It’s interesting how fast politics can change. A few weeks ago the media was treating the idea of a Tory election victory as a done deal and was busy dancing on Labour’s grave. They’re still relentlessly — sometimes unfairly — critical of Gordon Brown, but recently there have been a few more stories about the likelihood of a hung parliament. Today's Times quotes Kenneth Clarke saying that a Labour victory would be better for the country than a hung parliament, a comment which might antagonise some at Conservative HQ.
I blogged about the electoral difficulties facing the Tories last week. Not only is the electoral system biased against them, but for the most part, their support remains soft and unenthusiastic. Ignoring “core vote” types who’d vote for Robert Mugabe if he wore a blue rosette, I don’t get the sense that there are many around the country who can articulate what Cameron and Co stand for, or are that thrilled about the prospect a new Tory government.
Judging from the most recent Times opinion poll (that puts them on 39 per cent) and voting statistics from the European elections (where they won just 28 per cent of the vote on a low turnout) a hung parliament looks ever more likely.