The Rallings & Thrasher local elections projection

The Rallings & Thrasher local elections projection

National Equivalent vote share: CON 34%-4/LAB 37%-/LD 18%+2 The above national equivalent vote share projection, with comparisons on last year, is the annual one produced by Professor Rawlings & Thrasher of the University of Plymouth. The figures are derived from local by elections which in the past have proved to be quite a good predictor. They were produced at a briefing session in London this morning organised by the Political Studies Association. Compared with 2008 when most of the seats…

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Concern about unemployment reaches 15 year high

Concern about unemployment reaches 15 year high

Economist/Ipsos-MORI Issues Index The April Ipsos-MORI issues index for the Economist is just out and shows that concerns about unemployment are the highest since 1998. Petrol prices/fuel which was just 6% in February continues to rise and is now at 15% – reflecting both the threat of the tanker drivers strike and the increasing price of a litre. The other main changes are in the table above which features the top ten. We’ll have to wait until the full data…

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PB NightHawks with a reminder about Thursday

PB NightHawks with a reminder about Thursday

Don’t forget the PB gathering on Thursday night? I’m now pretty certain that I will be at Thursday’s PB party at the Dirty Dicks pub across the road from Liverpool Street Station in London. The proceedings start at about 6.30pm. Everybody is welcome. We are on the first floor at the back and there should be signs. Thanks again to Fat Steve for fixing it. @MikeSmithsonOGH

Why’s UKIP giving Dave a free run?

Why’s UKIP giving Dave a free run?

Surely it should have candidates in West Oxfordshire? According to the Conservative party’s election analyst, Rob Hayward, UKIP has only managed to field full slates of candidates in just six of the 181 council areas where elections are being held on May 3rd. These are Adur, Plymouth and Wirral, Eastleigh, Great Yarmouth and Sheffield. In the other 175 council area they are not competing in any wards or are contesting a limited number of wards. Surprisingly one area with a…

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After a bloody polling day the LDs squeezed out of 3rd place

After a bloody polling day the LDs squeezed out of 3rd place

Pollster says Clegg’s party could be down to 7 seats The above graphic was put out by UKIP overnight after the latest YouGov daily poll showed them, for the first time, in third place, This was a smart move by the purples and will heighten expectations for serious council seat gains for UKIP in the local elections a fortnight on Thursday. The 43/32/8/8 poll followed another survey earlier in the day amongst members of the YouGOV polling panel who reside…

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TNS-BMRB poll has LAB with a double digit lead

TNS-BMRB poll has LAB with a double digit lead

Labour opens up wide gaps in new polls The first of at least three new polls expected tonight is out and has LAB moving into a 10% lead. The pollster, TNS-BMRB has: CON 32% (-3), LAB 42% (+4), LD 10% (-1) and Others 16% (-) This is the largest gap recorded by the firm since the election and broadly follows the trends seen elsewhere. This post will be updated when other polls come out. Times Populus telephone poll has CON…

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Boris has a 6 percent YouGov lead

Boris has a 6 percent YouGov lead

The Greens look set to lose their assembly seats There’s a new YouGov poll on the May 3rd London elections just out which has Boris ahead by a reasonable margin. Boris has 45% of first preference, Ken 40%, Lib Dem Brian Paddick 7% with UKIP’s Webb at 3 per cent. The Green Jenny is tying with independent candidate Siobhan Benita on 2% After taking into account second preferences Boris leads Ken by 6%. Although the Boris lead is comfortable he…

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Could Cameron catch a cold in the mayoral referendums?

Could Cameron catch a cold in the mayoral referendums?

Will more than half the cities vote NO on May 3rd? In just two and a half weeks voters in ten cities across England have a chance to vote YES or NO to change the structure of local government in their areas by bringing in US-style elected mayors. This was one of the big ideas in the Conservative manifesto at the general election and the party has been working hard to promote the idea. Cameron, himself, has becoming closely associated…

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