20 Oct ELECTION expert John Curtice says the Tories are “staring defeat in the face” but warned Labour could face a nightmare start in office.
ELECTION expert John Curtice says the Tories are “staring defeat in the face” but warned Labour could face a nightmare start in office.
Speaking to GB News in the wake of last night’s by-election wins for Keir Starmer’s party, Mr Curtice said: “The one thing that we do know is that whoever forms the next administration will face a very, very difficult situation.
“Because basically we’ve maxed out the credit card, the public services aren’t working, and we have record levels of taxation.
“And the question is who can manage to grow the economy? In order to get us out of that bind? And the answer may be that we discover that Labour struggle and as a result become unpopular quite quickly, however much they win.”
Outlining the current state of the parties, he continued: “We are now in a position that was much the same as in 1996. That is, the Conservatives are staring defeat in the face, and having to turn things around.
“Perhaps they can turn things around, although I don’t think it’s going to be an easy game for them partly because of the economic circumstances. And history isn’t bound to repeat itself. But the Conservatives do have to turn things around. And it isn’t just a case of getting Conservative voters to come out and vote who didn’t before.
“Actually, the last time we had a Parliament in which turn-out kept falling away was in 1997.
“If you go back to those by elections in the 1990s, when there were 20% plus swings to Labour, there were also big drops in turnout – yet they did signify what was coming.”
