politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Why we need more than the basic win market for the Oldham by-election
The panel above shows the latest position on Betfair in the Oldham by-election. Just about all the money is being wagered on Labour and it is very difficult to see any betting interest in going against that.
It's been on the cards for about a month, when the previously ruling party - which topped the polls - attempted to stay in power. (Hence the excitable Telegraph article about there having been a coup in Portugal.)
That being said, I would be very surprised if the new three party Leftist coalition will manage to stay in power long: there are very wide disagreements (NATO good! NATO an evil cold war body, etc.)
New Portuguese elections by June I'd reckon, which will likely result in another mess. The danger for the second placed PS is that if they don't rule out a coalition with the Communist CDU they are likely to haemorrhage moderate votes to PaF. On the other hand, if they do rule one out, then their more left wing supporters will go to BE or PaF.
As an aside, one thing that has not yet received enough attention is that there are a large number of places in Europe where there could be no workable coalition post the next set of elections. Take Germany: CDU/CSU + AfD + FDP is around 50%, and Der Linke + Greens + SPD is a little below. And could the FDP and the AfD serve together? And CDU/CSU + FDP is far from enough. Der Linke and AfD share some European views, but not much else. Another grand coalition there?
It's a similar story in Ireland, where there are four parties with substantial shares, plus a number of independents. Likewise the Netherlands.
The only place where it increasingly doesn't seem true is Spain, where the Centre Right Citizen's Party is now well ahead of Podemos and has even been ahead of the Socialists in three of the last 10 polls. Spain looks almost certain to have a PP + Citizen's coalition post elections.
Off topic, I'm currently sat in Budapest airport experiencing Ryanair at its very finest. The flight that I am on should have taken off 40 minutes ago. We have been given no announcement and the board reads "Go to Gate" with no indication of a delay. The sole member of staff has no information and point blank refuses to try to get any. Grrr.
As an aside, European opinion polls make UK ones look unvolatile. Take the Netherlands: is the seat gap between the PVV and the VVD 19 or 4? Because those are the last two polls. If it is the former, it is the biggest gap its ever been, if the latter then it looks like the VVD has closed a previously wide gap.
Or in Spain: is the PP in first on 31.3% or 3% behind the Socialists on 23.5%? Is PSOE in first place on 26.3%, or third on 18.2%? And Citizen's: are they just 1% off first place on 22.5%, or are they in fourth place on 15.2%? Only Podemos seems to have consistent scores, somewhere in the low teens.
I'd like to see a market on whether the Lib Dems can save their deposit. A turnout market would be good too.
I think the LibDems will save their deposit. I think they'll end up on 6-7%, which will be hailed as fantastic progress by Tim Farron ("almost doubled our vote share"), but which will probably be a poor return on the time and money invested.
I think the LibDems will save their deposit. I think they'll end up on 6-7%, which will be hailed as fantastic progress by Tim Farron ("almost doubled our vote share"), but which will probably be a poor return on the time and money invested.
Is that just intuition, Robert? Or do you have some inside information about the Lib Dem campaign?
From what I have heard UKIP were not really attacking the Labour candidate, who is thought to be a good and sensible candidate (ie doesn't seem to agree with Corbyn on much) but Corbyn himself. It will be interesting to see how they do that and what particular strands of incompetence or poor judgement they decide to focus on.
It will also be interesting to see if they can maintain their second place. If they do then the perception of a loss of momentum since the election might be halted.
As for the Lib Dems, I agree that they are more likely than not to save their deposit but not that much more likely. If a bookie were offering decent odds on this I would be tempted.
I think the LibDems will save their deposit. I think they'll end up on 6-7%, which will be hailed as fantastic progress by Tim Farron ("almost doubled our vote share"), but which will probably be a poor return on the time and money invested.
Is that just intuition, Robert? Or do you have some inside information about the Lib Dem campaign?
There is a charabanc going from the East Midlands so certainly putting in an effort. How much is realistic and how much is getting the troops drilled and ready for a more realistic fight, we shall see.
As an aside, European opinion polls make UK ones look unvolatile. Take the Netherlands: is the seat gap between the PVV and the VVD 19 or 4? Because those are the last two polls. If it is the former, it is the biggest gap its ever been, if the latter then it looks like the VVD has closed a previously wide gap.
Or in Spain: is the PP in first on 31.3% or 3% behind the Socialists on 23.5%? Is PSOE in first place on 26.3%, or third on 18.2%? And Citizen's: are they just 1% off first place on 22.5%, or are they in fourth place on 15.2%? Only Podemos seems to have consistent scores, somewhere in the low teens.
Volatile maybe, but are any of them any more accurate than ours? Or are they just a waste of space too?
The danger for the second placed PS is that if they don't rule out a coalition with the Communist CDU they are likely to haemorrhage moderate votes to PaF. On the other hand, if they do rule one out, then their more left wing supporters will go to BE or PaF.
So PS is going to lose voters to PaF regardless of what they do? That doesn't sound particularly logical?
Off topic, I'm currently sat in Budapest airport experiencing Ryanair at its very finest. The flight that I am on should have taken off 40 minutes ago. We have been given no announcement and the board reads "Go to Gate" with no indication of a delay. The sole member of staff has no information and point blank refuses to try to get any. Grrr.
You are just getting the level of service that you paid for. Low cost comes at a price.
Off topic, I'm currently sat in Budapest airport experiencing Ryanair at its very finest. The flight that I am on should have taken off 40 minutes ago. We have been given no announcement and the board reads "Go to Gate" with no indication of a delay. The sole member of staff has no information and point blank refuses to try to get any. Grrr.
Thought Ryanair were supposed to have improved lately? Mind, the base was low.
Off topic, I'm currently sat in Budapest airport experiencing Ryanair at its very finest. The flight that I am on should have taken off 40 minutes ago. We have been given no announcement and the board reads "Go to Gate" with no indication of a delay. The sole member of staff has no information and point blank refuses to try to get any. Grrr.
You are just getting the level of service that you paid for. Low cost comes at a price.
To be fair, punctuality historically has been a Ryanair strength. Customer service has got better too, it costs nothing to be polite.
Off topic, I'm currently sat in Budapest airport experiencing Ryanair at its very finest. The flight that I am on should have taken off 40 minutes ago. We have been given no announcement and the board reads "Go to Gate" with no indication of a delay. The sole member of staff has no information and point blank refuses to try to get any. Grrr.
You are just getting the level of service that you paid for. Low cost comes at a price.
To be fair, punctuality historically has been a Ryanair strength. Customer service has got better too, it costs nothing to be polite.
