Think you may have drawn the wrong conclusion, I'd imagine theres a fair size of the Tory faithful who don't think Dave is a good leader!
Well as has often been said he wasn't actually elected as prime minister, so it would be something of a surprise to find his ratings higher. There was no honeymoon period economically either, and unlike Blair and Thatcher he didn't come in on the back of huge public support.
The surprise to me is that Milliband has made very little electorally of being the new kid on the block given that he can sit back and snipe with impunity.
Final poll of 2010:
YouGov/News International
Con 39% Lab 41% Lib-Dem 9% Lab Lead 2%
Dreadful poll ratings for the LDs, but a delicious irony that their beloved coalition government, or 'new politics', is killing them
As for the Tories, they're still holding onto the support of blind loyalists like Simon , but really it's a poor show to be trailing the opposition after only 6 months, especially an opposition who have been leaderless to date and recently booted out of office .
More bad news for those lovers of coalition poliitcs. It appears that after only 6 months more people think coalition government is the wrong thing for the UK than think it the right thing :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/26/coalition-government-support-dramatically-down
Wonder what those figures will be like once the spending cuts bite and the self interest coalition falls apart
Edited by user 27 December 2010 15:54:25(UTC) | Reason: Not specified
Calm down Tory boy or should that be Labour boy!
Given the unrelenting tide of misery and bad news that we've had since the new government took over, frankly I'm surprised the Labour lead isn't bigger.
For the Tories everything depends on two things;
1. Can they get the economy going and in a decent state by 2014/2015?
2. Will the next year or two be as bad as people are expecting?
These two issues will really determine whether the Conservatives can improve in 2015.
Obviously Labour, being out of power, are reliant on events and can't really influence the way things play out. They do need to do a couple of things though;
1. They have to get their economic credability back.
2. They have to be careful that by opposing every single cut the government makes, they don't take eventually damage their credability should the economy improve. Of course opposing all the decisions the government is taking is smart politics at this stage and if the economy goes from bad to worse it'll pay dividends. But there is a danger Labour will be left with nothing to say if the economy improves.
As far as the Lib-Dems go, I'm not sure what I can say about them to be honest.
Edited by user 28 December 2010 23:03:45(UTC) | Reason: Not specified
As for the Tories, they're still holding onto the support of blind loyalists like Simon
A pathetic, misrepresentation (assuming you mean me).
If you've been paying any sort of attention you'd know that I'm loyal to no party.
Edited by user 28 December 2010 23:46:00(UTC) | Reason: Not specified
First poll of 2011:
Con 40% Lab 42% Lib-Dem 8% Lab Lead 2%
It would seem the Lib-Dem share of the vote is close to stabilising.
You tend to find that with temperatures as you venture out into deep space too.
Edited by user 04 January 2011 23:39:14(UTC) | Reason: Not specified
I suppose its a bit like when the temp in the UK gets down to -20c and just will not drop any further. It reaches a point where it can't go any lower.
Well it was meant in humour Simon
Actually I recall early opposition to the coalition being criticised by yourself as in some way inappropriate. Perhaps you're loyal to the coalition as the country's only hope (which I took from your posts), rather than to one party.
I'm not trying to mis-represent you, but that's what I took from some of your early post election comments
Just think how well Labour would be doing if they actually had a leader....
I always said that what I actually want is a stable, successful, government. And I even uttered the immortal line that if Brown getting back in provided that then so be it.
I don't want any government to fail its citizens (as much as a government can ever look after ALL of us) because of my political prejudices.
I know it doesn't sit well on here sometimes, but for me it really is a case of living on a day to day basis, trying not to worry too much and giving my job and my life all I can without giving too much of a damn what Cameron, Clegg and Milliband do. It's all the same dance with different directors.
I accept that approach only works to an extent, but I would never wish a government to fail. Quite the opposite - regardless of its colour (or blend) stability is the key, for me.
Thus I want the coalition to have a good run at it. If it fails it fails. But there isn't a single party out there that would win an election outright just now, and Labour could hardly double up with the Lib Dems now, so from my perspective what we have is realistically what the electorate provided us with, all be it that they didn't vote for it directly (they couldn't!), and an election wouldn't change anything except it might introduce instability and uncertainty.
I told you so. Labour have a proven winner (and all-round nasty guy which is a good quality in a politician) who'd be capable of taking on DC. He's called Lord Mandelson. The problem Labour now have again (Blair stopped this temporarily it would seem) is they are more interested in pontificating among themselves than grabbing power. The natural order in British politics looks like being resumed in the next few years, with the Tories looking like the more potent political force.
Very realistic that Simon.
Lib-Dems drop to a new low
YouGov/Inews International
Con 39% Lab 43% Lib-Dem 7% Lab Lead 4%
Bizarre editorial in the Times yesterday urging voters in Oldham to vote Lib Dem in the by-election, for no other reason than to give Clegg a reward for destroying his own party by joining the coalition!
Yes some strange goings on ..... not sure why Clegg should be rewarded for his brazen act of political betrayal in the interests of personal power.
Tebbit makes more sense by urging Tories to vote UKIP so the nauseating LDs can finish fourth