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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Ashcroft mega-marginals poll has LAB doing better in the ke

SystemSystem Posts: 11,020
edited September 2013 in General

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Ashcroft mega-marginals poll has LAB doing better in the key battlegrounds than in country as a whole

@LordAshcroft poll finds
LAB doing better in key CON-LAB battlegrounds than country as whole. 8.5% swing as opposed to 6.5% one

Read the full story here


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    Big old chestnut this and always the last cry of the defeated. When the country moves the marginals do too.

    I may be wrong, it is possible (!) but this is only going one way from here. 20 months is a hell of a long time to be riding a resurgent economic wave ...
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    Mostly what we'd expect, consistent what we'd have thought based on the national polls, plus the way LD has held up against Con in Eastleigh and local elections.

    One new data point is that we might have expected the "thinking about your constituency" question to help Con recover some votes from UKIP. But in fact there's not much movement, and what there is helps Lab and Lib (?!?) in Lab/Con marginals. In Con/Lib marginals the Con share actually drops.

    I still think UKIP will fall back to the benefit of Con, but it doesn't look like Con can hope for a lot of tactical support in the marginals from their UKIP defectors. Maybe right-wingers just don't do tactical voting.
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    I'm not sure what numbers you'd crunch to figure this out, but is the Lab over-performance in the marginals attributable to having more LibDems there?
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    tim said:

    8.5% swing to Labour in Lab/Con marginals
    2010 Lib Dems breaking 34% Lab 10% Con
    Labour lead 18% among women

    Not good at all for the Tories, and that's before you factor in their tumbling membership in these seats

    IIRC last time around the marginals polls seemed to show a bigger swing compared to the national polls than actually happened, so I'd be a bit suspicious that they'll have a bigger swing unless there's a good reason for it to happen.
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    The 12,500 sample poll was carried out by phone in early August at a time when EdM’s party was beginning to struggle nationally.
    Up to a point, Lord Copper.

    Average YouGov Lab:
    July: 38.9
    August: 38.6

    I'd call that "flat".......

    Fieldwork was August 1 - September 5.
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    tim said:


    Labour lead 18% among women

    Transparent tim!

    If there is a gap between M&F voting intention among the Tories, "Cameron has a woman problem "

    If its in Labour it's "look at the lead!"

    If there was a general election tomorrow which party would you vote for? Base: All respondents expressing an intention to vote (Turnout Weighted)

    Con:
    OA:.29
    M: 30
    F: 28

    Lab
    OA: 42
    M: 40
    F: 46

    Where have the Labour men gone?

    Which other party has a significant male skew?

    UKIP:
    OA: 14
    M: 17
    F: 11
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    PBMod - Cody @ 5.56 spamming again....
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    John Curtice takes another swipe at the SNP's Panelbase poll:

    "Meanwhile, for the No side the good news is that the suggestion made by another poll, commissioned by the SNP, that the Yes side might actually be narrowly ahead now very much looks like pie in the sky – neatly baked by posing some potentially leading questions before asking people how they proposed to vote."

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-poll-leaves-independence-vote-in-balance-1-3094149
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    Oliver_PBOliver_PB Posts: 397
    edited September 2013
    Matches the intuitive idea that we're seeing tactical voting unwind in Con-Lab marginals but not in Con-LD marginals, but it's always nice to see polling confirmation. Labour's lead is bigger than it the popular vote or UNS suggests.

    The Tories need to focus on shoring up the Lib Dem vote.
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    Some interesting supplementaries on 'issues" - which show almost no variation in salience, or party image between national and marginals, makes a lot happier reading for Lab than Lib Dem:

    Issues facing Country (Con lead vs Lab or Lib Dem, depending on marginal)

    Economy & Jobs : 64 (-11, +25)
    NHS: 55 (-32, +9)
    Controlling Immigration:, 44 (+20, +36)
    Education: 33 (-14, +10)

    For perspective - generally second or third last:

    Standing up for Britain's interest in Europe: 14 (+13, +31)

    http://lordashcroftpolls.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/LORD-ASHCROFT-Forty-marginals-poll-summary.pdf
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    YouGov:
    http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/document/5gddupegm8/YG-Archive-Pol-Sunday-Times-results-130913.pdf

    How likely or unlikely do you think it is that Ed Miliband will ever become Prime Minister? Net likely, (vs May): -54 (-33)

    That's quite a hole!
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    Some fun YouGov on the four party leaders : OA (own supporters)

    Most Statesmanlike:
    Cameron: 37(82)
    Miliband: 6(20)
    Clegg: 3 (21)
    Farage: 5 (28)

    Most suited to job of PM:
    Cameron: 33(87)
    Miliband: 12 (39)
    Clegg: 4 (30)
    Farage: 6 (41)

    Most trustworthy:
    Cameron: 18 (59)
    Miliband: 17 (51)
    Clegg: 6 (51)
    Farage: 7 (43)
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    YouGov:
    http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/document/5gddupegm8/YG-Archive-Pol-Sunday-Times-results-130913.pdf

    How likely or unlikely do you think it is that Ed Miliband will ever become Prime Minister? Net likely, (vs May): -54 (-33)

    That's quite a hole!

    Forgive me if I've noted this before but :

    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.

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    We do not have any straight Lab-Con battleground seats in Scotland, let alone "mega-marginals", so I assume that none were included in the Ashcroft fieldwork?