I know punctuality is what they sell on (it saves them money)
And antifrank didn't say the staff member was impolite - just that s/he refused to help.
The issue is the level of staff they have at airports. It's profit maximising, but it doesn't give them the scope to get information if something goes wrong as they are busy with their day jobs.
As an aside, European opinion polls make UK ones look unvolatile. Take the Netherlands: is the seat gap between the PVV and the VVD 19 or 4? Because those are the last two polls. If it is the former, it is the biggest gap its ever been, if the latter then it looks like the VVD has closed a previously wide gap.
Or in Spain: is the PP in first on 31.3% or 3% behind the Socialists on 23.5%? Is PSOE in first place on 26.3%, or third on 18.2%? And Citizen's: are they just 1% off first place on 22.5%, or are they in fourth place on 15.2%? Only Podemos seems to have consistent scores, somewhere in the low teens.
All the more recent polls have PP at least 6 points ahead of PSOE with Ciudadanos a strong and fairly stable third.
can any of you travellers tell me about BA world traveller plus. I have an O night flight 11 hrs prob and I am debating paying the extra
Do it. Every little helps especially for 11 hrs. Plus no idea if airlines upgrade any more but if they still do they bump you up one cabin so you have a shot at Club.
Do you have any airmiles? The most efficient way to use them is to buy any particular cabin and then upgrade with airmiles. Gives you miles (!) more value from them.
can any of you travellers tell me about BA world traveller plus. I have an O night flight 11 hrs prob and I am debating paying the extra
Do it. Every little helps especially for 11 hrs. Plus no idea if airlines upgrade any more but if they still do they bump you up one cabin so you have a shot at Club.
Do you have any airmiles? The most efficient way to use them is to buy any particular cabin and then upgrade with airmiles. Gives you miles (!) more value from them.
can any of you travellers tell me about BA world traveller plus. I have an O night flight 11 hrs prob and I am debating paying the extra
Do it. Every little helps especially for 11 hrs. Plus no idea if airlines upgrade any more but if they still do they bump you up one cabin so you have a shot at Club.
Do you have any airmiles? The most efficient way to use them is to buy any particular cabin and then upgrade with airmiles. Gives you miles (!) more value from them.
Upgraded about a year ago on a flight to Thailand. Wife and I, both OAP’s, were called over to the desk at the boarding gate and told we’d been upgraded from Economy Plus to Business. Didn’t ask, were just offered.
can any of you travellers tell me about BA world traveller plus. I have an O night flight 11 hrs prob and I am debating paying the extra
I like it. I don't know if you ever flew old business class (before flat beds) but it's similar.
Wider chairs, with 2x vs 3x on the aisles and 4x vs 6x in the middle. Slightly better food (not that it really matters), more leg room and less imposition from people in front lowering their chairs.
On long haul I'd usually fly premium economy if I'm paying myself, but unless I can use miles don't think business is worth the extra cost.
Ultimately, of course, it all comes down to how much you think avoiding x hours of manageable discomfort in economy is worth to you.
edit: if you can (and they may not allow you to book seats unless you are Gold as well) then get a bulkhead seat - miles more room, although the table is a little fiddly
O/T - caught isam's query last thread about whether there are movies that show gay people without making it the big issue of the film. I don't know, but it prompts me to recommend Patrick Gale's books. Only read two so far (The Facts of Life and A Place Called Winter), but although they aren't the sort of action-packed/SF books that I usually read, they have a gentle precision of character depiction that makes you warm even to the (relative) villains. The relevance is that an afterword to the former book casually mentions the fact that Gale is married to another man. Some gay people turn up in the book and there is are some sexual scenes of both varieties, but it's by no means the central theme, merely something that character X does before doing something else. It didn't occur to me to assume anything about the writer.
I think that's a healthy development, and it'd be good to see it in movies too, in the same way as movies with Muslims which aren't mostly about wrestling with Islam in western society. Script-writers tend to focus unhelpfully on religious or sexual difference in movies because they make obvious dramatic points (Homeland, which I admit to enjoying, is particularly prone to it).
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
This is a book launch so treat with caution, but it offers a sensible-looking analysis of the renegotiation, by Liddle, who is pretty centrist in his political views, and published by the similarly-inclined Policy Network:
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Exactly. In 580 constituencies in May the LDs did absolutely nothing with their efforts focused on the select seats they hoped to save.
Any effort above zero in a seat should produce better vote shares.
can any of you travellers tell me about BA world traveller plus. I have an O night flight 11 hrs prob and I am debating paying the extra
I like it. I don't know if you ever flew old business class (before flat beds) but it's similar.
Wider chairs, with 2x vs 3x on the aisles and 4x vs 6x in the middle. Slightly better food (not that it really matters), more leg room and less imposition from people in front lowering their chairs.
On long haul I'd usually fly premium economy if I'm paying myself, but unless I can use miles don't think business is worth the extra cost.
Ultimately, of course, it all comes down to how much you think avoiding x hours of manageable discomfort in economy is worth to you.
edit: if you can (and they may not allow you to book seats unless you are Gold as well) then get a bulkhead seat - miles more room, although the table is a little fiddly
TY Charles.. Back in the day when I was flush I travelled BA Club class but even in the 90's that was £2.2k extra there and back for two to Barbados and wasn't really worth it. B Cal Highland First was very good and a lot cheaper. My legs cannot cope nor can my brain with any flight over 4 hrs.. after that I am starting to climb the walls if not asleep...
It would be interesting to know whether any opinion polls are likely in OW&R, although the ones in neighbouring Heywood&Middleton were pretty useless IIRC.
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Exactly. In 580 constituencies in May the LDs did absolutely nothing with their efforts focused on the select seats they hoped to save.
Any effort above zero in a seat should produce better vote shares.
Mr. Smithson, very true, though the Lib Dems may take a slight (relative) knock due to near total lack of media coverage since they suffered a sub-optimal election night.
This is a book launch so treat with caution, but it offers a sensible-looking analysis of the renegotiation, by Liddle, who is pretty centrist in his political views, and published by the similarly-inclined Policy Network:
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Exactly. In 580 constituencies in May the LDs did absolutely nothing with their efforts focused on the select seats they hoped to save.
Any effort above zero in a seat should produce better vote shares.
The question is, which pond are they fishing in?
Two main elements.
1) The moderate Labour vote appalled by the election of Corbyn
2) The one nation Tory vote appalled by George Osborne's war on the poor
A bit of fuss this morning about sunday trading, something govt shouldn't even be discussing, it is entirely down to individual traders when they choose to buy or sell things.
