THE MOTHER COUNTRY WILL VOTE – AT 12:04 P.M. ET:   If your people came here on the Mayflower, or even on a Carnival liner, you're not eligible to participate, but our elders will vote on May 6th.  British elections affect the trans-Atlantic alliance, something our current Dear Leader is trying to ignore.  The race in Britain is three-way, and brutal:

In the latest Sunday Telegraph/ICM opinion poll, the Conservatives are up two points on 35 per cent, the Liberal Democrats are up one on 31 per cent while Labour is down two on 26 per cent – compared with the last poll by ICM last week.

While giving the Tories a clear lead, the poll shows that they are still well short of where they need to be to win an overall majority.

With less than two weeks to go before 6 May, the figures also suggest the Lib Dem bubble has not burst. All respondents were polled after the second televised election debate between the three main party leaders last Thursday.

If the figures were repeated on polling day, they would give the Conservatives 284 seats, Labour 232, and the Lib Dems 102 seats. The Conservatives would be the largest party but still 42 seats short of a majority.

Labour and Liberal Democrats would be able to form a majority coalition – but only just.

COMMENT:  Worrisome, but still hopeful.  The Lib Dems are the Obamans of London, and Labour doesn't know what it is.  We still prefer the Conservatives, although some of them may never have heard of Churchill.  If the Lib Dems and Labour form a coalition, Nancy Pelosi can lead it and feel right at home.  Barney Frank could wear one of those funny red suits with leggings.

April 24, 2010