SunnySideUp

The Tories' lead in the opinion polls has been dramatically slashed to just two points, according to a new survey.

The YouGov poll in the later editions of The Sunday Times shows the gap between Labour and the Conservatives is the closest for more than two years.

The paper said that the result would put Gordon Brown on course for victory in the general election.

The poll puts the Conservatives on 37%, two points down on last week, while Labour were up two on 35%.

The Liberal Democrats were unchanged on 17%.

Just goes to show that having no policies is not a what the public will vote for .... and just saying, "Time for Change" is pathetic!!

We want POLICIES!!

We want to know what the Tories will do!!

If they don't know, or won't tell us, they don't deserve consideration IMO - and, it seems, in the opinion of many others!

What can someone with a personal fortune of £15million - being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, possibly know about the man in the street?? NOTHING that's what!

So, it's Brown and Labour until 2015 ......

corradoboy

I don't want either Neither of them represent my political ideals or come close to having anything new, inspirational, radical or even slightly beneficial for the country. Dumbed down politics based on slogans and soundbites to pacify an apathetic public into disinterest so they can follow their own agenda unhindered by the meddling of a blinkered nation of dullards and rape what's left of the Empire's accumulated wealth in the hope it lasts them out of office. Thieves, liars and charlatans.

GC8

Ironically, I think that Margaret Thatcher would win with a landslide! More fool 'call me' Dave Cameron for trying to be more like the Labour party than the Labour party were.

DYK

I was not going to vote for either of them.....

Captain Carbon

Anything is better than the benefit friendly labour party....

I don't suppose many know that when Gordon B held that red leather case he sold our gold reserves at the LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICE. Now we're on the verge of joining the euro...No wonder Trichet wants to welcome us with open arms...we don't have any other options left.

He shouldn't have become pm anyway. He wasn't elected...and after all this he'll still earn a packet much like that other moron Tony Blair.

Can't stand Gordon Brown...Only an Englishman would appoint a Scottsman to 'run' their country.

Captain Carbon

and to add, what also get's on my nipples is all this 'Green Shoots of Recovery' rubbish. Everytime Mervy King releases the BoE figs all you hear is, "we're starting to see the green shoots of recovery here"

Gibberish...anyone knows the City works in 7 year cycles. Batton down the hatches and ride it out.

Now they're talking about scrapping bonus's all together! I had a friend of mine tell me the other day, "They should scrap bonios. You all get 1m and the rest of us get fked because you don't care about the economy"

Really??? You think if I earnt a 1m bonio i'd still be fking working?? and everyone who works in the city/financial sector has a direct effect on the economic status????

Slightly off politics there but I hope you get the underlying message...Labour have created a clear divide that the Torries were just starting to erase.

And relax...

tkws5606

Never need to buy dog food again with 1m bonio's fella

Lee247

I'm not voting. What is the point. I have no faith in any of them. They have all proved to be just out for themselves.

BlkKnight

better to spoil your vote than not vote at all.

SunnySideUp

I may be spoiling my vote, by putting a big X across all of it ... but, inside, I feel I must vote .... people died so that I can.

StickyMicky

UKIP looks the most promising choice so far, hammering that new euro PM, and kicking off about climate change.

Lib Dems = who??
Labour = ****s
Conservatives = useless ****s

The Zohan

Agree totally about the EU vote and i would hate for Brown to get another 5 years as pm!

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I never in 100 years thought I would say this - but I would vote for Hague to be Prime Minister. He has a ton more experience and gravitas than Cameron. He failed as a leader as he was there far too young. He was also a prat in the Conservative Yoof under Thatcher - but he is just about the most impressive politician in Parliament.

The ability of Brown to compete has been written on the walls for about three months now!

Martin2005

Then you'd have nothing to moan about!!

I wouldn't vote for 'anyone' who offered a referendum though, because that could men voting for for some extremist loons


or even worse UKIP!!!!

Martin2005

See I told you Blair was a great PM

Who was his chancellor BTW????

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

LOL at the justification of how bad Brown is showing that Blair was better than the evil hag Thatcher.

Only on SN

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Absolutely how I feel.

The Zohan

So the best approach is to do nothing then, well i hope you stop participating in political threads F1 you can be critical of the Uk population at times for being apathetc or indeed stupid and yet the one time you get to vote, to make a difference you choose not too.

Whilst i do not much like the choices i certianly do not fancy 5+ years of Brown and NL and to vote is the only chance we get to show our approval or dissapproval for any pof the parties.

Camoron's easy lead has been reduced and he needs to sort himself and his policies out right now.

Lib Dims just do not stand a chance and will be the difference in a hung parliment, they just will naver make it into power on thier own, not in my lifetime.