United once gave me an upgrade to Economy Plus on a flight to the US and there was next to no difference. BA may be a bigger difference, however.
When I had a Gold Card with Delta, they gave me 3 upgrades to domestic First in the US. Nice cosy armchairs - much better than the shorthaul business class offered in Europe.
can any of you travellers tell me about BA world traveller plus. I have an O night flight 11 hrs prob and I am debating paying the extra
I like it. I don't know if you ever flew old business class (before flat beds) but it's similar.
Wider chairs, with 2x vs 3x on the aisles and 4x vs 6x in the middle. Slightly better food (not that it really matters), more leg room and less imposition from people in front lowering their chairs.
On long haul I'd usually fly premium economy if I'm paying myself, but unless I can use miles don't think business is worth the extra cost.
Ultimately, of course, it all comes down to how much you think avoiding x hours of manageable discomfort in economy is worth to you.
edit: if you can (and they may not allow you to book seats unless you are Gold as well) then get a bulkhead seat - miles more room, although the table is a little fiddly
Mr. Smithson, very true, though the Lib Dems may take a slight (relative) knock due to near total lack of media coverage since they suffered a sub-optimal election night.
LibDems took a huge hit in May 2015. These are the figures for 2015 and 2010 GE in Oldham West:
Garth Harkness 1,589 3.7 -15.4 Mark Alcock 8,193 19.1 -2.1
Even if they only get to their national polling level they will put on 4 or 5%.
Greens unlikely to have a good ground game. LDs will probably do a good job of getting out the voters who voted for them last time, which in a 30-40% turnout by-election will see them score 6-7%.
They may also attract a few non-Corbynite Labour voters, but that will be minor compared to simply doing a better job of getting their vote out.
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Wow. That's ambitious.
I'd be very surprised to see them do that well. I think the fabled Liberal Democrat by-election machine of the past has now faded away.
The vast majority of people simply won't consider them as an option no matter how many activists they put in place.
Try as I might I struggle to get excited about this by-election.
Agree, all so predictable. Labour will win comfortably, Ukip will be half hearted, the libs will scream from the rooftops with 6/7%, the tories won't even bother.
Politics in all but 50 or so seats is becoming pointless
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Wow. That's ambitious.
I'd be very surprised to see them do that well. I think the fabled Liberal Democrat by-election machine of the past has now faded away.
The vast majority of people simply won't consider them as an option no matter how many activists they put in place.
I don't think they'll get north of 10%, but I can think of a plausible path there:
LDs get 100% of their vote out, while turnout is down 50%. (That takes you to 7.2%) LDs get 1-in-10 of their voters from 2010 who didn't vote for them in 2015. (To 9.1%) LDs get 1-in-20 2010 Labour voters. (To 10.9%)
Will that happen? Probably not, but they aren't outrageous assumptions to make, and if they flood the constituency with activists they are certainly achievable.
A bit of fuss this morning about sunday trading, something govt shouldn't even be discussing, it is entirely down to individual traders when they choose to buy or sell things.
Government needs to get out of the way.
Good morning all. As long as the existing provisions for preventing compulsory Sunday working stand, I agree with you.
Mr. Rentool, not sure the Kippers will rise. They reportedly have serious money worries and the failure at the election must have disheartened many (haven't many memberships lapsed since?).
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Exactly. In 580 constituencies in May the LDs did absolutely nothing with their efforts focused on the select seats they hoped to save.
Any effort above zero in a seat should produce better vote shares.
The question is, which pond are they fishing in?
Two main elements.
1) The moderate Labour vote appalled by the election of Corbyn
2) The one nation Tory vote appalled by George Osborne's war on the poor
So not Ukip's pond? I doubt the Lib Dems could hurt Labour enough to let Ukip in, but it might be closer than most people expect.
Re the libs - what on earth is their message? They seem to be increasingly irrelevant and devoid of ideas, regardless of what you think of the others at least you know what they stand for.
Mr. Rentool, not sure the Kippers will rise. They reportedly have serious money worries and the failure at the election must have disheartened many (haven't many memberships lapsed since?).
If they run a good ground game, they should be able to raise their vote share.
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
The vast majority of people simply won't consider them as an option no matter how many activists they put in place.
Probably true of any party apart from Labour in the constituency, but the LDs have quite a few councillors and were at 20% in 2010, so something to work on.
A win would be phenomenal, but it is largely about getting the machine working again.
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Wow. That's ambitious.
I'd be very surprised to see them do that well. I think the fabled Liberal Democrat by-election machine of the past has now faded away.
The vast majority of people simply won't consider them as an option no matter how many activists they put in place.
The LDs have to go all-in at this by-election to demonstrate that they have a pulse and to get started on recovery whilst they still have some residual money in the coffers.
So it makes sense for Mike to ramp up their efforts, but success is still largely undefined.
I wonder how much money they have and how long they can keep it up.
Mr. Rentool, not sure the Kippers will rise. They reportedly have serious money worries and the failure at the election must have disheartened many (haven't many memberships lapsed since?).
If they run a good ground game, they should be able to raise their vote share.
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
The vast majority of people simply won't consider them as an option no matter how many activists they put in place.
Probably true of any party apart from Labour in the constituency, but the LDs have quite a few councillors and were at 20% in 2010, so something to work on.
A win would be phenomenal, but it is largely about getting the machine working again.
I think that's right: I think the LibDems want to get their by-election machine working again (whatever the financial cost), and to be able to proclaim some kind of victory, no matter how small. Going from 3.7% to 10+% would be a kind of victory for them.
Mr. Rentool, not sure the Kippers will rise. They reportedly have serious money worries and the failure at the election must have disheartened many (haven't many memberships lapsed since?).
If they run a good ground game, they should be able to raise their vote share.
I think if the Tories are very quiet (which is likely), then there may well be Con->UKIP tactical voting.
Re the libs - what on earth is their message? They seem to be increasingly irrelevant and devoid of ideas, regardless of what you think of the others at least you know what they stand for.
Unfortunately for them several potential areas to try to claim as their own are of limited to very limited appeal among the public. Whole hearted pro Euism doesn't net much gain. They could make a play again as the civil liberty party, but regrettably most people don't care that much about that. And they have to argue everything in the abstract as the on,y olace they influence is the lords, which they want to abolish.
Anything else? I want strong thrird and fourth parties, but it's hard to see where it's coming from, and if the LDs don't significantly recover or uk build on all those second places, 2020 will be no better.
Mr. Rentool, not sure the Kippers will rise. They reportedly have serious money worries and the failure at the election must have disheartened many (haven't many memberships lapsed since?).
If they run a good ground game, they should be able to raise their vote share.
