How Johnson did in 2021 according to YouGov’s “Well/Badly” ratings

How Johnson did in 2021 according to YouGov’s “Well/Badly” ratings

It is the last day of the year I thought it might be good to have a few posts just looking back at how the data has changed. My first chart is based on the regular YouGov well badly ratings that are asked at least once a month when respondents are simply asked the question about whether they think the PM is doing well or badly. As can be seen he started with negative numbers but this crept up to…

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A look at how you should price a bet

A look at how you should price a bet

Part One – The bet Earlier this year, several PBers, including OGH, bet on there being a Labour lead by the end of the year.  (They won, because of the opinion poll covered here.  Well done!).   More recently, Smarkets has established a market on the prospects of a Conservative lead by end of January (covered here).  But this bet (‘the bet’) is perhaps the most interesting out there from a theoretical point of view.   When it offers good value is…

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What do the Tories do now the LDs have got their mojo back?

What do the Tories do now the LDs have got their mojo back?

LAB voters are now more likely to vote tactically One of the big political developments of 2021 has been the re-emergence of the LDs as an electoral force. Winning Chesham and Amersham in June always looked like an easier task given the party started in second place, C&A voted Remain and it was in striking distance of party strongholds on the M25 making it easier for them to flood the seat with activists during the campaign. North Shropshire was a…

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There’s no need for a LAB-LD pact or progressive alliance

There’s no need for a LAB-LD pact or progressive alliance

Their targets are totally different For all the talk of some sort of arrangement between LAB and the LDs the electoral reality is that both parties will broadly be targeting very different sorts of seats at the next election with very little overlap. Because of the need to focus resources on seats they think they can win it is highly likely that both parties will be running almost token campaigns elsewhere. Sure candidates will be on the ballot but there…

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New betting market – A CON vote lead before Jan 31st?

New betting market – A CON vote lead before Jan 31st?

This is the latest market from Smarkets and is almost directly in line with the “LAB poll lead in 2021” that was launched by the firm in July. That one proved a winner and one that contributed to making 2021 my most profitable ever. These are the market rules: This market relate to the headline, rounded percentage voting figures for UK or GB general election voting intention polls from the named pollsters. This market will be settled as a winner…

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Poll suggests that the LAB lead would be just 3% with PM Sunak

Poll suggests that the LAB lead would be just 3% with PM Sunak

But 12% sticking with Johnson With just the possibility of a Tory leadership election then we should expect more “named leader” polling as featured in the Guardian this morning. This, I should state, is a very controversial form of polling that is likely to come under fire from supporters of those Tory figures, including Johnson, who come out of this badly. As well as the normal voting intention question voters were asked Voters were asked: “Please imagine that at the…

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