Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
Labour signs and portents.
Cons:
The British public
Lol, ever the optimist! I know what you mean though.
Labour signs and portents.
Cons:
The British public
Tories campaigning for a big win. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-40176539
And interestingly, Qriously, the polling company in question, predicted Brexit using smartphone-based polling, as opposed to the trad methods: https://www.umww.com/news/2016/07/how-one-pollster-correctly-predicted-brexit
On the face of it, Wells is straightforward: a two-horse race between the Tories, defending the seat, and the Liberal Democrats, who must win in places like this if they are to become a credible political force again.
But while the bottom line is simple, voters’ thoughts and feelings about the two main parties here have proved complex, confused, divided and febrile.
We have spoken to stalwart Conservative voters who are planning to vote Lib Dem because they fear a large Theresa May majority, and to others expressing upset at the Tory austerity programme or the party’s approach to vulnerable members of society, such as people with disabilities.
On the other hand, there are voters who would like to plump for Tessa Munt – the well-known and popular Lib Dem candidate – but have been put off by her party’s pledge to hold another referendum on the final Brexit deal. Almost everyone we spoke to said there was no going back – we have to get on with Brexit. And few liked the Lib Dem leader, Tim Farron.
One striking phenomenon initially was the number of people from less wealthy areas who said they would vote for May because they saw her as a new Margaret Thatcher. As the campaign progressed, some of these appear to have grown bored of May’s “strong and stable” mantra and may have drifted away.
It is worth mentioning Labour, too. The party cannot win here this time, but its activists believe Jeremy Corbyn has changed the game for them. They say a base is being built that could see them taking the seat in 10, 20, 30 years. We spoke to many younger people who said they would lend their vote to the Lib Dems for tactical reasons, but really backed the Labour leader.
The lines are blurred. A number of people said they would decide on the day, even waiting until they entered the voting booth. If the Tories hold on, they will have done it through dogged hard work and will say it shows that people trust the party and the prime minister. If they lose, the Lib Dems will claim the comeback is on. But it’s really not as straightforward as that.