I think if the Tories are very quiet (which is likely), then there may well be Con->UKIP tactical voting.
They don’t work, as I understand it, all that well.
Will that happen? Probably not, but they aren't outrageous assumptions to make, and if they flood the constituency with activists they are certainly achievable.
It's not impossible that a tidal wave of Corbynite activists might help the LDs as well. Nothing more guaranteed to get up the nose of a moderate leftie than some chippy hard left SWP type calling him or her a Tory because they express even moderate doubt about some of the the sainted Jeremy's policies.
Re the libs - what on earth is their message? They seem to be increasingly irrelevant and devoid of ideas, regardless of what you think of the others at least you know what they stand for.
Unfortunately for them several potential areas to try to claim as their own are of limited to very limited appeal among the public. Whole hearted pro Euism doesn't net much gain. They could make a play again as the civil liberty party, but regrettably most people don't care that much about that. And they have to argue everything in the abstract as the on,y olace they influence is the lords, which they want to abolish.
Anything else? I want strong thrird and fourth parties, but it's hard to see where it's coming from, and if the LDs don't significantly recover or uk build on all those second places, 2020 will be no better.
I would have thought the "hole" for the LibDems would be "financially responsible centre-left party". A hold that - with Corbyn leading the Labour party - that is currently unfilled.
Mr. Rentool, not sure the Kippers will rise. They reportedly have serious money worries and the failure at the election must have disheartened many (haven't many memberships lapsed since?).
If they run a good ground game, they should be able to raise their vote share.
I think if the Tories are very quiet (which is likely), then there may well be Con->UKIP tactical voting.
If I lived in Oldham and I thank Allah I don't, I'd vote tactically in this by election. For Labour.
A bad result for Labour and they might topple Corbyn.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
Re the libs - what on earth is their message? They seem to be increasingly irrelevant and devoid of ideas, regardless of what you think of the others at least you know what they stand for.
Unfortunately for them several potential areas to try to claim as their own are of limited to very limited appeal among the public. Whole hearted pro Euism doesn't net much gain. They could make a play again as the civil liberty party, but regrettably most people don't care that much about that. And they have to argue everything in the abstract as the on,y olace they influence is the lords, which they want to abolish.
Anything else? I want strong thrird and fourth parties, but it's hard to see where it's coming from, and if the LDs don't significantly recover or uk build on all those second places, 2020 will be no better.
Well put, if I'm canvassing for Tory, Labour or Ukip I know exactly what to say on the doorstep - what on earth do the libs say?
Will that happen? Probably not, but they aren't outrageous assumptions to make, and if they flood the constituency with activists they are certainly achievable.
It's not impossible that a tidal wave of Corbynite activists might help the LDs as well. Nothing more guaranteed to get up the nose of a moderate leftie than some chippy hard left SWP type calling him or her a Tory because they express even moderate doubt about some of the the sainted Jeremy's policies.
On my Facebook feed - not the most representative of places, I grant you - there is a constant battle between Corbynistas and moderate left wingers. It gets pretty vicious. And I can see a lot of moderate left wingers being forced out of the Labour Party.
Re the libs - what on earth is their message? They seem to be increasingly irrelevant and devoid of ideas, regardless of what you think of the others at least you know what they stand for.
Unfortunately for them several potential areas to try to claim as their own are of limited to very limited appeal among the public. Whole hearted pro Euism doesn't net much gain. They could make a play again as the civil liberty party, but regrettably most people don't care that much about that. And they have to argue everything in the abstract as the on,y olace they influence is the lords, which they want to abolish.
Anything else? I want strong thrird and fourth parties, but it's hard to see where it's coming from, and if the LDs don't significantly recover or uk build on all those second places, 2020 will be no better.
I would have thought the "hole" for the LibDems would be "financially responsible centre-left party". A hold that - with Corbyn leading the Labour party - that is currently unfilled.
They need to become credible again first for that to work I think, and that requires some hook issue to demonstrate distinctiveness beyond 'we're the not crazy lefties' first. Pure speculation however.
This is a book launch so treat with caution, but it offers a sensible-looking analysis of the renegotiation, by Liddle, who is pretty centrist in his political views, and published by the similarly-inclined Policy Network:
Many thanks for sharing that Nick - that's more or less the level of quality I expect from the renegotiation - a rider clause for ever-closer Union, a statement of principles on non-Eurozone countries, a very heavy price for restrictions on EU worker benefits (either higher budget contributions or more resettlement of economic migrants) and possibly only for 6 months to a year of restrictions even then and probably more progress on the digital single market and capital single market.
None of that comes remotely close to what would be needed to convince me to stay.
Re the libs - what on earth is their message? They seem to be increasingly irrelevant and devoid of ideas, regardless of what you think of the others at least you know what they stand for.
Unfortunately for them several potential areas to try to claim as their own are of limited to very limited appeal among the public. Whole hearted pro Euism doesn't net much gain. They could make a play again as the civil liberty party, but regrettably most people don't care that much about that. And they have to argue everything in the abstract as the on,y olace they influence is the lords, which they want to abolish.
Anything else? I want strong thrird and fourth parties, but it's hard to see where it's coming from, and if the LDs don't significantly recover or uk build on all those second places, 2020 will be no better.
Well put, if I'm canvassing for Tory, Labour or Ukip I know exactly what to say on the doorstep - what on earth do the libs say?
With the Labour Party having vacated the Centre-Left, I would have thought that was obvious. (And I speak as someone who doesn't find that message attractive at all.)
From 1987 to 2005, the Labour Party took the space that had been the SDP's. It has now vacated it.
Will the LDs fill it? I have no idea. But the idea that there isn't an under-served centre-left space is ridiculous.
Everyone is getting very excited below. Can't believe someone mentioned LD win!
It's a December by-election. No-one will get excited. The party that is able to drag its vote out will win.
Labour probably doesn't have great voter ID because it is a safe seat, so the result will be closer than a GE, but by sheer dent of numbers it will win.
All Pols will claim significance, but there really wont be any. For example, I suspect the Tories will do poorly, but that will be because their voters are largely satisfied.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
They might get a significant boost when the contents of Dave's four points to the EU is more widely known, renegotiation my arse, pleas to be nice is closer to the truth
1) Please be nice to the Pound. 2) Please be nice to the City of London 3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years 4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
Re the libs - what on earth is their message? They seem to be increasingly irrelevant and devoid of ideas, regardless of what you think of the others at least you know what they stand for.
