Alonso would be a very exciting alternative. However, for a team that's had increasing inter-driver tension, putting together Alonso and Hamilton (again) would be a brave decision.
As suggested by me earlier on this thread - Alonso is the blindingly obvious top pick and great value at 20/1 to win next season's Drivers' Championship. If Lewis doesn't like it .... tough cookie.
20/1 is tempting odds, but I have a sneaking feeling that Alonso/Hamilton would just be too much potential trouble to justify the expense to the Mercedes corporates... and that Alonso has possibly lost the odd tenth in absolute speed. My guess would be either Sainz - who is demonstrably quick, mature, relatively cheap, and looking for drive with a top team or Perez/Bottas whose teams Merc can lean on a bit as engine supplier (Perez looking the better of the two to me).
Quick reading of the breakdown of figures suggests they broadly follow other recent polls:
Labour ahead amongst under 40s. Tories ahead amongst over 40s. However, of course, there are more voters in the latter category, they are more likely to vote, and the Tory lead amongst pensioners is enormous - 54:17 in this poll, with Labour almost at parity with Ukip.
Tories have a 28pt lead in the South outside London. This is very nearly as big as the lead held by the SNP over the second party in Scotland. The difference: the combined South-East, South-West and Eastern regions contain almost four times the number of voters and therefore return four times as many MPs as Scotland does. A catastrophe for Labour.
The Tories have a 13pt lead over Labour in the Midlands, and the two are within margin of error in London and Scotland. This poll does give Labour a 5pt lead in the North - but it also puts Ukip on 18% in the Midlands and North.
The Lib Dems are on 13% in London, in a survey taken (of course) before the Richmond Park by-election. This may suggest a path back to relevance as a party for well-to-do left libs dismayed at Corbyn's lack of zeal on the EU, but only time will tell of course.
Corbyn's ratings in a head-to-head with May continue to be abysmal, despite the fact that most respondents think the Government is handling Brexit badly. The SNP continues to look unassailable.
Mr. Eagles, weighting does matter. But the weighting system isn't a perfect science, as we've seen many times recently.
Mr. B, although I'm undecided as yet, Alonso for the title has the advantage it might come off (or be hedgeable) even if he's at McLaren, due to engine's not being restricted and Prodromou[sp] giving a big advantage.
Edited extra bit: was going to put on a smidgen at 21, but Alonso's dropped to 13. Humbug.
Mr. Eagles, weighting does matter. But the weighting system isn't a perfect science, as we've seen many times recently.
Mr. B, although I'm undecided as yet, Alonso for the title has the advantage it might come off (or be hedgeable) even if he's at McLaren, due to engine's not being restricted and Prodromou[sp] giving a big advantage.
See my edit, looks like Royal Blue is talking pish.
The size of Labour's vote in Richmond isn't the worry, for sure.
The fact that the party is at war with itself and cannot articulate a shared view of its policy on:
- austerity - Brexit - LHR3 - Trident
to pick just a few, is its more fundamental problem.
That's the least of it. Corbyn is a dead albatross around their necks who will prove utterly unelectable on the doorsteps of, say, Stoke.
Of course, but the fact that when he answers a question, a batch of his colleagues will give a very different answer, is no small part of it.
I honestly don't know how middle-of-the-road Labour MPs get out of bed in the morning, things are so bleak for them.
'middle of the road' is about the size of it. There is socialism, and there is liberalism, and they need to make their minds up. Many of them are where they are because, for the ambitious want-to-be-someone would-be politician, our system forces a straight Tory/Labour choice, and they knew that they weren't Tories.
So they find themselves trapped within a party that can deliver neither their ideals nor their ambitions.
oh dear, I find myself in disagreement with OGH. I think that it is too early to know whether this means anything for Labour. Politics as usual has been thrown out the window in 2016. So we can no longer use examples from the past to predict the future with the same level of confidence.
Interesting, that YouGov poll has more people saying Leaving the EU was the wrong decision than saying it was the right decision
Only by 1 percentage point, and only after weighting. Before that, it's 46-43 thinking it was the right decision. Nice try.
There's a reason why polls are weighted.
Only someone who doesn't understand polling would think unweighted numbers are the way to go.
Edit: Err where do you get the unweighted figure of 46-43 from?
Are you confusing the 46-43 score with the 46-43 score the last time they asked the question?
Your blind faith assumes that the weighting sorry adjustments are not only accurately done but do not make the figures worse . As with other pollsters and past Yougov polls the weighting reduced the Lib Dem raw vote share from 10.5% to 9% .
Interesting, that YouGov poll has more people saying Leaving the EU was the wrong decision than saying it was the right decision
Only by 1 percentage point, and only after weighting. Before that, it's 46-43 thinking it was the right decision. Nice try.
There's a reason why polls are weighted.
Only someone who doesn't understand polling would think unweighted numbers are the way to go.
Edit: Err where do you get the unweighted figure of 46-43 from?
Are you confusing the 46-43 score with the 46-43 score the last time they asked the question?
MOE anyhoo.
The more interesting finding is that 50% of people think the Govt is mishandling Brexit, and only 16% think they're doing well (34% don't know)
There is definitely room here for a pro-Remain party with its act together, or a party with a clear and coherent plan for Brexit, e.g. we are going for EFTA, no ifs no buts.