    The nearest would be:

    - Argyll & Bute (LD), but that is a 4-way marginal
    - Aberdeen South (Lab), but it is hard to imagine the Tories ever breaking the 25% barrier in that seat, thus ruling it out under the FPTP system
    - Dumfries & Galloway (Lab), but with huge SNP/LD tactical voting in Labour's favour it would require the Tories to get close to 40% in that seat in order to gain it, and they are miles away from that at the moment
    - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale (Con), but it would require a comprehensive collapse of the Lib Dem vote and nearly all former LD voters switching directly to Labour. Feasible, but profoundly unlikely, because in practice at least 50% of the former Lib Dems would instead vote SNP.
    - Edinburgh South (Lab) (see Aberdeen South)
    - Edinburgh West (LD) (see Argyll & Bute)
    - Gordon (LD), both Lab and Con had respectable votes in 2010, but they are both going to get squeezed into oblivion by the main LD/SNP battle



  • Options

    Some fun YouGov on the four party leaders : OA (own supporters)

    Most Statesmanlike:
    Cameron: 37(82)
    Miliband: 6(20)
    Clegg: 3 (21)
    Farage: 5 (28)

    Most suited to job of PM:
    Cameron: 33(87)
    Miliband: 12 (39)
    Clegg: 4 (30)
    Farage: 6 (41)

    Most trustworthy:
    Cameron: 18 (59)
    Miliband: 17 (51)
    Clegg: 6 (51)
    Farage: 7 (43)

    Err... I thought that presenting sub-samples led to contributors getting blocked from PB? Or does that rule only apply to non-Tories?
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    Some fun YouGov on the four party leaders : OA (own supporters)

    Most Statesmanlike:
    Cameron: 37(82)
    Miliband: 6(20)
    Clegg: 3 (21)
    Farage: 5 (28)

    Most suited to job of PM:
    Cameron: 33(87)
    Miliband: 12 (39)
    Clegg: 4 (30)
    Farage: 6 (41)

    Most trustworthy:
    Cameron: 18 (59)
    Miliband: 17 (51)
    Clegg: 6 (51)
    Farage: 7 (43)

    Err... I thought that presenting sub-samples led to contributors getting blocked from PB? Or does that rule only apply to non-Tories?
    Err ... No.

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    We do not have any straight Lab-Con battleground seats in Scotland, let alone "mega-marginals", so I assume that none were included in the Ashcroft fieldwork?

    The poll only covers Conservative-held seats and there's only one in Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale) and it's not a marginal.
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    Stuart_DicksonStuart_Dickson Posts: 3,557
    edited September 2013

    John Curtice takes another swipe at the SNP's Panelbase poll:

    "Meanwhile, for the No side the good news is that the suggestion made by another poll, commissioned by the SNP, that the Yes side might actually be narrowly ahead now very much looks like pie in the sky – neatly baked by posing some potentially leading questions before asking people how they proposed to vote."

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-poll-leaves-independence-vote-in-balance-1-3094149

    A Unionist Slags Off the SNP! Wow!

    Got any other great exclusives for us today Carlotta?

    Cows Eat Grass! Shocker!

    Queen Speeks Posh! Stunner!

    Pope is a Catholic! Revealed!

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    We do not have any straight Lab-Con battleground seats in Scotland, let alone "mega-marginals", so I assume that none were included in the Ashcroft fieldwork?

    No.

    The Ashcroft marginals:

    LABOUR TARGETS
    Sherwood, Broxtowe, Amber Valley, Lincoln, Northampton North
    North Warwickshire, Wolverhampton South West, Halesowen & Rowley Regis, Nuneaton
    Hendon, Brentford & Isleworth, Enfield North
    Dewsbury, Pudsey, Bury North, Stockton South, Carlisle
    Lancaster & Fleetwood, Waveney, Morecambe & Lunesdale, Hastings & Rye
    Weaver Vale, Warrington South, Bedford
    Stroud, Thurrock, Plymouth Sutton & Devonport, Brighton Kemptown, Hove, Ipswich, Gloucester, Cardiff North

    LIBERAL DEMOCRAT TARGETS
    Watford, St Albans, Oxford West & Abingdon, Harrogate & Knaresborough, Camborne & Redruth, Truro & Falmouth, Newton Abbot, Montgomeryshire
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    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.
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    Oliver_PB said:

    We do not have any straight Lab-Con battleground seats in Scotland, let alone "mega-marginals", so I assume that none were included in the Ashcroft fieldwork?

    The poll only covers Conservative-held seats and there's only one in Scotland (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale) and it's not a marginal.
    Thanks.

    So, not a single Scottish or Northern Irish seat was included in the Ashcroft poll. Were there any Welsh ones?
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    John Curtice takes another swipe at the SNP's Panelbase poll:

    "Meanwhile, for the No side the good news is that the suggestion made by another poll, commissioned by the SNP, that the Yes side might actually be narrowly ahead now very much looks like pie in the sky – neatly baked by posing some potentially leading questions before asking people how they proposed to vote."

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-poll-leaves-independence-vote-in-balance-1-3094149

    A Unionist Slags Off the SNP! Wow!
    A well respected academic raises legitimate questions over a poll methodology........a poll whose findings have yet to be replicated by anyone else....

  • Options

    We do not have any straight Lab-Con battleground seats in Scotland, let alone "mega-marginals", so I assume that none were included in the Ashcroft fieldwork?

    No.

    The Ashcroft marginals:

    LABOUR TARGETS
    Sherwood, Broxtowe, Amber Valley, Lincoln, Northampton North
    North Warwickshire, Wolverhampton South West, Halesowen & Rowley Regis, Nuneaton
    Hendon, Brentford & Isleworth, Enfield North
    Dewsbury, Pudsey, Bury North, Stockton South, Carlisle
    Lancaster & Fleetwood, Waveney, Morecambe & Lunesdale, Hastings & Rye
    Weaver Vale, Warrington South, Bedford
    Stroud, Thurrock, Plymouth Sutton & Devonport, Brighton Kemptown, Hove, Ipswich, Gloucester, Cardiff North

    LIBERAL DEMOCRAT TARGETS
    Watford, St Albans, Oxford West & Abingdon, Harrogate & Knaresborough, Camborne & Redruth, Truro & Falmouth, Newton Abbot, Montgomeryshire
    Thanks.

    So, only one non-English seat (Cardiff North) is key to deciding the outcome of the next UK general election.

    A very neat illustration of why Scots are not relevant to the UK, and the UK is not relevant to Scots.
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    John Curtice takes another swipe at the SNP's Panelbase poll:

    "Meanwhile, for the No side the good news is that the suggestion made by another poll, commissioned by the SNP, that the Yes side might actually be narrowly ahead now very much looks like pie in the sky – neatly baked by posing some potentially leading questions before asking people how they proposed to vote."

