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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » GE2017 heralds the return of two party politics

SystemSystem Posts: 11,002
edited June 2017 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » GE2017 heralds the return of two party politics

What to make of the polling?  Are the Conservatives out of sight or are we in hung Parliament territory?  Everyone has their own theory and many of them are contradictory.  I’m not proposing in this thread to go into the question of whether the young or previous non-voters are going to unleash a crimson tide.  This is fast becoming a question of theology rather than psephology, at least until Thursday.

Read the full story here


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Comments

  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954
    First. Thanks, Alastair!
  • RobinWiggsRobinWiggs Posts: 621
    Second, like Amber Rudd in the queue to be next Prime Minister.
  • RobinWiggsRobinWiggs Posts: 621
    edited June 2017
    Thanks Alistair, great header as always. On the offtopic question of psephology vs theology of the crimson tide, this was an interesting thread from 2015.

    http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2015/09/30/why-mr-corbyns-plan-to-win-the-next-election-by-signing-up-non-voters-might-be-flawed/
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954
    Great find in the PB archives, @RobinWiggs.
  • Second, like Amber Rudd in the queue to be next Prime Minister.

    .... or indeed like amber in a set of traffic lights.
  • PaulMPaulM Posts: 613
    That price on selling Plaid seats of 3.6 seems interesting given they only have three seats now.
    I suppose you are betting against them winning Ynys Mon (where they are favoured) or Cerdigion (where they are competitive).
    I do think the three seats they have are fairly safe though. When you look at the regional polling for their "strongholds", I think the regions as defined aren't helpful. "North Wales" has 9 seats, and only three of them have Plaid being historically competitive. In parts of NE Wales they struggle to save the deposit.
    Similarly "Mid and West Wales" covers 8 seats, only a couple of which would have any Plaid history, and some of which like Montgomeryshire have Plaid losing their deposit.
    So the regional splits don't tell you much, but I would have thought that there is no chance they lose the two in the predominatly Welsh speaking areas, and Camarthen East should be fairly safe as well
  • surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    surbiton said:

    RobD said:

    nunu said:

    Let us remember the tories had an 11% in the local elections just a few weeks back. This was largely due to ukip switching to the tories. I can't see why ukippers would vote tory in the locals but not the GE. That helps my wobbles.

    Did you read this blogpost - https://marriott-stats.com/nigels-blog/uk-general-election-2017-forecast-5-5-steps-to-making-sense-of-the-latest-polls/

    See the regional analysis, Labour piling on votes where it doesn't matter.
    This is pure horseshit ! His entire crap is built on non-weighted regional subsets. In statistics, you cannot get an aggregate of garbage and then think the average will be OK.

    The best contradiction comes with the received wisdom that the overwhelming portion of UKIP transfers are going to Conservative. Yet in those "regional" graph , in many regions, Labour is the beneficiary.
  • surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    surbiton said:

    nunu said:

    Let us remember the tories had an 11% in the local elections just a few weeks back. This was largely due to ukip switching to the tories. I can't see why ukippers would vote tory in the locals but not the GE. That helps my wobbles.

    You have made a very good point. But there has been a swing to Labour since May 4th, so the lead will be much lower . If it is lower than 6.5%, the swing will be to Labour.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954
    surbiton said:


    This is pure horseshit ! His entire crap is built on non-weighted regional subsets. In statistics, you cannot get an aggregate of garbage and then think the average will be OK.

    The best contradiction comes with the received wisdom that the overwhelming portion of UKIP transfers are going to Conservative. Yet in those "regional" graph , in many regions, Labour is the beneficiary.

    I thought the regional numbers in each poll were weighted?

    On your second point, it might not be a direct transfer.
  • PaulMPaulM Posts: 613
    edited June 2017
    PaulM said:

    That price on selling Plaid seats of 3.6 seems interesting given they only have three seats now.
    I suppose you are betting against them winning Ynys Mon (where they are favoured) or Cerdigion (where they are competitive).
    I do think the three seats they have are fairly safe though. When you look at the regional polling for their "strongholds", I think the regions as defined aren't helpful. "North Wales" has 9 seats, and only three of them have Plaid being historically competitive. In parts of NE Wales they struggle to save the deposit.
    Similarly "Mid and West Wales" covers 8 seats, only a couple of which would have any Plaid history, and some of which like Montgomeryshire have Plaid losing their deposit.
    So the regional splits don't tell you much, but I would have thought that there is no chance they lose the two in the predominatly Welsh speaking areas, and Camarthen East should be fairly safe as well

    That said I agree with Alastair that the 4/7 with Hills on fewer than 5 Plaid seats looks value, and given you can get 7/2 from Ladbrokes on Ceredigion to hedge it, seems a definite arb. I suppose your risk is Leanne Wood helping the Plaid candidate over the line to beat Chris Bryant and them winning Ceredigion and Ynys Mon
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,191
    Sad. What did two-party politics ever do for us?
  • PaulMPaulM Posts: 613
    PaulM said:

    PaulM said:

    That price on selling Plaid seats of 3.6 seems interesting given they only have three seats now.
    I suppose you are betting against them winning Ynys Mon (where they are favoured) or Cerdigion (where they are competitive).
    I do think the three seats they have are fairly safe though. When you look at the regional polling for their "strongholds", I think the regions as defined aren't helpful. "North Wales" has 9 seats, and only three of them have Plaid being historically competitive. In parts of NE Wales they struggle to save the deposit.
    Similarly "Mid and West Wales" covers 8 seats, only a couple of which would have any Plaid history, and some of which like Montgomeryshire have Plaid losing their deposit.
    So the regional splits don't tell you much, but I would have thought that there is no chance they lose the two in the predominatly Welsh speaking areas, and Camarthen East should be fairly safe as well

    That said I agree with Alastair that the 4/7 with Hills on fewer than 5 Plaid seats looks value, and given you can get 7/2 from Ladbrokes on Ceredigion to hedge it, seems a definite arb. I suppose your risk is Leanne Wood helping the Plaid candidate over the line to beat Chris Bryant and them losing Ceredigion and winning Ynys Mon
    EDITED
  • alex.alex. Posts: 4,658
    Combining the subjects of the last two threads it seems to me that the apparent perceived wisdom among Tories about Mrs May and her responsibility for something largely beyond her control (i.e. a dramatic narrowing in the Lead over Labour caused almost entirely by Labour consolidating the anti-Tory vote) is going to blind them to something else - i.e. her attraction to a whole swathe of voters who wouldn't previously countenance voting Tory. They ignore this at their peril because, replace her with a new leader who cannot reach this demographic, and they will be starting future election campaigns defending a vote share in the forties with a leader who is probably capped at the high 30s.

    A lesson Labour failed to learn post Blair (although that was arguably more complicated as he had arguably far less of a secure base among the Labour core vote).

