The pro-EU and anti-UKIP leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron, has suffered a big fall in his popularity rating according a new opinion poll published in today’s Daily Telegraph (30.9.2006). The YouGov poll says that David Cameron’s ‘appeal’ with voters (46% at the start of this year when he had just become Conservative leader) has slumped dramatically to 35%.

The YouGov poll (in which 1847 adults were interviewed across Great Britain over the internet on and between 27-29th September 2006) for the Telegraph also say that the Cameron-led Conservative Party has lost its 7% lead over Labour, since their last survey for the Telegraph last month. The Conservative Party had been ahead of Labour in opinion polls such as those carried out by YouGov since May of this year. YouGov says the Conservatives are now on 36% (down 2%). Labour are up 5% and are now level-pegging with the Conservatives.

Of those questioned by YouGov, 60% agreed with the claim that “Mr. Cameron ‘talks a good line, but it is hard to know whether there is any substance behind the words.”

The Press Association says “Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have accused Mr. Cameron of relying on publicity stunts to hide a lack of detailed policy initiatives on key issues. The YouGov poll in today’s Telegraph found that 54% of electors agree with the statement “it is hard to know what the Conservative Party stands for at the moment".

Iain Dale, a former Conservative candidate at the last General Election, told BBC News 24 Television at 12.25 am on 30.9.2006 “The last Labour Conference Prime Ministerial speech of ‘Tony’ Blair – which everyone regardless of party thought was a good one – has boosted Labour support. The YouGov poll for today’s Daily Telegraph was done just after Mr. Blair’s speech.”

From ITV 1 Teletext, page 308 (analogue), 30.9.2006 on 2.29 am:
‘Hi-tec Tory Conference’

David Cameron is gearing up to showcase his “changed” Conservative Party using hi-tech gadgets and innovations.

The Tory leader hopes to liven up the Bournemouth conference with X Factor-style crowd votes after discussions and big screen showing activists texts.

There will be “beauty contests” where prospective Parliamentary candidates put forward policies, and delegates can initiate “hot topic” debates.

Britannist adds: The 2006 Conservative Party conference begins this coming Sunday. John McCain, the moderate Republican who is tipped by some to be the next President of the USA, is expected to deliver a speech in the Bournemouth conference hall. The Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, considered by many to be the next President of France, is going to send a video message to the conference (the press say). David Cameron will appear on ‘Sunday AM’ this weekend on BBC 1 Television to be interviewed by Andrew Marr. Also appearing will be John McCain (who will be interviewed separately from Mr. Cameron). The press say the two (Mr. Cameron and Mr. McCain) will appear together briefly sitting on the studio guest sofa at the end of the programme.
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I don't understand the Consrvative party.

Even at the height of his honeymoon period, they were still barely beating Labour in the polls. Now they are falling back heavily, so all of the ditching of sensible policies to try and look like the other too parties has failed.

Why are they continuing to allow this? People are sick of Blair, yet they have install Blair 2.

I fear all respect for politicians has now been lost and something drastic will now have to happen for that to change.
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Originally Posted by mkpdavies:
I don't understand the Consrvative party.

Even at the height of his honeymoon period, they were still barely beating Labour in the polls. Now they are falling back heavily, so all of the ditching of sensible policies to try and look like the other too parties has failed.

Why are they continuing to allow this? People are sick of Blair, yet they have install Blair 2.

I fear all respect for politicians has now been lost and something drastic will now have to happen for that to change.

Matters would be intensified if/when there is a Parliamentary By-Election. The Staffordshire-Mid By-Election in 1989 (or was it 1990) in which Labour won the seat from the Conservatives is thought to have precipitated the political downfall of Mrs. (now Lady) Thatcher in November 1990.

If Labour did badly in a Parliamentary By-Election (i.e. vote slump or loss of the seat) then Blair may be forced out before his preferred date for his high-profile stage-managed departure next Summer.

If the Conservatives do badly in a Parliamentary By-Election (having failed to do well in the last one in Scotland and having nearly lost Bromley in June of this year) they could experience iinternal tensions and a further drop in the ratings in opinion polls.

If the europhile Liberal Dims do badly in the next Parliamentary By-Election, their leader Sir Menzies may find that his conference speech as party leader at Brighton a couple of weeks ago - was his last as well as his first in the job :twisted: .

It's quite possible that Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Dims are all hoping that no Commons By-Elections take place over the next year. Labour are skint, too, since Blair has driven out half its members resulting in a fall in membership fees. They're going to have difficulty paying for their 2007 campaign for the Scottish, Welsh and local elections :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: .
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It was in 1990 and the result in that by-election and the Poll Tax riots in the early part of that year certainly set-off the chain of events that led to Mrs Thatcher's downfall. Also, they lost the Eastbourne By-election to the Lib Dims which had been a rock-solid and 'true-blue' Tory seat since 1918 at around party conference time in October of that year. Mrs Thatcher resigned in November of 1990.
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Originally Posted by Independence Now!:
It was in 1990 and the result in that by-election and the Poll Tax riots in the early part of that year certainly set-off the chain of events that led to Mrs Thatcher's downfall. Also, they lost the Eastbourne By-election to the Lib Dims which had been a rock-solid and 'true-blue' Tory seat since 1918 at around party conference time in October of that year. Mrs Thatcher resigned in November of 1990.

Thank you for confirming it was 1990 - I thought it was. Fortunately, the europhile Liberal Dims no longer hold the Eastbourne constituency.

The next Commons By-Election will be highly significant - the position of Sir Menzies Campbell (Fiberal Dim leader) is not secure. Labour MPs are worried about the May 2007 Scottish/Welsh/local elections and want the unpopular Blair out now (regardless of his over-rated Manchester speech last week). David Cameron has to perform better than at the last (Bromley) By-Election if he is to avoid more criticism that he is "all talk".
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