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-poll-leaves-independence-vote-in-balance-1-3094149

    A Unionist Slags Off the SNP! Wow!
    A well respected academic raises legitimate questions over a poll methodology........a poll whose findings have yet to be replicated by anyone else....

    Unionist Puffs Unionist! Flabbergaster!
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    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    One interesting - and to the Tories, concerning, finding was how the Ashcroft poll showed Labour ahead on "The economy/jobs" - which reverses the usual order when it's "the economy" - perhaps including"jobs" helps Labour (and conversely, excluding it helps the Tories...).
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    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    We do not have any straight Lab-Con battleground seats in Scotland, let alone "mega-marginals", so I assume that none were included in the Ashcroft fieldwork?

    No.

    The Ashcroft marginals:

    LABOUR TARGETS
    Sherwood, Broxtowe, Amber Valley, Lincoln, Northampton North
    North Warwickshire, Wolverhampton South West, Halesowen & Rowley Regis, Nuneaton
    Hendon, Brentford & Isleworth, Enfield North
    Dewsbury, Pudsey, Bury North, Stockton South, Carlisle
    Lancaster & Fleetwood, Waveney, Morecambe & Lunesdale, Hastings & Rye
    Weaver Vale, Warrington South, Bedford
    Stroud, Thurrock, Plymouth Sutton & Devonport, Brighton Kemptown, Hove, Ipswich, Gloucester, Cardiff North

    LIBERAL DEMOCRAT TARGETS
    Watford, St Albans, Oxford West & Abingdon, Harrogate & Knaresborough, Camborne & Redruth, Truro & Falmouth, Newton Abbot, Montgomeryshire
    Thanks.

    So, only one non-English seat (Cardiff North) is key to deciding the outcome of the next UK general election.

    A very neat illustration of why Scots are not relevant to the UK, and the UK is not relevant to Scots.
    No it's an illustration of nothing more than the fact there are very few non English Conservative marginals.

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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.
    Some Scots "want out" but the majority of us do not.

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    We do not have any straight Lab-Con battleground seats in Scotland, let alone "mega-marginals", so I assume that none were included in the Ashcroft fieldwork?

    No.

    The Ashcroft marginals:

    LABOUR TARGETS
    Sherwood, Broxtowe, Amber Valley, Lincoln, Northampton North
    North Warwickshire, Wolverhampton South West, Halesowen & Rowley Regis, Nuneaton
    Hendon, Brentford & Isleworth, Enfield North
    Dewsbury, Pudsey, Bury North, Stockton South, Carlisle
    Lancaster & Fleetwood, Waveney, Morecambe & Lunesdale, Hastings & Rye
    Weaver Vale, Warrington South, Bedford
    Stroud, Thurrock, Plymouth Sutton & Devonport, Brighton Kemptown, Hove, Ipswich, Gloucester, Cardiff North

    LIBERAL DEMOCRAT TARGETS
    Watford, St Albans, Oxford West & Abingdon, Harrogate & Knaresborough, Camborne & Redruth, Truro & Falmouth, Newton Abbot, Montgomeryshire
    So, only one non-English seat (Cardiff North) is key to deciding the outcome of the next UK general election.
    Last time I looked Montgomeryshire was in Wales....

    And is it so surprising that the UK GE be decided in the country that makes up 84% of the UK?

  • Options

    John Curtice takes another swipe at the SNP's Panelbase poll:

    "Meanwhile, for the No side the good news is that the suggestion made by another poll, commissioned by the SNP, that the Yes side might actually be narrowly ahead now very much looks like pie in the sky – neatly baked by posing some potentially leading questions before asking people how they proposed to vote."

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-poll-leaves-independence-vote-in-balance-1-3094149

    A Unionist Slags Off the SNP! Wow!
    A well respected academic raises legitimate questions over a poll methodology........a poll whose findings have yet to be replicated by anyone else....

    Unionist Puffs Unionist! Flabbergaster!
    Show me a poll that replicates the Panelbase results......Dipstick research indeed!
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    tim said:

    In addition the Con held/LD challenging marginals have only seen a tiny Tory improvement, they are going to have to use resources defending them, which is a bit of a surprise.

    That is an important point.

    With its membership plummeting, the Conservative Party is going to be spread too thinly on the ground. And the next UK GE is going to be a ground war. All the Air War crud so adored here at PB is going to add up to diddly squat.
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    Labour majority nailed on.

    Ed M as Prime Minister, Ed Balls Chancellor - a triumph for blank paper!

    Rejoice ....
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    John Curtice takes another swipe at the SNP's Panelbase poll:

    "Meanwhile, for the No side the good news is that the suggestion made by another poll, commissioned by the SNP, that the Yes side might actually be narrowly ahead now very much looks like pie in the sky – neatly baked by posing some potentially leading questions before asking people how they proposed to vote."

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-poll-leaves-independence-vote-in-balance-1-3094149

    A Unionist Slags Off the SNP! Wow!
    A well respected academic raises legitimate questions over a poll methodology........a poll whose findings have yet to be replicated by anyone else....

    Unionist Puffs Unionist! Flabbergaster!
    Show me a poll that replicates the Panelbase results......Dipstick research indeed!
    Pride comes before a fall.

    He who laughs last laughs longest.

    Beware fools' gold.
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    Labour majority nailed on.

    Ed M as Prime Minister, Ed Balls Chancellor - a triumph for blank paper!

    Rejoice ....

    And some folk wonder why we want out.
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,653
    edited September 2013

    John Curtice takes another swipe at the SNP's Panelbase poll:

    "Meanwhile, for the No side the good news is that the suggestion made by another poll, commissioned by the SNP, that the Yes side might actually be narrowly ahead now very much looks like pie in the sky – neatly baked by posing some potentially leading questions before asking people how they proposed to vote."

