Tories narrowly beat Lib Dems in BFP poll (From Bucks Free Press)
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Tories narrowly beat Lib Dems in BFP poll
11:30am Wednesday 5th May 2010 in Beaconsfield By Oliver Evans
Tories narrowly beat Lib Dems in BFP poll
THE Conservatives have narrowly defeated The Liberal Democrats in our online election poll.
More than 3,700 people took part in our week-long poll which saw the Tories scoop 1,580 votes, 42 per cent, to the Lib Dems’ 1,445, 39 per cent.
Labour were third with 439 votes, 12 per cent, followed by the UK Independence Party with 178 votes, five per cent.
Other parties got 89 votes, two per cent.
Technical restrictions meant visitors could only choose between five groups. They were restricted to one vote.
The Conservatives are the bookies’ favourites to retain Wycombe, Beaconsfield, Chesham and Amersham and Aylesbury seats.
Today Wycombe candidates gave their verdict on the poll.
At the 2005 election the Conservatives got 45.8 per cent, Labour 29.9 per cent, Lib Dems 19.8 per cent and others 4.6 per cent.
Tory candidate Steve Baker said: “I congratulate the Bucks Free Press for running this poll which was great fun.”
He said of the result: “It is a very interesting result. It look forward with some excitement to people turning out and showing us the real and final result.”
Mr Baker said ‘I have really no idea’ about the what the final result will be.
He replaces Tory Paul Goodman, who has stepped down after nine years as MP over his disillusionment with Parliament.
Labour’s Andrew Lomas and Lib Dem Steve Guy have both said only their party can defeat the Tories.
Mr Lomas said: “I don’t think it is representative of the results that will come out of it, it is just a bit of fun.
“It is going to be tough, I don’t want to pre-judge how people are going to vote.”
Mr Guy said: “It shows that Labour are out of the game now so we are on the heels of the Conservatives and we are the party that could cause an upset.”
Mr Wiseman, UKIP’s candidate, said: “Five per cent is better than nothing, at least I won’t lose my deposit on that.”
He said he felt UKIP was losing votes as people were voting tactically such as backing the Conservatives to remove Labour. This is a ‘great pity’ he said.
The Bucks Free Press will bring you a live blog of all the news and predictions from the counts tomorrow night and the final result as soon as it is announced.
Click the link below for General Election stories and candidate profiles. Use the drop-down menu to select your constituency.
Comments(33)
towncryer
says...
11:48am Wed 5 May 10
green damage limitation wrote:Good for you Greenee
If we cant to get rid of the nasty Tories in Bucks seems only Lid Dems can do it
I for one have had enought of Goodman, Clarke , Green and Shakespeare and Tory domination in Wycombe
Seem its time to vote Lib Dem -- They can count on my vote !!
I was a floating voter until last week>
Now im definitely Lib Dem
Slacker
says...
12:01pm Wed 5 May 10
Slimster
says...
12:56pm Wed 5 May 10
+
I really like the Liberals, BUT people who choose/are planning to vote Liberal must understand their policies, esp. on transport. I do hope you were not among those moaning about the state of the roads or the planned fast rail link. You're going to be disappointed if so.
Marginalised Chairboy
says...
1:39pm Wed 5 May 10
Lillymoe
says...
1:49pm Wed 5 May 10
BigTommy
says...
1:56pm Wed 5 May 10
~
So why are people going to vote for certain parties? Certainly not because of their policies. Maybe ...
1. They are voting on one or maybe two policies at the most.
2. They have always voted that way.
3. They like the personalities of one party more than another.
4. They vote against other parties, rather than for one, because they believe the slagging off that has gone on or see some of the sensationalist rubbish in the newspapers.
5. They see the opinion polls and vote "tactically" to stop someone getting in.
6. Their vote is heavily influenced by the state of local government in their area.
7. The vo
~
etc, etc
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The future of this country is being determined not by major policiesthat will affect all of us, but by piddling things that won't actually have any bearing on how we try to get out of the mire that we are in.
