Is this Brown’s explanation for expected poor results?
Will today’s likely drubbing be blamed on the plotters?
Later on this evening I’m due to be taking part in BBC Radio 5 live’s election programme when the story is surely going to be Labour’s performance – first in the local results that will come out overnight and then throughout Friday – all this to be followed on Sunday evening, of course, when we get the Euro election figures.
This is one of those occasions when, unless the polls have got things dramatically wrong, it’s not going to be comfortable representing Labour – yet Hazel Blears & co have provided them with a ready-made excuse. It’s all because of the plotters. Expect to hear that time and time again in the next three days.
The is complete piffle of course. Labour’s collapse happened well before there were the first murmurings against Brown. The worst poll ratings for the party on the Euro vote are from Populus where the survey was carried out last week.
But that’s not going to stop them using the opposition to Mr. Brown as an explanation.
Tell PB what’s going on where you are
Throughout the next few days please tell us you news about what’s going on where you are. What’s turnout like? Which parties appear active on the ground? Is it more lively where there are concurrent council elections going on? What are party workers saying.
Hopefully we’ll start to get a picture of the likely outcome quite early on. Turnout is going to be key – any news on that would be most welcome. Whenever I vote I always ask the polling clerks about turnout and generally they are very helpful. The proportion of those who’ve voted by a specific time is a very good measure.
It would be great if PBs huge army of lurkers felt able to contribute as well. So in order to attract as wide as possible a response I have lifted the “must have a previous approved comment” mechanism for contributors. So there will be no need to wait for your contribution to the moderated.
If this starts to go wrong then I’ll restore our usual controls. Best of luck and have a great election day.