Tuesday 13 May 2014

Saving the Party

So here we are less than 1 year before the 2015 general election only 8% in the polls and looking like the beneficiaries of a voteless recovery. Here are the options for the party:
Immediate Commitments for the 2015 manifesto




  1. Ditch HS2 - worth about £80 billion saving for investment in Renewables, tax cuts, and scrapping the hated Tuition Fees. - Probably worth about 2% points
  2. Ditch Nick Clegg - despite having the arguments over Europe, Clegg couldn't win an honesty debate against the slimy and untrustworthy Nigel Farage so Clegg is clearly now part of the problem for the party - toxic and a drag on party recovery. Time to deploy a new leader - Tim Farron, Vince Cable or Jo Swinson.  - - Probably worth about 3% points
  3. Ditch Tuition Fees - a toxic issue with under 35's and parents of under 25's. - Probably worth about 5% points
  4. Ditch the coalition now - make the Conservatives a lame duck government - Lib Dems could cross the floor but keep the Government going on a lifesupport vote by vote basis. - Probably worth about 5% points
  5. Ditch Ofsted and abandon all support for Gove, Free Schools and all his works - worth 3% -the teacher vote
end result 26 % poll vote in 2015.

What about the other parties - what could the Tories do? - Morph into UKIP and advocate an immediate 2015 referendum and exit from Europe - worth about 10-15% , scrap HS2 - 5% - result 37%

Labour options - drop HS2 - worth about 5% points, bring back Milliband the elder from USA (2%), Support a referendum (5%) - result 42%

All to play for then - not over yet.