YouGov have the Lib Dems on top

Woody

This country has gone mad.

Silent Hunter

"this country has gone mad" - No! It's finally waking up after the long nightmare of same old followed by same old.

annassasin

What a kerfuffle. Clegg has responded to EU allegations, clever. Labour 26%, only good news. Cameron need 5% more to win, without Labour gaining any. L.P. headquaters not so happy now.

Am I over hopefull. Labour waverers switch to lib, then if Cameron does well on thursday, Lib believe only Cameron can Beat Gordon, and switch, leaving Labour even lower. Dream on?. All bets off

Right On

In fairness Woody they've been mad for sometime - this is just the latest act of lunacy.

What we are witnessing is the X-Factorisation of politics.

I would appear Cameron has failed to convince people that he represents more of a change than a party that has supported about 95% of the governments policy over the past 13 years.

Hope David Davis isn't busy over the summer.....

Right On

@ Silent Hunter - please elaborate on exactly what makes the Liberal Democrats different?

emil

The joke is that the Lib Dems will jump into bed with Labour, and guess what, same old, same old, but much worse

2trueblue

Come on, it's just part of the circus that the 'meja' are putting on for us. It depends on what you ask, who you ask, where you ask it, and what your own intentions are. Mr Baroness Ashton ain't just your regular guy now, is he?

The bubble I am interested in is the Icelandic one. I need to get home. On the other hand I do not have to listen to rubbish tv, biased reporting, and I am in good company. If the poplulation are that gullible so be it.

Michael Booth

No it has gone mad because it has not categorically and totally rejected Brown and Co for the unprincipled, mendacious, neo-Stalinist bastards they really are. Wake up and smell the coffee doesn't really do it somehow...

Moriarty

Well looks like Clegg will make his pitch for PR by entering into a coalition with the party with the fewest votes.

What sweet irony.

Dirty Euro

So the tory's phraseology of change, change, change, has resulted in us moving even further to the left.

Anan

Hey Laborites and YouGov (also Labour): we don't fall for your tricks! Waiting for May 6th!!

JONNY

So what's it to be?
Clegg at the Despatch Box
Cameron back Opposite

and Brown scowling somewhere on the far left picking his nose

Richard of York

Haha
GB still holding the keys to No10
Cameron back to the wilderness selling icecreams to asylum seekers in Croydon.
Life can be so funny.

Perry

CCHQ must be delighted - can now ease off and put feet up. Leave probs to others.

Silent Hunter

Right-On:

IMHO - they offer something that the two 'old' parties have failed to do in 60 years, in a word - change.

They will change our cosy old two party elected dictatorship, get rid of "safe seats" and enfranchise the majority of the electorate.

Will that do for starters?

Gawain

The country has either gone mad or, perhaps, we are experiencing the strange death of the Labour Party as the official opposition.

annassasin

What a Kerfuffle. Clegg has got his rebuke to Cameron's EU allegations in first, good move. Labour 26%, is the only good news. Can Dave recover

Fox in a box

The Tories need to hold their nerve - Clegg and Cable will wither in the light.

If UKIP voters are patriots though, they should vote Tory - we cannot afford for the Marxists to manage to keep any hold on the levers of power.

Opinion polls mean f*ck all - May 6th is the only poll that counts.

Toodle pip

Ahiata

The 'surge' if it really is that is for best performer on the night. I don't think many folk in the High Street could name 4 (current) Lib Dem MP's.

The surge is for the slick Nick Clegg who I predict will now crumble under his own swaggering self-importance. He may start to believe he is important. He is in for a bumpy ride. his personal history is about to get a thorough airing. Also his mendacious assertions ("I met a man who was burgled 5 times") - so neatly debunked by the Telegraph - will not save him.

Just mention amnesty for Somalians.. that will get the 'shires up in arms.

And as for Cameron..how can all those smart people around him have blown it so badly........?

Beer Moth

Remember considered commentary? Tired of inane lists of figures?

Try this:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/7575673/Dont-let-the-voters-know-we-face-bankruptcy.html

Sir Graphus

You may be right, Michael B, but the nation, in its enthusiasm for an undefined new politics, is ironically about to take the only feasible route to re-electing the totally discredited incumbent. Which brings me into full agreement with Woody.

There aren't words for how disastrously bad this is. As Andrew Neil says, PR will follow, and thus a permanent Lib-Lab coalition can be installed. Whether or not you have any enthusiasm for Cameron or the Tories, democracy requires a functioning and relevant opposition.

Snowman

methink Ken Dodd ought to be on the panel on Thursday. He’ll win, and we’ll be laughing all the way through the next five years.

Justicia

Clegg is going to destory the others in the Foreign Policy debate.

He has the holier than thou factor on the Iraq war (and the way he can spin that to mean better judgment).

He can, if he's smart, batter both of the other parties on Trident as they've so far been suggesting he wants to scrap our deterrent completely. The idea of a more reasonable nuclear solution now that flattening St Petersburg is no longer a concern could work very well for him.