    Remember, even if the polls are absolutely correct, the Conservatives are still polling at higher levels than they were before the campaign started.
  • PaulMPaulM Posts: 613
    alex. said:

    Combining the subjects of the last two threads it seems to me that the apparent perceived wisdom among Tories about Mrs May and her responsibility for something largely beyond her control (i.e. a dramatic narrowing in the Lead over Labour caused almost entirely by Labour consolidating the anti-Tory vote) is going to blind them to something else - i.e. her attraction to a whole swathe of voters who wouldn't previously countenance voting Tory. They ignore this at their peril because, replace her with a new leader who cannot reach this demographic, and they will be starting future election campaigns defending a vote share in the forties with a leader who is probably capped at the high 30s.

    A lesson Labour failed to learn post Blair (although that was arguably more complicated as he had arguably far less of a secure base among the Labour core vote).

    Remember, even if the polls are absolutely correct, the Conservatives are still polling at higher levels than they were before the campaign started.

    True and looking at the highest Tory GB% since 1979 (45%) and possibly 1970
  • peter_from_putneypeter_from_putney Posts: 6,875
    edited June 2017
    PaulM said:

    PaulM said:

    That price on selling Plaid seats of 3.6 seems interesting given they only have three seats now.
    I suppose you are betting against them winning Ynys Mon (where they are favoured) or Cerdigion (where they are competitive).
    I do think the three seats they have are fairly safe though. When you look at the regional polling for their "strongholds", I think the regions as defined aren't helpful. "North Wales" has 9 seats, and only three of them have Plaid being historically competitive. In parts of NE Wales they struggle to save the deposit.
    Similarly "Mid and West Wales" covers 8 seats, only a couple of which would have any Plaid history, and some of which like Montgomeryshire have Plaid losing their deposit.
    So the regional splits don't tell you much, but I would have thought that there is no chance they lose the two in the predominatly Welsh speaking areas, and Camarthen East should be fairly safe as well

    That said I agree with Alastair that the 4/7 with Hills on fewer than 5 Plaid seats looks value, and given you can get 7/2 from Ladbrokes on Ceredigion to hedge it, seems a definite arb. I suppose your risk is Leanne Wood helping the Plaid candidate over the line to beat Chris Bryant and them winning Ceredigion and Ynys Mon
    Except that those 4/7 odds on < 5 Plaid seats are no longer available and it's not yet 5.00a.m. Nor are a number of the other odds quoted by Mr. Meeks. If we're going to have betting threads, which are most welcome, it's best to check that the odds referred to are still available, otherwise it's all, well, a bit of a waste of time.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,563
    alex. said:

    Combining the subjects of the last two threads it seems to me that the apparent perceived wisdom among Tories about Mrs May and her responsibility for something largely beyond her control (i.e. a dramatic narrowing in the Lead over Labour caused almost entirely by Labour consolidating the anti-Tory vote) is going to blind them to something else - i.e. her attraction to a whole swathe of voters who wouldn't previously countenance voting Tory. They ignore this at their peril because, replace her with a new leader who cannot reach this demographic, and they will be starting future election campaigns defending a vote share in the forties with a leader who is probably capped at the high 30s.

    A lesson Labour failed to learn post Blair (although that was arguably more complicated as he had arguably far less of a secure base among the Labour core vote).

    Remember, even if the polls are absolutely correct, the Conservatives are still polling at higher levels than they were before the campaign started.

    The last time the Tories polled more than 40% of the vote was 1992, when led by another lower middle class leader...
  • SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,914
    alex. said:

    Combining the subjects of the last two threads it seems to me that the apparent perceived wisdom among Tories about Mrs May and her responsibility for something largely beyond her control (i.e. a dramatic narrowing in the Lead over Labour caused almost entirely by Labour consolidating the anti-Tory vote) is going to blind them to something else - i.e. her attraction to a whole swathe of voters who wouldn't previously countenance voting Tory. They ignore this at their peril because, replace her with a new leader who cannot reach this demographic, and they will be starting future election campaigns defending a vote share in the forties with a leader who is probably capped at the high 30s.

    A lesson Labour failed to learn post Blair (although that was arguably more complicated as he had arguably far less of a secure base among the Labour core vote).

    Remember, even if the polls are absolutely correct, the Conservatives are still polling at higher levels than they were before the campaign started.

    May is benefiting from Corbyn. Any Tory leader would. In a two party system, a lot of votes are negative. What all polls show are a steep decline in May's popularity.

  • peter_from_putneypeter_from_putney Posts: 6,875
    edited June 2017
    alex. said:

    Combining the subjects of the last two threads it seems to me that the apparent perceived wisdom among Tories about Mrs May and her responsibility for something largely beyond her control (i.e. a dramatic narrowing in the Lead over Labour caused almost entirely by Labour consolidating the anti-Tory vote) is going to blind them to something else - i.e. her attraction to a whole swathe of voters who wouldn't previously countenance voting Tory. They ignore this at their peril because, replace her with a new leader who cannot reach this demographic, and they will be starting future election campaigns defending a vote share in the forties with a leader who is probably capped at the high 30s.

    A lesson Labour failed to learn post Blair (although that was arguably more complicated as he had arguably far less of a secure base among the Labour core vote).

    Remember, even if the polls are absolutely correct, the Conservatives are still polling at higher levels than they were before the campaign started.

    A very valid point Alex ..... Mrs May can't be all bad to have held Tory support at or near to the 45% level throughout the GE campaign, which is very much to her credit, despite the rubbishing of her by the likes of TSE, etc.
    That said, she has made some very serious mistakes of which the Dementia tax was just one example.
    Should she win the GE with a good solid majority, i.e. one of 80 seats or more, she will deserve a second chance to shine. But she must hit the ground running and this must include clearing out some of the dead wood, i.e. 4 or more members of her present Cabinet and having the good grace and the good sense to re-introduce Gove at a senior level. Talent like his isn't in abundant supply within the Tory Party.
  • swing_voterswing_voter Posts: 1,435
    still early days yet, and while the LDs still appear to reel from the coalition spanking, I am not sure that the LDs, Greens, UKIP , SNP et al will roll over. In my opinion Labour may start the biggest civil war since the early 1980s if May gets a 50 plus majority, MOMENTUM will argue it has been vindicated whilst the right of Labour may seek to split away in protest at the money tree approach...... If that happens the fragmentation may be significant, we all seem to have forgotten that Corbyn 11 months ago was facing the fight of his life, in a weeks time, it may start again and all this talk of a 2 party dominance will be forgotten,
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,191

    alex. said:

    Combining the subjects of the last two threads it seems to me that the apparent perceived wisdom among Tories about Mrs May and her responsibility for something largely beyond her control (i.e. a dramatic narrowing in the Lead over Labour caused almost entirely by Labour consolidating the anti-Tory vote) is going to blind them to something else - i.e. her attraction to a whole swathe of voters who wouldn't previously countenance voting Tory. They ignore this at their peril because, replace her with a new leader who cannot reach this demographic, and they will be starting future election campaigns defending a vote share in the forties with a leader who is probably capped at the high 30s.

    A lesson Labour failed to learn post Blair (although that was arguably more complicated as he had arguably far less of a secure base among the Labour core vote).

    Remember, even if the polls are absolutely correct, the Conservatives are still polling at higher levels than they were before the campaign started.

