts: 1,275

    It's not necessarily about a late swing as such. Rather it has more to do with voting factors:
    1. The elderly and more Tory-inclined's propensity to vote.
    2. The young, under 30, and more Labour-inclined's propensity not to bother registering to vote.
    3. The Tories' better organisation in getting their vote out generally, assisted by a hugely bigger war chest.
    4. The "Shy Tory" factor (as ever).

    None of the above factors on their own is huge, but taken together thet probably account for far more than the 18 seat difference identified in this thread berween what the polls are suggesting and the prices on offer from the spread-betting firms and ultimately explains how and why John Major won quite comfotably in 1992.

    Sorry, there's also an important 5th factor which I omitted to mention and which is new to this particular GE.
    Let's call it the English anti-Sturgeon/SNP Money Grubbing Very Left Wing vote. This is what it says on the can. The English voters, taken as a whole, must be sick and tired of the Scots taking an ever increasing share of social benefits across a wide range at the English taxpayers' expense.
    How do they best curtail this? Certainly not by voting Labour who are very likely to need to get into bed with the SNP after the GE in order to establish a workable government and equally not by voting LibDem who are on the point of becomig an irrelevance.
    No, the only way the English are likely to be able to limit the influence of the SNP is by voting Conservative - this fact is likely to become ever more evident as the campaign draws towards its close and is likely to be reflected in the polls.
    This will sink Labour in the GE, in my opinion. The issue will dominate the remainder of the campaign. Expect a grave and statesmanlike intervention from John Major.

  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,387
    chestnut said:

    Is the Comres phone poll in tonight or do we have to wait until tomorrow for something worthwhile?

    Looks like it's just YouGov tonight.

    Makes you wonder why the ComRes/IoS poll got pushed back if ComRes hasn't been polling for the Mail....?

    Perhaps the IoS just want to keep their poll to as close to the election as possible?
  • chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341

    One Tory garden stake has appeared (vs 80 Labour ones) and one window poster (vs hundreds of Labour ones). I don't get the strategy of having just one printed and erected in a random place - surely either they should make an effort and have lots (there are more than two Conservatives in Broxtowe), or make a virtue of having none ("we do not concern ourselves with such trivia, we are debating the issues", etc.)? Perhaps more will yet appear.

    In many places it just isn't socially advisable or acceptable to publicise how you vote.

    I wonder what kind of person does this. It really seems a bit abnormal.

    Perhaps someone similar to a man with a white van with an England flag hanging out of their window does it?
  • tysontyson Posts: 6,117

    I think that may well be the first thing that Dawkins has said that I agree with.

    Like Mrs T, I am not a fan of referenda. Deciding such issues is what we elect MPs for. The AV referendum was a case in point, it became all about bashing the LibDems rather than an intelligent discussion of how to elect our representatives.



    Did you know that Dawkins came out as the most unpopular face in America? He revels in playing the pantomime villain on Fox News a la Katie Hopkins here.
    I find his sneery anti religion stuff quite obnoxious and adolescent- akin to reading the Communist Manifesto and thinking one knows it all. I have friends who are religious, and thoughtful and intelligent and compassionate.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    RobD said:

    Speedy said:

    As a reminder to all about the SNP impact on Labour most seats:

    Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · Apr 17
    In terms of plurality LAB losses all 40 Scottish seats it could be offset by taking 20 CON seats in England & Wales.

    But that is just to get back to square one.
    Cons would be 20 seats down on their current position, so whilst the seat gap would be the same the "Majority mathematics" would be different.
  • MikeLMikeL Posts: 7,723
    edited April 2015
    PeterC said:

    Expect a grave and statesmanlike intervention from John Major.

    That's a very good call indeed.

    Major saved Cameron in 2007 when he intervened when Brown went to Afghanistan during the Con conference.

    Lab/SNP is absolutely perfect for Major.

    The only question is the timing. Cameron will know that Major will be guaranteed to be the number 1 news story as long as it doesn't clash with anything mega. But which day to do it?

    Too soon and it loses effect but mustn't be too late either - certainly not the final day (as it may not lead news programmes then due to impartiality).

    I would say maybe the final Monday.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,591
    PeterC said:

    It's not necessarily about a late swing as such. Rather it has more to do with voting factors:
    1. The elderly and more Tory-inclined's propensity to vote.
    2. The young, under 30, and more Labour-inclined's propensity not to bother registering to vote.
    3. The Tories' better organisation in getting their vote out generally, assisted by a hugely bigger war chest.
    4. The "Shy Tory" factor (as ever).

    None of the above factors on their own is huge, but taken together thet probably account for far more than the 18 seat difference identified in this thread berween what the polls are suggesting and the prices on offer from the spread-betting firms and ultimately explains how and why John Major won quite comfotably in 1992.