~
We see this all the time when the parties go out to get "the gay vote", "the women's vote", "the Asian vote", "the Afro-Caribbean vote", "the young vote", etc.
Targetting certain groups in society with policies that will not help the country as a whole in the situation that we are in. Many in these groups will vote for a party simply because of one (almost irrelevant) policy directly aimed at them.
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It won't make any difference.
~
If the Tories get in they will blame their failures on the last 13 years of Labour rule.
If the Lib Dems get in, then they will blame their failures on both Labour and Tories for their past administrations.
If Labour get in then they will blame their failures on the rest of the world!
tigeran
says...
2:13pm Wed 5 May 10
green damage limitation wrote:This election is far bigger than local councils. Please try and look beyond your nose and concider your vote for the GOVERNMENT and not just BCC?!!
If we cant to get rid of the nasty Tories in Bucks seems only Lid Dems can do it I for one have had enought of Goodman, Clarke , Green and Shakespeare and Tory domination in Wycombe Seem its time to vote Lib Dem -- They can count on my vote !!
towncryer
says...
2:53pm Wed 5 May 10
tigeran wrote:Interesting comment
green damage limitation wrote:This election is far bigger than local councils. Please try and look beyond your nose and concider your vote for the GOVERNMENT and not just BCC?!!
If we cant to get rid of the nasty Tories in Bucks seems only Lid Dems can do it I for one have had enought of Goodman, Clarke , Green and Shakespeare and Tory domination in Wycombe Seem its time to vote Lib Dem -- They can count on my vote !!
From what i can see nationally the Tories are as bad as the local ones and it seems they think the same !!!! Goodman never did anything to upset his local Tories!!
If we get a Lib Dem MP tomorrow i would want him to speak out and bring the local Tories like Clarke and Green to task on issues that matter to us -- closing of Holywell Mead pool, asset stripping of services and fight to keep hospital in Wycombe !!
Katydid
says...
3:18pm Wed 5 May 10
There is no way that I could ever vote for cruelty to animals.
demoness
says...
3:41pm Wed 5 May 10
towncryer wrote:FFS take your nose out of High Wycombe for 5 minutes and try to see the national picture.
tigeran wrote:Interesting comment From what i can see nationally the Tories are as bad as the local ones and it seems they think the same !!!! Goodman never did anything to upset his local Tories!! If we get a Lib Dem MP tomorrow i would want him to speak out and bring the local Tories like Clarke and Green to task on issues that matter to us -- closing of Holywell Mead pool, asset stripping of services and fight to keep hospital in Wycombe !!green damage limitation wrote: If we cant to get rid of the nasty Tories in Bucks seems only Lid Dems can do it I for one have had enought of Goodman, Clarke , Green and Shakespeare and Tory domination in Wycombe Seem its time to vote Lib Dem -- They can count on my vote !!This election is far bigger than local councils. Please try and look beyond your nose and concider your vote for the GOVERNMENT and not just BCC?!!
The council are NOT responsible for Wycombe hospital reducing service. It is the decision of central government who filter it down to the Department of Health and Strategic Health authorities.
Paul Goodman the previous mP fought a valiant battle to try and save it, as did the BFP and there are still battles going on.
Your lib dem MP cannot wave a wand and make the services come back. All over the country this is happening - not just Bucks. It is government policy that is to blame here. So the MP needs to take it to Parliament , not the town hall. They can do nothing!
Similarly do you think that if Mr Guy gets in tomorrow he will have time to worry about the fate of the pool? Is this what he has promised you?
Come on., he will have far bigger fish to fry. He will be getting to grips with parliament and the many changes to his life and job description without worrying about a swimming pool.
MPs worry about the national stuff and how it will effect their constituents and big issues like schools,housing and health.
Local councils worry about local stuff. In my opinion we do have far too many tories on WDC and we do need more from all parties.
But barring a miracle, I do not think this will happen any time soon.
So vote lib dem tomorrow but don't expect Mr Guy to start performing miracles with the pool re opening , the hospital returning to full glory and all the roads repaired.