Unfortunately for them several potential areas to try to claim as their own are of limited to very limited appeal among the public. Whole hearted pro Euism doesn't net much gain. They could make a play again as the civil liberty party, but regrettably most people don't care that much about that. And they have to argue everything in the abstract as the on,y olace they influence is the lords, which they want to abolish.
Anything else? I want strong thrird and fourth parties, but it's hard to see where it's coming from, and if the LDs don't significantly recover or uk build on all those second places, 2020 will be no better.
I would have thought the "hole" for the LibDems would be "financially responsible centre-left party". A hold that - with Corbyn leading the Labour party - that is currently unfilled.
They need to become credible again first for that to work I think, and that requires some hook issue to demonstrate distinctiveness beyond 'we're the not crazy lefties' first. Pure speculation however.
I would point out that in 1979, they were on 11 seats and with their leader accused of being involved in a dog killing incident. Their credibility was shot by propping up the Labour government in the LibLab pact.
But then the Labour Party decided to vacate the Centre Left and created the space for the Alliance.
I'm not saying the LDs will bounce back. Plenty of parties have disappeared. But right now, there are a lot of (formerly Labour) centre left voters and activists who loathe the Corbynistas.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
They might get a significant boost when the contents of Dave's four points to the EU is more widely known, renegotiation my arse, pleas to be nice is closer to the truth
1) Please be nice to the Pound. 2) Please be nice to the City of London 3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years 4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
To be honest the last parliament was littered with Kippers telling us that every dog that ever farted was a boost to UKIP and going to see squillions of UKIP MPs.
Re the libs - what on earth is their message? They seem to be increasingly irrelevant and devoid of ideas, regardless of what you think of the others at least you know what they stand for.
Unfortunately for them several potential areas to try to claim as their own are of limited to very limited appeal among the public. Whole hearted pro Euism doesn't net much gain. They could make a play again as the civil liberty party, but regrettably most people don't care that much about that. And they have to argue everything in the abstract as the on,y olace they influence is the lords, which they want to abolish.
Anything else? I want strong thrird and fourth parties, but it's hard to see where it's coming from, and if the LDs don't significantly recover or uk build on all those second places, 2020 will be no better.
Well put, if I'm canvassing for Tory, Labour or Ukip I know exactly what to say on the doorstep - what on earth do the libs say?
With the Labour Party having vacated the Centre-Left, I would have thought that was obvious. (And I speak as someone who doesn't find that message attractive at all.)
From 1987 to 2005, the Labour Party took the space that had been the SDP's. It has now vacated it.
Will the LDs fill it? I have no idea. But the idea that there isn't an under-served centre-left space is ridiculous.
I agree, although it will take some time, I think, for the general public to get fully acquainted with the idea that Labour really have sloped off to form some kind of Trotskyist seminar group and therefore there is a gap for the LibDems. Far too early in the parliament I'd say. I do expect them to be back in double figures in a year or two's time.
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Wow. That's ambitious.
I'd be very surprised to see them do that well. I think the fabled Liberal Democrat by-election machine of the past has now faded away.
The vast majority of people simply won't consider them as an option no matter how many activists they put in place.
I'm not sure that's the case. Some of the local election results show that there are still areas with a very keen Lib Dem activist base, and people willing to vote for them.
People with a right-wing view who think Cameron's Conservatives are too in the centre have UKIP to move to. There are plenty of people with a left-wing view for whom Corbyn's Labour are too far off to the left - we have some vocal ones on here. It's quite possible that the Lib Dems will be able to tailor their message to appeal to these people.
Yes, it'll be difficult given the trouncing they got (unfairly, I believe) for the coalition. But it's certainly possible, and they've done it before.
Re the libs - what on earth is their message? They seem to be increasingly irrelevant and devoid of ideas, regardless of what you think of the others at least you know what they stand for.
Unfortunately for them several potential areas to try to claim as their own are of limited to very limited appeal among the public. Whole hearted pro Euism doesn't net much gain. They could make a play again as the civil liberty party, but regrettably most people don't care that much about that. And they have to argue everything in the abstract as the on,y olace they influence is the lords, which they want to abolish.
Anything else? I want strong thrird and fourth parties, but it's hard to see where it's coming from, and if the LDs don't significantly recover or uk build on all those second places, 2020 will be no better.
I would have thought the "hole" for the LibDems would be "financially responsible centre-left party". A hold that - with Corbyn leading the Labour party - that is currently unfilled.
They need to become credible again first for that to work I think, and that requires some hook issue to demonstrate distinctiveness beyond 'we're the not crazy lefties' first. Pure speculation however.
I would point out that in 1979, they were on 11 seats and with their leader accused of being involved in a dog killing incident. Their credibility was shot by propping up the Labour government in the LibLab pact.
But then the Labour Party decided to vacate the Centre Left and created the space for the Alliance.
I'm not saying the LDs will bounce back. Plenty of parties have disappeared. But right now, there are a lot of (formerly Labour) centre left voters and activists who loathe the Corbynistas.
I hope they pick them up - heck, I'mnot writing them of. TheLiberals have been in this situationbefore and were no doubt dismissed, but decades of work and taking advantage of situation saw them gain significance again. I think it'd be good for our politics if they can again.
On a December election, it could be a pretty warm December election though! That might help?
Just worth recalling it's not even a decade ago that some (in 2007, around the election-that-never-was) were seriously suggesting the Conservatives could cease to exist if the election was called and they lost it.
As Cameron sets out his stall, Policy Network’s co-chair Roger Liddle offers an in-depth examination of the key areas of renegotiation:
Britain no longer part of ‘ever-closer’ union? Although David Cameron insists that the UK should no longer be bound by 'ever-closer union', he is unlikely to obtain a unilateral opt-out. It is realistic to expect the UK's EU partners to include the June 2014 European council statement in a legally binding protocol that in due course would become part of the treaties. They might also consider an addendum that the UK does not see its commitment to membership of the EU (and all its treaty obligations) as extending to the goal of ‘ever-closer’ union.
Securing fair treatment between the ‘euro-ins’ and ‘euro-outs’ Strengthening safeguards to ensure fair treatment of countries outside the eurozone has become a key British renegotiation objective. The European council might adopt a declaration of principles addressing the reality of an increasingly two-tier EU and providing for an ‘emergency brake’. However, like the West Lothian question, this would immediately raise a number of difficult, if not intractable, issues. Settling them will not be possible in Cameron’s timetable for renegotiation.
A new deal for Britain on EU migration? EU-wide reform is necessary to bolster support for European integration, but Cameron must tread carefully in any attempt to win UK-only 'fixes'. His flagship demand – a four-year wait before migrants can claim in work benefits – appears to contradict existing European treaty obligations. Buying other member states’ consent for treaty amendments will have a price. If Cameron is to secure a new deal on migration then Britain may have to show greater sense of collective responsibility, especially in light of the refugee crisis.