    Sorry, there's also an important 5th factor which I omitted to mention and which is new to this particular GE.
    Let's call it the English anti-Sturgeon/SNP Money Grubbing Very Left Wing vote. This is what it says on the can. The English voters, taken as a whole, must be sick and tired of the Scots taking an ever increasing share of social benefits across a wide range at the English taxpayers' expense.
    How do they best curtail this? Certainly not by voting Labour who are very likely to need to get into bed with the SNP after the GE in order to establish a workable government and equally not by voting LibDem who are on the point of becomig an irrelevance.
    No, the only way the English are likely to be able to limit the influence of the SNP is by voting Conservative - this fact is likely to become ever more evident as the campaign draws towards its close and is likely to be reflected in the polls.
    This will sink Labour in the GE, in my opinion. The issue will dominate the remainder of the campaign. Expect a grave and statesmanlike intervention from John Major.

    As a committed adherent to the pessimistic tory view of modern politics, I cannot help but suspect that the hatred of the Tories will trump fear/dislike of the SNP having too much influence in England. If anything plenty of those on the left seem to like the idea that Labour should be more openly and stridently lefty, and the SNP are promising to make that happen, shoring up the Labour vote, or that part of it at least, in some areas. Is that part of the vote bigger than the part which does not want to face the SNP dictating terms?
  • Mr. Eagles, one shudders to think what cruel marring of history your ignorance will inflict upon the site.

    Mr. Speedy, goodnight. That seems a weird thing for a group to do.

    As my Honorius reference shows, I have a great and unrivalled knowledge of Classical History on PB.

    I shall display all the humility of Crassus at Carrhae in my future classical history references.
  • anotherDaveanotherDave Posts: 6,746
    edited April 2015
    PeterC said:

    It's not necessarily about a late swing as such. Rather it has more to do with voting factors:
    1. The elderly and more Tory-inclined's propensity to vote.
    2. The young, under 30, and more Labour-inclined's propensity not to bother registering to vote.
    3. The Tories' better organisation in getting their vote out generally, assisted by a hugely bigger war chest.
    4. The "Shy Tory" factor (as ever).

    None of the above factors on their own is huge, but taken together thet probably account for far more than the 18 seat difference identified in this thread berween what the polls are suggesting and the prices on offer from the spread-betting firms and ultimately explains how and why John Major won quite comfotably in 1992.

    Sorry, there's also an important 5th factor which I omitted to mention and which is new to this particular GE.
    Let's call it the English anti-Sturgeon/SNP Money Grubbing Very Left Wing vote. This is what it says on the can. The English voters, taken as a whole, must be sick and tired of the Scots taking an ever increasing share of social benefits across a wide range at the English taxpayers' expense.
    How do they best curtail this? Certainly not by voting Labour who are very likely to need to get into bed with the SNP after the GE in order to establish a workable government and equally not by voting LibDem who are on the point of becomig an irrelevance.
    No, the only way the English are likely to be able to limit the influence of the SNP is by voting Conservative - this fact is likely to become ever more evident as the campaign draws towards its close and is likely to be reflected in the polls.
    This will sink Labour in the GE, in my opinion. The issue will dominate the remainder of the campaign. Expect a grave and statesmanlike intervention from John Major.

    It's hard to believe that the Conservatives have had five years to plan their election campaign. From the outside it looks like a daily panic.

  • Well, tomorrow is the end of registration - when do we get national data on comparative levels? Our postal votes go out on Tuesday when PV registration closes.

    Idle anecdotia: I found an SNP voter last week, pondering what to do as sadly they've not put someone up here. The "oh God you might join the evil Nats" line doesn't seem to be manifesting itself here much, though I'm getting the slightly uncomfortable opposite from time to time ("Why have you ruled out a coalition with Sturgeon, she seems quite sensible?"). The Tories have switched their billboards from Salmond to "Labour will cost you £3205.63" or something like that.

    After doing the first three debates, Ms Soubry is skipping the next two, so we'll have opposition-only debates just like the BBC. One Tory garden stake has appeared (vs 80 Labour ones) and one window poster (vs hundreds of Labour ones). I don't get the strategy of having just one printed and erected in a random place - surely either they should make an effort and have lots (there are more than two Conservatives in Broxtowe), or make a virtue of having none ("we do not concern ourselves with such trivia, we are debating the issues", etc.)? Perhaps more will yet appear.

    And yeah, Flightpath, this is not a neutral commentary - just idle chatter after a busy day.

    The left leaning friends who've discussed this with me share my opinion, rather quite liking the idea of a labour government backed up informally by the SNP.