Aiin't gonna happen .
demoness
says...
4:22pm Wed 5 May 10
Katydid wrote:Can you send me the link in the manifesto where it says this please?
The Conservatives - as I understand it - have the policy of bringing back hunting with dogs and testing commercial products on animals as soon as possible.. There is no way that I could ever vote for cruelty to animals.
Save Wycombe
says...
4:29pm Wed 5 May 10
demoness
says...
4:36pm Wed 5 May 10
Save Wycombe wrote:and the commercial testing of products on animals?
The pledge to repeal the hunting ban is on page 80 of the Tory manifesto.
I too could not vote for a party that would repeal hunting.
Save Wycombe
says...
5:59pm Wed 5 May 10
demoness wrote:We agree on something - as Oscar Wilde put it "the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable!"
Save Wycombe wrote:and the commercial testing of products on animals?
The pledge to repeal the hunting ban is on page 80 of the Tory manifesto.
I too could not vote for a party that would repeal hunting.
DeepThinker
says...
6:05pm Wed 5 May 10
Or doesn't this count as it is only the BFP?
UpTownGirl
says...
6:07pm Wed 5 May 10
DeepThinker
says...
6:13pm Wed 5 May 10
I suggest that was added to make the post more dramatic and to try and persuade people against voting conservative.
.
This is what happens. People start exaggerating, making things up or just plain lying to perasuade people to vote against a party.
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They all do it. And the masses fall for it.
(read Bigtommys post from earlier.)
.
bonkers2010
says...
6:16pm Wed 5 May 10
Lillymoe wrote:lib dem all the way ... someone has posted that lib dem are introducing the euro .. if you had listened to clegg properly he said he was put it to the people of britain to vote for it so we would decide i wish people payed attention
Vote Lib-dem if you want the Euro, more immigration, rail link and Gordon brown as they will work together.
Katydid
says...
6:54pm Wed 5 May 10
And thank you, DeepThinker, for your reassurance about animal testing.
However, I'm still very sorry to think of the return of fox hunting, hare coursing, and stag hunting.
Although my googling didn't find the manifesto page, I did find this quotation from David Cameron, which seems to confirm his attitude:-
"At least, where animal persecution is concerned, David Cameron has consistently flattered his core vote. Not appreciating, perhaps, that the record would soon be eternally googlable, he used to flourish his own credentials. "I ride; I have been hunting; and I shoot," he declared. "On occasions, I have been asked to shoot foxes and I know what a hit-and-miss affair it can be – not in my case, but I know that it can be."
The young marksman even judged it wise to congratulate Nicholas Soames for this "classic" attack on a Labour abolitionist: "I would hang him up in a game larder – by his nostrils."
(This is from an article by Catherine Bennett in the Observer on Sunday, 21 February 2010.)
That is still enough to convince me that a vote for the Conservatives would be a vote in favour of cruelty to animals - not something I'll be doing.
Lillymoe
says...
7:40pm Wed 5 May 10
Slimster
says...
9:10pm Wed 5 May 10
UpTownGirl wrote:Well everyone says this election should have a higher proportion of the eligable population voting. I expect a reduced majority for the Conservatives, but remember the boundaries changed since last time.
Is it possible to still vote on the BFP. The Tories always get in High Wycombe because a lot of people in Wycombe are apathetic and can't be bothered to vote and obviously the areas around the town are very affluent. If you want to vote Labour please still go out and vote for them.
J B Blackett
says...
10:06pm Wed 5 May 10
Slimster wrote:Yes the boundaries of reasoned public debate and democracy. Shrinking rapidly .
UpTownGirl wrote:Well everyone says this election should have a higher proportion of the eligable population voting. I expect a reduced majority for the Conservatives, but remember the boundaries changed since last time.
Is it possible to still vote on the BFP. The Tories always get in High Wycombe because a lot of people in Wycombe are apathetic and can't be bothered to vote and obviously the areas around the town are very affluent. If you want to vote Labour please still go out and vote for them.
