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Tuesday, 20th May 2008

Are the Tories dead certs in Crewe and Nantwich?

Peter Hoskin 4:25pm

Adam Boulton & Co. bring us news that Ladbrokes have closed their books on the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, because the Tories are "dead cert winners".  Of course, this chimes with all the polls we've been reading recently, as well as with the Tory euphoria around Westminster.  But are things really that certain?  Tories on the ground in Crewe don't think so - one campaign leader there told us there could be "only a few hundred votes in it either way".  Watch this space.

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Comments

Tiberius

May 20th, 2008 5:00pm

Of course it's not certain, and I would be amazed if Cameron got a three figure majority in the GE. A win in Crewe would suggest, however, that he could just pull that off.

Gary Monro

May 20th, 2008 5:10pm

If the Tories don't say - over and over - that there could be "only a few hundred votes in it either way" then Tory voters, thinking it's a foregone conclusion, might stay at home. And then guess what?

There really could be "only a few hundred votes in it either way"!

quietlycontrarian.blogspot.com

Anthony Gibson

May 20th, 2008 5:17pm

Of course they're saying that - you wouldn't expect them to say anything else. It's classic expectation management and gets the voters out.

Andy Stidwill

May 20th, 2008 5:35pm

I agree. The Tories have to say it's close in order to get as many of their voters out as possible. The Tories will win by about 3,000.

RW

May 20th, 2008 5:51pm

I'm going to hazard a more optimistic shot at it - Timpson will get a 5000 majority. And Labour will get a nasty surprise.

Jessica

May 20th, 2008 5:55pm

That Tory candidate for C&N is gorgeous!

Paula

May 20th, 2008 6:39pm

Most young Tories are yummies..

:)

Sheila, Lincoln

May 20th, 2008 6:56pm

He is good looking. Tories are starting to get some totty at last!

Cindy

May 20th, 2008 7:04pm

Paula, I too have noticed lately that Tories seem to be getting hotter! By the way I include one Fraser Nelson in that statement.

RW

May 20th, 2008 7:09pm

Come on you lot. He's no Daniel Kawcynski is he? More like an Oliver Letwin lookalike I'd say. And even shorter than our Dave.

But hey, I'm a man. What would I know?

Ian C

May 20th, 2008 7:46pm

Sheila, Jessica and Paula - Nice to seee you girls know a thing or two about the most important part of politics: -

"I'll vote for him/her so long as I can fancy them!"

Pete

May 20th, 2008 7:51pm

No, they're NOT certs. True, many Labour voters are cheesed off with Brown and find the anti-toff campaign of the Dunwoody lass pathetic. But, many of these voters will either abstain or, if deserting Labour, vote for anyone else except the Tories. There's still this dyed-in-the-wool, never-voted-bloody-Tory-in-my-life, where's the whippet, "working class" (whatever that is!) mindset to overcome. True, it is diminishing (just look at Scotland where, who not long ago , the hardcore Labour voters would have elected a sack of spuds as long as it wore a red rosette). But I fear the North of England is still too set in its ways to change from Labour to Tory this soon - in an election for Westminster. Get on Betfair now and LAY the conservatives at .08. Hope Tories win but, .08 is bad value. LAY it.

Oscar

May 20th, 2008 7:59pm

Did anyone watch the C4 report from C&N? The panel discussion with Michael Gove, Geoff Hoon and Vince Cable was a classicly rigged C4 affair. Guess who got given a hard time by John Snow - and guess who was allowed to evade all the questions with no comeback? And there was no sight of any Conservatives in the audience asking the questions. If this was real life Labour would win with LibDems second and the Tories a poor third. The broadcast media in particular seem to live on another planet to the rest of us.

John R

May 20th, 2008 8:47pm

And you three haven't even met me...

Amanda Huggenkiss

May 20th, 2008 9:17pm

Jessica, Paula et al: You've got to be kidding. I know politics is show business for ugly people, but he's a pure Yorkshire flamingo.

Frank Pulley

May 20th, 2008 9:36pm

Sounds like the ladies commenting on this thread are measuring up the potential member for Crutch and Nonelately.

Graeme Archer

May 20th, 2008 10:00pm

I was there canvassing on Sunday in admittedly one of Labour's strongest wards. It most certainly didn't feel like a Conservative landslide so I'm glad that the campaign continues to ignore the bookies' advice and takes nothing for granted!

Perry

May 20th, 2008 10:43pm

Tory gels becoming excited. The Beloved Leader becoming relaxed. Can only mean one thing. MELTDOWN.

Nicholas

May 21st, 2008 12:28am

Oscar, yes I saw that and had exactly the same impression as you did. Jon Snow with a Labour rent-a-crowd and planted questions. The angry "independent" woman with the expression that could shatter a mirror and the glaring bearded Lefty lecturer were hilarious. They looked like they were still planning the storming of the winter palace. I bet they were Jon Snow's friends or relatives.

Typical Lefty indignant righteousness that anyone should dare vote for the Tories rather than their sad, bad, redundant mob. What a laugh.

Perry

May 21st, 2008 9:05am

But consider the merits of the would-be MP aiming to partially salvage the Beloved Leader’s rep. Single muvver, five kids + benfits, wealthy privileged gel. Yup, sounds ideally qualified to be a trendy metro lefty. Only surprised there’s no bleeding heart ‘ooman roights tosh in the story. [Apologies if this seems sneering and cynical. It is.]

Sean

May 21st, 2008 9:06am

RW - Like you, I'm optimistic too about the majority. A glance at Guardian CiF shows just how angry Labour supporters are. Some will stay at home, but some will vote Tory and relish the prospect of the chance to punch where it hurts.

Frank Pulley

May 21st, 2008 1:23pm

Michael Gove missed an opportunity to bang the drum bigtime last night on Paxman's C & N show on Newsnight. Admittedly Paxman hardly let anyone else speak with his constant and inappropriate interruuptions and bluster, but unfortunately Gove was wet and wooly and let Paxo bully him into virtual silence. The Dunwoody daughter was much more sanguine and the 'undecideds' must have been swayed by her ballsy resistance to Paxman's jibes. I was less sure of the outcome, after the programme, which presumably the C & N punters watched in their droves as it was about them. Bad news!

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