The Tories might be headed for his or her largest loss for the reason that late Nineteen Nineties, a brand new survey suggests
Britain’s Conservative get together is slated for a serious defeat in an upcoming basic election and will lose some 180 seats in Parliament, in keeping with a brand new ballot, which predicts a major windfall for Labour.
Printed Monday, a YouGov survey of over 14,000 respondents discovered that Labour would take a “giant majority” have been the election held in the present day, forecasting 385 seats for the left-leaning get together. The Tories, in the meantime, would drop to only 169 seats in Parliament, effectively under the 349 presently held.
The outcomes would mirror the result of the 1997 basic election, when Tony Blair’s Labour get together received 418 seats, the polling agency stated. The Conservatives took a beating that yr, rising from the race with 165 seats.
Along with a major win for Labour, the Liberal Democrats would additionally take 48 seats, the brand new survey confirmed. The get together presently holds simply 15 seats in Parliament.
Whereas the populist Reform UK get together wouldn’t win any seats if the race have been held in the present day, the ballot discovered the faction would pull numerous votes away from the Conservatives, partially explaining the key loss for the governing get together.
The race would mark the largest drop in assist for a ruling get together since 1906, in keeping with the Telegraph, which added that such a race would “all however assure [Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour] get together at the very least a decade in authorities.”
Political events are set to spend greater than ever earlier than this yr because of a major enhance to spending limits from £19.5 million to £35 million. Particular person donors may even be allowed to contribute extra with out declaring their identification, with the ceiling raised from £7,500 to £11,180.
Whereas the Conservatives have traditionally raised extra funds than their rivals, the brand new YouGov ballot suggests the get together might want to do extra to safe its ruling majority. David Davis, a senior Conservative MP and former minister, argued that the elevated spending limits would do little for the Tories, as “90 p.c of electoral spending is wasted anyway.”
The upcoming basic election anticipated in late 2024 may even see a shake-up within the UK’s political boundaries, with England gaining 10 new seats, Wales shedding eight and Scotland shedding two. Whereas a Monetary Instances evaluation discovered the Conservatives would have gained at the very least six extra seats had these modifications been enacted earlier than the 2019 race, the reform is unlikely to assist the get together in 2024.
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