During the course of this campaign, a quarter of Tories in East Renfrewshire have switched to voting Labour to back Jim Murphy against the SNP.
Polls by Ashcroft of the constituency at the beginning and end of April shows the Tory vote dropping by 25 to 20%, and the Murphy vote increasing from 31 to 36% – a direct transfer of Tory tactical votes to Labour.
The Tories willingness to back the leader of the Scottish Labour accounting unit is the starkest possible illustration of the collusion of Red Tories and Blue Tories. It comes on top of Miliband’s preference for a Tory government rather than a deal with the SNP. As I have been saying for almost a year, I view a Tory-Labour “grand coalition” as perfectly possible.
Nothing to choose between them except neither want the SNP to win. That’s a really big story about Westminster politics. Hopefully they’ll still lose.
I’ve left you a comment on the Witkiewicz’ Suicide thread.
Odds are still 33/1. Was thinking of sticking a tenner on..
I’m with you Craig. Unlikely though it sounds, even now, I won’t be surprised if a deal is struck between the Conservative & Labour to form some sort of loose coalition with David Cameron as PM & Miliband as either Deputy or even Chancellor.
With the SNP surge showing no signs of a pause, anything is now possible in Westminster, just so long as the democratic will of the Scots is stifled.
Gingerchimpsky
Yup, still 33/1 when I last checked. On hearing of Craig’s prediction, though, the odds have just lengthened to 66/1.
I can see Labour, the Tories and the LibDems making such pacts all over Scotland to prevent the SNP getting in. Not that I am inclined to complain about it. 🙂
The politics of England being exposed.
There’s only one Westminster party,one Westminster party….
Slight overreaction to tactical voting here I think. Obviously if you are a Tory who strongly believes in the union and your candidate has no chance of winning, then it makes sense to vote Labour to keep the anti-union party out.
I thought people were not allowed to comment using Anon as a pseudonym!
Craig, I think if *ordinary people* are prepared to use tactical voting,then that says much more about what those ordinary people think about the SNP than it does about any Westminster collusion.
“Craig, I think if *ordinary people* are prepared to use tactical voting,then that says much more about what those ordinary people think about the SNP than it does about any Westminster collusion.”
Nationalists are still very much in denial about the majority of people in Scotland not wanting independence.
I’m with Chimp. Expect a sudden rearrangement once the votes are counted (failing the miraculous appearance of a heavenly shower of postal votes) along the lines of – ‘all that can possibly save us from ISIS, the crashing financial system and (insert catastrophic news item, say volcanic eruption in Penge) is a government of national unity’
It’s beyond farce. Enjoy.
Fred is still very much in denial about people everywhere being righteously pissed off with the mainstream parties….
“Fred is still very much in denial about people everywhere being righteously pissed off with the mainstream parties….”
Somebody must vote for them.
“Somebody must vote for them.”
I agree Fred. The big question of course is why. We have had decades of the same stuff from the same people, the same warmongers, and people still vote for them. You know the reason. My dad voted for them.
“I thought people were not allowed to comment using Anon as a pseudonym!”
What a little prick. Read it both ways. A prick as little as his pea-brain.
I think the last time I encountered such holistic littleness was in primary school.
Somebody needs to look up “holistic” in a dictionary.
Lysias, you the ganglion on the prick?
Did you look it up?
“Fred is still very much in denial about people everywhere being righteously pissed off with the mainstream parties….”
Yes and no. Not everywhere. My MP, Steve McCabe, I guarantee will be returned. On some issues he is very good. He nearly always answers my emails, except those that relate to new wars, questions about why we are supplying personnel and equipment to Ukraine when it has not been debated in parliament, and Menwith Hill. I wonder even if these get there. I shall have to ask him next time I see him. His predecessor in Selly Oak, Lynne Jones, is having a sabbatical at the moment, but unlike Steve she did not vote for war.
Nevertheless Steve has asked some very pertinent questions about shady business agreements in Afghanistan and has been dogged in trying to get answers, and continues to be dogged. So credit there.
Politics is shit. I understand why people vote Labour and Tory. Toryism is inbred in Tories to preserve the status quo and stay on top. Labour is the new Tory Party. They are all owned by the same powers. That’s why some can be convinced after lifetimes of support for a main party to switch to another main party where an unknown challenge may appear on the horizon.
“I think the last time I encountered such holistic littleness was in primary school.”
Last year then Toytown Idiot (aka the Sheik of Egypt).
I’d rock with Leanne Wood anytime. Nicola, I’m afraid it’s a no 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSldeOLiXk8
Music, God’s language!
“Last year then Toytown Idiot ‘
Sure your proclivities aren’t in paedo-country?
“Ugly scenes outside Ed Miliband speech in Glasgow as pro-independence crowd shout ‘traitors’ and brandish banners declaring ‘Red Tory scum'”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3064615/Ugly-scenes-outside-Ed-Miliband-speech-Glasgow-pro-independence-crowd-shout-traitors-brandish-banners-declaring-Red-Tory-scum.html#ixzz3YvStzO8d
He’ll probably try and weasel out with something like this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Imam_of_al-Azhar
But it still remains that Sheikdoms are predominantly found in the the Arabian Peninsula. So Big School next year, eh?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Peninsula
Villager, if you start to address the issues instead of attacking people with a bigger arsenal of retorts you might make some progress. You made yourself look very, very silly with this.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/04/dire-straits/#comment-522916
“Sure your proclivities aren’t in paedo-country?”
Believe me, if you start behaving like an adult I might start treating you like an adult.
Dig away PC Plod, you bumbler. Take a break from your eager dross.
“Dig away PC Plod, you bumbler. Take a break from your eager dross.”
Can you explain in another language?
‘As I have been saying for almost a year, I view a Tory-Labour “grand coalition” as perfectly possible.’
I’ve been saying it too. They’ll say that because of the state the countries in there needs to be a strong ‘together’ government. The Conservative/LibDem coalition was a precursor. Having two leaders takes the heat off one when things aren’t so good. And with the huge cuts about to take place there most definitely will be civil unrest.
Ruth and Craig. It is almost unthinkable, was unthinkable, thirty years ago, but not today. We could easily end up with the same unthinkable two-party system they have in the USA.
I was an extra in a film when I was a young teenager. It was a political comedy starring Norman Wisdom called “There was a crooked man”. I carried a poster which read “Money Talks”. It has to be a summation, encapsulation or precis of my understanding of politics.