Rather than not vote, there must be some fringe party you agree with some of thier policies surely???

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Paul,

If in my area a candidate stands as an independent and has some policies both local and national that I believe in then he/she will get my vote.

Labour, Tory, Lib Dems, UKIP, BNP etc. either are driven by self interest and/or do not have policies I can support.

You seem to be suggesting I should select the best of a worful bunch, not my mantra I am afraid.

Leslie

Not bothering to vote is a bad thing. As Pete said, our vote was hard fought for and people died so that we have that one bit of democracy left to us. Not voting can easily let the worst party into power as well. Not voting not only sounds like an excuse, but a dereliction of duty I reckon.

I was not that impressed with "Dave's" speech, or what I saw of it, without notes! He will have to do a lot better to start winning votes. He can't rely on Labour losing it as they were before. Waste of time trying to emulate Billy Liar too!

I think the Conservatives have unerringly failed to elect the best leader since Maggie was pushed out and also binning Hague was a stupid mistake. David Davis or Portillo would also be an improvement too I reckon.

NL has given a false sense of financial security with the vast borrowing leaving us with a frightening debt. The borrowing will soon be forced to stop and that is when the real problem will become plain. Sooner or later they will be forced to stop spending our grandchildren's money!

Another term of NL will be the destruction of our country, which is their ambition after all!

Les

stilover

If Labour win this will give them the green light to say:-

Britain's want to join the Euro
Britains want a Multi-cultural Britain
Britains want more speed camera's and average speed camera's
Britains want a congestion charge in every major city

We'll be Fooked if they get re-elected.

As for the Torries not saying their policies, what policies have Labour announced?

Everytime the Torries say we'd look to do this, New Labour announce that they're already looking at this. Labour have run out of Idea's and blatently steel all the Torries idea's

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

So where do the Tories state they won't do any of the above? That is the problem. Everyone wants Labour out because they will do this that and the next thuing and yet the Tories have not said they will reverse any one single thing that Labout have done that makes you want to oust them so much.

And the stealing ideas excuse is getting a little tired now.

Martin2005

You are absolutely the right. The biggest policy 'theft' by far, is by the Tories promising all of a sudden to honour NHS spending. Hardly territory they have much crediblity on.

It's good they are going to do it, and strategically they have too say this, but let's have less of this 'Labour steal Tory ideas nonsense.

They're all desperate politicians on the eve of a GE, they'd mud wrestle their own mothers, if they thought that would get them elected

Martin2005

Yeah that would be great, we could be out of the EU but under the boot of some Neo-*****....brilliant!!!!

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

LOL, now if they televised that it could make the GE interesting ... imagine Prescott vs his mother Or maybe they should have a draw and wrestle each other's mothers

Lee247

I totally agree that wasting a vote is a bad thing, but what else do you suggest. I will not vote for the sake of it. There is no one with any morals or has given me anything to believe they have the publics interest at heart. Quite the opposite, infact.

If I had my way, I would boot the whole flaming lot of them and start again.

Leslie

I certainly agree with your final sentence Lee. Very few of them are to be trusted any more alright.

I think we have to look at policies and what is likely to happen to the country with each one of them in power. We could only cast a vote for whichever bunch seems likely to carve out the best looking future for our country. That would at least do a bit more good than not voting.

Les

Fleetwood

Not wanting to point out the obvious but since GDP growth is cumulative (UK averages out at around 2.5% per year in the long term) the longer the Prime Minister stays in power the higher the overall growth in their premiership will be therefore the two higher acheivers are the two in power for the longest...

Just for accuracy and because I never trust these blogs in general...
Thatcher started with £11,459 per capita GDP (adjusted at 2003 prices)
and ended on £14,145 so 26% overall which is equivalent to a compound growth of 2.1%
Blair started with £16311 per capita, end at £20768 so yes 27% overall equivalent to a compound growth of 2.4%
So blog was accurate!

On Thatchers first few years...
Thatchers first two years she was down -3.5% and three years -2.2% just because she took over at the start of a recession as has brown.

The official stats for this recession will take a while to solidify from the preliminary estimates so a little early for definitive comparison, however they will be worse that the early eighties recession.

(Stats from Measuring Worth - U.K. GDP and Home: UK National Statistics Publication Hub )

It seems Governments tend to largely get whatever the world economy dishes out and variances from that are small (try looking at Google - public data and comparing our performance to france, germany, usa etc. I was quite surprised how we all seem to roughly follow the wild swings)

I think we probably need a change in government to get new blood, thinking and energy in as governing parties get stale after 10 years or so. I just don't feel good about Cameron's conservatives although as pointed out here the two parties are extremely close in policy compared to the past so its not as tho I will notice either way...

Al