Trouble is, no such party exists. It should be Labour, but they are crippled with Corbyn at the helm.
I think it is the first time wrong has been ahead, which is why it garnered my attention.
oh dear, I find myself in disagreement with OGH. I think that it is too early to know whether this means anything for Labour. Politics as usual has been thrown out the window in 2016. So we can no longer use examples from the past to predict the future with the same level of confidence.
Trump - Historic swing back to the GOP from 2 terms of DEMs Brexit - No precedent, just 'the polls'. Lib Dem Richmond Gain - High by-election swings to the Lib Dems are not entirely without precedent !
We'll have to see how the raw vote in Sleaford is next week but Zac's defeat could indicate a very decent Lib Dem return from the 2017 locals is my first thought(1).
If Sleaford is a low turnout unexceptional Con win then I'll be even more convinced of lemma (1)
Is it wrong to hope there is the slightest of chances we are returning to Tories vs Whigs again?
I hope so. Bye bye, socialism.
It would be nice to think that the end point of this would be Conservatives and Liberals, but Labour is still holding up surprisingly well in England considering its appalling leadership, and the fact that it's behind on almost every measure of competence and public esteem save for being nice to the NHS. There is no sign of a collapse as yet, and most of its remaining Commons seats are held by very large majorities.
I stand to be proven spectacularly wrong by events, but I suspect that if Labour does die it will be a very long drawn out process...
Mr. Rook, Lib Dems and Liberals are different things, alas.
I did say end point :-) To me, it seems that the LDs under Farron would rather enjoying becoming a continental European style, Eurofederalist, social democrat party.
Interesting, that YouGov poll has more people saying Leaving the EU was the wrong decision than saying it was the right decision
Only by 1 percentage point, and only after weighting. Before that, it's 46-43 thinking it was the right decision. Nice try.
There's a reason why polls are weighted.
Only someone who doesn't understand polling would think unweighted numbers are the way to go.
Edit: Err where do you get the unweighted figure of 46-43 from?
Are you confusing the 46-43 score with the 46-43 score the last time they asked the question?
Your blind faith assumes that the weighting sorry adjustments are not only accurately done but do not make the figures worse . As with other pollsters and past Yougov polls the weighting reduced the Lib Dem raw vote share from 10.5% to 9% .
It bears repeating, but if you look at the dozen polls before GE2015, all pollsters struggled to find enough people who said they voted LD in 2010. The result was that the LDs were continually weighted upwards; you'd regularly have 65 people saying they would vote LD, which was upweighted to 90 to deal. This 'false memory' of not voting for the LDs was one of the reasons I was so bearish on them: when people pretend they didn't even vote for you, that's a real sign of how much your vote is falling.
This time around, all the polls find too many people claiming to have voted LD in 2015. I can't think of any where the unweighted base has less than 8% for 2015, and some have as high as 12% of respondents saying they voted for the party in 2015. (That means a third of those people are misremembering voting for them last year.) The consequence of this is that the LDs are being downweighted in the polls.
What I take from this is that the LDs are doing 'ok', and are probably on 10-11%.
But we shall see. May 2017 will be very interesting.
Mr. Rook, Lib Dems and Liberals are different things, alas.
I did say end point :-) To me, it seems that the LDs under Farron would rather enjoying becoming a continental European style, Eurofederalist, social democrat party.
That's a constituency that does exist. Arguably both Labour under Blair and the Conservatives under Cameron were social democratic and fairly pro-EU so that's an election winning route.
Firstly, being pro-EU is possible without being a full-blown federalist.
Secondly, the Blair and Cameron eras were before the referendum. Even many of those who would have preferred a Remain victory want the democratic result to be implemented.
The Lib Dems will benefit from the continuing uncertainty ahead of Article 50 being triggered (if it is) and Labour having the worst leader since Honorius.
Interesting, that YouGov poll has more people saying Leaving the EU was the wrong decision than saying it was the right decision
Only by 1 percentage point, and only after weighting. Before that, it's 46-43 thinking it was the right decision. Nice try.
There's a reason why polls are weighted.
Only someone who doesn't understand polling would think unweighted numbers are the way to go.
Edit: Err where do you get the unweighted figure of 46-43 from?
Are you confusing the 46-43 score with the 46-43 score the last time they asked the question?
Your blind faith assumes that the weighting sorry adjustments are not only accurately done but do not make the figures worse . As with other pollsters and past Yougov polls the weighting reduced the Lib Dem raw vote share from 10.5% to 9% .
It bears repeating, but if you look at the dozen polls before GE2015, all pollsters struggled to find enough people who said they voted LD in 2010. The result was that the LDs were continually weighted upwards; you'd regularly have 65 people saying they would vote LD, which was upweighted to 90 to deal. This 'false memory' of not voting for the LDs was one of the reasons I was so bearish on them: when people pretend they didn't even vote for you, that's a real sign of how much your vote is falling.
This time around, all the polls find too many people claiming to have voted LD in 2015. I can't think of any where the unweighted base has less than 8% for 2015, and some have as high as 12% of respondents saying they voted for the party in 2015. (That means a third of those people are misremembering voting for them last year.) The consequence of this is that the LDs are being downweighted in the polls.
What I take from this is that the LDs are doing 'ok', and are probably on 10-11%.