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This 'Election' is a farce - a scripted spin-doctored charade played out on TV in front of 'invited' audiences or the party faithful in conference centres.
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As soon as the 'leaders' are confronted by ordinary people out of their comfort zones - they have No Logical or Acceptable Answers to any of the problems that THEY (that's all of them) have created.
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Professional Liars the lot of them !!! But they all love power and all its trappings.
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It's going to get worse before it gets better with whoever gets in.
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God help us (if there is one).
MCarey
says...
6:29am Thu 6 May 10
BigTommy
says...
8:53am Thu 6 May 10
I am sure that there will talk of little else today as "Election Fever" hits each and every one of us.
~
The undecided are still trying to make up their minds as they join the queues at the polling stations.
Do I vote for the good looking one?
Do I not vote for his party because he was educated at Eton?
Shall I do what I do for the Grand National and take my lucky pin along to stick randomly in the ballot sheet?
~
Further down the road I can see small groups of children crying as they realize that their school is not going to be used as a polling station and they must go in today.
~
The streets are still awash with the detritus of political campaigning. The election leaflets with their mixture of fact, fiction, gossip and innuendo flutter about in the breeze. I can see several trampled rosettes with the party names peeling back to reveal their original use - "Best in Breed" and "Walk and Trot Champion Pony".
~
Small animals and birds have come out of hiding to feast themselves on the on the mixture of egg and flour left behind by the more enthusiastic of political activists. They will need to hurry as soon it will be washed away by the tears of those whose vote was to no avail.
~
There is a commotion at one polling station. Has one of the candidates turned up to cast their vote? No. It is just a problem caused by the caretaker of the scout hut failing to unlock the toilets. Several elderly people can be seen hopping around from one leg to the other in desperation - and that cannot be good for the hip replacement.
~
Some of the shops have opened early to cater for the rush of people who are expected to stock up for the all-night vigil that is the live results programme on the television. There are special offers on "Dimbleby Packs" (Two bananas, a Mars bar and two litres of Red Bull.)
~
Thousands of people are gathering outside Parliament with sleeping bags and camping chairs, each wanting to be at the front of the crowd so that they will have a good view in case there is a hung parliament. Bookmakers in their Trilbys and with their small blackboards are making odds on who will be hung first.
~
By Sunday it will all be over. We will have a new Government. The "winners" will be hollering and whooping in their excitement. However, there will follow that sudden realization that they are now expected to do something about the mess that is Great Britain.
What will their response be?
They'll smile a wry smile and say to themselves "Who cares ... I'm alright Jack."
~
And what about us, the people?
We'll have to do it all again and a few years time, in the full knowledge that it won't make a ha'penth of difference.
wayneo
says...
10:30am Thu 6 May 10
MCarey
says...
12:08pm Thu 6 May 10
Why am I paying for your third home?
says...
12:36pm Thu 6 May 10
Lillymoe
says...
1:27pm Thu 6 May 10
MCarey wrote:Well done... wish there were more that would vote UKIP
i voted for UKIP in the end
demoness
says...
1:44pm Thu 6 May 10
Interesting times.....
BigTommy
says...
1:58pm Thu 6 May 10
Why am I paying for your third home? wrote:... because it is illegal to publish polls taken yesterday (including a period of time up until yesterday).
Interesting that the Examiner also ran an online poll for 2 weeks, it showed a very narrow Lib Dem lead but it's not included in that Tory rag today.
~
The whole idea is that the publication should not be able to influence voters.
So what are the BFP doing publishing this one?
~
If their poll was closed after 23.59 on Tuesday night they could be in trouble.
wayneo
says...
6:54pm Thu 6 May 10
MCarey wrote:Me too, might vote libdem in local elections.
i voted for UKIP in the end
Sarah42
says...
1:01pm Fri 7 May 10
green damage limitation says...
11:42am Wed 5 May 10
I for one have had enought of Goodman, Clarke , Green and Shakespeare and Tory domination in Wycombe
Seem its time to vote Lib Dem -- They can count on my vote !!