Given that he is the only leader of the 3 parties who has a manifesto commitment to an IN or OUT referendum (though naturally he will vote for it) , I imagine a lot of eurosceptic voters will go for him just to get the chance to actually fight their case properly, without the whole UKIP issue of voting for a fundamentally different party.

Things can only get better, as they say.

david

Meanwhile in deepest Wokingham someone is sharpening his knife.....Aaaahhhhggggh

John David Barnett

It has indeed gone mad. It has apparently turned its back on the Tories and seems to be veering towards putting into power a set of mendacious and unscrupulous men and women whose policies would cause chaos and mayhem.

paulg

irrigardless of what GCHQ say the conservatives need to tear into the Lib-dems. They are an absolute threat to the tories and as such they need to be dealt with.

For a start PR will give the BNP a massive share of the vote, not some thing sandel wearers want to see happen.

Secondly, a vote for the lib-dems will keep Mr Brown in power, not something including us really want to see happen.

The lib-dems have policies plucked straight out of a trip on LSD, really not the best way to run a country.

Come thursday, Clegg need to be thinking to himself that he has aquired the ability to speak mandarin chinese, because the nonsense coming out of his mouth will resonate, to the same extent, to the good folk of Britain.

Graham

The fall of Singapore comes to mind. All the big guns pointed out to sea - the Japanese simply cycled across the causeway.

Everyone knows the Lib-Dems are aweful - but nobody semed to think that "handsome" Clegg and "saintly" Vince were a threat - until "too late".

Pete Hoskin

Beer Moth: Booker had a week to write his column. I put this post up on a Sunday evening, as soon as I heard the news, before going out for dinner. You'll find longer, more considered stuff in the Coffee House archive...

sunlituplands

To all Tories, Cameronistas and sceptics alike, dont's panic dears, it's only a Liberal Democrat. Jolting week it may have been, but better now than a week before the election. The true threat is now known and can, and will, be combated. Exposing Lib Dem fantasies is a task well within reach if DC et al drop the treading on electoral eggshells and start selling their product.

I know it may seem that the electorate have taken leave of their collective senses, but we have all got used to voting in an instant way in the last few years and this debate and its aftermath is merely an extention of that. Indeed, the Tories may well come to welcome the wake-up call. The best news is that Brown is toast. Pathetic, exposed, now clinging to the formerly-abused Clegg like a half-inflated life-jacket. He's basically thrown in the towel and is hoping for a coalition to extend his career. Ain't going to happen. Lib-Dem votes will eat into the soft Labour remains just as much as the Tories. And when the Blue vote hardens, it could leave the socialists facing melt-down.

Take comfort in the continued presence of wee Dick of York on these pages, the architypal canary in the socialist mine. As long as he continues to twitter out his entertaining gibberish, we know that the socialists are still soiling their smalls at the thought of DC in 10, Ozzy in 11 and Sir Billy supping Mojitos with Barack and Michelle. Enjoy every word of his industrious output!

Stepney

Utterly mad; proven by one of the comments on the Times website this morning which boasted that Clegg was the man for Britain because at last someone was going to stand up and stop all immigration.

It would be laughable if the ignorance involved wasn't so damn dangerous.

A quick re-cap to those who think this is a good thing: join the Euro, give over greater powers to the EU, stop Trident and replace with nothing; shut down the academy programme; stop any new Nuclear Power and by doing so effectively turn the lights off in 3 years time.

This is the lunacy the X-factorisation of politics and the slavering media are boosting.

And let there be no doubt. Vote Clegg - get Brown.

What a bloody country...

Vettekulla

If Cameron pledged to 1) establish an English Parliament with MPs elected under proportional representation (ensuring the Tories would always be the majority party) 2) replace the present House of Commons with a small group of Welsh, Scottish and English MPs to meet occasionally to consider UK affairs and 3) remove all earnings under 20,000 pounds from income tax 4) raise VAT (and challenge other parties to say they won't) he would take some of the wind out of the Lib Dem sails.

General Zod

Having thought about this lunacy since Thursday night, I now expect (although the British people were stupid enough to vote Labout in 2001 and 2005, so nothing can be excluded) that with The Tories and Labour focusing on the LibDems' actual policies, Clegg will find himself increasingly uncomfortable in his new spot in the sunshine and will wilt before drying out and blowing away.

Nicholas

"When will all this end? It's a common refrain in EU Region 17. "Only when the old man goes," said Martin Polly, a street vendor.

EU Region 17 on Sunday marks 20 years of the rule of President Gordon Brown, swept to power during the country's heady and optimistic flirtation with the now defunct Liberal Democrat party in 2010. Two decades later, the country - once a financial services powerhouse and freedom beacon is still mired in continuing political oppression and an impoverished, stagnant economy.