    A very valid point Alex ..... Mrs May can't be all bad to have held Tory support at or near to the 45% level throughout the GE campaign, which is very much to her credit, despite the rubbishing of her by the likes of TSE, etc.
    That said, she has made some very serious mistakes of which the Dementia tax was just one example.
    Should she win the GE with a good solid majority, i.e. one of 80 seats or more, she will deserve a second chance to shine. But she must hit the ground running and this must include clearing out some of the dead wood, i.e. 4 or more members of her present Cabinet and having the good grace and the good sense to re-introduce Gove at a senior level. Talent like his isn't in abundant supply within the Tory Party.
    Surely this is actually the story of not having to run faster than the tiger?
  • SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,914
    Seems to be kicking off in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia on the brink of war with Qatar?
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,191
    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.
  • not_on_firenot_on_fire Posts: 4,341
    IanB2 said:

    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.

    Perhaps it's the impact of the recent binary choice referendum and the fallout of that. People have got used to talking about being on either the Leave or Remain side, so maybe they are now taking a similar attitude to party politics.
  • SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    Morning all.

    Cheers Mr Meeks, betting on SNP seat numbers looks an interesting vein to tap into, admittedly well outside my normal comfort zone, but might give sub 47 seats a bash.
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,187
    PaulM said:

    That price on selling Plaid seats of 3.6 seems interesting given they only have three seats now.
    I suppose you are betting against them winning Ynys Mon (where they are favoured) or Cerdigion (where they are competitive).
    I do think the three seats they have are fairly safe though. When you look at the regional polling for their "strongholds", I think the regions as defined aren't helpful. "North Wales" has 9 seats, and only three of them have Plaid being historically competitive. In parts of NE Wales they struggle to save the deposit.
    Similarly "Mid and West Wales" covers 8 seats, only a couple of which would have any Plaid history, and some of which like Montgomeryshire have Plaid losing their deposit.
    So the regional splits don't tell you much, but I would have thought that there is no chance they lose the two in the predominatly Welsh speaking areas, and Camarthen East should be fairly safe as well

    Surely this is bad news for Plaid. If they are competitive in specific places, then the fall in their vote will by definition be in these places given they have little support to lose in other parts of Wales. This feels a bit like the Lib Dems in 2015.

    That said, I support Alastair's view of this election and have bet accordingly so perhaps I'm talking my book.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,191

    IanB2 said:

    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.

    Perhaps it's the impact of the recent binary choice referendum and the fallout of that. People have got used to talking about being on either the Leave or Remain side, so maybe they are now taking a similar attitude to party politics.
    That's a good point and I did wonder about that. 1979 after 1975 doesn't really prove the case; there were a whole string of reasons for the Liberals to do badly in that election, And in Scotland recently it has been more a switch to one-party politics. There is also the problem of Labour's fatal divide on the Brexit question - which, again contrary to expectations, does not seem to have harmed them at all in what was originally seen as a Brexit election.
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    IanB2 said:

    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.

    I think that this election is going to work out OK for the LDs, who will tread water in votes, and probably seats. we have a solid base in local government and more members than ever.

    It will obliterate UKIP, PC is regional even within Wales, and there is not insignificant chance of the Greens losing Brighton. We may well be the only 3rd party left in England by 2022. By then we will have a new leader, and there will be a time expired Tory party as well as a financially incontinent Labour one.

    This election came too soon for us, and Fallon has not had a good campaign, but by 2022 we will be the only ones onstage as alternatives to the big 2, outside Scotland.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,191
    Breaking - more Police raids in Barking and Newham.

    Police say they now know who the attackers were - so stay tuned to the New York Times for the latest!
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,563
    edited June 2017

    IanB2 said:

    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.

    Perhaps it's the impact of the recent binary choice referendum and the fallout of that. People have got used to talking about being on either the Leave or Remain side, so maybe they are now taking a similar attitude to party politics.
    In the industry I used to work in we offered the consumer a proliferating range of options in terms of product format and benefit - but I was reminded of a cry from Eddie in AbFab "I don't want more choices - I just want nicer things".

    There comes a point where "more choice" becomes bewildering- and effectively "less" choice as the consumer/voter hasn't the time or inclination to sort between the multiple options - so the market corrects itself - perhaps that's what we're undergoing?
  • The_ApocalypseThe_Apocalypse Posts: 7,830
    Something to calm any bedwetters today:

    https://twitter.com/lewis_baston/status/871032302557691906
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    edited June 2017

    IanB2 said:

    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.

    I think that this election is going to work out OK for the LDs, who will tread water in votes, and probably seats. we have a solid base in local government and more members than ever.

    It will obliterate UKIP, PC is regional even within Wales, and there is not insignificant chance of the Greens losing Brighton. We may well be the only 3rd party left in England by 2022. By then we will have a new leader, and there will be a time expired Tory party as well as a financially incontinent Labour one.

    This election came too soon for us, and Fallon has not had a good campaign, but by 2022 we will be the only ones onstage as alternatives to the big 2, outside Scotland.
    Farron, not Fallon, bloody autocorrect!

    Though he too has cocked up.



  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    Morning all.

    Cheers Mr Meeks, betting on SNP seat numbers looks an interesting vein to tap into, admittedly well outside my normal comfort zone, but might give sub 47 seats a bash.

    I am quite bearish on the SNP. They have lost the Zeitgeist.

    I reckon about 40, which historically would have been considered tremendous for them.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,087

    IanB2 said:

    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.

    Perhaps it's the impact of the recent binary choice referendum and the fallout of that. People have got used to talking about being on either the Leave or Remain side, so maybe they are now taking a similar attitude to party politics.
    The binary choice of this election is: do you buy into the Corbyn hysteria and drink the Kool-Aid - or do you not?
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,563

    Something to calm any bedwetters today:

    https://twitter.com/lewis_baston/status/871032302557691906

    The earliest the bed wetters are going to calm down will be shortly after 10.00 on Thursday.....and possibly not even then.....
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,080
    edited June 2017

    This election came too soon for us, and Fallon has not had a good campaign, but by 2022 we will be the only ones onstage as alternatives to the big 2, outside Scotland.

    While I agree with you, I'm surprised you think the abject performance of the Secretary of State for Defence has a bearing on the Liberal Democrats' low vote share... :smiley:

    Edit; just seen your reply. I hate autocorrect too!
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,960
    Good morning, everyone.

    Not long to go now. Will we have the inept, or the dangerous in charge? What a choice.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,080

    Morning all.

    Cheers Mr Meeks, betting on SNP seat numbers looks an interesting vein to tap into, admittedly well outside my normal comfort zone, but might give sub 47 seats a bash.

    I am quite bearish on the SNP. They have lost the Zeitgeist.

    I reckon about 40, which historically would have been considered tremendous for them.
    You wonder if a result like that might be the end for Sturgeon though, given she also lost their prized majority at Holyrood, has a dismal domestic record as FM (especially in education and childcare) and has cocked up massively over the second referendum.

    She might be value on next leader to quit indeed, given the paucity of alternatives to Farron and Corbyn's mind-bending stubbornness.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    IanB2 said:

    Sad. What did two-party politics ever do for us?

