Why are Labour and the Conservatives neck and neck?

[skyrover]

As per the title...

Labour gave us a broken economy.

The Conservatives have turned it around into the strongest in Europe with record employment, low inflation and stable interest rates.

So why are the poll's so close?

BBC economics editor is pondering the same thing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32347960

[anonymous-user]

Short memories, tribalistic voting etc. ......

[Mermaid]

Leader does not have charisma, and seems spineless.

[V88Dicky]

My grandad voted Labour, my dad voted Labour, so I vote Labour.


And Thatcher.


Etc etc

[Muzzer79]

Simply?

1. Cameron and the others do not have enough charisma to lure traditional anti-Tory voters like Blair (no matter what you think of his tenure) could do in '97 for anti-Labour voters.

2. The section of society who do not work and claim benefits are worse off and blame the Tories, thinking they are looking after the rich and taking from the poor.

3. Some people would vote Labour no matter what their policies were.

4. More of the Tory vote has gone to the likes of UKIP than Labour's vote.

All IMO

[Miguel Alvarez]

Most people are complete and utter fking idiots as has been displayed by the majority of facebook posts I see these days.

If I put up a post asking who would go back to a lazy delusional partner who maxed out your credit card they would all say no. Ask them why they are voting labour and common sense goes out the window.

[jonah35]

A lot of labour voters would vote labour even if their leader was a mouse. Many don't follow politics and just vote for who their parents told them to.

A bit like supporting a football club. It's often a lifelong thing.

[Axionknight]

Mermaid said:

Leader does not have charisma, and seems spineless.

Please clarify as to whom you are referring

[Esseesse]

Because the Conservatives offer us a slightly more fiscally responsible socialism rather than dogmatically offering free market capitalism and social conservatism.

[petemurphy]

poor/lazy people can get free money off labour or austerity under torys. not hard to see why theyd vote that way despite the consequences. everything else is the bankers fault innit.

[Mermaid]

jonah35 said:

A lot of labour voters would vote labour even if their leader was a mouse. Many don't follow politics and just vote for who their parents told them to.

A bit like supporting a football club. It's often a lifelong thing.

Like religion

[don4l]

Because their policies are almost indistinguishable.

Both parties want to stay in Europe.

They both have ringfenced NHS spending.

They are both committed to 0.7% of GDP for foreign aid.

The list goes on and on.

[Mermaid]

don4l said:

Because their policies are almost indistinguishable.

Both parties want to stay in Europe.

They both have ringfenced NHS spending.

They are both committed to 0.7% of GDP for foreign aid.

The list goes on and on.

& yet if Tony Blair (circa 1997) was the Tory candidate, he'd walk it.

[Esseesse]

Mermaid said:

don4l said:

Because their policies are almost indistinguishable.

Both parties want to stay in Europe.

They both have ringfenced NHS spending.

They are both committed to 0.7% of GDP for foreign aid.

The list goes on and on.

& yet if Tony Blair (circa 1997) was the Tory candidate, he'd walk it.

Why do you say that? If Tony Blair appeared (new, untarnished) as the Labour leader he'd walk it. The Conservatives have a Blair impersonator as leader and he's not walking it.

[Mr_B]

More people hate the Tories for various reasons, most of them just perpetuated hate based on things like Thatcher hating without really knowing why or even having been born at the time when she was in power, but believing the legacy is all to blame. Not sure they ever will shake off the nasty party tag. In reverse, the Labour party is held up as the saviours and protectors of the NHS. The reality is there is next to nothing between the two on the NHS, it's an albatross around the neck of any government.
Despite the evidence the Labour party are dire with the economy and the Tories have actually done a lot better job than expected, enough will still vote Labour anyway and continue the same old cycle.

Look at the SNP. They have a similar wish list manifesto based on little reality like the Green party does, yet they look to win a huge number of seats based on telling people they have a magic money tree that no one else does. In short , you can get a huge chunk of the vote because a large number of people in the country are gullible and thick.

[Esseesse]

Mr_B said:

the Labour party are dire with the economy and the Tories have actually done a lot better job than expected

Really? Didn't they say they'd eliminate the deficit during this parliament?

[Mr_B]

Esseesse said:

Mr_B said:

the Labour party are dire with the economy and the Tories have actually done a lot better job than expected

Really? Didn't they say they'd eliminate the deficit during this parliament?

Yes.

[Don]

Same st, different party.

I am increasingly disillusioned with them all. And yet I will vote for the party I dislike least in an attempt the even worse lot out of power.

But I am in a safe seat and my vote doesn't count.

[Esseesse]

Mr_B said:

Esseesse said:

Mr_B said:

the Labour party are dire with the economy and the Tories have actually done a lot better job than expected

Really? Didn't they say they'd eliminate the deficit during this parliament?

Yes.

So they didn't meet their own expectations then. I presume you think they're underachievers if you expected them to not meet their own expectations?

[2013BRM]

Not sure it's how well Labour are doing so much as how badly the Tories are doing, CMD has seemed cowardly over debating with the others and seems aloof, UKIP have done a fair bit of damage and people are disillusioned generally