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Will There Be Another Hung Parliament In May?

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 27 Januari 2015 | 14.59

By Michael Thrasher, Sky's Election Analyst

With 100 days to go until the General Election, Sky News is forecasting another hung parliament - with Labour rather than the Conservatives as the largest party.

Typical: you wait years for a hung parliament and then two come along together.

This forecast will change because electoral opinion is changing. Gone are the days when parties could rely upon a solid core of support and concentrate instead on wooing the "floating" voters. 

Over the past two years, former Tories have separated from the party, tempted by the promises of UKIP to curb immigration and abandon the European Union. It is 100 days and counting before separation turns into divorce.

Labour, which recovered rapidly from its 2010 defeat because of Liberal Democrat voters defecting, has squandered that inheritance. Deemed too left-wing or too right-wing according to which branch of the party has a public platform, it is being outmanoeuvred by the radical Greens in England and by the SNP in Scotland.

The electoral arithmetic is clear. Understanding what might happen on 7 May requires us to reset the parliamentary numbers to what they were after the last election.

The Conservatives, with 306 seats, fell 20 seats short of an overall majority, despite staging one of its best-ever election performances.

Labour finished with 258 seats, and required 68 gains for a victory.

:: Sky looks at the 150 seats that could play a deciding role in May's General Election. Click here for the link to the In The Margins console.

Election watchers normally talk about swing - the movement of voters from one party to another across consecutive elections. The line for next May is pretty well-rehearsed. 

The Conservatives require a swing of 2% from Labour (or an 11-point lead in the popular vote) for an overall majority.

Meanwhile, Labour overtakes the Conservatives with a 2% swing in its favour, and then crosses the finishing line with a 5% swing (a three-point lead).

The national polls currently show that Conservative support has fallen by six points, while Labour has enjoyed a rise of three points. Assuming a national uniform swing, Labour would be just short of a majority.

But the 2015 election is so unlike previous elections that such forecasting conventions should be abandoned.

National polls are now too blunt to capture the undercurrents of electoral opinion. They fail to reflect the turbulence in Scotland following the referendum vote, differences across the English regions, and politics in individual constituencies. 

Last September, 45% of voters in Scotland supported independence. The latest Scottish-only polls shows most of these will stick with the SNP for the Westminster election.

Meanwhile, the majority that voted to stay with the union have scattered among other parties.

All of this is good news for the SNP, which could win 53 seats, and disaster for Labour, projected to lose 36 seats. 

There are differences in the English regions, too. The UKIP threat to the Conservatives is concentrated down the east coast, and into Essex and Kent particularly. 

While Conservative hopes are pinned on banging the drum of economic recovery, its sound is muffled in the Midlands and the north, where 38 of its most marginal seats are situated.

Opposition parties would hope to tap into such scepticism, but these voters are unimpressed with Labour's leader and his party's message. 

General elections are ultimately decided not by the national vote, but by results in 650 separate constituencies. The contrast here between UKIP and the Liberal Democrats reinforces this point. 

Farage's party is generally more popular than Clegg's, but vote distribution is everything. UKIP may win Clacton and Rochester again, but the Liberal Democrats could have 10 times that number of seats despite polling fewer votes nationally.

A hung parliament is therefore the most likely outcome of this chaos, but the 100 days after the election look equally unpredictable.


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Sky: 'Labour Main Party In Hung Parliament'

Labour will be the largest party in a hung parliament after May's General Election, according to a Sky News protection based on the latest poll of polls.

According to Sky's figures, which look at the national figures and those in Scotland, Labour will fall short of an overall majority by 40 seats.

And if the numbers are correct, the Scottish National Party could hold the key to any coalition.

Sky News is forecasting another hung parliament following the General Election, with the Green Party, UKIP and the SNP all vying to lure voters away from the traditional two-party system.

It comes with just 100 days until the General Election, with Britain's two largest parties - Labour and the Conservatives - launching new policies in a bid to lure voters.

However, in an interview with Sky News David Cameron insisted the Tories can win an outright majority.

He has promised a renewed squeeze on benefits "within the first few days" of Government if the Tories are re-elected on 7 May.

The Prime Minister plans to reduce the annual cap on welfare payments from £26,000 to £23,000 - with the £135m saved going towards funding for 3 million apprenticeships by the end of the decade.

:: Sky looks at the 150 seats that could play a deciding role in May's General Election. Click here for the link to the In The Margins console.

Meanwhile, Labour is outlining its 10-year plan for the National Health Service, which includes a pledge to improve the care that terminally ill, frail and elderly people receive at home.

The announcement of 5,000 new "homecare workers" is part of a wider policy to invest an extra £2.5bn in the NHS, with a view to recruiting 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 additional GPs.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham will be appearing live on Sky News at 8.10am.


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Greece Lightning: Could Syriza Success Spread?

Written By Unknown on Senin, 26 Januari 2015 | 14.59

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

As car horns blared in the capital's streets, few doubted this had been a seismic night in European politics.