    Allowed the possibility of worthwhile leader debates?
  • not_on_firenot_on_fire Posts: 4,341
    Charles said:

    IanB2 said:

    Sad. What did two-party politics ever do for us?

    Allowed the possibility of worthwhile leader debates?
    Must have missed the famous Attlee v Churchill TV debate
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,098

    Morning all.

    Cheers Mr Meeks, betting on SNP seat numbers looks an interesting vein to tap into, admittedly well outside my normal comfort zone, but might give sub 47 seats a bash.

    I am quite bearish on the SNP. They have lost the Zeitgeist.

    I reckon about 40, which historically would have been considered tremendous for them.
    That still seems low to me. The tsunami of 2015 gave the SNP very solid majorities in most of their seats needing really big swings to lose them. The Tories have that big swing but had a poor 2015 so in many potential wins they started even further behind than Labour. I still fear a lot of close seconds.

    The Scottish Labour surge is interesting. They have gained something like 10% in the last couple of weeks going from low teens to low 20s. To put that in perspective that is something like 1.5% of their gain nationally and yet it is far from obvious what seats they are likely to pick up as a result.

    East Lothian is one possibility, Edinburgh North and Leith is another but Labour risk having a spectacularly inefficient vote in Scotland in terms of seats. There will be a tipping point where large swathes of SNP seats turn red but I don't think we are at it yet. I think that would need the SNP below 40% and Labour pushing 30.
  • AlastairMeeksAlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    PaulM said:

    That price on selling Plaid seats of 3.6 seems interesting given they only have three seats now.
    I suppose you are betting against them winning Ynys Mon (where they are favoured) or Cerdigion (where they are competitive).
    I do think the three seats they have are fairly safe though. When you look at the regional polling for their "strongholds", I think the regions as defined aren't helpful. "North Wales" has 9 seats, and only three of them have Plaid being historically competitive. In parts of NE Wales they struggle to save the deposit.
    Similarly "Mid and West Wales" covers 8 seats, only a couple of which would have any Plaid history, and some of which like Montgomeryshire have Plaid losing their deposit.
    So the regional splits don't tell you much, but I would have thought that there is no chance they lose the two in the predominatly Welsh speaking areas, and Camarthen East should be fairly safe as well

    I'm not a fan of analysing subsamples, which is an exercise similar to examining chicken entrails. I do want to take this head on though. As you note, "Mid and West" has eight seats. Two of these Carmarthen E & Dinefwr and Dwyfor Meirionnydd) Plaid Cymru hold, one of which (Ceredigion) is one of their two main prospects and one of which (Llanelli) is a lurker for them. Admittedly the other four seats are hopeless for them. But the YouGov subsample shows them polling just 9% in this region, fourth behind the Lib Dems. In 2015 they would have been polling just under 20% in this region. If they are losing so many votes in this area - and I hesitate to draw conclusions from subsamples - it's almost impossible to see how they are doing so without doing so in seats they hold or are in serious contention in.

    Of course, subsamples are subsamples. But still you have to wonder whether they are going to suffer a calamity.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    IanB2 said:

    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.

    I think that this election is going to work out OK for the LDs, who will tread water in votes, and probably seats. we have a solid base in local government and more members than ever.

    It will obliterate UKIP, PC is regional even within Wales, and there is not insignificant chance of the Greens losing Brighton. We may well be the only 3rd party left in England by 2022. By then we will have a new leader, and there will be a time expired Tory party as well as a financially incontinent Labour one.

    This election came too soon for us, and Fallon has not had a good campaign, but by 2022 we will be the only ones onstage as alternatives to the big 2, outside Scotland.
    Fallon's campaign has been ok despite the attempt by the papers to misinterpret his tax comments

    Your leader, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have generated much name recognition
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    Good morning, everyone.

    Not long to go now. Will we have the inept, or the dangerous in charge? What a choice.

    Indeed.

    When TSE takes charge of PB editing will we have the inept historical references or the dangerous AV thread teasers?

    A shocking prospect ....
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,960
    Mr. W, probably both. O tempora, o mores!
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    Charles said:

    IanB2 said:

    Sad. What did two-party politics ever do for us?

    Allowed the possibility of worthwhile leader debates?
    Must have missed the famous Attlee v Churchill TV debate
    The *possibilty*
  • old_labourold_labour Posts: 3,238
    Radio Times with what they consider will be the key moments of election night.

    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2017-general-election-night-coverage
  • logical_songlogical_song Posts: 9,698
    IanB2 said:

    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.

    It is strange, one explanation could be that the pollsters are wrong again.We'll soon know.
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    JackW said:

    Good morning, everyone.

    Not long to go now. Will we have the inept, or the dangerous in charge? What a choice.

    Indeed.

    When TSE takes charge of PB editing will we have the inept historical references or the dangerous AV thread teasers?

    A shocking prospect ....
    One of the sad aspects of the reurn of two party politics is that AV becomes obselete.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954

    Radio Times with what they consider will be the key moments of election night.

    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2017-general-election-night-coverage

    I'm getting too excited :o
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    edited June 2017
    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    That is, I cannot recall having such large variations in results between the polling companies. We still have to find an explanation for this.

    As for Plaid Cymru, I think their 3 seats are relatively safe -- If one was to fall, I think it would be Arfon which has Bangor University within its boundaries. Labour did poorly in the local elections in North West Wales, so it would be an amazing result for Labour if they achieved it.
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    JackW said:

    Good morning, everyone.

    Not long to go now. Will we have the inept, or the dangerous in charge? What a choice.

    Indeed.

    When TSE takes charge of PB editing will we have the inept historical references or the dangerous AV thread teasers?

    A shocking prospect ....
    One of the sad aspects of the reurn of two party politics is that AV becomes obselete.
    Radical AV preachers like TSE will always find a way to spread their perversion of the true faith ....
  • old_labourold_labour Posts: 3,238
    RobD said:

    Radio Times with what they consider will be the key moments of election night.

    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2017-general-election-night-coverage

    I'm getting too excited :o
    I'm in Boston so election night will begin for me at 5PM. That is going to feel odd.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954

    RobD said:

    Radio Times with what they consider will be the key moments of election night.

    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2017-general-election-night-coverage

    I'm getting too excited :o
    I'm in Boston so election night will begin for me at 5PM. That is going to feel odd.
    2pm for me :smiley: The 1 minute delay on the internet feed will be most annoying!
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,098

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    That is, I cannot recall having such large variations in results between the polling companies. We still have to find an explanation for this.

    As for Plaid Cymru, I think their 3 seats are relatively safe -- If one was to fall, I think it would be Arfon which has Bangor University within its boundaries. Labour did poorly in the local elections in North West Wales, so it would be an amazing result for Labour if they achieved it.

    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    The way I am seeing this at the moment if turnout is in the low 60s there will be a solid Tory majority, probably close to 100. For every percentage point above 65% that majority is going to fall because more of the self declared have turned up.
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    RobD said:

    Radio Times with what they consider will be the key moments of election night.