But we shall see. May 2017 will be very interesting.
oh dear, I find myself in disagreement with OGH. I think that it is too early to know whether this means anything for Labour. Politics as usual has been thrown out the window in 2016. So we can no longer use examples from the past to predict the future with the same level of confidence.
The real significance of last night's vote is that it legitimises rejecting Brexit. The referendum was sold on a lie no less egregious than Tony Blair's '45 minutes. Claiming we would get a rebate of £350,000,000 a week was a vote changing and deliberate falsehood.
Under those circumstances and emboldened by the voters of Richmond I can easily imagine an anti Brexit movement starting in parliament and instead of the platitudes about 'respecting democracy' they can stand proud and talk about the contempt with which our new Brexiteer leaders treated the voters during the campaign
I laughed when I watched Goldsmith get defeated last night.
These arrogant posh boys think the public will back their miscalculated agendas. This year has seen the political careers of two Eton old boys vanish into the flickering flames of defeat. I shed no tears for Goldsmith, he is rich and hardly needs the job to support his family.
Surely Richmond Park Conservatives will never have Goldsmith back as a candidate? I can understand his opposition to Heathrow and instigating a by - election in 2010 but to reiterate it in 2015 was stupid. It is going to happen whether Richmond Park is held by Lib Dem, Conservative or an Independent
I cannot understand this obsession with referendums, the Lib Dems wanting another one on the EU is no guarantee that the public will back the position. Personally, I don't think the UK should ever have a referendum again, they are divisive and the outcome is always open to question. From the ignorant people I have had the misfortune to encounter since the June vote meant anything from sending all the colours home, to getting manufacturing back. Neither of which is going to happen if and when we leave the EU. I have seen directly two EU referendum related hate crimes in public places. I encouraged the EU nationals to report it to the police. In one confrontation an Irish man, who was a construction worker had a wine glass thrown at him and was spat at and told to go home in no uncertain terms. Another incident I have observed involved a delivery van driver verbally assault a woman working in a shop because of her name sounding eastern European. She was born in England to English parents and her husband was also born in England. I am disgusted by this sort of behaviour, it is not the way a civilised society should work.
I still cannot work out why any sane person is willing to take an economic hit to exit the EU when globalisation is going to carry on regardless and the nation state of the 19th century is never going to return. I certainly will be voting Labour or Lib Dem at the next election as the Tories have screwed things up massively.
Mr. Taxman, if GDP rises but the wages of the lower middle and working class decline due to increased migration, which also puts pressure on local services (a migrant takes a few hours to arrive, a new road, school or hospital rather longer to build) then the country becomes richer but for many people the situation worsens.
That's a difficult square to circle, but the contempt with which those who had genuine concerns over migration were treated and the utter failure to come up with a solution means that feeling of division is not going to dissipate soon.
If we end up staying in, the bitterness and resentment could become dangerously high.
oh dear, I find myself in disagreement with OGH. I think that it is too early to know whether this means anything for Labour. Politics as usual has been thrown out the window in 2016. So we can no longer use examples from the past to predict the future with the same level of confidence.
The real significance of last night's vote is that it legitimises rejecting Brexit. The referendum was sold on a lie no less egregious than Tony Blair's '45 minutes. Claiming we would get a rebate of £350,000,000 a week was a vote changing and deliberate falsehood.
Under those circumstances and emboldened by the voters of Richmond I can easily imagine an anti Brexit movement starting in parliament and instead of the platitudes about 'respecting democracy' they can stand proud and talk about the contempt with which our new Brexiteer leaders treated the voters during the campaign
Come on Roger,just imagine if remain had won with the bull coming from Cameron and Osborne,both sides were at .
Mr. Taxman, if GDP rises but the wages of the lower middle and working class decline due to increased migration, which also puts pressure on local services (a migrant takes a few hours to arrive, a new road, school or hospital rather longer to build) then the country becomes richer but for many people the situation worsens.
That's a difficult square to circle, but the contempt with which those who had genuine concerns over migration were treated and the utter failure to come up with a solution means that feeling of division is not going to dissipate soon.
If we end up staying in, the bitterness and resentment could become dangerously high.
We're staying in all but name.
This week it has already been stated we're staying in Justice bits, that we'd continue to contribute to the EU budget, and as Mr Observer will tell you, we've signed up to more competences for the CJEU.
I laughed when I watched Goldsmith get defeated last night.
These arrogant posh boys think the public will back their miscalculated agendas. This year has seen the political careers of two Eton old boys vanish into the flickering flames of defeat. I shed no tears for Goldsmith, he is rich and hardly needs the job to support his family.
Surely Richmond Park Conservatives will never have Goldsmith back as a candidate? I can understand his opposition to Heathrow and instigating a by - election in 2010 but to reiterate it in 2015 was stupid. It is going to happen whether Richmond Park is held by Lib Dem, Conservative or an Independent
I cannot understand this obsession with referendums, the Lib Dems wanting another one on the EU is no guarantee that the public will back the position. Personally, I don't think the UK should ever have a referendum again, they are divisive and the outcome is always open to question. From the ignorant people I have had the misfortune to encounter since the June vote meant anything from sending all the colours home, to getting manufacturing back. Neither of which is going to happen if and when we leave the EU. I have seen directly two EU referendum related hate crimes in public places. I encouraged the EU nationals to report it to the police. In one confrontation an Irish man, who was a construction worker had a wine glass thrown at him and was spat at and told to go home in no uncertain terms. Another incident I have observed involved a delivery van driver verbally assault a woman working in a shop because of her name sounding eastern European. She was born in England to English parents and her husband was also born in England. I am disgusted by this sort of behaviour, it is not the way a civilised society should work.