Five years of swingeing cuts have shrunk Greece's economic output by a third and delivered a primary budget surplus, but the price has been too high for many of the electorate.

A third of people in Greece live below the poverty line, a quarter are out of work and pensioners have seen their income dwindle.

That generalised anger finally found its expression at the ballot box.

While previously Syriza's core supporters had been students and a loose coalition of Marxists, Maoists, Trotskyites and environmental campaigners, it acted as a lightning rod across society.

Many of the squeezed middle class wanted to punish the political parties they felt had sold Greece's future prosperity to protect the banking system.

Alexis Tsipras now has something of a dilemma though: he wants to keep Greece in the single currency but the European Union, the European Central Bank and the IMF won't want the country to renege on its promises.

There were strings attached to the €240bn which have kept the country afloat and the likes of Germany are unlikely to agree to allow Greece to restructure more of its debt.

But if Mr Tsipras softens on his vow to "finish the troika" in order to prevent a default and a so-called Grexit, he may anger his core support base.

The wider repercussions could be felt outside the country's borders.

There are a host of other anti-austerity parties in Europe waiting to challenge the consensus, most prominently Podemos in Spain where an election must be held this year.

If this election grows into a pan-European movement, the plumbing of the global economy could face some determined opposition.

Syriza's progress might well embolden those willing to take on established political parties, which could have far reaching consequences.


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Greece Will Leave Austerity 'Humiliation' Behind

Greece Will Leave Austerity 'Humiliation' Behind

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The leader of the Syriza party has vowed to end the "humiliation and anguish" of Greek citizens after his party took victory in the country's election on an anti-austerity platform.

Alexis Tsipras told thousands of supporters in Athens that Greece will leave behind the "catastrophic austerity" measures imposed by European creditors.

The left-wing party - which was widely tipped to win the poll - looks likely to win 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament.

This indicates the party would be two seats short of an overall majority.

With 92% of the votes counted, Syriza was 8.5 points ahead of the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who has conceded defeat.

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  1. Gallery: Alexis Tsipras Celebrates Victory For His Anti-Austerity Party

    A young child supporting anti-austerity party Syriza takes part in celebrations after the first exit polls in Athens

Syriza supporters await the final result of the Greek election at the party tent

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Members of the conservative New Democracy party watch as exit polls shows a significant victory for Syriza

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Celebrations continue for supporters of Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras in Athens

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An anti-austerity voter is overcome with emotion as news of the results breaks

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Greece Will Leave Austerity 'Humiliation' Behind

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

The leader of the Syriza party has vowed to end the "humiliation and anguish" of Greek citizens after his party took victory in the country's election on an anti-austerity platform.

Alexis Tsipras told thousands of supporters in Athens that Greece will leave behind the "catastrophic austerity" measures imposed by European creditors.

The left-wing party - which was widely tipped to win the poll - looks likely to win 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament.

This indicates the party would be two seats short of an overall majority.

With 92% of the votes counted, Syriza was 8.5 points ahead of the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who has conceded defeat.

1/12

  1. Gallery: Alexis Tsipras Celebrates Victory For His Anti-Austerity Party

    A young child supporting anti-austerity party Syriza takes part in celebrations after the first exit polls in Athens

Syriza supporters await the final result of the Greek election at the party tent

]]>

Members of the conservative New Democracy party watch as exit polls shows a significant victory for Syriza

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Celebrations continue for supporters of Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras in Athens

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An anti-austerity voter is overcome with emotion as news of the results breaks

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UKIP MEP Defects To Conservative Party

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 25 Januari 2015 | 14.59

UKIP MEP Amjad Bashir has defected to the Conservative Party, with David Cameron saying he was "absolutely delighted" with the decision.

But Nigel Farage's party said it had suspended him over allegations of a "grave nature", and would be forwarding its evidence to the police.

A senior Tory source has dismissed the move as a "desperate attempt" to divert attention from his decision to quit UKIP.

As news of his defection emerged, UKIP announced it was suspending the MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber - pending an investigation into "extremely serious" claims of interfering in the candidate selection process, as well as unanswered financial and employment questions.

"UKIP will not tolerate anyone abusing their positions in the party, as we have a firm commitment to differing ourselves from the existing political classes," said a party statement.

Mr Bashir, who was formerly UKIP's small business spokesman, was accused of hypocrisy last May after it emerged that seven people were arrested for immigration offences in a raid on his restaurant.

At the time, the party leader had refused to "prejudge" the case, as Mr Bashir's family had launched an appeal.

In addition, Mr Bashir reportedly held a "continued affiliation" with Mujeeb Bhutto - who resigned from the party in 2014 after it emerged he had been jailed for leading a gang of kidnappers in Pakistan.

Explaining his reasons for quitting the party, Mr Bashir told the Telegraph that UKIP had become a "party of ruthless self-interest" and was "pretty amateur".

