Election 2015: Nick Robinson, one man who’d welcome a second election

Tory Bow Group in 'Vote Ukip' row

Posted at 13.20, Tuesday 5 May 2015

The chairman of the Bow Group, the oldest Conservative think-tank which counts such party grandees as Michael Heseltine, Norman Lamont and Michael Howard among its patrons, has caused a stink by urging Tories to vote Ukip in seats they are unlikely to win.

Trouble is Ben Harris-Quinney has included in his 'Vote Ukip' message the seat of Rochester and Strood, which was won for Ukip by 'Tory turncoat' Mark Reckless in last autumn's by-election but which the Conservatives have every hope (backed by the polls) of winning back on Thursday.

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Bow Group patrons are furious and have issued a statement saying: "We believe that this country's best interests are served by voting Conservative in all situations. Ben Harris-Quinney does not speak for us or represent our views."

Harris-Quinney tells The Spectator that of course he wants the Tories to win but that in this new era of coalition government there is a case for parties to work together before and after the election.

"I supported a pre-election constituency by consistency accommodation with Ukip, as did Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, Lord Tebbit and Toby Young. If that had been in place I believe the Conservatives would now be sailing to a majority."

2015 campaign 'a carnival of nonsense'

Posted at 12.00, Tuesday 5 May 2015

Two days to go – and it's two days too many for some commentators. Janan Ganesh of the Financial Times dismisses the 2015 election campaign as "a carnival of nonsense and futility".

The public's voting intentions have barely changed despite the Budget, the manifestos, the sensational announcements, the unforced errors and the TV debates, he says. "None of these has achieved more than an ephemeral blip in the opinion polls."

Worse, politicians from both sides have studiously avoided "little things such as fiscal reality and the state of the world. We have seen politicians of the left propose price interventions and politicians of the right suggest banning tax increases by law."

Good riddance.

Read Janan Ganesh's FT column in full

Which way will Nick Clegg jump?

Posted at 12.00, Tuesday 5 May 2015

Ed Miliband's aides are seeking to "woo" the Lib Dems to join a coalition with Labour in order to stop David Cameron holding on to power - even if the Tories do better than Labour on Thursday, the Daily Telegraph reports.

This, the argument goes, would lend a minority Labour government 'legitimacy' because it would not be dependent only on the SNP.

The question, The Mole writes, is whether Nick Clegg would be prepared to talk to Labour in the event that Miliband wins fewer votes – or fewer seats - than Cameron.

This morning, on the Today programme, Clegg "swithered" when asked the question, seemingly leaving his party free to jump either way.

Read The Mole's column in full

Russell Brand endorses Ed Miliband

Posted at 12.00, Tuesday 5 May 2015

Nigel Farage has reacted to the news that Russell Brand has told the public "You've gotta vote Labour" with the remark: "I'm very pleased Russell Brand hasn't endorsed me. I don't think it'll make any difference to the campaign at all."

Will Farage and David Cameron - who dismissed the 'Milibrand' interview as a joke - have to eat their words?

As Jack Bremer reports, there are those who think that by taking the gamble of an interview with the unpredictable comedian – who only recently urged the public not to vote at all – Miliband could gain countless extra votes from the young, disillusioned first-timers who rushed to register before the recent deadline.

Read Jack Bremer's article in full

Labour try to save Big Three in Scotland

Posted at 11:55, Monday 4 May 2015

Labour has written off all prospects of winning 75 per cent of its 41 seats in Scotland and is throwing everything at savings the political lives of three key personnel – Jim Murphy, the Scottish Labour leader, Douglas Alexander, expected to be Foreign Secretary if Labour form the next government, and Margaret Curran, shadow Scottish Secretary.

With an Ipsos-MORI poll suggesting Labour could lose ALL its Scottish seats, and other polls reducing them to a handful of seats, party strategists are resigned to losing at least 30 seats, according to The Herald, and are focusing on “avoiding catastrophe”.

They particularly want to save the Big Three: East Renfrewshire (Murphy), Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Alexander) and Glasgow East (Curran).

They might just pull it off in Murphy’s constituency: recent polling shows SNP support falling from nine to three per cent. However, that’s thought to be thanks to Tory voters switching to Labour to keep the Nationalists out.

Read The Herald’s report in full

Polling boost for pro-Europeans

Posted at 11.30, Monday 4 May 2015

A new poll offers some encouragement to those who fear a vote for the Conservatives will make it more likely Britain will leave Europe because of David Cameron’s promise of an in-out referendum.

Polling by YouGov for The Times Red Box has 34 per cent saying they would definitely vote to stay in Europe, with only 18 per cent saying they would definitely vote for pulling out.

Read The Times Red Box item in full

Three days left: it’s still neck-and-neck

Posted at 11.30, Monday 4 May 2015

A rush of polls over the Bank Holiday weekend look remarkably similar, Don Brind writes, with most putting the Tories and Labour one point apart. The only exception is Survation for the Mail on Sunday which shows Labour three ahead. (Con 31, Lab 34, Lib Dems 8, Ukip 17, Greens 4.)

There have been four YouGov polls – three for The Sun and one for the Sunday Times. Two show a one-point Tory lead and two put Labour ahead by the same margin.

Some commentators remain convinced that David Cameron will enjoy a late swing to the Conservatives, enabling him to stay in Number Ten. With less than three full days of campaigning left before polling day, they will be watching the clock as qwell as the polls.

Read Don Brind’s article in full