Poll shock for Tories - still behind in marginals

[Gromit]

// Labour and the Conservatives are almost level in their battle for the marginal seats which will determine which party wins the general election, according to a new poll.

In the key marginal seats, Labour is still just ahead, on 38.2 per cent, down from 45.3 per cent in the 2005 election. The Tories are on 37.6 per cent, up from 31.4 per cent. //

http://www.telegraph....n-marginal-seats.html

Isn't it strange that with about 7 weeks to a General Election, the Tories still haven't revealed most of their policies?

[Sqad]

What policies?

It will be an interesting election night....whenever it comes.

[milliezoe]

How true they are frightened to reveal their polcies because they know it would ruin their chances of being elected its going to get very interesting in the coming weeks to see who grasps the mettle and stand up to be counted

[rov1200]

Labour's policies are gradually coming home to roost. According to today's figures the £ is slipping widely into oblivion compared with other currencies. Even though it is worth next to nothing we still can't get people to buy our goods abroad. The cheaper £ means our workers are having to produce more goods for the same money and just to stand still.

We are left with a devalued £ operating in a devalued Britain.

All due to the massive £180bn debt we shut our eyes to hoping the next government will clear it up. If you think times are bad just wait till after the election!

[joggerjayne]

Labour policy ...

Lead the country into recession, but blame everyone else.

Sell off our gold reserves and undermine the stability of GBP.

Allow unemployment to rise, but continue trying to massage the figures.

Allow crime to rise, but change the statistical criteria to try to hide it,

Deregulate the banks' lending criteria so that they run riot, and then blame the bank chiefs.

Cling on to power at all costs, and by any means.

Conservative policy ...

Just try to avoid the above.

[Davethedog]

Rov1200 - Yeah we should have joined the Euro. Talk sense.

And who was it who destroyed our manafacturing base in the first place??

[joggerjayne]

Find them yourself, No_Kno ... think of it as homework !

LOL

[trt]

The party that stops the flow of immigrants and tightens up the borders will get my vote.

[anotheoldgit]

The Tories won't reveal too of their manifesto in case Labour steal some of their ideas.

No, I believe they are keeping their powder dry until the last possible minute, and then they will kick sand in Labour's face.

[Sqad]

AOG ;-)

[rov1200]

trtt its because of the open borders policy that allowed all these immigrants in so that Labour would attract more votes. Its why they are standing high in the polls at the moment.

[Quinlad]

And if they need any sand to kick, I'm told there's plenty on the beaches of Belize.

[rov1200]

What a bl00dy mess we are in!!!

///UK trade deficit widens to worst in 17 months

An unexpected fall in UK exports meant January's trade gap widened
The UK's goods trade deficit with the rest of the world unexpectedly widened to its biggest since August 2008 in January.

And exports saw their sharpest drop in more than three years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The UK's trade gap in physical goods widened to £7.99bn ($12bn), well above the £7bn forecast by economists.

The news was disappointing, especially since the weak pound might have been expected to boost sales abroad.

The UK's currency has fallen by some 24% against a basket of world currencies since early 2007 - before the global economic crisis.///

[McMouse]

Agree with AOG.......Tories are keeping their powder dry. Week before the election will focus on the fact that Gordon Brown is barking mad.

[Sqad]

rov....agreed.....so why have the Tories kicked a lead of 25points into touch in 5 months?

Worrying.

[jake-the-peg]

Why have the Tories lost their lead?

Easy - their economic policy

A lot of people work in the public sector

Even more work for companies or run companies that sell to the public sector


They know the Tories would put swinging cuts like Margaret Thatcher did and they know the result would be another recession like it was in '81 and they'd be at risk of losing their jobs/businesses

As Clinton famously said - "It's the economy stupid"

If Cameron doesn't soften the finacial policies it'll be a hung parliament and probably a Lib/Lab pact

[Gromit]

The Tories really should be well in the lead now. They need to win the marginals.

The few policies that they have revealed have not stood up to scrutiny. The Retirement Age and Marriage Tax Break gaffes have exposed basic errors and inexperience. The longer they hold out and not tell us what they really have planned, the more the electorate are wary of them. It looks like they do not want to leave time for what they propose to be carefully studied.

If they do leave to the last minute and release a rash of policies, and then they have to make embarrassing u-turns, it could lose them votes, when votes are tight.

[Garmard]

To tell you the truth, who shall we vote for?....................The country is in such a mess with a succession of inept government policies through the years from both the Tory's and Labour that i think i shall vote Lib Dem.
At least they have a few good policies,eg- Making Council Tax affordable instead of blindly putting it up year on year unlike Labour.
We just need an administration that isn't built on greed and party politics.

[sp1814]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a lot of traditional Conservative voters switch to the BNP and UKIP, allowing Labour to get back in.

That would be, literally, the funniest outcome of any General Election...EVER.