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Final polls of the campaign point to a hung parliament

Final pre-election polls show the Tories around 30 seats short of a majority.

New Statesman - Polls Guide_1273093737947

Latest poll (ComRes/Independent) Conservatives 27 seats short of a majority.

22:05 UPDATE: The final poll of the night, a ComRes survey for the Independent, has the Tories unchanged on 37 per cent, Labour down one to 28 per cent and the Lib Dems up two to 28 per cent.

So, assuming a uniform swing, all of the polls published tonight point to a hung parliament. There's no sign of a late Tory surge but I expect the Conservatives will be fairly satisfied. They are confident that their strength in the marginals will give them more seats than national polls suggest.

The Tories are all but certain to emerge as the single largest party on Friday but unless, against expectations, they perform well in the Lib Dem marginals, I can't see them winning an overall majority.

If Cameron ends up around 20 seats short of a majority, I expect him to attempt to lead a minority government with the support of the DUP and other minority parties. If the shortfall is more like 30-40 then he will have no choice but to negotiate with the Lib Dems.

21:50 UPDATE: ICM for the Guardian has the Tories up three to 36 per cent, Labour unchanged on 28 per cent and the Lib Dems down two to 26 per cent.

20:06 UPDATE: It looks as if last night's YouGov poll, which had the Lib Dems way down on 24 per cent, was an outlier. Tonight's has them back up fourpoints to 28 per cent, with Labour down two to 28 per cent and the Tories unchanged on 35 per cent.

There's no sign of a late Conservative surge tonight but these polls are far from encouraging for Labour. Most show them level-pegging with the Lib Dems and two put Nick Clegg's party in front.

New Statesman Poll of Polls

New Statesman - Polls Guide_1273093992405

Hung parliament, Conservatives 27 seats short of a majority.

UPDATE: The latest Angus Reid/PoliticalBetting poll has the Tories up 1 to 36 per cent, the Lib Dems unchanged on 29 per cent and Labour up 1 to just 24 per cent. As ever, Gordon Brown will be hoping that Mike Smithson's golden rule -- that the poll with Labour in the worst position is normally the most accurate -- does not hold this time.

UPDATE: Populus for the Times has topline figures of Con 37 per cent (+1), Lab 28 per cent (+1) and Lib Dems 27 per cent (-1). On a uniform swing, that result would leave Cameron 24 seats short, a legislative handicap he would hope to overcome with the help of the DUP and others.

The first two polls of the night are out and both point to a hung parliament. An Opinium poll for the Daily Express has the Tories on 35 per cent (+2), Labour on 27 per cent (+1) and the Lib Dems on 26 per cent (-1). If repeated at the election on a uniform swing, that result would leave David Cameron 38 seats short of a majority.

Meanwhile, a new TNS BRMB poll puts the Tories down one to 33 per cent, with the Lib Dems also down one to 29 per cent and Labour unchanged on 27 per cent. On a uniform swing, the figures would leave Cameron 57 seats short of a majority.

So, like other recent polls, both suggest that the yellow tide is receding. That said, it's worth remembering how few expected to see any poll put the Lib Dems ahead of Labour the day before the election.

I'm expecting a glut of polls tonight, so stay tuned for updates throughout the evening.

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Tags: Election 2010  Polls Guide

11 comments

jeremiah's picture

God help us! Nick Clegg as FM!

This country is in a dire state but the bloody Lib Dems having a share of power is just too much to bear!

For God's sake people stop Cameron, stop Clegg, VOTE LABOUR!

jason's picture

Clegg needs the support to be able to have the leverage to be foreign minister.

Clegg would make a great foreign minister so please support the lib dems.

Peter Wakeham's picture

What - vote for a government that took us into an illegal war? Have we all forgotten Iraq? The bereaved of Iraq can remind us - voting either Labour or Conservative is saying to those bereaved that we support illegal invasions.
That's a fine reason in itself to vote Lib Dem (and achieve a more democratic voting system).

