I’d put money on the ‘other’ group being the Greens. They should do well out of this, especially if AV passes.

Its also amazing how many have returned to the Labour fold, it was a very short defection. Shows how little choice we all have.

Does this mean that Libdem cheerleaders at the Guardian are now over-represented?

It means millions are now without representation, that’s what it means.

“Does this mean that Libdem cheerleaders at the Guardian are now over-represented?”

As far as I can make out there tend to be at least as many anti-Lib Dem pieces in the Guardian as pro-Lib Dem pieces if not more.

@1 I’d hazard that most of the defections are temporary – at the moment there’s only one party of opposition so people dissatisfied with the government only really have one place to go. This doesn’t mean they’ve permanently switched sides though – look how many were theoretically backing the Conservatives a month before the general election compared to how many actually voted for them.

Do the Mail figures mean that their readers are the least politically affiliated, or the most politically entrenched (least movement in any direction)? Not sure if I’m reading the graph right but seems like the latter, which is interesting in itself.

What’s worrying me is that +5% change in Tory students. That cannot bode well for the future at all.

@4 I think that depends how anti Tory the defectors from Libdems are.

The fact that they can switch between the three parties shows just how similar they all are. If one of them had a policy set that stood for something different, even with only a small amount of supporters there would be a lot less switching of support between them and the other two.

S.Pill,

I noted that figure as well – albeit I’m not certain its bode ill or well. But it probably simply reflects the huge collapse in Liberal Democrat support amongst students – some will always go to the Conservatives, and it is now probably socially less acceptable to be a Liberal Democrat in student circles, so Conservative no longer has the same bad reputation. An interesting case study in detoxification perhaps?

And some students do agree with the tuition fees policies of course…

Why no mention of the Green Party? It seems highly unlikely that they have not benefited enormously from those of us who have abandoned the ‘Yellow Tories’… I doubt many are going to jump from Lib Dem to BNP / UKIP!

Assuming that Yougovs “polling” actually works, we will all know in 2 weeks. Lets see some concrete predictions of how big this Libdem “meltdown” will be. I am willing to stick my neck out & predict losses of under 200 seats.

Can someone please tell the entire Guardian editorial this!! So they can stop their endless tide of sycophantic apologist pieces.

There is always a core TORRY support base amongst certain segments of the student population. We shouldn’t fool ourselves by romantic notions of left wing politics dominating the student body. I suspect right wing students simply see no hope for the LibDems and have switched accordingly.

I certainly worry about Labour and its left wing creditionals (still too many entrenched NuLabs and Blairites in the party). But I have no faith in the Greens. If the LibDems sold us out quick enough, should the Greens ever matter -I suspect they would prostitute themselves to anyone for a windfarm or two. Ultimately only a party rooted and representing the working class and vulnerable of society can remain truly left wing (sadly we may end up with no left wing party). PR would at least enable the birth of new and purer political entities capable of genuine representation.

You Gov reports current Guardian voting intentions as follows, compared to May 2010:

http://www.nextleft.org/2011/04/labour-moment-as-libdems-now-trail-by.html

Labour 66% (+24%)
LibDems 15% (-30%)
Greens 9% (+5)
Conservative 7% (-)
Other Others 3% (-)

[the Prospect tables are based on Greens being included in Others 12% (+5)]

BlueRock @ 9

I am not sure about that, BlueRock. The Lib Dems have had the taste of blood in their mouths. Who knows were this will end?

I can remember when the fore runners to the Liberal Democrats, the genuine Liberals were dismissed as ‘a bit wooly’. You all know the stereotype the beard, the sandals and the real ale, not to mention the not too distant smell of dope. The blokes were just as bad. I am not saying the stereotype was an accurate reflection of the membership, of course, but it was the image that we all had.

Well that image is in tatters now, isn’t? The little kid at the back of class has managed to weedle his way in with the class bullies, he isn’t just holding the jackets as the other kids suffer, he is actively laying the boot in.

The image of the Lib Dem is now the sharp suited, smarmy bully actively nicking wheel chairs and demanding mental health service closures for ‘our own good’. Look at their literature and the Party Political Broadcasts. They are pretty solidly towing the line that spending money on the vulnerable caused the rescission, not the bankers.

Like it or not politics is becoming more and more polarised. There are going to be less and less shades and those lines are becoming darker and will define who we are in terms of personality and politics. Those remaining Lib Dems are now every bit as my ideological enemy as the Tories have traditionally been. I could never, under any circumstances, share a political platform with people who reject science in favour of ideology, but the Lib Dems are doing exactly that.

Given that the Lib Dems are willing to forsake two hundred years of science for power, are we garner that they are above smearing a dog turds onto a door of the great grandchildren of an immigrant? I think not.

Having read this superb article – seriously, all will be fine if the old Social Democrats and their (left) descendants find their way back to Labour. Then we shall see for real what this CamClegg sham is really all about.

My apologies to others for this unforgivable lapse into friendliness !

@14 Ted

Back to “Newer” Labour Ted…?

Don’t hold your breath will you… there’s a hell of a lot more de-toxifying to be done before many of us will be voting Labour again!

@ 15. Galen10

I understand your reluctance to fully engage with Labour at this early stage but even old fashioned Liberals like me now need a new political home so to speak.

We more or less got our eviction notices last May also !