Polly (35) sells cheap sunglasses and trinkets in a parking lot outside a suburban Harmongreencity store. He is of a generation known as the "born frees" who never suffered under Conservative rule.

But the unkempt Polly, with worn clothing and untended dreadlocked hair, knows the hard life. He lost his menial job at an Immigration Hostel when the President began his "EU Region 17 jobs for Immigrant Workers" initiative four years ago. Now Polly is one of the indigenous minority forced to beg and hawk on the streets. The public sector now employs 50 million people, 60% of the population, of which the majority are now immigrants with special status or party members.

He has two children and like many Region 17ians was educated in Brown's post 1997 boom in schools and health services -- making "born frees" some of the worst taught and unhealthiest people in Europe - he battles to survive and blames Brown for blocking real improvements in living standards.

It is still an offence to publicly insult Brown - several cases are pending in the courts - and Region 17ians know it.

"Surely it is time for him to enjoy retirement," said Polly guardedly.

But Brown (79) who dyes his hair unnaturally black and still talks with a glottal stop, is going nowhere. The narcissistic former Marxist holds a firm grip on his Fairness-Labour party from his State Palace of Fairness For All in Kirkcaldy, that in December chose him to lead it for another five years. And he has no plans to yield the reins of state power, said John Stevans, a political scientist at the main University of Karl Marx in Harmongreencity.

"He is afraid of the consequences of leaving office, he wants to die there," Stevens said.

Critics say Brown, a political leader of the party that ended Conservative rule in 1997, has shown a toxic streak in his character all along.

"He is like a chameleon who looks good when things are going well but now the dark side is showing," he said.

He had been viewed favorably in the world for solving the global financial crisis of 2009. But schools and social services collapsed completely in recent years. Things rapidly got worse when the public sector was moved to Scotland and most of EU Region 17 was declared an Open Immigration Zone. Now the majority of the single party state officials live and work in Scotland apart from Fairness-Labour's Freedom Police, the dreaded black uniformed corps that seeks out incorrect thought and speech amongst the remaining indigenes."

Watt Tyler

While it's funny to see the LibDems suddenly bloat with new self-importance, it's more amusing to see the Progressive Conservatives flailing around. Yes it is.

What to do, huh? Well, when the ancients (those that didn't have God) couldn't understand why everything was going wrong they used to kill their firstborn. You never know, it could also appease the Volcano god.

JONNY

Oddly the comments on PB are far more optimistic for the Tories.
The prevailing feeling is that the Clegg monster has gutted itself with Tory votes and reached bedrock point.
It has now got Labour on the platter. And is taking huge chunks out of it for its big main meal. Because the LDs have the power and momentum to replace it as the Party of the Left, and appealing to the same voters.
The only question is: will Brown hold the 25% line? Or drop beneath it?

Noa Zrk

Is it any wonder that commentators now use non de plumes like Anassassin and Silent Hunter?

Methinks these columns anticipate the stocking of larders and private armouries in anticipation of the post electoral anarchy Nicholas captures all too cogently that will develop following the return of a hung Parliament and resulting coalition government. No doubt it will be short lived, but no less damaging to the country for all that.

Ian Walker

For those of us who put the health of our democracy above party politics, things couldn't be better. If Labour poll under 25% in the G.E. and end up with the most seats, it'll be the end of first-past-the-post for sure, and with the Lib Dems in such a strong position, they'll hold out for multi-member STV.

This will usher in a new age of British politics for the 21st Century (ten years too late)

Snowman

Nicholas:

Like it a lot, you talented man, except for the optimistic streak; The EU Region 17 may be here sooner, much sooner, I reckon.

2trueblue

Justica, some of what you say of Clegg rings true, but this man can not expect to be believed when offering an IN/OUT of the EU. He is a commited EU man.
Also offering a straight IN/OUT cna very cleverly work against us as it depends on the pitch and the rules he puts therein. Also who is he going to get to support him to do it? Brown/Liebore? Havent't we been here before? His voting on hte Lisbon treaty will not stand up to scrutinity to substantiate that he will/can deliver said same referendum. His immigration promises are also not good and there is some tie in with the EU on that area that is detrimental to us. So on balance, no Clegg could lose his advantage here.

It was within Browns and Cleggs gift to prevent Lisbon from being ratified and they stole that opportunity form us so I cannot agree that his foreign policy that affects our day to day life is good.

Clegg had his vote then and he could have marshalled his party to block its passage in the house of commons. Why believe him now?? Look back at the figures. We do indeed live in interesting times. Liar beware.

Ghengis

NO! Its the system that is madness and LabCon are hell bound on its survival. They are both so basically dishonest as to have lost the very conception of truth in relation to "flipping", Clegg merely had to state in plain english, that the miscreants left were seeking re-election with the apparent approval of Brown and Cameron. The electorate with it's present appetite for revenge has reacted.

Beer Moth

Pete Hoskin

It's not just YOU I'm having a dig at. A great deal of this site seems to be swirling around on the statistical surface.