Modest Conference boost for Tories

ICM/ Guardian: Conservatives 42% (+1%), Labour 30% (-2%), LibDems 17% (-1%). More soon.

6pm:

Comments

[Alan S]

VERY modest.

[Steve]

Lets see what it is after the latest McCabinet Reshuffle.

At first it seems like Broon was merely re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, now not only that but Broon has introduced more Icebergs!

Its a retro Government, a 1997 tribute band if you will.

Now thanks to the flunking fists latest reshuffle, the landslide defeat for McLabour at the General election will be even greater.

The Jock must stay! (till 2010)

[YourNameHere]

Would you quit all the anti Scottish references? It's very annoying for us Tories who aren't English.

[Oscar Miller]

Was this poll taken before or after the newspaper coverage on Thursday morning? The broadcasters (in particular the BBC) were much more muted and equivocal in their coverage of Dave's speech than the papers, so the timing of the poll is important.

[David (One of many)]

Oscar, the info was apparently taken on the 1st and 2nd. Which means that half the data was essentially gathered before Cameron had finished speaking.

[David Sergeant]

It is not a post conference boost, it is a Brown bounce small fade. All this stuff about Cameron's "prime ministerial" speech may have impressed the "in" crowd but the man in the street hardly noticed. Endless oportunities to clobber Labour were missed, not just by Cameron, in order to appear mature, while Labour and Brown piled in to the Tories and Cameron. Labour's stuff might have been silly but, often because of that, it got heard by the man in the street. We had, yet again, a conference talking to ourselves and the Westminster village, not many people noticed.

Of course the disgraceful biased BBC approach was a factor. This needs to be watched, it was so blatent there might be a policy decision behind it.

[Tom FD]

That's a shame. Even with the scaling-down, the Tories had the best conference by far.

[wtf]

Editor, can't you cut down on the constant anti-Scottish references and the endless prefacing of everything to do with Labour with pejorative terms like "Mc" or "tartan" in the comments.

It is extremely tiresome, presents the party and this site in a bad light and scares away others who might wish to make an intelligent contribution.

[Tory Boy]

I have to agree. Didn't our leader make it PERFECTLY clear that we are the party of Great Britain not England.

As an Englishman, I agree that there is a disproporionate number of Scots in the cabinet but let's be honest, as the most intelligent country on earth it's hardly surprising. Scots ran the empire and began the industrial revolution.

That said, I do enjoy some of the light comments on 'McJock's' cabinet, etc.

[Tim Montgomerie]

I sympathise with wtf. Let's keep the comments high minded wherever possible...

[David Belchamber]

Brown has thrown down the gauntlet with his reshuffle and other initiatives. It will be interesting to see how the tories react, for, while co-operating with the government in dealing with the economic crisis, they also need to demonstrate to the electorate that this country is in a far worse economic situation that it needs to have been - and that the main cause of that poor showing is Gordon Brown.
If David Cameron also reshuffles his shadow cabinet, he must strengthen the shadow treasury team.

[Simon R]

I find it rather encouraging that Labour have failed to solidify their post-conference gains, even without the impact (whatever it will be) of Cameron's speech and more importantly the Murdoch shift. The next thing is an eye-catching move or two in our reshuffle just to maintain profile.

I do think some use should be made of Kenneth Clarke, though I deplore his views on Europe. Obviously not shadow chancellor, or even a shadow cabinet role, but some sort of economic advisory role to highlight the last decent chancellor and gently remind people who was responsible for the good years, and give George Osborne some back up too.

[Steve]

Re: "Would you quit all the anti Scottish references? It's very annoying for us Tories who aren't English."
------------

Broon is Scotch, he is a 'Jock!'.

Im English, im a 'Limey!'.

I make no apology in expressing my Derision for Broon, he is a foreign Dictator to me and is trying to wipe my country off the map and hand over whats left to a foreign power.

Have you ever thought of taking up knitting?.

[Libertarian]

There is no boost as the changes are within the standard error of the sample size (plus or minus 3%). A basic statistics lesson would prevent such nonsense being written here.

[Terry]

The fundamentals have not changed. Brown’s fingerprints are all over the economic crisis we are facing. There are plenty of comments from earlier years about ‘no more boom and bust’ and not letting the housing market get out of control to make him a laughing stock during an election campaign. His recall of Mandelson makes me think he might call an election in 2009 rather than wait until 2010. Whenever it comes, he will lose.

[RichardJ]

Those complaining about the Mc comments - stop being so sensitive. Yes, it's puerile and annoying but not as puerile as those who cry about it. Sticks and stones etc.