    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2017-general-election-night-coverage

    I'm getting too excited :o
    I'm in Boston so election night will begin for me at 5PM. That is going to feel odd.
    Lincolnshire ending voting 5 hours early .. who knew ?!?
  • old_labourold_labour Posts: 3,238
    edited June 2017
    RobD said:

    RobD said:

    Radio Times with what they consider will be the key moments of election night.

    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2017-general-election-night-coverage

    I'm getting too excited :o
    I'm in Boston so election night will begin for me at 5PM. That is going to feel odd.
    2pm for me :smiley: The 1 minute delay on the internet feed will be most annoying!
    Hope the internet is showing it. Short wave radio had its advantages.
  • not_on_firenot_on_fire Posts: 4,341
    JackW said:

    JackW said:

    Good morning, everyone.

    Not long to go now. Will we have the inept, or the dangerous in charge? What a choice.

    Indeed.

    When TSE takes charge of PB editing will we have the inept historical references or the dangerous AV thread teasers?

    A shocking prospect ....
    One of the sad aspects of the reurn of two party politics is that AV becomes obselete.
    Radical AV preachers like TSE will always find a way to spread their perversion of the true faith ....
    Enough is enough. There is far too much tolerance of radical AV preaching on this forum. Vanillaforums must do more.
  • brokenwheelbrokenwheel Posts: 3,352
    edited June 2017
    DavidL said:

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    That is, I cannot recall having such large variations in results between the polling companies. We still have to find an explanation for this.

    As for Plaid Cymru, I think their 3 seats are relatively safe -- If one was to fall, I think it would be Arfon which has Bangor University within its boundaries. Labour did poorly in the local elections in North West Wales, so it would be an amazing result for Labour if they achieved it.

    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    The way I am seeing this at the moment if turnout is in the low 60s there will be a solid Tory majority, probably close to 100. For every percentage point above 65% that majority is going to fall because more of the self declared have turned up.
    The thing is it isn't actually about turnout at all, that's just a canary in the mine, it is fundamentally about unrepresentative samples and how different ways of weighting correct for this. The modellers may be correcting somewhat for unrepresentative samples while self-reporters seemingly are not correcting.
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    JackW said:

    JackW said:

    Good morning, everyone.

    Not long to go now. Will we have the inept, or the dangerous in charge? What a choice.

    Indeed.

    When TSE takes charge of PB editing will we have the inept historical references or the dangerous AV thread teasers?

    A shocking prospect ....
    One of the sad aspects of the reurn of two party politics is that AV becomes obselete.
    Radical AV preachers like TSE will always find a way to spread their perversion of the true faith ....
    Enough is enough. There is far too much tolerance of radical AV preaching on this forum. Vanillaforums must do more.
    I agree.

    If we had strong and stable leadership from OGH in the coming years I'm sure all would be well.
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    DavidL said:


    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    I agree that this is the difference. My question was why do we see this now, and why did we not in 2015?
  • old_labourold_labour Posts: 3,238
    JackW said:

    RobD said:

    Radio Times with what they consider will be the key moments of election night.

    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2017-general-election-night-coverage

    I'm getting too excited :o
    I'm in Boston so election night will begin for me at 5PM. That is going to feel odd.
    Lincolnshire ending voting 5 hours early .. who knew ?!?
    Ah yes, Paul Nuttall elected by acclaim.
  • not_on_firenot_on_fire Posts: 4,341
    edited June 2017
    JackW said:

    JackW said:

    JackW said:

    Good morning, everyone.

    Not long to go now. Will we have the inept, or the dangerous in charge? What a choice.

    Indeed.

    When TSE takes charge of PB editing will we have the inept historical references or the dangerous AV thread teasers?

    A shocking prospect ....
    One of the sad aspects of the reurn of two party politics is that AV becomes obselete.
    Radical AV preachers like TSE will always find a way to spread their perversion of the true faith ....
    Enough is enough. There is far too much tolerance of radical AV preaching on this forum. Vanillaforums must do more.
    I agree.

    If we had strong and stable leadership from OGH in the coming years I'm sure all would be well.
    We have a choice between Strong and Stable FPTP or a coalition of chaos of AV, STV and PR^2
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,960
    Self-reporting in psychology is notoriously inaccurate. I'm unpersuaded it will prove a good guide to this election.

    Just checked some odds, surprised the Lib Dems are all the way down at 1.44 for under 10% of the vote (Ladbrokes). Tempted to hedge my stake on Betfair, where 10-15% is 3.9.
  • Interesting analysis. The polls have been all over the place last week, but do not forget that it was also half term and many people were away. That could have contributed to the narrowing of the Conservative / Labour gap.
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    We have a choice between Strong and Stable FPTP or a coalition of chaos of AV, STV and PR^2

    No To A Second AV Referendum.

  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954
    JackW said:

    We have a choice between Strong and Stable FPTP or a coalition of chaos of AV, STV and PR^2

    No To A Second AV Referendum.

    Vote FPTP to ensure a safe and secure society!
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,080

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    They were more volatile in the 1970s before methodologies improved. In 1979 on one day there was a poll putting Labour 1 ahead, the next a poll putting them 16 behind (the eventual gap was five points).

    However, not since they tightened up their act after 1992, although they have tended not to be very accurate (I think the smallest Labour lead in 1997 was 16 points - cf a final lead of 13 points).
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954
    ydoethur said:

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    They were more volatile in the 1970s before methodologies improved. In 1979 on one day there was a poll putting Labour 1 ahead, the next a poll putting them 16 behind (the eventual gap was five points).

    However, not since they tightened up their act after 1992, although they have tended not to be very accurate (I think the smallest Labour lead in 1997 was 16 points - cf a final lead of 13 points).
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_United_Kingdom_general_election,_1997

    There was an ICM that put Labour only 5 points ahead about 10 days before polling day.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    edited June 2017

    Something to calm any bedwetters today:

    https://twitter.com/lewis_baston/status/871032302557691906

    Post election analysis

    In hindsight Corbyn has done reasonably well. There was always an untapped group of radical and idealistic young people who had the numbers but they were previously without a champion.

    This time they'd sort of got one. Their ambitions had changed from arresting Pinochet making the world greener banning the bomb housing the homeless and feeding the poor to banning tuition fees making student grants bigger and other redistributions in their direction. Nonetheless it was a start and with anti Tories and traditional Labour voters they could have come close.

    But as the election came into focus the reality of Diane Abbott as Home Secretary John McDonnell as Chancellor Long Bailey as Minister of Education and three quarters of Labour MPs recently in revolt reality bit.

    This Labour goverment like so called radical ones before it was a chimera which is why it lost by a distance
  • MattyNethMattyNeth Posts: 60

    Something to calm any bedwetters today:

    https://twitter.com/lewis_baston/status/871032302557691906

    Until YouGov later today :-)
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,080

    DavidL said:


    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    I agree that this is the difference. My question was why do we see this now, and why did we not in 2015?
    Because it seems in 2015 if they got a result they didn't believe that said something crazy like the Tories might get a majority, they assumed their answer was wrong and applied more filters.

    If we'd known at the time they were treating their raw data in so cavalier a fashion, methinks we would have discounted them as a source.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,098

    DavidL said:

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    That is, I cannot recall having such large variations in results between the polling companies. We still have to find an explanation for this.