Glenn Oliver's picture

All of the polls do not (cannot) take into account tactical voting, which shows every sign of being more widespread than ever at this election.

60 of the top 100 Liberal Democrat target seats are Conservative-held.

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/liberal-democrat-target-seats

All of the election analysis has focussed on how many seats the Tories may or may not win.

Equally decisive is how many seats the Tories will lose, when New Labour voters in those Tory - Lib Dem marginals decide to vote tactically to oust the Tory MP, and so increase the likelihood of New Labour having the largest number of MPs in the new Parliament.

bernard2's picture

there has been tactical voteing for two elections now that makes it harder for the cons . have you noticed the pattern all election its never failed the cons get out to 37% for about two days , the next day fall back to 33% . becouse when faced with being on the ferge of actualy electing them the people just cant . guess what ? election days the day they are due to fall in the polls again . this pattern hasent failed ive watched it all election . now if the cons only get say 34 or 35% and labour actualy polls just a few points higher than the national polls a saying liike just 2% the conservitives a done . i predict labour 33.5% on the day . many will get in the booth and just not be able to vote conservitive when push comes to shove . lets hope so .tactical voteing bye libs and labour would crush the tories why becouse if they cant win the marginals their vote could be higher but just usless extra votes in their torie strong holds .good luck lab and the lib dems .

bernard2's picture

when i actualy looked at what labour has acheived since 1997 they disserve a landslide victory over the conservitives .

John HW's picture

Looking at these figures carefully, I would say that there IS a late movement to the Conservatives. It might not be a 'surge' but I have a horrible queasy feeling that it will take Cameron and Co into overall majority territory. Say goodbye to electoral reform if so.

bernard2's picture

john evreytime the cons have got to 37% in the polls the vary next day they fall bye say 3 or 4 % heres hopeing that day for the cons in today . god they will regret electing camron and osborne , i can tell you . when labour took office in 1997 from opposition they had 43% .the countrys not ecactly thrilled about the tories are they .35%.
no torie has done it since before the way a swing this big ? hestletine dosent think it can be done , well know soon , enjoy which ever party you want to win .

bernard2's picture

i think the tories need a 9% swing with tactical voteing , take into account labour could be a few points higher on the day and the cons are loosing at least 4 seats if not more on tactical voteing . ILL TELL THE LIBREL DEMOCRATS THIS YOU HAVE NO CHANCE OF PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION UNDER THE CONSERVITIVES THATS FOR SURE .

bernard2's picture

AT LEAST 50 SEATS WITH TACTICAL VOTEING WE CAN BLOCK THE CONSERVITIVES IN I MEAN COLLECTIVELY THE 60% THAT MAKE UP THE CENTER LEFT VOTE . LETS NOT WASTE IT , LETS USE THAT VOTE TACTICALY , IM LABOUR BUT IM VOTEING LIB DEM IN A LIB CON MARGINAL , AND IM A LABOUR VOTER I HOPE LIB DEMS WILL BLOCK THE CONSERVITIVES IN LAB /CON MARGINALS BYE LENDING YOUR VOTE TO LABOUR . THEN WE HAVE A CHANCE REAL CHANCE TO GET RID OF THIS GROSS ELECTROL SYESTEM WE HAVE .LIBS ENJOY YOUR DAY YOU DISSERVE THE GAINS YOU WILL MAKE , LABOUR LETS HOPE WE CAN PULL THIS OUT .WE CAN EASILY WITH TACTICAL VOYEING .

emiore trends's picture

this year is unlike any other given that they are likely to vote tactical more in this election than any in recent memory as there is now perceived to be a real choice for 3rd party.
and with so many undecided voters than ever before.

for undecided it would take a more sophisticated mathematical model to take into account all the various permutations on people's votes.

I've been trying to analyse the data in a more contextual way using prototype tools, you can see the results on electiontrends.blogspot.com, and the preliminary results show a number of themes coming through: tactical voting and hung parliament are strong themes, with Tory and Labour leaders both being strongly attacked by followers of the other party.

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