[Ulster Tory]

"Editor, can't you cut down on the constant anti-Scottish references and the endless prefacing of everything to do with Labour with pejorative terms like "Mc" or "tartan" in the comments."

My surname begins with a 'Mc', and I am in no way insulted by 'Mc' references. I tend to regard it as a reference to Labour being like McDonalds - twofaced, greasy, and bad for the country.

[Joe James B]

"There is no boost as the changes are within the standard error of the sample size (plus or minus 3%). A basic statistics lesson would prevent such nonsense being written here.

Posted by: Libertarian | October 03, 2008 at 17:11 "

The truth is we don't know whether there has been a boost or not because the change is less than 3%.

The big picture is the government has clawed back some ground on the economy because repetition that this is some crisis we've been struck by, rather than very much home grown, has had some impact.

Nevertheless, this is quite a strong figure from ICM, which tends to have slightly lower Tory figures, and rather a bad poll for the Lib Dems.

[Freddie Fencepost]

Disastrous!!!

Labour catching up fast, and now Mandy is back. With the Prince of Darkness back what ever shall we do??

Perhaps its time to bring back Redwood/Tebbit???

[Malcolm Dunn]

Amusing that you take the side of wtf in asking for decorum on this blog Tim!!! I take it you don't know what wtf stands for!
Actually I think he's right ,the constant anti Scottish diatribes are very boring Steve. I'll do some knitting whilst you play games on a railway line.

[Annoyed]

AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS BLOODY HARD IN SCOTLAND FIGHTING FOR CONSERVATIVE REPRESENTATION - A DARN SIGHT HARDER THAN IS NEEDED IN THE SOUTH EAST AND OTHER COSY PARTS OF ENGLAND - I AM INCENSED BY ENDLESS PATHETIC MC/JOCK/ANTI SCOTTISH COMMENTS FROM ARROGANT IDIOTS HELPING TO UNDERMINE OUR COUNTRY OUR PARTY AND OUR MESSAGE.

IF WE HAD A BLACK PRIME MINISTER WOULD REFERENCES TO COLOUR BE ACCEPTABLE??

STEVE YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO YOUR PARTY AND WILL THE EDITOR PLEASE TAKE ACTION AND START OVERWRITING THESE SENSELESS COMMENTS!!!!

[Freddie Fencepost]

@ annoyed

Please do not shout! I have earache and you just made it worse.

Some decorum please

P.s. Perhaps you think you have to shout because you are so far away in Scotland. Believe me you don't!

[No more jocks]

Annoyed,

Don't get your kilt in a flap. The comments on here are much less bad than the ones I have been on the receiving end of in your country. I was once verbally attacked at a cash machine just for being English!

[Tim Montgomerie]

I do Malcolm know what wtf stands for :-)

[Freddie Fencepost]

No more jocks:

Maybe it was because your a Conservative?

[Joe James B]

Annoyed has a point.

[Sally Roberts]

Thank you Freddie Fencepost for beating me to it! "Annoyed" I was just beginning to wonder whether the Diet Cokes I stuck to at lunchtime had been spiked.....! "Shouting" is really not helpful and actually puts us off reading your points.

[Perturbed]

Steve, your reasonings for yous ignorance are pathetic.

Indeed, gordon Brown is Scottish (not Scotch, which further highlights the lack of any intelligent breah in your body) but to use that to attack him is saing that simply being Scottish is a bad thing.

This man has a criminal record as long as your arm and you decide to attack the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on the grounds of him being from the United Kingdom!!

If it comes to wiping a cuntry off the map it is separatists like Salmond and yourself who are completing that am, not gordon Brown or any member of the Cabinet.

Editor....start acting!!

[Sally Roberts]

By the way, Annoyed - I am half Scots myself and I think you're over-reacting!

[Tim Montgomerie]

Can we get back to the subject of the thread now please?!

[Freddie Fencepost]

Perturbed

Was "cuntry" a deliberate error?

[Annoyed]

For the record, I feel I have to shout when I see my country at risk of being otrn apart, my party engaging in thoroughly unconservative attitudes, and ignorance and narrow minded go on unchallenged.

And incidentally I behave in just the same way when i hear people making anti English commens....as a Unist and a One Nation it is what i stand for and as Conservatives we should perhaps consider what we are all in this for!!

[Ulster Tory]

"I do Malcolm know what wtf stands for :-)"

In Mock the Week style, 'wearing tartan flip-flops'?

;)

[Annoyed]

And just for the record, I am English!