    As for Plaid Cymru, I think their 3 seats are relatively safe -- If one was to fall, I think it would be Arfon which has Bangor University within its boundaries. Labour did poorly in the local elections in North West Wales, so it would be an amazing result for Labour if they achieved it.

    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    The way I am seeing this at the moment if turnout is in the low 60s there will be a solid Tory majority, probably close to 100. For every percentage point above 65% that majority is going to fall because more of the self declared have turned up.
    The thing is it isn't actually about turnout at all, that's just a canary in the mine, it is fundamentally about unrepresentative samples and how different ways of weighting correct for this. The modellers may be correcting somewhat for unrepresentative samples while self-reporters seemingly are not correcting.
    But those samples are only unrepresentative if the people declaring their intentions ultimately don't vote. So turnout is key. We know the oldies vote and are going to vote Tory in large part. How many of the younger generation can Corbyn inspire to turn up and vote? That is the question both for the result and, less importantly, for which pollsters are likely to be right.
  • JonWCJonWC Posts: 285

    IanB2 said:

    If the hypothesis of the article proves correct, the more interesting question is why now?

    The gradual decline of two-party politics has always been analysed as part of a wider process of growing disillusion with politicians and the political establishment. There doesn't appear to be any reason nor much evidence for this process to have gone strikingly into reverse?

    The argument that minor parties would be squeezed out by the two-party choice could have been made at any British GE, yet third parties have consistently polled above 20%. Third parties have done well in terms of votes both when there were big ideological differences between the two parties (1983) and when there were relatively few (1997).

    By common consent the leadership of both Tory and Labour parties is seriously lacking.

    Apart from the US, which is a more severe environment for third views even than here, there doesn't seem to a similar process underway elsewhere in the west? In most European countries new or non-establishment political voices are thriving.

    When the election started the PB consensus was that Corbyn was so bad as to be destined for the low 20%s. Had we been able to foresee that the campaign was to expose so brutally May's shortcomings, I do not believe PB'ers would have put the Tories well above 40% regardless. It's all very strange.

    I think that this election is going to work out OK for the LDs, who will tread water in votes, and probably seats. we have a solid base in local government and more members than ever.

    It will obliterate UKIP, PC is regional even within Wales, and there is not insignificant chance of the Greens losing Brighton. We may well be the only 3rd party left in England by 2022. By then we will have a new leader, and there will be a time expired Tory party as well as a financially incontinent Labour one.

    This election came too soon for us, and Fallon has not had a good campaign, but by 2022 we will be the only ones onstage as alternatives to the big 2, outside Scotland.
    I think the LibDems have changed their character, perhaps as result of the exit of many classical liberals (at least down here in the West Country) and the influx of a lot of new people. There's evidently nothing like the talent there was in the parliamentary party, certainly nobody with the sense to stop the gross errors in the manifesto.

    It will take a decade at least to rebuild. I could easily the imagine fundamentalists spending that long agitating for a rejoin the EU policy the way some did over the euro before finally acknowledging reality.
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    RobD said:

    JackW said:

    We have a choice between Strong and Stable FPTP or a coalition of chaos of AV, STV and PR^2

    No To A Second AV Referendum.

    Vote FPTP to ensure a safe and secure society!
    AV for the many, not just the few.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,080
    RobD said:

    ydoethur said:

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    They were more volatile in the 1970s before methodologies improved. In 1979 on one day there was a poll putting Labour 1 ahead, the next a poll putting them 16 behind (the eventual gap was five points).

    However, not since they tightened up their act after 1992, although they have tended not to be very accurate (I think the smallest Labour lead in 1997 was 16 points - cf a final lead of 13 points).
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_United_Kingdom_general_election,_1997

    There was an ICM that put Labour only 5 points ahead about 10 days before polling day.
    Thanks, didn't know that.

    Only goes to show they really are useless!

    (OTOH of course, all the polls did show Labour ahead, which proved correct.)
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,080

    RobD said:

    JackW said:

    We have a choice between Strong and Stable FPTP or a coalition of chaos of AV, STV and PR^2

    No To A Second AV Referendum.

    Vote FPTP to ensure a safe and secure society!
    AV for the many, not just the few.
    More like AV for the few, just not the many!
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954
    DavidL said:

    DavidL said:

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    That is, I cannot recall having such large variations in results between the polling companies. We still have to find an explanation for this.

    As for Plaid Cymru, I think their 3 seats are relatively safe -- If one was to fall, I think it would be Arfon which has Bangor University within its boundaries. Labour did poorly in the local elections in North West Wales, so it would be an amazing result for Labour if they achieved it.

    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    The way I am seeing this at the moment if turnout is in the low 60s there will be a solid Tory majority, probably close to 100. For every percentage point above 65% that majority is going to fall because more of the self declared have turned up.
    The thing is it isn't actually about turnout at all, that's just a canary in the mine, it is fundamentally about unrepresentative samples and how different ways of weighting correct for this. The modellers may be correcting somewhat for unrepresentative samples while self-reporters seemingly are not correcting.
    But those samples are only unrepresentative if the people declaring their intentions ultimately don't vote. So turnout is key. We know the oldies vote and are going to vote Tory in large part. How many of the younger generation can Corbyn inspire to turn up and vote? That is the question both for the result and, less importantly, for which pollsters are likely to be right.
    They can be unrepresentative, even if those saying they will vote actually vote. The online panels may just have many more politically-engaged people on them, artificially increasing the turnout. Those less engaged are less likely to be on panels, and are probably less likely to vote.
  • JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    RobD said:

    JackW said:

    We have a choice between Strong and Stable FPTP or a coalition of chaos of AV, STV and PR^2

    No To A Second AV Referendum.

    Vote FPTP to ensure a safe and secure society!
    Vote OGH for er .... hhmmm .... er ....

    Yes .... Vote OGH for

    Unsolicited Political Mailshots .. 50/1 betting tips .. discount vouchers at the Belgravia Hair Centre ..

    And so much more ....
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,563

    RobD said:

    JackW said:

    We have a choice between Strong and Stable FPTP or a coalition of chaos of AV, STV and PR^2

    No To A Second AV Referendum.

    Vote FPTP to ensure a safe and secure society!
    AV for the many, not just the few.
    FPTP for the Strong and Stable - not coalition of chaos! (Tho I was rather fond of the last one, better a Tory PM held in check by Lib Dems than headbangers...)
  • brokenwheelbrokenwheel Posts: 3,352
    edited June 2017

    Self-reporting in psychology is notoriously inaccurate. I'm unpersuaded it will prove a good guide to this election.

    The thing is while pollsters often blame errors on people lying to them in fact that the people responding to their polls may be genuinely telling the truth on their likelihood to vote, it's just the sample is so badly skewed to a group of political anoraks rather than the general public that when pollsters weight to the population as a whole you get a nonsense result.
  • alex.alex. Posts: 4,658
    edited June 2017

    DavidL said:


    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    I agree that this is the difference. My question was why do we see this now, and why did we not in 2015?
    Because in 2015 everyone modelled based on self-reported turnout.