Achieving a more competitive EU The Juncker commission's reforming zeal should aid Cameron in demonstrating progress over the EU's role as a source of 'jobs, growth and innovation'. The commission has already produced ambitious plans to take forward the projects of the digital single market and capital markets union. The challenge for Cameron is on how to take advantage of this new reforming mood without critical difficulties arising from a clash of misconceptions within his own party.
It would be interesting to know whether any opinion polls are likely in OW&R, although the ones in neighbouring Heywood&Middleton were pretty useless IIRC.
I found them quite illuminating because they often tended to be wrong in exactly the same way for the particular pollsters, and on a basis that was individually peculiar to them. Then, the same thing happened at the election.
Ashcroft tended to get much closer to the real result in terms of Con-Lab gap than Survation, and almost without fail Labour were overstated, Tories understated.
The established error trend of each particular pollster is often the biggest clue to the real outcome.
It's a metric that is worth watching across the parliament.
Another example is that the Con-Lab gap was commonly understated by 5.5% at the Euro 2014 elections by many internet pollsters, to the detriment of the Tories.
It really should not have been a surprise that the error was repeated in May 2015.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
They might get a significant boost when the contents of Dave's four points to the EU is more widely known, renegotiation my arse, pleas to be nice is closer to the truth
1) Please be nice to the Pound. 2) Please be nice to the City of London 3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years 4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
To be honest the last parliament was littered with Kippers telling us that every dog that ever farted was a boost to UKIP and going to see squillions of UKIP MPs.
Guess what happened at the election ?
They got 4 million votes.
As we both know that didn't translate into votes but to suggest kippers a tiny bunch of fruitcakes (as you frequently do) is absurd.
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Wow. That's ambitious.
I'd be very surprised to see them do that well. I think the fabled Liberal Democrat by-election machine of the past has now faded away.
The vast majority of people simply won't consider them as an option no matter how many activists they put in place.
I don't think they'll get north of 10%, but I can think of a plausible path there:
LDs get 100% of their vote out, while turnout is down 50%. (That takes you to 7.2%) LDs get 1-in-10 of their voters from 2010 who didn't vote for them in 2015. (To 9.1%) LDs get 1-in-20 2010 Labour voters. (To 10.9%)
Will that happen? Probably not, but they aren't outrageous assumptions to make, and if they flood the constituency with activists they are certainly achievable.
That's a very fair assessment. I agree that it's at the top end of expectations.
They only got c.11-12% in 1997GE and 2001GE (when they were by no means a spent force at the national level) so if they matched that they'd be doing very well indeed.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
They might get a significant boost when the contents of Dave's four points to the EU is more widely known, renegotiation my arse, pleas to be nice is closer to the truth
1) Please be nice to the Pound. 2) Please be nice to the City of London 3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years 4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
To be honest the last parliament was littered with Kippers telling us that every dog that ever farted was a boost to UKIP and going to see squillions of UKIP MPs.
Guess what happened at the election ?
They got 4 million votes.
As we both know that didn't translate into votes but to suggest kippers a tiny bunch of fruitcakes (as you frequently do) is absurd.
So, Tories got 11 million votes.
So long as the voters see UKIP as the most extreme, least fit to govern and with candidates that hold extreme/racist views, UKIP will struggle under FPTP.
Is why the Tories made 24 net gains and UKIP just one.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
They might get a significant boost when the contents of Dave's four points to the EU is more widely known, renegotiation my arse, pleas to be nice is closer to the truth
1) Please be nice to the Pound. 2) Please be nice to the City of London 3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years 4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
To be honest the last parliament was littered with Kippers telling us that every dog that ever farted was a boost to UKIP and going to see squillions of UKIP MPs.
Guess what happened at the election ?
What happened was quite a lot of voters, both kipper, and kipper-inclined, gave Dave their vote because they saw the referendum as the only game in town. Now that it is increasingly clear that a) the referendum is going to rope in any group of EU-inclined voters that can be found (16-17 year olds etc.), and b) offer us the choice between ever-closer union, and ever-closer union with a bit of tinsel wrapped around it, they might not be so generous next time.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
They might get a significant boost when the contents of Dave's four points to the EU is more widely known, renegotiation my arse, pleas to be nice is closer to the truth
1) Please be nice to the Pound. 2) Please be nice to the City of London 3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years 4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
To be honest the last parliament was littered with Kippers telling us that every dog that ever farted was a boost to UKIP and going to see squillions of UKIP MPs.
Guess what happened at the election ?
What happened was quite a lot of voters, both kipper, and kipper-inclined, gave Dave their vote because they saw the referendum as the only game in town. Now that it is increasingly clear that a) the referendum is going to rope in any group of EU-inclined voters that can be found (16-17 year olds etc.), and b) offer us the choice between ever-closer union, and ever-closer union with a bit of tinsel wrapped around it, they might not be so generous next time.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
They might get a significant boost when the contents of Dave's four points to the EU is more widely known, renegotiation my arse, pleas to be nice is closer to the truth
1) Please be nice to the Pound. 2) Please be nice to the City of London 3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years 4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
To be honest the last parliament was littered with Kippers telling us that every dog that ever farted was a boost to UKIP and going to see squillions of UKIP MPs.
Guess what happened at the election ?
They got 4 million votes.
As we both know that didn't translate into votes but to suggest kippers a tiny bunch of fruitcakes (as you frequently do) is absurd.
So, Tories got 11 million votes.
So long as the voters see UKIP as the most extreme, least fit to govern and with candidates that hold extreme/racist views, UKIP will struggle under FPTP.
Is why the Tories made 24 net gains and UKIP just one.
I'm reasonably certain your Dad was bigger than mine and that in willy waving contests you're unbeatable.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
They might get a significant boost when the contents of Dave's four points to the EU is more widely known, renegotiation my arse, pleas to be nice is closer to the truth
1) Please be nice to the Pound. 2) Please be nice to the City of London 3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years 4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
To be honest the last parliament was littered with Kippers telling us that every dog that ever farted was a boost to UKIP and going to see squillions of UKIP MPs.
Guess what happened at the election ?
They got 4 million votes.
As we both know that didn't translate into votes but to suggest kippers a tiny bunch of fruitcakes (as you frequently do) is absurd.
So, Tories got 11 million votes.
So long as the voters see UKIP as the most extreme, least fit to govern and with candidates that hold extreme/racist views, UKIP will struggle under FPTP.