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-poll-leaves-independence-vote-in-balance-1-3094149

    A Unionist Slags Off the SNP! Wow!
    A well respected academic raises legitimate questions over a poll methodology........a poll whose findings have yet to be replicated by anyone else....

    Unionist Puffs Unionist! Flabbergaster!
    Show me a poll that replicates the Panelbase results......Dipstick research indeed!
    Beware fools' gold.
    Panelbase polls for the SNP for one......

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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Whilst PB loyalists fend off the dribblings of the "Scottish Independence One" they may also wish to note in their busy diaries :

    0900hrs 18th September 2013 - First McARSE Scottish Independence Referendum Projection.
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    JackW said:

    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.
    Some Scots "want out" but the majority of us do not.

    It is customary to await the counting of the ballot papers before declaring the victor. But if you want to count your chickens prior to the hatching moment, go ahead. Fine by me.
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    JackW said:

    Whilst PB loyalists fend off the dribblings of the "Scottish Independence One" they may also wish to note in their busy diaries :

    0900hrs 18th September 2013 - First McARSE Scottish Independence Referendum Projection.

    Before we swallow the proffered pill, what is the track record of your McARSE projection?

    One year prior to Polling Day, what did you predict the result would be in the Norwegian independence referendum? What about the Icelandic independence referendum?
  • Options
    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    JackW said:

    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.
    Some Scots "want out" but the majority of us do not.

    It is customary to await the counting of the ballot papers before declaring the victor. But if you want to count your chickens prior to the hatching moment, go ahead. Fine by me.
    Most generous of you Stuart.

    I've counted them and we're one short as we've wrung the neck of the fowl Scottish Independence chicken !!

    Cluck cluck ....

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    There's a chance of Labour picking up Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale. The swing isn't that big, even though I realise it's trickier than it looks because of a high-profile incumbent from a party that will put a lot of resources into holding the seat. It'll probably end up as a narrow Conservative hold.
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    JackW said:

    Whilst PB loyalists fend off the dribblings of the "Scottish Independence One" they may also wish to note in their busy diaries :

    0900hrs 18th September 2013 - First McARSE Scottish Independence Referendum Projection.

    Before we swallow the proffered pill, what is the track record of your McARSE projection?

    One year prior to Polling Day, what did you predict the result would be in the Norwegian independence referendum? What about the Icelandic independence referendum?
    You're being treated to the inaugural McARSE referendum projection Stuart.

    Do you not feel a sense of history course through your veins as the mighty ARSE branches out to provide PBers and the wider world with the very finest of political projections ??

    Jack W's ARSE - Never Knowingly Undersold !!

  • Options

    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.

    I am very attached to the Union and I hope that No prevails, but if I lived in Scotland I would have a tough job persuading myself not to vote Yes. It's a chance to start again, to learn from mistakes, to recast. And maybe a Yes would help the rest of us do that too. What I find amazing, though, is how little anyone in England seems to care about the vote. I wonder how much focus there is on it in Northern Ireland and Wales. In the former the implications of a Yes could be huge.

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    Good Morning PBers.

    Just a round up of the plethora of non Ashcroft polling released overnight

    YouGov (JohnO wins a free trip to Bournemouth for accurately predicting the YouGov lead last night)

    Con 33%, Lab 38%, LD 9%, UKIP 12%;

    YouGov Leader ratings (changes from last week)

    Cameron - 12 (+3)

    Miliband -46 (nc)

    Clegg -50 (+3)
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    AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,754
    "The No camp has a majority of voters in all age groups, with a remarkable 74 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds now saying that they oppose independence. A total of 63 per cent of over-65s are also in the No camp, with nearly all pensioners now saying they are clear what they plan to do."

    You'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh if 16-18 yr old votes stopped separation.
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    ICM have started polling on Scottish Independence, tis an online poll

    Yes - 32%

    No - 49%

    Don't Know 19%

    Result would be 60% No, 40 Yes if ref held this week

    ICM poll shows result would be 55% no 45% yes if a no vote resulted in no extra powers for the Scottish Parliament

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/scottish-independence-new-poll-danger-for-no-camp-1-3094155
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    Scottish Indy Ref part 2

    The latest Panelbase survey of 1,002 adults for The Sunday Times and Real Radio Scotland puts support for independence at 37%, unchanged since July, while backing for the union is up one point on 47% and 16% are undecided (-1).

    However, when the 16% of Scots still undecided are asked how they would vote if the referendum was today the No lead falls to just four points with the gap narrowing to 52:48.

    Fieldwork 30th Aug - Sep 5.
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    Re Panelbase, they've reverted to their normal practise of asking VI questions before the Ref question, unlike in the SNP Poll

    Panelbase changes from their poll for the SNP

    Yes minus 7

    No plus 4

    DK plus 3
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    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.

    What I find amazing, though, is how little anyone in England seems to care about the vote
    "Growing support for Scottish independence......in England"

    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/the-conversation-uk/scottish-independence-england_b_3905037.html

    But it's only John Curtice and what does he know?
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    And most interesting of all from the Sunday Times

    ED MILIBAND is bracing himself for damaging revelations about “dirty tricks” and “bungling” when he was a key member of Gordon Brown’s government.

    A long-awaited book by Brown’s former communications chief Damian McBride — called “McPoison” by his enemies — is expected to embarrass Miliband and his frontbench team.

    It will lift the lid on their role in disasters of the Labour era such as the “election that never was” in 2007 and the feuding between Brown and Tony Blair, his predecessor.

    The publication of Power Trip: A Decade of Policy, Plots and Spin on September 24 threatens to overshadow next week’s Labour conference.
  • Options

    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.

    I am very attached to the Union and I hope that No prevails, but if I lived in Scotland I would have a tough job persuading myself not to vote Yes. It's a chance to start again, to learn from mistakes, to recast. And maybe a Yes would help the rest of us do that too. What I find amazing, though, is how little anyone in England seems to care about the vote. I wonder how much focus there is on it in Northern Ireland and Wales. In the former the implications of a Yes could be huge.