    I agree with brokenwheel - the issue is not necessarily that people self report inaccurately. It is that those being polled are not representative of those not being polled, and one area where they are not representative, particularly among the young (who may have less of an attachment to the concept of voting as a 'civic duty'?) is in likelihood to vote.

    So, to take the young especially, if those participating in polls are overwhelmingly restricted to those who will vote (probably university educated and particularly incentivised by Corbyn's manifesto) then it is both likely that reported likelihood to vote will be very high, but also that turnout at the General Election will be very low.
  • freetochoosefreetochoose Posts: 1,107
    What a dismal choice we face, I decided when the election was called I wouldn't be voting, nothing has changed my mind. No party has given me a single positive reason to support them.

    I was prepared to give May a chance because she wasn't Cameron but she's every bit as vacuous. I have absolutely no idea what she believes in.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,563
    RobD said:

    RobD said:

    Radio Times with what they consider will be the key moments of election night.

    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2017-general-election-night-coverage

    I'm getting too excited :o
    I'm in Boston so election night will begin for me at 5PM. That is going to feel odd.
    2pm for me :smiley: The 1 minute delay on the internet feed will be most annoying!
    4am here! Though I may just wait until midnight UK time to check out the size of the landslide how big a mess the UK is in....

  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,960
    Mr. Wheel, that's a genuine possibility, as is honest misconception. People often recall their behaviour inaccurately. At university, looked briefly at a study of PMS. Women in the study kept diaries of how they felt. Later they were asked if they suffered PMS. More said 'yes' than reported any symptoms at the time (and the symptom list is ridiculously enormous).

    On the election: Rudd's idiotic comments on encryption are indefensibly stupid.

    Corbyn's claims in yesterday's speech are at odds with everything he's said and done for decades.

    *sighs*
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,098
    RobD said:

    DavidL said:

    DavidL said:

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    That is, I cannot recall having such large variations in results between the polling companies. We still have to find an explanation for this.

    As for Plaid Cymru, I think their 3 seats are relatively safe -- If one was to fall, I think it would be Arfon which has Bangor University within its boundaries. Labour did poorly in the local elections in North West Wales, so it would be an amazing result for Labour if they achieved it.

    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    The way I am seeing this at the moment if turnout is in the low 60s there will be a solid Tory majority, probably close to 100. For every percentage point above 65% that majority is going to fall because more of the self declared have turned up.
    The thing is it isn't actually about turnout at all, that's just a canary in the mine, it is fundamentally about unrepresentative samples and how different ways of weighting correct for this. The modellers may be correcting somewhat for unrepresentative samples while self-reporters seemingly are not correcting.
    But those samples are only unrepresentative if the people declaring their intentions ultimately don't vote. So turnout is key. We know the oldies vote and are going to vote Tory in large part. How many of the younger generation can Corbyn inspire to turn up and vote? That is the question both for the result and, less importantly, for which pollsters are likely to be right.
    They can be unrepresentative, even if those saying they will vote actually vote. The online panels may just have many more politically-engaged people on them, artificially increasing the turnout. Those less engaged are less likely to be on panels, and are probably less likely to vote.
    That is undoubtedly true. The Yougov model of a huge panel in particular faces yet another challenge this election. If that panel has been gamed or, as you say, simply bears no relation to the UK population at large (because it actually cares about politics) they will have real problems not just with this result but their business model. They may have to start again.
  • I also agree with Brokenwheel. A poll over the last couple of days suggested 72% of the sample had seen parts of the QT debate with you TM / JC. We can see that this number is extremely high and indicates that the sample were unusually engaged in political matters. Probably unrepresentative.
  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    Self-reporting in psychology is notoriously inaccurate. I'm unpersuaded it will prove a good guide to this election.

    Just checked some odds, surprised the Lib Dems are all the way down at 1.44 for under 10% of the vote (Ladbrokes). Tempted to hedge my stake on Betfair, where 10-15% is 3.9.

    The thing is while pollsters often blame errors on people lying to them when in fact that the people responding to their polls are actually genuine telling the truth on their likelihood to vote, it's just the sample is so badly skewed to a group of political anoraks rather than the general public that when pollsters weight to the population as a whole you get a nonsense result.
    According to the tables, just about every person polled claims they are 9 or more out of 10 in certainty to vote. We know that is nonsense, and I agree that the problem is poor sampling.

    The utility of polling is showing temporal trends. All polls have shown much the same narrowing, whatever the baseline. Will that trend continue for another few days, or swingback? I reckon the latter, not because of the London attack, but because that is the usual pattern.

    Ms Apocalypse is right though, a Lab majority is ridiculously implausible. NOM is the only outcome other than Con majority, and that would probably mean Con minority government.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,080

    Corbyn's claims in yesterday's speech are at odds with everything he's said and done for decades.

    *sighs*

    People have always said he is a Marxist. He's just proving it by channelling one of Marx's most famous sayings:

    'Here are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others.'
  • TravelJunkieTravelJunkie Posts: 431
    Embarassing interview from the culture secretary live on itv right now.

    Culture secretary like a rabbit in headlights. cant answer basic questions.

    1) Why did theresa may cut 20,000 police officers?
    2) Why did theresa may tell the police federation on 20th may 2015 that they were scaremongering the public saying that people would be unsafe to terrorism?
    3) Why do you allow saudi arabia to fund mosques in this country?

    traincrash interview
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954
    DavidL said:

    RobD said:

    DavidL said:

    DavidL said:

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    That is, I cannot recall having such large variations in results between the polling companies. We still have to find an explanation for this.

    As for Plaid Cymru, I think their 3 seats are relatively safe -- If one was to fall, I think it would be Arfon which has Bangor University within its boundaries. Labour did poorly in the local elections in North West Wales, so it would be an amazing result for Labour if they achieved it.

    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    The way I am seeing this at the moment if turnout is in the low 60s there will be a solid Tory majority, probably close to 100. For every percentage point above 65% that majority is going to fall because more of the self declared have turned up.
    The thing is it isn't actually about turnout at all, that's just a canary in the mine, it is fundamentally about unrepresentative samples and how different ways of weighting correct for this. The modellers may be correcting somewhat for unrepresentative samples while self-reporters seemingly are not correcting.
    But those samples are only unrepresentative if the people declaring their intentions ultimately don't vote. So turnout is key. We know the oldies vote and are going to vote Tory in large part. How many of the younger generation can Corbyn inspire to turn up and vote? That is the question both for the result and, less importantly, for which pollsters are likely to be right.
    They can be unrepresentative, even if those saying they will vote actually vote. The online panels may just have many more politically-engaged people on them, artificially increasing the turnout. Those less engaged are less likely to be on panels, and are probably less likely to vote.
    That is undoubtedly true. The Yougov model of a huge panel in particular faces yet another challenge this election. If that panel has been gamed or, as you say, simply bears no relation to the UK population at large (because it actually cares about politics) they will have real problems not just with this result but their business model. They may have to start again.
    I shouldn't have said "may", as we can see from the survation results that they do, with 40% claiming to have watched some/all of the QT debate live. That would have made it the most-watched show in years.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954

    Embarassing interview from the culture secretary live on itv right now.