[resident leftie]

Really, you can't expect much else. Xenophobia is par for the course on a right-wing blog. The Tories have pretty much abandoned Scotland, and so they can give up their pretence of even tolerating Scottishness.

I think the editor is being a Cnut in his attempts to hold back the anti-Scottish tide.

[Ulster Tory]

"Really, you can't expect much else. Xenophobia is par for the course on a right-wing blog. The Tories have pretty much abandoned Scotland, and so they can give up their pretence of even tolerating Scottishness.

I think the editor is being a **** in his attempts to hold back the anti-Scottish tide."

Equally, one could say that intolerance of other peoples opinions is the par for the course by a left-wing commentator.

The editor should moderate comments with unnecessary swearing in them - like yours. Mere opportunism on your part to slag off Tories.

[Edison Smith]

Until we get a poll from YouGov, the only pollster that matters, the jury is still out.

[Dorian Grapeshot -Resident Feudalist]

'I feel I have to shout when I see my country at risk of being otrn apart'

It has already happened down hereabouts. It was called de-evolution in terms of nation building.

Please understand that the English have no nation, nothing, nada, nicht. By diktat from an uniquely Scottish, identifiable, regime that still is in power.

On one hand we are insufferably arrogant that England = Britain but on the other hand we cannot have an English executive because Westminster = England = Britain.

That is why we get a wee bit p#ssy.

And I am both Scottish and Irish and both papist and the sash. If that helps.

1690 & 1066 and Culloden with random Cromwellian bits.

[Matt Wright]

I have to agree that the constant childish comments about people being Scottish is out of hand. Brown is useless but the fact that he is Scottish is irrelevant, indeed people making stupid comments about where people come from weakens the real points about the failures of the Govt.

[Richard]

"I think the editor is being a Cnut"

I hope that wasn't a typo...

[wtf]

"No more jocks", what a ridiulous name. I would be banned from this site if I logged in using a name like "no more pakis", so why does the editor feel this one is acceptable?

You might like to know that there is rampant abuse of and discrimination against Scots living in England. I have first hand experience of how racist, bitter and twisted the English can be towards others, so don't you try and lecture me.

[Paul D]

Better news from YouGov/UKIPgraph

C 45 (+4)
L 31 (0)
LD 15 (-1)

[Ulster Tory]

wtf (Wears Tartan Frocks?: "there is rampant abuse of and discrimination against Scots living in England."

I think it goes both ways to be honest. For example, I remember reading stories about people wearing England football jerseys, around the 2006WC, being attacked in Scotland, verbally and physically.

[wtf]

I remember reading stories about people in Ulster being slaughtered for following the "wrong" religion, so how strange of you to take the time out to criticise the Scots but then fail to see the log in your own eye.

[Ulster Tory]

That comment is not even worthy of a response, so I'll just leave you to ponder this;

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King

[Saxred]

The issue is that there are far two many MPs (who happen to be from Scotland) who make laws and vote on others that only affect the English. They also have far more MPs than they are entilted two and thier own Governement which has created a two tier (their's much much better) NHS and social care system which is funded by the English taxpayer to the tune of 10 billion a year. Some say that this is a deblietrate stategy by Scottish Nationalists to antagonise the Engilsh who will then support inderpendence. The EU woul love it too as GB has alwas been the beacon of freedom when threatened by European dictatorships.

[gezmond007]

I can't belive the number of racist comments appearing on this blog and the fact that tim is allowing the continued use of this is disgraceful.

It,a like Reading a childrens diary, "she said this " , " so I said this" , for goodness sake , grow up!

[Dorian Grapeshot -Resident Feudalist]

Any views on Slough?

[ivan the yid from bradford]

I am somewhat amused by all the c**p from persons North of the Border. I am of course a voter in the North of England, living in Bradistan which like much of the North has been totally abandoned by the two major parties. Law and order in this region is a joke, the only law that police & CPS are interested in is that of an automatic Muslim supremacy ie sharia law. We do not get the financial handouts and investment that Scotland gets nor do we get devolved powers by which local politicians with local knowledge answerable to a local electorate can sort out local problems. As just one example out of many take UK investment in improved railways - the last two major projects are West Coast main line which cuts journey times for our Scottish masters and Crossrail for London. DC's speech did not have any relevance for the North of England, many Northern Constituencies do not have agents or infrastructure. The Tory Party has given up on the North and many local Labour MP's admit McStalin is only interested in London and Scotland. The up and coming party's are Lib/Dims (!!), BNP etc