I still cannot work out why any sane person is willing to take an economic hit to exit the EU when globalisation is going to carry on regardless and the nation state of the 19th century is never going to return. I certainly will be voting Labour or Lib Dem at the next election as the Tories have screwed things up massively.
To admit you will vote LibDem or Labour at the next election means you have totally lost the plot. Many Leavers want to have laws made in the UK for the UK. Many Remainers originally chose EU membership because they could not persuade their own parliament to pass the laws which they wanted.
I laughed when I watched Goldsmith get defeated last night.
These arrogant posh boys think the public will back their miscalculated agendas. This year has seen the political careers of two Eton old boys vanish into the flickering flames of defeat. I shed no tears for Goldsmith, he is rich and hardly needs the job to support his family.
Surely Richmond Park Conservatives will never have Goldsmith back as a candidate? I can understand his opposition to Heathrow and instigating a by - election in 2010 but to reiterate it in 2015 was stupid. It is going to happen whether Richmond Park is held by Lib Dem, Conservative or an Independent
I cannot understand this obsession with referendums, the Lib Dems wanting another one on the EU is no guarantee that the public will back the position. Personally, I don't think the UK should ever have a referendum again, they are divisive and the outcome is always open to question. From the ignorant people I have had the misfortune to encounter since the June vote meant anything from sending all the colours home, to getting manufacturing back. Neither of which is going to happen if and when we leave the EU. I have seen directly two EU referendum related hate crimes in public places. I encouraged the EU nationals to report it to the police. In one confrontation an Irish man, who was a construction worker had a wine glass thrown at him and was spat at and told to go home in no uncertain terms. Another incident I have observed involved a delivery van driver verbally assault a woman working in a shop because of her name sounding eastern European. She was born in England to English parents and her husband was also born in England. I am disgusted by this sort of behaviour, it is not the way a civilised society should work.
I still cannot work out why any sane person is willing to take an economic hit to exit the EU when globalisation is going to carry on regardless and the nation state of the 19th century is never going to return. I certainly will be voting Labour or Lib Dem at the next election as the Tories have screwed things up massively.
To admit you will vote LibDem or Labour at the next election means you have totally lost the plot. Many Leavers want to have laws made in the UK for the UK. Many Remainers originally chose EU membership because they could not persuade their own parliament to pass the laws which they wanted.
The constituency voted to Remain in the referendum. Then, as now, one constituency doesn't outweigh the general result of the whole country.
and that's why Sleaford & N Hykeham will be interesting.
Constituency voted Leave. Everyone on the ballot except Ross Pepper (Lib Dem) is a Leaver. Lib Dems were in 4th in 2015 and although fighting valiantly have so far put nothing like the resources in that went to Witney and Richmond Park. What I will personally be looking for are the following 3 things: 1 signs of the Remain vote coalescing around the Lib Dems, including whether there is any practical support from any of the cross-party Remain groups 2 whether the UKIP vote holds up 3 whether the Labour vote holds up
Having done several days in Witney for the Lib Dems and several days in Richmond Park, including helping with both polling days, I'm spending this weekend in Sleaford. I'm taking cake and cheese, both of which are essential to fuel Lib Dem by-election offices.
Mr. Taxman, if GDP rises but the wages of the lower middle and working class decline due to increased migration, which also puts pressure on local services (a migrant takes a few hours to arrive, a new road, school or hospital rather longer to build) then the country becomes richer but for many people the situation worsens.
That's a difficult square to circle, but the contempt with which those who had genuine concerns over migration were treated and the utter failure to come up with a solution means that feeling of division is not going to dissipate soon.
If we end up staying in, the bitterness and resentment could become dangerously high.
It also bears repeating that median real wages fell in Japan and the US more than in the UK over the last 15 years, which tells you that it isn't just migration affecting incomes.
(Median wages rose in Switzerland and Germany, both of whom have educational systems that concentrate on giving "the next 60%" employable skills.)
Firstly, being pro-EU is possible without being a full-blown federalist.
Secondly, the Blair and Cameron eras were before the referendum. Even many of those who would have preferred a Remain victory want the democratic result to be implemented.
The Lib Dems will benefit from the continuing uncertainty ahead of Article 50 being triggered (if it is) and Labour having the worst leader since Honorius.
Black Rock, who is no friend of the LDs, used the term "Eurofederalist". I doubt any LDs are in all honesty. No one is talking about deeper integration (Eurozone, Schengen).
Agree re: Point 2 and I see a more nuanced tone from Farron emerging whereby the vote against A50 is more a sense of frustration at not having a clear sense of where the Government wants us to go rather than a desire to "block" the vote. The argument is more time and more preparation (and indeed more debate within the country) is needed to establish what it is we want from the post-EU relationship.
The second part of that is a referendum on the terms of whatever final treaty emerges. That's fine - no problem - but Farron needs to explain what would happen if the treaty was rejected and what he would have included/excluded to obtain a YES vote.
