Clegg’s potential defeat puts kibosh on another coalition
New polling puts Clegg’s political career at risk – and threatens chance of second coalition with Tories
Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg looks set to lose his seat in Sheffield Hallam according to new constituency polling by Lord Ashcroft – with potentially huge consequences for David Cameron.
Labour are laying siege to the South Yorkshire seat knowing that, without Clegg, surviving Lib Dem MPs would be unlikely to enter another pact with Cameron’s Conservatives – in the event that the Tories come out of the 7 May election as the largest party.
Clegg had a 15,000 majority in 2010 – the biggest majority in any Lib Dem seat. That should have made him safe, even with the national collapse in the Lib Dem vote.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Labour’s Oliver Coppard is two points ahead of Clegg according to Ashcroft’s latest poll – which amounts to a swing from Lib Dem to Labour of nearly 20 per cent since 2010.
One obvious reason for Clegg’s declining popularity is that Hallam is home to one of the country's highest student populations - 17.3 per cent of the electorate - and most will have started university in 2012 just as the £9,000 tuition fees were introduced despite the Lib Dems’ promise not to allow it.
But Labour have another trump card - their large pool of activists in Sheffield and the rest of South Yorkshire. Hallam is the only non-Labour seat in a region with 14 MPs and almost a million voters.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 16, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - tears of the trade, monkeyshines, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 wild card cartoons about Trump's cabinet picks
Cartoons Artists take on square pegs, very fine people, and more
By The Week US Published
-
How will Elon Musk's alliance with Donald Trump pan out?
The Explainer The billionaire's alliance with Donald Trump is causing concern across liberal America
By The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The Tamils stranded on 'secretive' British island in Indian Ocean
Under the Radar Migrants 'unlawfully detained' since 2021 shipwreck on UK-controlled Diego Garcia, site of important US military base
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Britain's Labour Party wins in a landslide
Speed Read The Conservatives were unseated after 14 years of rule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published