Again, this is yet another case of what I would describe as an unwarranted headline for an article. The figures to me seem to be around the same point they were before though since the article does not make any direct contrasts between this and the previous poll it is hard to say. One thing worth noting is that the previous poll mainly referred to the budget whereas this poll focuses on the economy and the government overall.

I look forward to seeing how the Scottish vote goes with the Lib Dems, considering their contempt for the Conservatives and anyone that might be seen to be cosying up to them.

The Lib Dems probably will lose out in Scotland, but as Scotland will be ungeremandered before the next election that won’t matter so much.

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The figures to me seem to be around the same point they were before though since the article does not make any direct contrasts between this and the previous poll it is hard to say

There’s a link to previous polls at the end

The poll reports a divided nation. While 51% think Britain is likely to fall back into recession, 43% do not. And while 50% say they feel confident about their current financial circumstances and ability to keep up with inflation, 49% are not.

Which looks to be evidence that Labour can at least still get their message out. Good news for them, although leaving something of a hostage to fortune in that if Britain doesn’t fall back into recession, the Coalition have a strong good news story.

The pain has not even started yet.

>40% of Lib Dem voters say that they would not have voted LD if Clegg ended up as Camoron’s poodle.

The tories have no mandate for their mindless dogma.

I can’t wait for the local council elections in May 2011 to see the how few LD councillors remain and Clegg’s response to the demise of his party.

@7 gubbs

The pain would have been pretty bad whatever the outcome of the election: the devil as always is in the detail.

I’m sure it is correct that a large number of people who voted LD at the election would not have done so if they had “known” what the actual outcome would be. That may be a big part of the reason why Clegg and his team temporised about what would happen post election: whether that was cynical, or just common sense rather depends on one’s existing political prejudices. I’m an unconvinced LD voter, who probably wouldn’t have changed my mind simply because I live in an otherwise safe Tory seat where any other vote would be wasted.

I’m in sympathy with your view that the Tories have no mandate for the imposition of their mindless (and frankly rather dangerous) dogmas, altho the same could be said for Thatcher or Blair if it comes to it. The tragedy is the LD’s don’t seem to be able (or willing?) to act as an effective force to ameliorate the worst excesses of the Big Society. They can certainly be criticized for a lack of political courage… but then the great British public didn’t exactly give them a ringing mandate either did it?

I’m sure the LD’s will get a bit of a kicking in upcoming elections locally, and in Scotland, and any by-elections which come up. Whether that translates into political oblivion remains to be seen – the obituary may prove to be premature, particularly if Labour doesn’t raise it’s game. If support for the LD’s does collapse…where does that leave us come the next election?

@5 Yes, you do link to the previous poll but there are no questions in that poll which are the same as questions in this poll (based on the questions mentioned in your articles). Therefore, it is impossible to make a direct comparison. It might well be that there are questions which were asked in both polls but, as neither article mentions them, it is perfectly correct to say that there are no direct comparisons.

@ 8 Galen10.

Pain. Why amputate a foot when you can cut off the whole legg (or should that be Clegg). A few short months ago the LDs were advocating a similar budget reduction plan to Labour. No amount of Novocaine will distract the patient that this is a coalition; Dave and Georgie will highlight that too.

The LDs will get a bit more than a ‘bit of a kicking’, even from a one legged patient.

As for the next general election, whenever that may be, it will be whomever gets past the post first, unless of course a supposed liberal demacratic party decides to support a load of Old Etonians with a right-wing agenda. Nevertheless, I doubt it will come to that. The English electorate will want their pound of flesh back.

@10 Gubbs

You may well be right. I wouldn’t blame the electorate for delivering more than a good kicking either. My general point I suppose is what is the alternative? Once the righteous rage has calmed down, there will still in the medium to long term be the need for a viable opposition, no?

Given NuLabour’s doleful record over the past 13 years, I have little faith that they will re-invent themselves anytime soon. If the LD’s self destruct too, I’m not sure that will help to try and establish an effective left of centre, progressive movement to try and clean up after the ConDems.

@ 11 Galen 10,

I applaud your left of centre sentiment, so why do we have a right-wing government?

The votes cast at the last election:

C 10,726,614
L 8,609,527
LD 6,836,824

If the NL record was so doleful, surely there would have been an outright winner, even with a rightwing popular press and media unfriendly leader?

Despite the electorates memory, I suspect they will not forget this.

Yawn.

Opinion polls this far ahead of the next general election are rather pointless, particularly if that election will be fought using a different voting system.

:@3 PDF: The Lib Dems probably will lose out in Scotland,

It’s quite possible they’ll do badly in the Scottish election in 2011 and the Scottish locals in 2012. Especially if the coalition as a whole is unpopular.

but as Scotland will be ungeremandered before the next election that won’t matter so much.

Not sure what you mean; the Scottish parliament is relatively ungerrymandered already, and the Westminster parliament will still be even if AV and more-equal-sized constituencies happen, because the electoral system will still favour big parties.

@12 gubbs

“I applaud your left of centre sentiment, so why do we have a right-wing government?”

Oh.. where to start..!

- Lot’s of the people are stupid lots of the time;
- NuLabour were too demented to even try and make a Lib/Lab coalition work;
- a ridiculous electoral system;
- Clegg and his minions rather liked the Brokeback coalition vibe;
- after NuLabour, almost anything had begun to look better

…there are more, but it’s too much like picking at old sores.. *sigh*

Bracing Times!

We have an administration preparing to cut 25 to 40% of public expenditure who are only in power because they are supported by the LD leadership. I wince whenever I hear Dave, George & Nick on the TV and wonder who will be hit hardest; the old, the sick, the bankers.

The only light relief in all this thuggery and destruction is how the electorate will view the LDs and how their activists slope their shoulders, if they have even woken up to what is going to happen to them. The polls are snapshot of the mood of the country; AV is not PR and far from in the bag. Even if the next General Election is five years away, that is plenty of time for the grassroots to wither or defect.

@14 Galen 10

Sigh indeed. Dim Dave didn’t even expect to be PM if last nights news reports are to be believed and yet the Coalition are swanning around Westminster as if they own the place; which technically, I suppose a lot of them do.

Gubbs!
“thuggery and destruction”
I presume you are talking about Westminster and the UK over the last 10 years under Blair, Brown and his obvious thugs like Balls and all the Mc’s – No?

Basing a coherent political or economic argument on a Gruniard poll is like asking the Pravda of 10 years ago for a realistic assessment of Soviet foreign policy and basing a defence policy on it – total bias and the pleasing the fellow travellers.

@14

“- Lot’s of the people are stupid lots of the time”

Indeed, some people can’t even use apostrophes in the right places… (sorry, I couldn’t resist! )

A sad fact that is often overlooked is that half the world has less than average intelligence – by definition.

On the bright side, Bob, half of the world’s population is above average intelligence too