    The Yes campaign is greatly assisted by the wording of the ballot paper question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

    I was talking to an elderly friend of my mother. Originally from the Western Isles but resident in Glasgow during her adult life, she is a lifelong Tory voter. However, I was asking her about her attitude towards Scottish independence, and she said that she found the concept, the idea of national independence, very attractive. She thinks of herself primarily as a Scot, and is very proud of that fact. She is swithering over how to vote next September, and it may be that folk like her, who have voted Con/Lab/LD their entire lives, will take a very close look at that ballot paper question, think deep and dig deep, and find that the correct answer is not the one that the Con/Lab/LD parties have been fighting for.
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    And McBride on Ed Miliband

    "His voice and tone reminded me eerily of Hal the computer in the film 2001"
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    On topic, this polling shows up to some extent the point Mike made last week, there's very few Con > Lab switchers, it's those pesky Kippers that is causing Dave a lot of grief, can he get voting Conservative in May 2015?
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    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,080
    edited September 2013


    You'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh if 16-18 yr old votes stopped separation.

    Every 16 & 17 year old would have to get out of their scratcher to cast a vote and No would have to win 51-49 for that scenario to play out.
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    Mr Observer, one from your neck of the woods (via The Sunday Times)

    Coleshill is the Viagra capital of England......

    ....A Sunday Times investigation of the prescribing statistics for NHS GP surgeries has found that the council district of North Warwickshire has the highest rate of prescription of Viagra and other anti-impotence drugs of any region in England.

    And Coleshill boasts the surgery that dispenses the highest number of prescriptions of any GP in North Warwickshire and the most prescriptions per registered male patient.
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    AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,754


    You'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh if 16-18 yr old votes stopped separation.

    Every 16 & 17 year old would have to get out of their scratcher to cast a vote and No would have to win 51-49 for that scenario to play out.
    What I took out of that statistic is that if the Union is starting at 74% in the 16-24 category, the Nats have an uphill task for as long as I can see.
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699

    On topic, this polling shows up to some extent the point Mike made last week, there's very few Con > Lab switchers, it's those pesky Kippers that is causing Dave a lot of grief, can he get voting Conservative in May 2015?

    Not quite true , in the Con/Lab seats there were 115 Con to Lab switchers 5% of the 2010 Conservatives . There were 41 Lab to Con switchers 2% of the 2010 Labour voters .
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    The referendum looks as if it will be tight (initself a problem if turnout is low and the verdict close for such a once in a lifetime vote).

    The odds on yes seem rather good, at william hill 4/1, and I can see that this is good value. I expect the national polls and Ed is crap meme to bring the poll much closer.

    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.

    I am very attached to the Union and I hope that No prevails, but if I lived in Scotland I would have a tough job persuading myself not to vote Yes. It's a chance to start again, to learn from mistakes, to recast. And maybe a Yes would help the rest of us do that too. What I find amazing, though, is how little anyone in England seems to care about the vote. I wonder how much focus there is on it in Northern Ireland and Wales. In the former the implications of a Yes could be huge.

    The Yes campaign is greatly assisted by the wording of the ballot paper question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

    I was talking to an elderly friend of my mother. Originally from the Western Isles but resident in Glasgow during her adult life, she is a lifelong Tory voter. However, I was asking her about her attitude towards Scottish independence, and she said that she found the concept, the idea of national independence, very attractive. She thinks of herself primarily as a Scot, and is very proud of that fact. She is swithering over how to vote next September, and it may be that folk like her, who have voted Con/Lab/LD their entire lives, will take a very close look at that ballot paper question, think deep and dig deep, and find that the correct answer is not the one that the Con/Lab/LD parties have been fighting for.
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    On topic, this polling shows up to some extent the point Mike made last week, there's very few Con > Lab switchers, it's those pesky Kippers that is causing Dave a lot of grief, can he get voting Conservative in May 2015?

    Not quite true , in the Con/Lab seats there were 115 Con to Lab switchers 5% of the 2010 Conservatives . There were 41 Lab to Con switchers 2% of the 2010 Labour voters .
    Ah, I was looking at the net movement, thanks for the clarification.

    Can you tell I've had three hours of sleep?
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699

    On topic, this polling shows up to some extent the point Mike made last week, there's very few Con > Lab switchers, it's those pesky Kippers that is causing Dave a lot of grief, can he get voting Conservative in May 2015?

    Not quite true , in the Con/Lab seats there were 115 Con to Lab switchers 5% of the 2010 Conservatives . There were 41 Lab to Con switchers 2% of the 2010 Labour voters .
    Further when asked about voting in their specific constituency Con to Lab switchers increased to 168 ( 7% ) and Lab to Con switchers to 50
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    Privately educated, ex-stockbroker, MEP, Nigel Farage wins the "in touch with ordinary people" vote, and among supporters, the "dinner party test". No prizes for guessing who comes last in the latter......

    Most in touch with ordinary people:,OA (supporters)
    Cameron: 8 (25)
    Miliband: 18 (52)
    Clegg: 7 (47)
    Farage: 19 (72)

    Most like to invite to your home for dinner?
    Cameron: 15 (44)
    Miliband: 11 (35)
    Clegg: 8 (48)
    Farage: 11 (52)
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    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,080
    edited September 2013


    You'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh if 16-18 yr old votes stopped separation.

    Every 16 & 17 year old would have to get out of their scratcher to cast a vote and No would have to win 51-49 for that scenario to play out.
    What I took out of that statistic is that if the Union is starting at 74% in the 16-24 category, the Nats have an uphill task for as long as I can see.
    I was only addressing your particular hypothesis. I seem to remember you suggesting a close win for Yes would be a pyrrhic victory, I guess the same applies to a similar No win?
    I don't think anyone in the Yes camp had or has any illusions about how much of a struggle there is in front of us, ergo over the next three months over a 100 Yes events, BT less than 10. Complacency or they just can't get the staff?
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    On topic, this polling shows up to some extent the point Mike made last week, there's very few Con > Lab switchers, it's those pesky Kippers that is causing Dave a lot of grief, can he get voting Conservative in May 2015?

