After the shellacking the SNP received last month and coupled with the fact the SNP will have been in power for nineteen years in May 2026 it feels inevitable that the SNP would lose the next Holyrood election but a poll showing them to be the largest party in Holyrood in 2026 seems a bit counter-intuitive. I respect Norstat as a pollster, going back to their Panelbase days, but any poll that shows Reform winning eight seats at Holyrood screams…
Graph from Betdata.io TSE
My strategy for laying Kemi Badenoch in the race to succeed Sunak is that Tory MPs will ensure she isn’t in the final two but if that assumption turns out to be wrong then I will be going to the poorhouse. YouGov have an excellent track record in Tory leadership elections so I trust this polling implicitly, in some of the other head to heads it shows Robert Jenrick might be misunderestimated by the betting markets TSE
If Harris and Trump bring the same energy that they both showed last night to the debates then Trump is going to struggle, badly. TSE
This polling isn’t atypical and it makes me confident that the Democratic Party are going to at least win the popular vote in November and more than likely the electoral college Kamala Harris looks like an inspired choice, just look at how enthusiasm has surged after she became the nominee. My theory is everybody loves an elite West coast liberal lawyer. TSE
Much like the time Captain Renault was shocked to discovered gambling was taking place in Rick’s Café Américain, I am similarly shocked to learn that RFK Jr’s, a man backed by some of Trump’s biggest supporters, is set to pull out of the White House race because the polls now show RFK Jr is taking more votes from Trump than the Democratic Party. I suspect the benefit to Trump will be minimal in votes but in a close election minimal…
In exactly a fortnight Tory MPs start voting in this election under the exhaustive ballot voting system which can be described as quasi-AV. TSE
I have to admit this has happened sooner than I expected, I thought the Harris lead on Betfair would widen this week due to the convention then narrow in September. I’ll reiterate this election is Trump’s election to lose but the momentum, pace Betfair, is with Harris. TSE