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The Osborne gamble: The first telephone poll

The Osborne gamble: The first telephone poll

A mixed bag for George as we assess the reaction I don’t normally cover ComRes polls for the Daily Politics programme because there’s no voting intention question and the samples are not past voted weighted. I’m making an exception this afternoon because there’s been no polling data from anybody this week other than YouGov. Today’s survey found 43% of those questioned said they trusted the Conservatives most to ‘put in place the right conditions for a strong economic recovery’, compared…

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YouGov’s survey on reaction to the speech

YouGov’s survey on reaction to the speech

YouGov Has this got any electoral significance? Well here’s the big news. A sample of speech watchers that was made up of 78% Tory voters before the speech started became 84% afterwards. Wow! The sample was not politically or demographically weighted and I regard it as meaningless fluff in terms of trying to predict the general election. This is the same as what I said about a similar poll last week after Brown’s speech. The only difference today is that…

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Did it seem to be a bit low-key?

Did it seem to be a bit low-key?

I’m on a train and only caught snippets so I cannot judge the speech. We should be getting an instant verdict from YouGov at just after 5pm,. I’m a bit doubtful about this form of polling because the sample is made up just of people who watched the speech. Last week there was no attempt to weight the Brown reaction and I assume the same will apply this afternoon. The critical thing in determining overall reaction is how its reported…

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Labour move to within 9 points in today’s tracker

Labour move to within 9 points in today’s tracker

CON 40% (-3) LAB 31% (+2) LD 18%(+2) Yet again the daily poll produces a surprise We now have, somewhat earlier than I was expecting, today’s daily tracker from, YouGov and the figures will come as something of a surprise. It’s hard to offer any technical explanation and my sense is that we are seeing a hardening of Labour support as the political environment gets hotter. YouGov is unlike any of the other pollsters in that it only questions those…

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Has Cameron got away with his Lisbon ambivalence?

Has Cameron got away with his Lisbon ambivalence?

How’s he survived without re-opening the wounds? Just cast your minds back five days to Saturday when news came through of the overwhelming YES to the Lisbon Treaty in the Irish referendum. This, everybody seemed to be saying, could not have come at a worse time for the Conservatives just as their Manchester conference was opening. For was the leader going to be able to side-step the issue of a UK referendum given that the treaty looks set to be…

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The overnight continuation thread..

The overnight continuation thread..

I’m tied up with a fringe event at the Tory conference and won’t be posting until the morning. Please use this thread to carry on the conversation. The picture is of a street sign just round the corner from my hotel. Clearly the good burgers of this city have been waiting a long time for the Tories to hold their annual gathering in Manchester. Mike Smithson

Could Cameron learn from Bill on how to handle “That Photo”?

Could Cameron learn from Bill on how to handle “That Photo”?

A PB Essay by Martha Richler The Bullingdon photo just won’t go away. It pesters Cameron like a fly – the more he swats at it, the more persistent it gets. Cameron could learn a thing or two from Clinton, who handled his Oxford days deftly from the start. In the same year as the Bullingdon photo,1992, Clinton was elected President of the United States. Unemployment in America was up to ten million – and Clinton knew how vital it…

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It’s almost no change with the YouGov tracker

It’s almost no change with the YouGov tracker

CON 41% (+1) LAB 28% (+1) LD 18%(-2) The latest figures, based on polling that mostly took place last night, are above. Tomorrow’s tracker will be the first indication of reaction to Osbornes plans and his pension gamble. The moves today are not very big – all within the margin of error for all parties. The Lib Dem share seemed to be the one that’s moving about most and there’s no real explanation. Mike Smithson