    Not quite true , in the Con/Lab seats there were 115 Con to Lab switchers 5% of the 2010 Conservatives . There were 41 Lab to Con switchers 2% of the 2010 Labour voters .
    Further when asked about voting in their specific constituency Con to Lab switchers increased to 168 ( 7% ) and Lab to Con switchers to 50
    Will you be investing in and laying down a premium bottle of vodka for election night having raised a knowing smile at the Ashcroft Con/LD marginals poll ?

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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Question 7 in the Ashcroft poll is interesting (on cuts), the big movement is from "too far too fast" to "not far enough or deep enough". The latter is still a minority position, but now held by 17% compared to 10%. How much more will it move in that direction before 2015?

    Question 10 is also interesting; it looks to me as if all parties are fairly equally toxic. A beauty contest between Cindarellas sisters!
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699
    In the Con LD marginals there are 22 Con to LD switchers and 44 LD to Con but when asked specifically about their constituency the figures changed to 78 Con to LD and 53 LD to Con .
    Having given these figures I don't know quite what they tell us except that the LD's are still in serious contention in their target seats .
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    AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 23,754


    You'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh if 16-18 yr old votes stopped separation.

    Every 16 & 17 year old would have to get out of their scratcher to cast a vote and No would have to win 51-49 for that scenario to play out.
    What I took out of that statistic is that if the Union is starting at 74% in the 16-24 category, the Nats have an uphill task for as long as I can see.
    I was only addressing your particular hypothesis. I seem to remember you suggesting a close win for Yes would be a pyrrhic victory, I guess the same applies to a No win?
    I don't think anyone in the Yes camp had or has any illusions about how much of a struggle there is in front of us, ergo over the next three months over a 100 Yes events, BT less than 10. Complacency or they just can't get the staff?
    I pointed out that new countries with big discontented minorities haeva problem. So that would equally apply to a close No Win. That's why perosnally sokme level of additional powers seems inevitable to me. However I can't see that happening in isolation as it will push for a level of federalism for the rest of the Nation, which is a good thing imo.
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    Re Panelbase, they've reverted to their normal practise of asking VI questions before the Ref question, unlike in the SNP Poll

    Panelbase changes from their poll for the SNP

    Yes minus 7

    No plus 4

    DK plus 3

    Last week they said "We accept that it is not inconceivable that this may have had some limited effect – although we cannot really know for sure."

    Weel.....ye ken noo.......

    http://www.panelbase.com/news/PanelbaseCommentsOnScottishPolls.pdf
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    NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,334
    EiT percipient as usual - the fact that focusing on the likely candidates in the constituency makes people less likely to vote Tory shows that the lazy assumption of an incumbency bonus needs to be questioned. It's lazy because it primarily stems from 2010, when Labour incumbents tended to do better than average. But one can theorise on reasons why that might be that don't apply now - e.g. that Labour's slide nationally was primarily a competence slide ("We're in a mess and they're the government so...") - and familiar local MPs didn't seem especially incompetent.

    The current position arises out of disillusion by left-wing LibDems (which clearly isn't affected by whether people like their Tory MP) and Tory voters going to UKIP (which might be affected, but is possibly trumped by the stronger pull of the anti-establishment option).
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,280
    edited September 2013
    This megapoll is unquestionably good for Labour. As these seats are tory held what happened to the incumbency bonus?

    My only reservation, like the last megapoll, is that the data is so old, nearly 5 weeks old in this case. I am not really sure I understand why Ashcroft allows the moss to grow on his results before publication.

    In the last 5 weeks we have had a fairly thorough and consistent character assassination of Ed Miliband, almost exclusively by what is supposed to be his own side. Would that have made a difference? Who knows. It has not moved the main polls enormously but these super marginals are more politicised, constantly getting more attention from the parties than the rest of us and they may well be more susceptible to this kind of mood music.

    Still, once again, it shows there is absolutely no room for complacancy on the tory side. Any assumptions of a gentle swing back to victory with Ed deflating are misplaced. At this stage that is a good thing. The tories have become increasingly focussed in their messaging this year and need to keep that up.
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    MarkSeniorMarkSenior Posts: 4,699
    One other strange thing . In the Con Lab marginals the LD vote % actually goes up slightly when asked about voting in that specific constituency
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    Good morning, everyone.

    As has been said elsewhere, the poll already appears out of date.

    Mr. Senior, that's really weird. A rising Lib Dem vote on Con-Lab marginals is rather counterintuitive.
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @benedictbrogan: I'm sure Lib Dem conf will be exciting, but suspect week will be dominated by anticipation of of @DPMcBride's memoirs in next Sat's Mail
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    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    Not surprised by this. The Tories do seem to be talking increasingly in partisan terms. The outreach program of 2005-10 has all but stopped. Partly this due to anxiety about UKIP.

    It's odd really. The is an opening for a new rhetoric that could appeal to left and right alike.
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,932

    John Curtice takes another swipe at the SNP's Panelbase poll:

    "Meanwhile, for the No side the good news is that the suggestion made by another poll, commissioned by the SNP, that the Yes side might actually be narrowly ahead now very much looks like pie in the sky – neatly baked by posing some potentially leading questions before asking people how they proposed to vote."

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis-poll-leaves-independence-vote-in-balance-1-3094149

    A Unionist Slags Off the SNP! Wow!
    A well respected academic raises legitimate questions over a poll methodology........a poll whose findings have yet to be replicated by anyone else....

    A Labour supporting unionist rubbishes the SNP once again .................. major news for Tories
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    RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    edited September 2013
    @Eagle

    "And McBride on Ed Miliband
    "His voice and tone reminded me eerily of Hal the computer in the film 2001"

    These political 'kiss and tells' just before Party conferences are becoming quite a feature. Always at the expense of Labour because I suspect Labour supporters wouldn't appreciate the underhandedness of it and of course there are no Labour papers as horrendous as The Mail to serialize them.

    This isn't to minimize the odiousness of the poisonous Mcbride but there will always be 'Mcbrides'......