Is why the Tories made 24 net gains and UKIP just one.
I'm reasonably certain your Dad was bigger than mine and that in willy waving contests you're unbeatable.
Is that what he was waving ? I couldn't quite make it out
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
They might get a significant boost when the contents of Dave's four points to the EU is more widely known, renegotiation my arse, pleas to be nice is closer to the truth
1) Please be nice to the Pound. 2) Please be nice to the City of London 3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years 4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
To be honest the last parliament was littered with Kippers telling us that every dog that ever farted was a boost to UKIP and going to see squillions of UKIP MPs.
Guess what happened at the election ?
They got 4 million votes.
As we both know that didn't translate into votes but to suggest kippers a tiny bunch of fruitcakes (as you frequently do) is absurd.
So, Tories got 11 million votes.
So long as the voters see UKIP as the most extreme, least fit to govern and with candidates that hold extreme/racist views, UKIP will struggle under FPTP.
Is why the Tories made 24 net gains and UKIP just one.
I'm reasonably certain your Dad was bigger than mine and that in willy waving contests you're unbeatable.
All I've said is factually accurate and backed up by the polling.
I've been speaking to a Labour activist from the area this morning, the reason the Lib Dems are so confident about doing a lot better than just holding their deposit is that in May the Lib Dems had no activity in the seat, all the activists were deployed to Withington and Southport.
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
Wow. That's ambitious.
I'd be very surprised to see them do that well. I think the fabled Liberal Democrat by-election machine of the past has now faded away.
The vast majority of people simply won't consider them as an option no matter how many activists they put in place.
I don't think they'll get north of 10%, but I can think of a plausible path there:
LDs get 100% of their vote out, while turnout is down 50%. (That takes you to 7.2%) LDs get 1-in-10 of their voters from 2010 who didn't vote for them in 2015. (To 9.1%) LDs get 1-in-20 2010 Labour voters. (To 10.9%)
Will that happen? Probably not, but they aren't outrageous assumptions to make, and if they flood the constituency with activists they are certainly achievable.
That's a very fair assessment. I agree that it's at the top end of expectations.
They only got c.11-12% in 1997GE and 2001GE (when they were by no means a spent force at the national level) so if they matched that they'd be doing very well indeed.
Personally, I can see any result between 2%-8%.
Top end? "LD get 100% of their vote out". In December. In a no-hope by election. In an area with historically crap turnout.
Comments
That being said, I would be very surprised if the new three party Leftist coalition will manage to stay in power long: there are very wide disagreements (NATO good! NATO an evil cold war body, etc.)
New Portuguese elections by June I'd reckon, which will likely result in another mess. The danger for the second placed PS is that if they don't rule out a coalition with the Communist CDU they are likely to haemorrhage moderate votes to PaF. On the other hand, if they do rule one out, then their more left wing supporters will go to BE or PaF.
As an aside, one thing that has not yet received enough attention is that there are a large number of places in Europe where there could be no workable coalition post the next set of elections. Take Germany: CDU/CSU + AfD + FDP is around 50%, and Der Linke + Greens + SPD is a little below. And could the FDP and the AfD serve together? And CDU/CSU + FDP is far from enough. Der Linke and AfD share some European views, but not much else. Another grand coalition there?
It's a similar story in Ireland, where there are four parties with substantial shares, plus a number of independents. Likewise the Netherlands.
The only place where it increasingly doesn't seem true is Spain, where the Centre Right Citizen's Party is now well ahead of Podemos and has even been ahead of the Socialists in three of the last 10 polls. Spain looks almost certain to have a PP + Citizen's coalition post elections.
Or in Spain: is the PP in first on 31.3% or 3% behind the Socialists on 23.5%? Is PSOE in first place on 26.3%, or third on 18.2%? And Citizen's: are they just 1% off first place on 22.5%, or are they in fourth place on 15.2%? Only Podemos seems to have consistent scores, somewhere in the low teens.
It will also be interesting to see if they can maintain their second place. If they do then the perception of a loss of momentum since the election might be halted.
As for the Lib Dems, I agree that they are more likely than not to save their deposit but not that much more likely. If a bookie were offering decent odds on this I would be tempted.
And antifrank didn't say the staff member was impolite - just that s/he refused to help.
The issue is the level of staff they have at airports. It's profit maximising, but it doesn't give them the scope to get information if something goes wrong as they are busy with their day jobs.
It does indeed appear that the places below Labour's probable first will be the more interesting side to the by-election.
Are you suggesting I'm a Kipper?
Do you have any airmiles? The most efficient way to use them is to buy any particular cabin and then upgrade with airmiles. Gives you miles (!) more value from them.
If so, I phrased whatever I said clumsily. Although I do think we should leave the EU, I am not a Kipper.
Wider chairs, with 2x vs 3x on the aisles and 4x vs 6x in the middle. Slightly better food (not that it really matters), more leg room and less imposition from people in front lowering their chairs.
On long haul I'd usually fly premium economy if I'm paying myself, but unless I can use miles don't think business is worth the extra cost.
Ultimately, of course, it all comes down to how much you think avoiding x hours of manageable discomfort in economy is worth to you.
edit: if you can (and they may not allow you to book seats unless you are Gold as well) then get a bulkhead seat - miles more room, although the table is a little fiddly
O/T - caught isam's query last thread about whether there are movies that show gay people without making it the big issue of the film. I don't know, but it prompts me to recommend Patrick Gale's books. Only read two so far (The Facts of Life and A Place Called Winter), but although they aren't the sort of action-packed/SF books that I usually read, they have a gentle precision of character depiction that makes you warm even to the (relative) villains. The relevance is that an afterword to the former book casually mentions the fact that Gale is married to another man. Some gay people turn up in the book and there is are some sexual scenes of both varieties, but it's by no means the central theme, merely something that character X does before doing something else. It didn't occur to me to assume anything about the writer.
I think that's a healthy development, and it'd be good to see it in movies too, in the same way as movies with Muslims which aren't mostly about wrestling with Islam in western society. Script-writers tend to focus unhelpfully on religious or sexual difference in movies because they make obvious dramatic points (Homeland, which I admit to enjoying, is particularly prone to it).
They are hoping for at least a double digit share of the vote.
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=1b8c27812b5639c97eae8a815&id=0ca5f24f3e&e=d50c4c3e1b
Any effort above zero in a seat should produce better vote shares.
When I first read your comment I thought 'Whoa! Nick P thinks Rod Liddle is a centrist?" Blimey :-)
1) The moderate Labour vote appalled by the election of Corbyn
2) The one nation Tory vote appalled by George Osborne's war on the poor
Government needs to get out of the way.