He claimed it was "delusional" about its chances of winning Parliamentary seats in the general election in May, adding: "After almost three years as a party member, I realise that UKIP is more concerned with furthering its own interests as a political party than delivering for the British people.

In a statement, he continued: "On Friday, I met David Cameron and applied to join the Conservative Party. It is clear UKIP's action today is a desperate attempt to spoil this and it without any foundation.

"The issues raised in my notice of suspension are historic and well known to the party. Indeed, on one of them, Nigel Farage has publicly defended me over it."

The defection is a boost for the Prime Minister, who saw two of his own MPs defect to UKIP last year.

He said: "I'm absolutely delighted that Amjad has decided to leave UKIP and join the Conservative Party."

Meanwhile, one of Mr Farage's most senior aides has sparked controversy in claiming Britain has "hundreds of thousands of bigots" and said UKIP is proud to stand up for them.

Matthew Richardson, the party's secretary, has dismissed his comments as "lighthearted harmless banter in the pub".

A UKIP spokesperson said Mr Bashir promised in his resignation letter that his decision was "not intended to cause any embarrassment for UKIP", and that his defection was "a principled decision".


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Father Overwhelmed By Japanese Hostage 'Death'

The father of the Japanese hostage apparently killed by Islamic State has said he is overwhelmed by grief.

Shoichi Yukawa said he still had hope "deep in my heart that this is not true" and added that if he were reunited with his son he would give him a "big hug".

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed "an outrageous and unforgivable act" after a video reportedly showing an image of captive Kenji Goto holding a picture of a beheaded Haruna Yukawa was posted online.

The clip also purportedly contained the voice of journalist Mr Goto, 47, claiming the 42-year-old private military company operator had been killed.

Mr Abe said the video, which also includes a demand for a prisoner exchange for Mr Goto, appears to be authentic.

The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) had threatened to kill the captives unless a $200m (£133m) ransom was paid to secure their release.

The 72-hour deadline set by the Islamist militants expired on Friday.

However, in the new video they have called for the release of Sajida al Risahwi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in Jordan for her part in a Amman bombings in 2005 that killed 60 people.

Mr Abe insisted Tokyo would not bow to terrorism and said his government would spare no effort to secure the release of the remaining captive.

But he reiterated that Japan would not give in to terrorism.

Barack Obama condemned the "brutal murder" and said the United states would stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Japan.

He called Mr Abe to offer his condolences and called for the immediate release of Mr Goto.

In the video, Mr Goto spoke in English, blaming Mr Abe for Mr Yukawa's death, and told his wife and family not to give up on him.

A Japanese news agency reported the video of Mr Goto had also been emailed to the wife of one of the hostages.

The hostages had appeared in videos wearing the same orange jumpsuits as those worn by captives in previous IS videos.

The mother of Mr Goto has pleaded with militants to spare her son's life.

Junko Ishido said he is a friend of Islam who devoted his life to helping children in war zones.

Mr Yukawa was seized by militants in August, after he went to Syria in what he described as a plan to launch a security company.

Mr Goto, a veteran war correspondent, went into Syria in late October seeking to secure Mr Yukawa's release, according to friends and business associates.


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Plain Cigarette Packaging Law Brought Forward

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 22 Januari 2015 | 15.00

The Government is planning to bring into force legislation for plain cigarette packaging before the General Election in May.

Health minister Jane Ellison said the regulations would be laid before Parliament in time to be agreed by both Houses before the election.

She said the current "comprehensive" approach was working well, but insisted it was important not to be complacent.

The ban on smoking in private cars will come into force on 1 October this year, the minister also announced.

During an adjournment debate in the Commons, Ms Ellison said tobacco caused around 80,000 deaths a year and that around 600 children in the UK take up smoking every day.

She said the Government was committed to reducing the numbers of young people who take up smoking, but had been taking its time to consider all relevant evidence, including the possibility of litigation from the tobacco industry.

Ms Ellison told MPs: "We cannot be complacent. We all know the damage smoking does to health.

"This Government is completely committed to protecting children from the harm that tobacco causes.

"That's why I'm announcing today that we will be bringing forward legislation for standardised packaging before the end of this Parliament."

Health groups welcomed Ms Ellison's announcement but business representatives accused the Government of meddling.

Mike Hobday, director of policy at the British Heart Foundation, said: "We are absolutely delighted. The Government has taken another key step towards securing new legislation that will help protect young people from the deadly consequences of smoking."

Dr Hilary Cass, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: "This is a significant piece of legislation - and a real positive step from Government to protect the health of current and future generations of children.

"With two thirds of smokers starting before they are 18, and the effects of packaging on young people well-known, it is a simple yet important reform in the battle against smoking-related illness."

But Christopher Snowdon, director of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, condemned the announcement.

He said: "This is a gross infringement of the right of companies to use their trademarks and design their own packaging.

"There is no need to wonder what will happen next, we need only look at Australia where the black market has grown and youth smoking has risen.

"To pursue this grandstanding policy in spite of the Australian experience is sheer negligence."


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