Actually the polls did imply big Tory gains from the LibDems in 2015 - but few people believed them on the basis that the latter enjoyed a significant incumbency bonus! Regional polls in the SouthWest pointed to the LibDems facing a wipeout too. If we delve into the detail of this latest poll the dynamics possibly switch the other way. The headline figure records a swing from Lab to Con of 2.7% - which would result in 21 Tory gains from Labour (including Tooting!). However, the poll is also suggesting that the swing to the Tories in Scotland is circa 6% - which in turn would indicate that the swing in England & Wales is 2.35%. That would only bring about 15 Tory gains - ie a majority of 42.
Mr. Taxman, if GDP rises but the wages of the lower middle and working class decline due to increased migration, which also puts pressure on local services (a migrant takes a few hours to arrive, a new road, school or hospital rather longer to build) then the country becomes richer but for many people the situation worsens.
That's a difficult square to circle, but the contempt with which those who had genuine concerns over migration were treated and the utter failure to come up with a solution means that feeling of division is not going to dissipate soon.
If we end up staying in, the bitterness and resentment could become dangerously high.
It also bears repeating that median real wages fell in Japan and the US more than in the UK over the last 15 years, which tells you that it isn't just migration affecting incomes.
(Median wages rose in Switzerland and Germany, both of whom have educational systems that concentrate on giving "the next 60%" employable skills.)
If the GDP of the whole country increases by say 2% and bankers and company directors increase their salary and bonuses by well over 10% then the lower middle and working class may see no increase in their wages at all .
Mr. Taxman, if GDP rises but the wages of the lower middle and working class decline due to increased migration, which also puts pressure on local services (a migrant takes a few hours to arrive, a new road, school or hospital rather longer to build) then the country becomes richer but for many people the situation worsens.
That's a difficult square to circle, but the contempt with which those who had genuine concerns over migration were treated and the utter failure to come up with a solution means that feeling of division is not going to dissipate soon.
If we end up staying in, the bitterness and resentment could become dangerously high.
We're staying in all but name.
This week it has already been stated we're staying in Justice bits, that we'd continue to contribute to the EU budget, and as Mr Observer will tell you, we've signed up to more competences for the CJEU.
BINO.
The Danish population rejected all the Justice measures in a 2015 referendum, so Denmark got an opt out. But never mind, that nice Mr. Cameron opted us in to the EAW, despite the worries that this creeping EU legal 'harmonisation' conflicts with the safeguards of individual rights in English law.
I can't remember any discussion at the time. It might be a rare issue on which - shock horror - I'd sympathise with Bill Cash.
Black Rock, who is no friend of the LDs, used the term "Eurofederalist". I doubt any LDs are in all honesty. No one is talking about deeper integration (Eurozone, Schengen).
May not be talking about it. Doesn't mean they can't dream :-)
Meanwhile, O/T, a further reminder that Labour does indeed have plenty more to worry about...
Is it wrong to hope there is the slightest of chances we are returning to Tories vs Whigs again?
I hope so. Bye bye, socialism.
I think there could be. If Libs keep up this 'party of EU' strategy then they could poll 25%. In 2010, I think they hit 23%. Labour got 29%. If Labour lost 4% and Libs gain it, they could be the 2nd party.
Black Rock, who is no friend of the LDs, used the term "Eurofederalist". I doubt any LDs are in all honesty. No one is talking about deeper integration (Eurozone, Schengen).
May not be talking about it. Doesn't mean they can't dream :-)
Meanwhile, O/T, a further reminder that Labour does indeed have plenty more to worry about...
And, of course, a Labour minority administration is highly unlikely to have enough votes to secure confidence and supply without the backing of the SNP, who are widely loathed in England. Poor Labour, so sad.
Black Rock, who is no friend of the LDs, used the term "Eurofederalist". I doubt any LDs are in all honesty. No one is talking about deeper integration (Eurozone, Schengen).
May not be talking about it. Doesn't mean they can't dream :-)
Meanwhile, O/T, a further reminder that Labour does indeed have plenty more to worry about...
Mr. Taxman, if GDP rises but the wages of the lower middle and working class decline due to increased migration, which also puts pressure on local services (a migrant takes a few hours to arrive, a new road, school or hospital rather longer to build) then the country becomes richer but for many people the situation worsens.
That's a difficult square to circle, but the contempt with which those who had genuine concerns over migration were treated and the utter failure to come up with a solution means that feeling of division is not going to dissipate soon.
If we end up staying in, the bitterness and resentment could become dangerously high.
Yes but, if lower migration leads to shortage of workers, and thus higher wages, businesses will pass costs on, which will lead to higher inflation, which will negate the higher wages. And shortages of workers would result in slow-down in construction industry, more bed-blocking as no-one to deliver domiciliary care packages, and fruit and veg unpicked and going to waste. And there would still be inadequate infrastructure. It's complicated, this stuff. If it was simple, someone would have sorted it long ago. Agree with you that the feeling of division is not about to dissipate any time soon - whether we stay in, have a hard Brexit or a soft Brexit.