When I had a Gold Card with Delta, they gave me 3 upgrades to domestic First in the US. Nice cosy armchairs - much better than the shorthaul business class offered in Europe.
Best ever was Business Class on an Emirates A380.
Garth Harkness 1,589 3.7 -15.4
Mark Alcock 8,193 19.1 -2.1
Even if they only get to their national polling level they will put on 4 or 5%.
Crewe & Nantwich was one, but I think Glasgow East and Bradford Somewhere-or-other were more recent.
Greens unlikely to have a good ground game. LDs will probably do a good job of getting out the voters who voted for them last time, which in a 30-40% turnout by-election will see them score 6-7%.
They may also attract a few non-Corbynite Labour voters, but that will be minor compared to simply doing a better job of getting their vote out.
I'd be very surprised to see them do that well. I think the fabled Liberal Democrat by-election machine of the past has now faded away.
The vast majority of people simply won't consider them as an option no matter how many activists they put in place.
Politics in all but 50 or so seats is becoming pointless
Edited extra bit: considering a very long odds bet. Trying to decide if it would be the action of a drunken buffoon, or worth a look.
LDs get 100% of their vote out, while turnout is down 50%. (That takes you to 7.2%)
LDs get 1-in-10 of their voters from 2010 who didn't vote for them in 2015. (To 9.1%)
LDs get 1-in-20 2010 Labour voters. (To 10.9%)
Will that happen? Probably not, but they aren't outrageous assumptions to make, and if they flood the constituency with activists they are certainly achievable.
Also, by lunchtime on the day of the election, turnout will be described as "steady" by at least one media outlet.
A win would be phenomenal, but it is largely about getting the machine working again.
So it makes sense for Mike to ramp up their efforts, but success is still largely undefined.
I wonder how much money they have and how long they can keep it up.
Anything else? I want strong thrird and fourth parties, but it's hard to see where it's coming from, and if the LDs don't significantly recover or uk build on all those second places, 2020 will be no better.
A bad result for Labour and they might topple Corbyn.
Plus I like reminding Kippers they've never won a Westminster seat without a defector incumbent.
None of that comes remotely close to what would be needed to convince me to stay.
From 1987 to 2005, the Labour Party took the space that had been the SDP's. It has now vacated it.
Will the LDs fill it? I have no idea. But the idea that there isn't an under-served centre-left space is ridiculous.
It's a December by-election. No-one will get excited. The party that is able to drag its vote out will win.
Labour probably doesn't have great voter ID because it is a safe seat, so the result will be closer than a GE, but by sheer dent of numbers it will win.
All Pols will claim significance, but there really wont be any. For example, I suspect the Tories will do poorly, but that will be because their voters are largely satisfied.
1) Please be nice to the Pound.
2) Please be nice to the City of London
3) Please be nice and let us not give benefits to migrants for 4 years
4) Please don't use the words "ever closer union" again, anything else with the same meaning is fine of course.
But then the Labour Party decided to vacate the Centre Left and created the space for the Alliance.
I'm not saying the LDs will bounce back. Plenty of parties have disappeared. But right now, there are a lot of (formerly Labour) centre left voters and activists who loathe the Corbynistas.
Guess what happened at the election ?
It is, after all, December. And the seat is much, much less competitive than OE&S.
People with a right-wing view who think Cameron's Conservatives are too in the centre have UKIP to move to. There are plenty of people with a left-wing view for whom Corbyn's Labour are too far off to the left - we have some vocal ones on here. It's quite possible that the Lib Dems will be able to tailor their message to appeal to these people.
Yes, it'll be difficult given the trouncing they got (unfairly, I believe) for the coalition. But it's certainly possible, and they've done it before.
On a December election, it could be a pretty warm December election though! That might help?
Anyway, must be off.
Britain no longer part of ‘ever-closer’ union?
Although David Cameron insists that the UK should no longer be bound by 'ever-closer union', he is unlikely to obtain a unilateral opt-out. It is realistic to expect the UK's EU partners to include the June 2014 European council statement in a legally binding protocol that in due course would become part of the treaties. They might also consider an addendum that the UK does not see its commitment to membership of the EU (and all its treaty obligations) as extending to the goal of ‘ever-closer’ union.
Securing fair treatment between the ‘euro-ins’ and ‘euro-outs’
Strengthening safeguards to ensure fair treatment of countries outside the eurozone has become a key British renegotiation objective. The European council might adopt a declaration of principles addressing the reality of an increasingly two-tier EU and providing for an ‘emergency brake’. However, like the West Lothian question, this would immediately raise a number of difficult, if not intractable, issues. Settling them will not be possible in Cameron’s timetable for renegotiation.
A new deal for Britain on EU migration?
EU-wide reform is necessary to bolster support for European integration, but Cameron must tread carefully in any attempt to win UK-only 'fixes'. His flagship demand – a four-year wait before migrants can claim in work benefits – appears to contradict existing European treaty obligations. Buying other member states’ consent for treaty amendments will have a price. If Cameron is to secure a new deal on migration then Britain may have to show greater sense of collective responsibility, especially in light of the refugee crisis.
Achieving a more competitive EU
The Juncker commission's reforming zeal should aid Cameron in demonstrating progress over the EU's role as a source of 'jobs, growth and innovation'. The commission has already produced ambitious plans to take forward the projects of the digital single market and capital markets union. The challenge for Cameron is on how to take advantage of this new reforming mood without critical difficulties arising from a clash of misconceptions within his own party.
Ashcroft tended to get much closer to the real result in terms of Con-Lab gap than Survation, and almost without fail Labour were overstated, Tories understated.
The established error trend of each particular pollster is often the biggest clue to the real outcome.
It's a metric that is worth watching across the parliament.
Another example is that the Con-Lab gap was commonly understated by 5.5% at the Euro 2014 elections by many internet pollsters, to the detriment of the Tories.
It really should not have been a surprise that the error was repeated in May 2015.
As we both know that didn't translate into votes but to suggest kippers a tiny bunch of fruitcakes (as you frequently do) is absurd.
They only got c.11-12% in 1997GE and 2001GE (when they were by no means a spent force at the national level) so if they matched that they'd be doing very well indeed.
Personally, I can see any result between 2%-8%.
So long as the voters see UKIP as the most extreme, least fit to govern and with candidates that hold extreme/racist views, UKIP will struggle under FPTP.
Is why the Tories made 24 net gains and UKIP just one.
But you stay in the playground.
Snowball in hell.
@Conorpope: I regret supporting an EU referendum. I didn't realise it would be so boring.