    Well nearly always.....I remember when Prince Andrew had just found himself a new model girlfriend and all the photographers were alerted to an offer of several thousand pounds for a topless photo of her. I had some of her myself but I'm pleased to say no one took the thirty pieces of silver
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,932
    JackW said:

    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.
    Some Scots "want out" but the majority of us do not.

    At this point it is mere supposition whether a majority want in or out
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    Mr. G, do you think the Catalan vote, pencilled in for just prior to your own, will have any impact, one way or the other?
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    It would be interesting to see the figures by constituency. With either 300 or 400 polled in each seat there is a reasonable subsample.

    It is also curious to look at Con held seats to look for LD gains. While there may be the odd one, most observers are anticipating LD losses in 2015. The LD held LD/Con marginals may be interesting.

    Mark is right though. Tactical voting is difficult to accurately describe. A voter who voted Labour in 2005, then LD in 2010 now expresses an intention to vote Labour in 2015. Is this a Labour voter who tactically voted LD in 2010 now unwinding tactical voting? Or a LD tactically voting Labour in 2015. Does it matter if they are in Cambourne or Broxtowe?


    One other strange thing . In the Con Lab marginals the LD vote % actually goes up slightly when asked about voting in that specific constituency

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    Final poll of the morning, from the Sunday Times

    There's an Ipsos-Mori/Mumsnet poll in the Sunday Times

    The study by an organisation seen as a touchstone for women’s political views shows Cameron’s five-point lead over Labour among women voters at the last election has turned into a 13-point deficit.

    However this did make me chuckle

    Focus groups were also asked how they thought party leaders would cope on their household budgets. Many thought Cameron would be appalled at having so little money. One said the prime minister, who recently returned from his fourth break of the year, “might have to give up all his holidays to Ibiza and go on £9.50 trips to Skegness like we’ve had to”.

    Miliband was thought by some to be likely to spend all the household budget and then take out a payday loan.
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @BBCNormanS: Nick Clegg - "Labour wd wreck the recovery"....."let us complete the job"..sounds like Carry on with Cameron rather than Miliband #ldconf
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    So the anti-Tory Party seems to be reorganising and refocusing. The Tories need those UKIPers back, but as they hone their rhetoric rightwards they only strengthen the anti-Tory resolve. It's a tricky one for them.

    It's crap EdM v the toxic Tories and it looks like it will come down to who is hated more. That's no way to run a country. Good old FPTP.

    And some folk wonder why we want out.

    I am very attached to the Union and I hope that No prevails, but if I lived in Scotland I would have a tough job persuading myself not to vote Yes. It's a chance to start again, to learn from mistakes, to recast. And maybe a Yes would help the rest of us do that too. What I find amazing, though, is how little anyone in England seems to care about the vote. I wonder how much focus there is on it in Northern Ireland and Wales. In the former the implications of a Yes could be huge.

    The Yes campaign is greatly assisted by the wording of the ballot paper question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

    I was talking to an elderly friend of my mother. Originally from the Western Isles but resident in Glasgow during her adult life, she is a lifelong Tory voter. However, I was asking her about her attitude towards Scottish independence, and she said that she found the concept, the idea of national independence, very attractive. She thinks of herself primarily as a Scot, and is very proud of that fact. She is swithering over how to vote next September, and it may be that folk like her, who have voted Con/Lab/LD their entire lives, will take a very close look at that ballot paper question, think deep and dig deep, and find that the correct answer is not the one that the Con/Lab/LD parties have been fighting for.

    All sides agree Scotland *could* be a successful, prosperous independent country. If that is true, why not be one? I can't find a logical argument against it. My Unionism is based on an instinctive notion of solidarity that developed because I grew up and have always worked with people from all parts of the UK and (Ireland). I have learned we're much more the same than not, so why break-up? But if I were sitting in Scotland I can see that might not be a good enough reason.

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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,280
    edited September 2013

    One other strange thing . In the Con Lab marginals the LD vote % actually goes up slightly when asked about voting in that specific constituency

    Coalition supporters? Given most lefty Lib Dems appear to have left I don't find it so surprising that a very small proportion of those that remain are willing to vote tactically to keep Labour out. They are currently completely swamped by those who have changed their allegience of course.

    edit, and of course actually voting tory would be a step too far for any self respecting Lib Dem.

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    Mostly what we'd expect, consistent what we'd have thought based on the national polls, plus the way LD has held up against Con in Eastleigh and local elections.

    One new data point is that we might have expected the "thinking about your constituency" question to help Con recover some votes from UKIP. But in fact there's not much movement, and what there is helps Lab and Lib (?!?) in Lab/Con marginals. In Con/Lib marginals the Con share actually drops.

    I still think UKIP will fall back to the benefit of Con, but it doesn't look like Con can hope for a lot of tactical support in the marginals from their UKIP defectors. Maybe right-wingers just don't do tactical voting.

    The LD vote did not 'hold up' in Eastleigh. It fell.

    2010 Eastleigh: LD 47%
    2013 Eastleigh: LD 32%
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    Scott_P said:

    @benedictbrogan: I'm sure Lib Dem conf will be exciting, but suspect week will be dominated by anticipation of of @DPMcBride's memoirs in next Sat's Mail

    I’m sure lots of ‘selected anecdotes’ from the book will be leaked into the press, prior to the book’s publication. – From a sales prospective it would be daft not to and no doubt will have the Westminster bubble in a tizzy. – And no doubt mildly diverting for PB.com too. :-)
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    It's good to see Scottish kids overwhelmingly supporting the Union. They obviously want to remain both Scottish and British and understandably fear the state that would be created by the SLab/SNP complex which they would have to live under or flee.
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,932

    Mr. G, do you think the Catalan vote, pencilled in for just prior to your own, will have any impact, one way or the other?