    Culture secretary like a rabbit in headlights. cant answer basic questions.

    1) Why did theresa may cut 20,000 police officers?
    2) Why did theresa may tell the police federation on 20th may 2015 that they were scaremongering the public saying that people would be unsafe to terrorism?
    3) Why do you allow saudi arabia to fund mosques in this country?

    traincrash interview

    1 is easy to answer - because crime has been falling for years.
  • brokenwheelbrokenwheel Posts: 3,352
    edited June 2017
    DavidL said:

    DavidL said:

    Is it not correct that the huge scatter in the polls is unprecedented?

    That is, I cannot recall having such large variations in results between the polling companies. We still have to find an explanation for this.

    As for Plaid Cymru, I think their 3 seats are relatively safe -- If one was to fall, I think it would be Arfon which has Bangor University within its boundaries. Labour did poorly in the local elections in North West Wales, so it would be an amazing result for Labour if they achieved it.

    I don't think that there is any doubt that there is a significant difference between those modelling on historic turnouts (ICM, Comres) and those modelling on self-declared intention to vote (Yougov, Survation). The latter have much smaller Tory leads and this involves a judgment as to whether those self-reporting voters turn up or not.

    The way I am seeing this at the moment if turnout is in the low 60s there will be a solid Tory majority, probably close to 100. For every percentage point above 65% that majority is going to fall because more of the self declared have turned up.
    The thing is it isn't actually about turnout at all, that's just a canary in the mine, it is fundamentally about unrepresentative samples and how different ways of weighting correct for this. The modellers may be correcting somewhat for unrepresentative samples while self-reporters seemingly are not correcting.
    But those samples are only unrepresentative if the people declaring their intentions ultimately don't vote.
    That is untrue as the sample is not necessarily representative of people who vote even if most of them are voters.

    And it gets worse. Like everyone else the self-reporters weight their sample to be representative of census demographics, but this then exaggerates how unrepresentative the sample is if you originally have hardly any of the ~30+% of non-voters. You might fill your quota of 100 18-24 females, but if they are all card-carrying Labour members then you aren't going to be giving an accurate assessment of that group's VI. Or ror instance re:turnout certain demographics don't vote much, most lean Labour. Now if your sample has the right number of these people but they are all voters then you are vastly over-reporting likelihood of this group to turn out.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    DavidL said:

    Morning all.

    Cheers Mr Meeks, betting on SNP seat numbers looks an interesting vein to tap into, admittedly well outside my normal comfort zone, but might give sub 47 seats a bash.

    I am quite bearish on the SNP. They have lost the Zeitgeist.

    I reckon about 40, which historically would have been considered tremendous for them.
    That still seems low to me. The tsunami of 2015 gave the SNP very solid majorities in most of their seats needing really big swings to lose them. The Tories have that big swing but had a poor 2015 so in many potential wins they started even further behind than Labour. I still fear a lot of close seconds.

    The Scottish Labour surge is interesting. They have gained something like 10% in the last couple of weeks going from low teens to low 20s. To put that in perspective that is something like 1.5% of their gain nationally and yet it is far from obvious what seats they are likely to pick up as a result.

    East Lothian is one possibility, Edinburgh North and Leith is another but Labour risk having a spectacularly inefficient vote in Scotland in terms of seats. There will be a tipping point where large swathes of SNP seats turn red but I don't think we are at it yet. I think that would need the SNP below 40% and Labour pushing 30.
    28 percent is the magic figure for both Lab and the Tories for taking swathes of seats from the SNP.
  • DecrepitJohnLDecrepitJohnL Posts: 13,300
    RobD said:

    Embarassing interview from the culture secretary live on itv right now.

    Culture secretary like a rabbit in headlights. cant answer basic questions.

    1) Why did theresa may cut 20,000 police officers?
    2) Why did theresa may tell the police federation on 20th may 2015 that they were scaremongering the public saying that people would be unsafe to terrorism?
    3) Why do you allow saudi arabia to fund mosques in this country?

    traincrash interview

    1 is easy to answer - because crime has been falling for years.
    Why did the Home Secretary wish to stem this fall in crime?
  • TravelJunkieTravelJunkie Posts: 431
    RobD said:

    Embarassing interview from the culture secretary live on itv right now.

    Culture secretary like a rabbit in headlights. cant answer basic questions.

    1) Why did theresa may cut 20,000 police officers?
    2) Why did theresa may tell the police federation on 20th may 2015 that they were scaremongering the public saying that people would be unsafe to terrorism?
    3) Why do you allow saudi arabia to fund mosques in this country?

    traincrash interview

    1 is easy to answer - because crime has been falling for years.
    she said the government hasn't cut number of police officers. blatant lie.

    3 terrorist attacks in 3 weeks and the government is not proposing an increase in officers. answer a straight question.

  • nichomarnichomar Posts: 7,483
    This argument over 20,000 police officers is missing the point, numbers across Europe differ widely but England is towards the lower end with 260/100,000 of population, still higher than Scandinavian countries but dramatically lower than say Spain at 506/100,000 (not sure of the date of these figures). If people seriously believed more officers is the answer then 20,000 is a drop in the ocean and they should be calling for something more dramatic but the reality is it boils down to effectiveness. Maybe the solution is to upgrade traffic wardens and other semi quasi council officials into a local police force encompassing PCSO's and your beat bobby to be the face of local policing and have a highly effective national force focusing on serious crimes including terrorism. Using the cuts to bash the government is not providing alternatives.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,954

    RobD said:

    Embarassing interview from the culture secretary live on itv right now.

    Culture secretary like a rabbit in headlights. cant answer basic questions.

    1) Why did theresa may cut 20,000 police officers?
    2) Why did theresa may tell the police federation on 20th may 2015 that they were scaremongering the public saying that people would be unsafe to terrorism?
    3) Why do you allow saudi arabia to fund mosques in this country?

    traincrash interview

    1 is easy to answer - because crime has been falling for years.
    Why did the Home Secretary wish to stem this fall in crime?
    Police numbers fell between 2010-2016. Crime continued to fall during that same period, as measured by the crime survey.
  • TravelJunkieTravelJunkie Posts: 431
    omg..piers morgan just said that theresa may has blood on her hands for her record as home secretary and the culture secretary either refuses to acknowledge this that police cuts have made a difference or you simply won't listen.
  • DecrepitJohnLDecrepitJohnL Posts: 13,300

    Embarassing interview from the culture secretary live on itv right now.

    Culture secretary like a rabbit in headlights. cant answer basic questions.

    1) Why did theresa may cut 20,000 police officers?
    2) Why did theresa may tell the police federation on 20th may 2015 that they were scaremongering the public saying that people would be unsafe to terrorism?
    3) Why do you allow saudi arabia to fund mosques in this country?

    traincrash interview

    Too many of our politicians in all parties are no good at what used to be basic political tradecraft: making speeches; being interviewed; building support for policy X.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,960
    Mr. Junkie, how many policemen do you think would be sufficient to stop people running other people over or stabbing them? Or should we simply criminalise motorists and ban cutlery?
This discussion has been closed.