British Democracy Forum - View Single Post - Boris Johnson has defeated pro-EU Livingstone in London Mayor vote says Mr. Portillo

Britannist · 09-05-2008, 02:28 PM

Lots of people (mostly Labour supporters and their friends in the media) thought Labour opposition leader Neil Kinnock was going to win the following General Election in the period 1983 - 1987 - but he lost heavily on the night. Despite having built up big opinion poll leads against the Conservative Government.

And many on the political left thought he was assured of victory after winning Parliamentary By-Elections and getting enormous opinion poll leads over the Governing Conservatives in the period 1987 - 1992. Europhile Kinnock's Shadow Cabinet colleagues were so confident of a Labour victory that they were preparing for Government and some were even said to be deciding what colour curtains they wanted for their Ministerial offices.

But when the 1992 General Election was held Kinnock/Labour lost yet again as the Conservatives got the largest share of the national vote any party has ever managed.

To get an overall majority of one at the next General Election, the pro-EU Cameron-Conservatives need the largest swing that the Conservative Party will have ever secured in the modern era. Larger than that which brought Lady Thatcher from opposition into Government in 1979 when inflation and industrial strife were higher than they are now.

09-05-2008, 02:28 PM	#91 (permalink)
Britannist Uber Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London Posts: 22,896	Labour, opposition, Neil Kinnock, General Election, Conservative, vote, party Lots of people (mostly Labour supporters and their friends in the media) thought Labour opposition leader Neil Kinnock was going to win the following General Election in the period 1983 - 1987 - but he lost heavily on the night. Despite having built up big opinion poll leads against the Conservative Government. And many on the political left thought he was assured of victory after winning Parliamentary By-Elections and getting enormous opinion poll leads over the Governing Conservatives in the period 1987 - 1992. Europhile Kinnock's Shadow Cabinet colleagues were so confident of a Labour victory that they were preparing for Government and some were even said to be deciding what colour curtains they wanted for their Ministerial offices. But when the 1992 General Election was held Kinnock/Labour lost yet again as the Conservatives got the largest share of the national vote any party has ever managed. To get an overall majority of one at the next General Election, the pro-EU Cameron-Conservatives need the largest swing that the Conservative Party will have ever secured in the modern era. Larger than that which brought Lady Thatcher from opposition into Government in 1979 when inflation and industrial strife were higher than they are now. Last edited by Britannist; 09-05-2008 at 02:32 PM.