Tory wars over Europe

[Barrister]

There was an argument over here about that. The SNP wanted to ask 'do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?' Apparently questions that start 'do you think' or 'do you agree' tend to have higher positive responses so they were slapped down by the Electoral Commission. The actual question will be 'should Scotland be an independent country?'

That's nothing.  Here's the 1995 question:

"Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Quebec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?"

[Valmy]

The question should have been: 'Vive le Québec libre?' with a small picture of Charles De Gaulle beside it on the ballot.

[Sheilbh]

That's nothing.  Here's the 1995 question:

"Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Quebec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?"

Christ

The question should have been: 'Vive le Québec libre?' with a small picture of Charles De Gaulle beside it on the ballot.

V for 'oui'.

[Barrister]

That's nothing.  Here's the 1995 question:

"Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Quebec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?"

Christ

The question should have been: 'Vive le Québec libre?' with a small picture of Charles De Gaulle beside it on the ballot.

V for 'oui'.

In response the Feds passed the Clarity Act which stated that in order for any province to leave Confederation there needed to be a clear question, a clear majority (not 50%+1), and would have to be negotiated with Canada.

[Josquius]

The only answer to west lothian is to devolve the English regions too.

There was an argument over here about that. The SNP wanted to ask 'do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?' Apparently questions that start 'do you think' or 'do you agree' tend to have higher positive responses so they were slapped down by the Electoral Commission. The actual question will be 'should Scotland be an independent country?'

Typical of the SNP to try and pull something like that. They love gaming the system.

[Sheilbh]

UKIP just two points behind the Tories in new poll
Support for UKIP surges to a record high of 22 per cent in the latest Survation poll, with the Tories down five points to 24 per cent.
BY GEORGE EATON PUBLISHED 20 MAY 2013 19:35

It just gets worse for David Cameron. A new poll by Survation has put UKIP on 22 per cent (up six points since 1 May), the party's highest ever rating and just two points behind the Tories (down five to 24 per cent). Before adjusting for don't knows, the two parties are level pegging on 23 per cent.

One should always avoid drawing any conclusions from a single survey, but the significance of such polls lies less in the numbers themselves and more in the panic that they will induce on the Conservative right. It is no longer unthinkable that at some stage we will see a poll with UKIP ahead of the Tories. The likelihood remains that most Tory defectors will return to the Conservative fold before 2015, but the challenge for Cameron will be keeping control of his party in the meantime. The more the polls show UKIP eating into the Tories' vote share, the greater the temptation will be for Conservative MPs to follow Nadine Dorries's lead and seek to establish electoral pacts with the Faragists

Labour is on 35 per cent (down one), 11 points ahead of the Conservatives, with the Lib Dems on 11 per cent (down one), 11 points behind UKIP. If repeated at a general election on a uniform swing, those figures would give Labour a majority of 104 seats.

Survation also asked respondents how they would vote in next year's European elections. Labour leads on 31 per cent, but this is just a point ahead of UKIP, support for which has risen by eight points since January. The Tories are in third place on 20 per cent (down four points), with the Lib Dems in fourth place on 8 per cent (down three) and the Greens in fifth on 6 per cent (unchanged). With UKIP already neck-and-neck with Labour, anything less than first place for the party next May will now be viewed as a failure.

I can't see Cameron avoiding a vote of no confidence if there's a couple of months of polls anywhere near this bad.

[crazy canuck]

Polling and pollsters are antithetical to good government.

[Sheilbh]

In fairness, since they stabbed Thatcher in the back, so are the Tories.

[crazy canuck]

I have no dog in that fight.  So long as you agree that the two concepts are not mutually exclusive I am happy.