    I cannot see it Morris, I think by then everyone but the anoraks will be sick of the whole thing and so turnout may not be as high as expected which will suit Yes. Personally when you see the output and positions from NO it is hard to see how anybody supports them. Labour and Tories have failed Scotland all my life so hard to see why they will change post the referendum. I just cannot see why anyone would want someone in London to decide their life when they are guaranteed to look after the majority of London&South East, seems very odd to me. I would rather waste my own money and be poor at least it would have been spent on what I thought were relevant to me.
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    The LD leadership does seem to be preparing the way for a new coalition with the Tories. Clegg, Ashdown and Laws have all been saying similar things. That may not be the best way to persuade Labour voters supporting LD candidates in LD/Tory marginals. I hope that the LDs do not come out explicitly for a continuation. I'd have to give up on them, just as I have been becoming more drawn to them.
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,932

    It's good to see Scottish kids overwhelmingly supporting the Union. They obviously want to remain both Scottish and British and understandably fear the state that would be created by the SLab/SNP complex which they would have to live under or flee.

    Usual mumbo jumbo drivel from you Monica
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    But that does not seem to be what is described. These were Lab/con marginals. A pro coalition LD would vote Con to keep out Lab. With the Ld vote going up we seem to see the opposite with Con inclined voters tactically voting LD to put in a Lab MP. Nowt queere than folk!
    DavidL said:

    One other strange thing . In the Con Lab marginals the LD vote % actually goes up slightly when asked about voting in that specific constituency

    Coalition supporters? Given most lefty Lib Dems appear to have left I don't find it so surprising that a very small proportion of those that remain are willing to vote tactically to keep Labour out. They are currently completely swamped by those who have changed their allegience of course.

    edit, and of course actually voting tory would be a step too far for any self respecting Lib Dem.

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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @oflynnexpress: Clegg's capacity for self-deceit is boundless. Has convinced himself that scrapping tuitIon fees wasn't a real promise.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,280

    Scott_P said:

    @benedictbrogan: I'm sure Lib Dem conf will be exciting, but suspect week will be dominated by anticipation of of @DPMcBride's memoirs in next Sat's Mail

    I’m sure lots of ‘selected anecdotes’ from the book will be leaked into the press, prior to the book’s publication. – From a sales prospective it would be daft not to and no doubt will have the Westminster bubble in a tizzy. – And no doubt mildly diverting for PB.com too. :-)
    I will be amazed if the book sells more than a few hundred copies. The money for this sort of nonsense is made from the newspaper serialisation so the book has to contain sufficient tit bits for the press to publish. This positively encourages the author, I use that term loosely, to spice up the stories and the character assassination.

    Personally, I won't believe anything McBride says until it is corroborated by a credible source. And even then...

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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @IsabelOakeshott: I can't wait for @DPMcBride memoir. Tantalising teasers p25 Mail. Alistair Darling described as "absolutely clueless". Attack dog returns

    @robindbrant: McBride building up for an interesting contribution to lab's gathering in Brighton this year. http://t.co/CJLONZ90Gc
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    Mr. G, do you think the Catalan vote, pencilled in for just prior to your own, will have any impact, one way or the other?

    The consultation (it won't be an official referendum) may not happen in 2014. The Spanish government has made clear they regard it as unconstitutional, thus there'll be no real campaign as there'll be no official No side. The talk now is of making the 2016 Catalan Parliamentary elections a de facto independence vote.

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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @iainmartin1: Either Tories or Labour getting overall majority in 2015 wld be hilarious simply for the look on Clegg's face morning after the election
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Lots o nice complacency about which we need to keep Ed in situ.
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    @DavidL – “This positively encourages the author, I use that term loosely, to spice up the stories and the character assassination.”

    Oh I don’t know, I got the impression that the daily goings on within No10 at the time, require no ‘spicing up’ per se, - quite the opposite in fact, as a true account would probably lead to jail time.
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    Question 7 in the Ashcroft poll is interesting (on cuts), the big movement is from "too far too fast" to "not far enough or deep enough". The latter is still a minority position, but now held by 17% compared to 10%. How much more will it move in that direction before 2015?

    Question 10 is also interesting; it looks to me as if all parties are fairly equally toxic. A beauty contest between Cindarellas sisters!

    I'm expecting/hoping the lack of spending cuts to be an issue in the 2015 election. After all the talk of 'tough decisions', and 'difficult choices', I think the voters will be surprised by the distance between rhetoric and action.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,280
    According to this the next piece of economic good news (copywrite AveryLP) is going to be a fall in inflation: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10309733/Inflation-figures-expected-to-show-fall.html

    The article forecasts that inflation may well fall to the 2% target within 6 months. If true, this will reduce the downward pressure on real wages and bring forward the day that they start to rise again.

    Personally, I don't believe it. My guess is that once again inflation will "surprise" on the high side, not necessarily this week but certainly over the coming year. So many businesses with their best order books for years will be tempted to put some meat on those margins.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,280

    @DavidL – “This positively encourages the author, I use that term loosely, to spice up the stories and the character assassination.”

    Oh I don’t know, I got the impression that the daily goings on within No10 at the time, require no ‘spicing up’ per se, - quite the opposite in fact, as a true account would probably lead to jail time.

    And where would you find a credible witness in Gordon Brown's Downing Street operation?
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    I think we can safely assume that this time next week the PB Guido tendency will no longer regard McBride as a lying, smearing sleazeball, but will instead be promoting him as a fearless speaker of the truth.
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    The movement is clearly against Ed Balls "too far too fast" meme, indeed the Lab supporters on here are predicting a bubble now rather than a triple dip. I think this is going to be a major problem for Balls, who with EdM friendless and under attack is not in a position to reshuffle him.




    Question 7 in the Ashcroft poll is interesting (on cuts), the big movement is from "too far too fast" to "not far enough or deep enough". The latter is still a minority position, but now held by 17% compared to 10%. How much more will it move in that direction before 2015?

    Question 10 is also interesting; it looks to me as if all parties are fairly equally toxic. A beauty contest between Cindarellas sisters!

    I'm expecting/hoping the lack of spending cuts to be an issue in the 2015 election. After all the talk of 'tough decisions', and 'difficult choices', I think the voters will be surprised by the distance between rhetoric and action.
This discussion has been closed.