I think people are wrong to assume that voting behaviour at the next election will be determined by attitudes to Brexit. It will - at most - be one issue , and I suspect that for most voters it will not be particulary salient. I voted Leave myself - and have no regrets at having done so. There is ,however, not a cat in hell's chance that I will be voting Tory or UKIP in 2020!
a) More houses. Certain Greenbelt land sadly has to go, as a countermeasure beef up various wildlife/landscpe protections. b) A contributory benefits system, with some sort of fee based access system as @rcs1000 has repeatedly refferred to here. c) The ability to take hard decisions on this stuff even when toes are trod on.
I think people are wrong to assume that voting behaviour at the next election will be determined by attitudes to Brexit. It will - at most - be one issue , and I suspect that for most voters it will not be particulary salient.
It is the prism through which all other issues will be viewed.
Is it wrong to hope there is the slightest of chances we are returning to Tories vs Whigs again?
I hope so. Bye bye, socialism.
I think there could be. If Libs keep up this 'party of EU' strategy then they could poll 25%. In 2010, I think they hit 23%. Labour got 29%. If Labour lost 4% and Libs gain it, they could be the 2nd party.
I think we are a very long way indeed from that, and even if it were to happen it wouldn't, of course, follow that the Lib Dems would take over as the second party in Parliament. Labour has so many gigantic majorities that most of its MPs would comfortably survive a fall in its nationwide vote to 20%. There would need to be very large, outsized swings in a lot of Labour held seats for the party to begin to be seriously eroded in its heartlands.
Does anyone know how much coverage Marianne Overton is getting from the local media? Listening to those interview snippets none of the main party candidates sounds particularly impressive and the Kipper is positively dire.
I think people are wrong to assume that voting behaviour at the next election will be determined by attitudes to Brexit. It will - at most - be one issue , and I suspect that for most voters it will not be particulary salient.
It is the prism through which all other issues will be viewed.
Economy stagnant? Brexit
Immigration? Brexit
NHS funding? Brexit
Political anoraks might do that , but I have a strong sense that the public at large is already sick to death of the issue -never mind in May 2020.
I think people are wrong to assume that voting behaviour at the next election will be determined by attitudes to Brexit. It will - at most - be one issue , and I suspect that for most voters it will not be particulary salient.
It is the prism through which all other issues will be viewed.
Interesting, that YouGov poll has more people saying Leaving the EU was the wrong decision than saying it was the right decision
The party breakdown is interesting too. 72% of Labour voters think the decision to leave was wrong. If Labour embrace Brexit to fend off the UKIP challenge they risk losing ground to the Lib Dems in other areas.
Does anyone know how much coverage Marianne Overton is getting from the local media? Listening to those interview snippets none of the main party candidates sounds particularly impressive and the Kipper is positively dire.
I think people are wrong to assume that voting behaviour at the next election will be determined by attitudes to Brexit. It will - at most - be one issue , and I suspect that for most voters it will not be particulary salient.
It is the prism through which all other issues will be viewed.
Economy stagnant? Brexit
Immigration? Brexit
NHS funding? Brexit
Political anoraks might do that , but I have a strong sense that the public at large is already sick to death of the issue -never mind in May 2020.
If they're sick to death of it there's only one way out - vote for a party that will call the whole thing off. If we press on it will dominate our politics indefinitely.
Does anyone know how much coverage Marianne Overton is getting from the local media? Listening to those interview snippets none of the main party candidates sounds particularly impressive and the Kipper is positively dire.
Is she anything to do with the Overton Window?
I have met her; she is well respected locally. But in this febrile environment it will be difficult for her to cut through, she probably faces the same fate as the council guy who stood on the Isle of Wight in 2015 as an independent, was similarly capable and respected, but drowned out by the party contest.
I think people are wrong to assume that voting behaviour at the next election will be determined by attitudes to Brexit. It will - at most - be one issue , and I suspect that for most voters it will not be particulary salient.
It is the prism through which all other issues will be viewed.
@Scott_P I agree on this. Think of Brexit as a flavouring rather than the ingredients of a meal. The real danger to the UK is politics will become a Brexit was wearing/Brexit was botched dialectic. I don't believe we'll ever go back to the original Remain/Leave choice. I fear we're heading to a smug/betrayed dialectic. Brexit will be botched and then Brexit will disappoint the angry and and insecure because what they are angry and insecure about has almost nothing to do with the EU.
Such voters won't admit they were wrong. They'll feel more right that ever. The same villains, politicians and the EU, will have botched Brexit in the way they bothedvEUnmembership.
Meanwhile people like me will be screaming I told you so. Elated to be proved right but bitter that Brexit happened anyway.
If I'm right, nd recently I haven't been right, we're heading towards a period of angry cultural decline where Brexit is everything and nothing in British politics.
I think people are wrong to assume that voting behaviour at the next election will be determined by attitudes to Brexit. It will - at most - be one issue , and I suspect that for most voters it will not be particulary salient.
It is the prism through which all other issues will be viewed.
Economy stagnant? Brexit
Immigration? Brexit
NHS funding? Brexit
Political anoraks might do that , but I have a strong sense that the public at large is already sick to death of the issue -never mind in May 2020.
If they're sick to death of it there's only one way out - vote for a party that will call the whole thing off. If we press on it will dominate our politics indefinitely.
No - I think people will want to focus on other issues.