    Hear their manifesto will call for significant investment in the north of England, on a par with the level seen in the south east, this will see a lot of labour supporters in the north quite liking the idea of them having some influence.
  • tysontyson Posts: 6,117
    chestnut said:

    One Tory garden stake has appeared (vs 80 Labour ones) and one window poster (vs hundreds of Labour ones). I don't get the strategy of having just one printed and erected in a random place - surely either they should make an effort and have lots (there are more than two Conservatives in Broxtowe), or make a virtue of having none ("we do not concern ourselves with such trivia, we are debating the issues", etc.)? Perhaps more will yet appear.

    In many places it just isn't socially advisable or acceptable to publicise how you vote.

    I wonder what kind of person does this. It really seems a bit abnormal.

    Perhaps someone similar to a man with a white van with an England flag hanging out of their window does it?
    I share a building with an ex Tory MP, and, at the last election, my friend, a LD councillor asked me to put a "LD winning here" stake out at the front shared garden (well we all make mistakes don't we). I asked for his permission and he looked at me as if I had asked to murder and eat his grand children. He never even gave me a response. And I never put out the stake. We are still on friendly terms mind.
  • Y0kelY0kel Posts: 2,307
    Perhaps the only call regarding this disconnect between much of the polling and the seat markets is the view that Labour are going to ship so many seats in Scotland that they just cant make up the deficit.

    Thats a risky assumption on both counts.
  • MarkHopkinsMarkHopkins Posts: 5,584

    Well, tomorrow is the end of registration - when do we get national data on comparative levels? Our postal votes go out on Tuesday when PV registration closes.

    Idle anecdotia: I found an SNP voter last week, pondering what to do as sadly they've not put someone up here. The "oh God you might join the evil Nats" line doesn't seem to be manifesting itself here much, though I'm getting the slightly uncomfortable opposite from time to time ("Why have you ruled out a coalition with Sturgeon, she seems quite sensible?"). The Tories have switched their billboards from Salmond to "Labour will cost you £3205.63" or something like that.

    After doing the first three debates, Ms Soubry is skipping the next two, so we'll have opposition-only debates just like the BBC. One Tory garden stake has appeared (vs 80 Labour ones) and one window poster (vs hundreds of Labour ones). I don't get the strategy of having just one printed and erected in a random place - surely either they should make an effort and have lots (there are more than two Conservatives in Broxtowe), or make a virtue of having none ("we do not concern ourselves with such trivia, we are debating the issues", etc.)? Perhaps more will yet appear.

    And yeah, Flightpath, this is not a neutral commentary - just idle chatter after a busy day.

    The left leaning friends who've discussed this with me share my opinion, rather quite liking the idea of a labour government backed up informally by the SNP.

    Hear their manifesto will call for significant investment in the north of England, on a par with the level seen in the south east, this will see a lot of labour supporters in the north quite liking the idea of them having some influence.

    What investment in the South East?
  • PeterCPeterC Posts: 1,275
    kle4 said:

    PeterC said:

    It's not necessarily about a late swing as such. Rather it has more to do with voting factors:
    1. The elderly and more Tory-inclined's propensity to vote.
    2. The young, under 30, and more Labour-inclined's propensity not to bother registering to vote.
    3. The Tories' better organisation in getting their vote out generally, assisted by a hugely bigger war chest.
    4. The "Shy Tory" factor (as ever).

    None of the above factors on their own is huge, but taken together thet probably account for far more than the 18 seat difference identified in this thread berween what the polls are suggesting and the prices on offer from the spread-betting firms and ultimately explains how and why John Major won quite comfotably in 1992.

    Sorry, there's also an important 5th factor which I omitted to mention and which is new to this particular GE.
    Let's call it the English anti-Sturgeon/SNP Money Grubbing Very Left Wing vote. This is what it says on the can. The English voters, taken as a whole, must be sick and tired of the Scots taking an ever increasing share of social benefits across a wide range at the English taxpayers' expense.
    How do they best curtail this? Certainly not by voting Labour who are very likely to need to get into bed with the SNP after the GE in order to establish a workable government and equally not by voting LibDem who are on the point of becomig an irrelevance.
    No, the only way the English are likely to be able to limit the influence of the SNP is by voting Conservative - this fact is likely to become ever more evident as the campaign draws towards its close and is likely to be reflected in the polls.
    This will sink Labour in the GE, in my opinion. The issue will dominate the remainder of the campaign. Expect a grave and statesmanlike intervention from John Major.

    As a committed adherent to the pessimistic tory view of modern politics, I cannot help but suspect that the hatred of the Tories will trump fear/dislike of the SNP having too much influence in England. If anything plenty of those on the left seem to like the idea that Labour should be more openly and stridently lefty, and the SNP are promising to make that happen, shoring up the Labour vote, or that part of it at least, in some areas. Is that part of the vote bigger than the part which does not want to face the SNP dictating terms?
    Strident lefty types are small beer compared to the floating voters in the middle England marginals.

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