General Election 2015: Tories and Labour neck and neck but don’t dismiss the Lib Dems
With under 100 days to go, the general election is now extremely close. Polls put Labour and the Tories neck and neck, and the minor parties are breaking through like never before. The Greens, Ukip, and the SNP are surging, and, along with Plaid Cymru and the Northern Irish parties, are giving Britain truly multi-party politics for the first time.
And what of the Lib Dems? It’s easy to assume that Nick Clegg and co will be wiped out, but while they are not in play in vast swathes of the UK, their ability to use incumbency to dig in and hold on to a significant number of seats should not be dismissed.
The television debates, if they happen, could once again prove the centrepiece of the campaign. As well as the big beasts going head-to-head, the newcomers all have a chance to be the star of the show. Who will everyone be agreeing with this time around?
There are other key events to look out for too. George Osborne’s final budget will be pure politics, not economics. The Tory case that the economy is improving will be further boosted if the pre-election jobs figures are strong.
The parties’ well planned campaigns can be blown off course in one improvised moment. We all remember Brown’s bigotgate.
With much at stake, the next 99 days will be well worth watching.