The London cross tab from that Yougov poll shows 63% to 28% think that leaving the EU is the wrong decision. Labour has a very tough choice to make. So far they show every sign of leaving their metropolitan flank open to an attack from a pro-EU position.
Comments
Con 39 (-2)
Lab 27 (-1)
LD 9 (nc)
UKIP 14 (+2)
https://yougov.co.uk/news/2016/12/02/voting-intention-conservatives-39-labour-27/
Interesting, that YouGov poll has more people saying Leaving the EU was the wrong decision than saying it was the right decision
The fact that the party is at war with itself and cannot articulate a shared view of its policy on:
- austerity
- Brexit
- LHR3
- Trident
to pick just a few, is its more fundamental problem.
Next thread?
My guess would be either Sainz - who is demonstrably quick, mature, relatively cheap, and looking for drive with a top team or Perez/Bottas whose teams Merc can lean on a bit as engine supplier (Perez looking the better of the two to me).
https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/804712202976526337
Quick reading of the breakdown of figures suggests they broadly follow other recent polls:
Labour ahead amongst under 40s. Tories ahead amongst over 40s. However, of course, there are more voters in the latter category, they are more likely to vote, and the Tory lead amongst pensioners is enormous - 54:17 in this poll, with Labour almost at parity with Ukip.
Tories have a 28pt lead in the South outside London. This is very nearly as big as the lead held by the SNP over the second party in Scotland. The difference: the combined South-East, South-West and Eastern regions contain almost four times the number of voters and therefore return four times as many MPs as Scotland does. A catastrophe for Labour.
The Tories have a 13pt lead over Labour in the Midlands, and the two are within margin of error in London and Scotland. This poll does give Labour a 5pt lead in the North - but it also puts Ukip on 18% in the Midlands and North.
The Lib Dems are on 13% in London, in a survey taken (of course) before the Richmond Park by-election. This may suggest a path back to relevance as a party for well-to-do left libs dismayed at Corbyn's lack of zeal on the EU, but only time will tell of course.
Corbyn's ratings in a head-to-head with May continue to be abysmal, despite the fact that most respondents think the Government is handling Brexit badly. The SNP continues to look unassailable.
Only someone who doesn't understand polling would think unweighted numbers are the way to go.
Edit: Err where do you get the unweighted figure of 46-43 from?
Are you confusing the 46-43 score with the 46-43 score the last time they asked the question?
Mr. B, although I'm undecided as yet, Alonso for the title has the advantage it might come off (or be hedgeable) even if he's at McLaren, due to engine's not being restricted and Prodromou[sp] giving a big advantage.
Edited extra bit: was going to put on a smidgen at 21, but Alonso's dropped to 13. Humbug.
So they find themselves trapped within a party that can deliver neither their ideals nor their ambitions.
But I agree with the rest of your post.
I hope so. Bye bye, socialism.
Brexit - No precedent, just 'the polls'.
Lib Dem Richmond Gain - High by-election swings to the Lib Dems are not entirely without precedent !
We'll have to see how the raw vote in Sleaford is next week but Zac's defeat could indicate a very decent Lib Dem return from the 2017 locals is my first thought(1).
If Sleaford is a low turnout unexceptional Con win then I'll be even more convinced of lemma (1)
Today's result for Labour is appalling, can't even keep a deposit with a non Corbynite candidate fighting against an unknown Lib Dem.
They may take our deposits, but they shall never take our red flags!
I stand to be proven spectacularly wrong by events, but I suspect that if Labour does die it will be a very long drawn out process...
https://medium.com/@rortybomb/learning-from-trump-in-retrospect-dce431b23ed0#.3iztmtpti
This time around, all the polls find too many people claiming to have voted LD in 2015. I can't think of any where the unweighted base has less than 8% for 2015, and some have as high as 12% of respondents saying they voted for the party in 2015. (That means a third of those people are misremembering voting for them last year.) The consequence of this is that the LDs are being downweighted in the polls.
What I take from this is that the LDs are doing 'ok', and are probably on 10-11%.
But we shall see. May 2017 will be very interesting.
Firstly, being pro-EU is possible without being a full-blown federalist.
Secondly, the Blair and Cameron eras were before the referendum. Even many of those who would have preferred a Remain victory want the democratic result to be implemented.
The Lib Dems will benefit from the continuing uncertainty ahead of Article 50 being triggered (if it is) and Labour having the worst leader since Honorius.
EDIT - I see Mr Rentool has already done the maths upthread.
Under those circumstances and emboldened by the voters of Richmond I can easily imagine an anti Brexit movement starting in parliament and instead of the platitudes about 'respecting democracy' they can stand proud and talk about the contempt with which our new Brexiteer leaders treated the voters during the campaign
These arrogant posh boys think the public will back their miscalculated agendas. This year has seen the political careers of two Eton old boys vanish into the flickering flames of defeat. I shed no tears for Goldsmith, he is rich and hardly needs the job to support his family.
