Brown's hung parliament strategy enters final phase

The Tories may be wobbling in the polls but Labour remain a long distance from being able to win an outright majority. Labour is at 29.8% in the ConHome Poll of Polls. Labour's only hope of staying in power is via a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. Brown's deathbed conversion to holding a referendum on electoral reform has to be seen in this light.

Eric Pickles commented:

“Gordon Brown avoided a leadership election, bottled a general election and now wants to fiddle the electoral system.  He will say anything to cling on to power.  It’s not the voting system that needs changing; it’s this weak and divided government.”

In our latest survey of Tory members, we find a decisive rejection of PR.

10% said they would "accept proportional representation as the price of a coalition deal with the Liberal Democrats." 86% said no.

ConservativeHome has argued that the dangers of a hung parliament at a time when global investors will expect resolute deficit reduction must be a key feature of the Tory election campaign.

Tim Montgomerie