Surely Richmond Park Conservatives will never have Goldsmith back as a candidate? I can understand his opposition to Heathrow and instigating a by - election in 2010 but to reiterate it in 2015 was stupid. It is going to happen whether Richmond Park is held by Lib Dem, Conservative or an Independent
I cannot understand this obsession with referendums, the Lib Dems wanting another one on the EU is no guarantee that the public will back the position. Personally, I don't think the UK should ever have a referendum again, they are divisive and the outcome is always open to question. From the ignorant people I have had the misfortune to encounter since the June vote meant anything from sending all the colours home, to getting manufacturing back. Neither of which is going to happen if and when we leave the EU. I have seen directly two EU referendum related hate crimes in public places. I encouraged the EU nationals to report it to the police. In one confrontation an Irish man, who was a construction worker had a wine glass thrown at him and was spat at and told to go home in no uncertain terms. Another incident I have observed involved a delivery van driver verbally assault a woman working in a shop because of her name sounding eastern European. She was born in England to English parents and her husband was also born in England. I am disgusted by this sort of behaviour, it is not the way a civilised society should work.
I still cannot work out why any sane person is willing to take an economic hit to exit the EU when globalisation is going to carry on regardless and the nation state of the 19th century is never going to return. I certainly will be voting Labour or Lib Dem at the next election as the Tories have screwed things up massively.
The constituency voted to Remain in the referendum. Then, as now, one constituency doesn't outweigh the general result of the whole country.
That's a difficult square to circle, but the contempt with which those who had genuine concerns over migration were treated and the utter failure to come up with a solution means that feeling of division is not going to dissipate soon.
If we end up staying in, the bitterness and resentment could become dangerously high.
This week it has already been stated we're staying in Justice bits, that we'd continue to contribute to the EU budget, and as Mr Observer will tell you, we've signed up to more competences for the CJEU.
BINO.
Don't underestimate the awesomeness of the Tory ground game, which saw this.
http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2015/09/13/corbyns-english-challenge/
The Conservatives are in rude health in the polls. But other parties are available.
Constituency voted Leave. Everyone on the ballot except Ross Pepper (Lib Dem) is a Leaver. Lib Dems were in 4th in 2015 and although fighting valiantly have so far put nothing like the resources in that went to Witney and Richmond Park. What I will personally be looking for are the following 3 things:
1 signs of the Remain vote coalescing around the Lib Dems, including whether there is any practical support from any of the cross-party Remain groups
2 whether the UKIP vote holds up
3 whether the Labour vote holds up
Having done several days in Witney for the Lib Dems and several days in Richmond Park, including helping with both polling days, I'm spending this weekend in Sleaford. I'm taking cake and cheese, both of which are essential to fuel Lib Dem by-election offices.
(Median wages rose in Switzerland and Germany, both of whom have educational systems that concentrate on giving "the next 60%" employable skills.)
MrsB, that does sound interesting. When's it due?
Agree re: Point 2 and I see a more nuanced tone from Farron emerging whereby the vote against A50 is more a sense of frustration at not having a clear sense of where the Government wants us to go rather than a desire to "block" the vote. The argument is more time and more preparation (and indeed more debate within the country) is needed to establish what it is we want from the post-EU relationship.
The second part of that is a referendum on the terms of whatever final treaty emerges. That's fine - no problem - but Farron needs to explain what would happen if the treaty was rejected and what he would have included/excluded to obtain a YES vote.
http://thelincolnite.co.uk/2016/12/watch-sleaford-north-hykeham-election-candidates-brexit-nhs-transport/
Extremely thorough !
I can't remember any discussion at the time. It might be a rare issue on which - shock horror - I'd sympathise with Bill Cash.
Meanwhile, O/T, a further reminder that Labour does indeed have plenty more to worry about...
https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/804733821941936128
Send them back home' Ukip candidate's 'false claim over son blown up in Afghanistan'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3045289/Send-home-Ukip-candidate-s-false-claim-son-blown-Afghanistan.html
And there would still be inadequate infrastructure.
It's complicated, this stuff. If it was simple, someone would have sorted it long ago.
Agree with you that the feeling of division is not about to dissipate any time soon - whether we stay in, have a hard Brexit or a soft Brexit.
MrsB, with inflation at 0.9% or so, a rise is no bad thing.
At her current pace, Clinton will overtake Trump in Wisconsin in approximately 74 and a half years.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/12/02/first-day-of-wisconsin-recount-nets-hillary-one-vote/#ixzz4RhbnWBS8
a) More houses. Certain Greenbelt land sadly has to go, as a countermeasure beef up various wildlife/landscpe protections.
b) A contributory benefits system, with some sort of fee based access system as @rcs1000 has repeatedly refferred to here.
c) The ability to take hard decisions on this stuff even when toes are trod on.
edit: looking at Wiki, there were six in November 2012 on two separate dates. Corby was the only surprise result.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Kingdom_by-elections_(2010–present)
Economy stagnant? Brexit
Immigration? Brexit
NHS funding? Brexit
http://vote.sos.ca.gov/
Joke nation.
Trump 269 Clinton 1,003
New
Trump 267 Clinton 1,002
1.4 KILLS exporters whilst 1.1 makes everything way too expensive from Europe.
Podcast of Trumps pollster.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ThePollsters/status/804520297735004161
Such voters won't admit they were wrong. They'll feel more right that ever. The same villains, politicians and the EU, will have botched Brexit in the way they bothedvEUnmembership.
Meanwhile people like me will be screaming I told you so. Elated to be proved right but bitter that Brexit happened anyway.
If I'm right, nd recently I haven't been right, we're heading towards a period of angry cultural decline where Brexit is everything and nothing in British politics.