Election 2015- Hume Brophy Daily Update 14 20 April 2015 With only 2 weekends to go until the General Election, on the Political shows yesterday, the Prime Minister David Cameron said the idea of the SNP influencing a Labour government was "a frightening prospect". Mr Cameron added that a possible deal between the two would ensure that people from the rest of the UK “wouldn't get a look in.” Whilst, Nicola Sturgeon hinted that the SNP could back a Labour Queen's Speech after the general election. Scotland’s First Minister said if there were more anti- Tory MPs than Conservative MPs in the Commons, the SNP and Labour could work together to “lock David Cameron out of Downing Street”. Ed Balls said the Labour party was not looking to do any deals with the SNP, either formal coalition or confidence and supply deals. He said: “We're not going to start getting involved in coalitions or with a party that wants to break up the United Kingdom." Mr Balls also said David Cameron was getting “desperate” due to the Tory failure to press ahead in the polls. As mentioned previously, all main party manifestos have been published. If you would like to see Hume Brophy’s own manifesto briefings, please contact us at [email protected] or see our website www.humebrophy.com. Business Today Polls Trivia On the campaign trail Business Today Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne speak in Cheshire on devolution (10:45am) Labour leader Ed Miliband speaks at the Scottish TUC annual congress in Ayr (4:10pm) Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launches the Scottish National Party manifesto in Edinburgh (11:00am) and speaks at the Scottish TUC annual congress in Ayr (10:10am) Sinn Fein launches its 2015 General Election manifesto in Dungannon (11:00am) Shadow chancellor Ed Balls, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham and shadow care minister Liz Kendall launch Labour's NHS week in London (11:00am) Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visits Cornwall to announce a Liberal Democrat plan for teachers and parents Scotland Secretary Alistair Carmichael and Business Minister Jo Swinson campaign in East Dunbartonshire (10:30am) Treasury Minister Priti Patel, shadow business minister Stella Creasy, Liberal Democrat candidate Anuja Prashar and Green Party candidate Rebecca Johnson participate in a Fawcett Society hustings in London on women and the economy (7:00pm) Lord Wallace of Saltaire speaks at the Royal United Services Institute on Liberal Democrat defence policy (11:00am) Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson visits Glasgow to launch a new poster (1:30pm) and speak to party activists (2:30pm) Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy announces pledges on disability and mental health The deadline to register to vote in the General Election is midnight tonight Polls According to ukpolling.com ‘Ed Miliband’s ratings have improved over the course of the campaign, though on most pollsters’ measures he remains significantly behind David Cameron. Cameron’s ratings too have improved from three of the four pollsters, but not to the extent of Miliband’s.’ This could be due to many different variables, such as different polling companies asking different questions or could be down to the fact that Ed Miliband has improved over the course of the campaign. Not much change over the overall polling the past few days, with the usual polling results. Both main parties are still neck and neck; Labour 34% +0 Conservative 34% +0 UKIP 12% -2 Liberal Democrats 9% +1 Green 5% -1 Others 6% +1 *As of 19 April 2015, BBC poll of polls Betfair Predicts Likelihood of: Hung parliament 89% Conservative Majority 9% Labour Majority 2% Seats (with increases/decreases based on last parliament) Labour 262 Seats (gain of 3) Conservative 280 seats (a loss of 22 seats) UKIP 3 seats (gain of 1) Liberal Democrats 29 seats (loss of 27 seats) SNP 52 seats (gain of 46 seats)* *http://www.betfairpredicts.com/ as of 20 April 2015 Trivia Did you know? Chris Bryant, Labour candidate for the Welsh seat of Rhondda, in his book series Parliament: The Biography lists some fascinating examples of certain laws throughout the history of parliament. 1. The 1713 Place Bill, which would have taken all government ministers out of parliament and split the executive from the legislature, failed to get on the statute book only because the vote on the third reading in the Lords was tied. 2. The Habeas Corpus Act 1679, only got through the House of Lords by two votes when the teller of the Ayes counted a fat peer for ten votes. 3. The Reform Act of 1832, was later thought to be so good they named it Great, but on its second reading in 1831 it was carried in the Commons by a single vote 4. Jim Callaghan’s Labour Government collapsed in 1979 when it lost a vote of no confidence by 1 vote.* *Chris Bryant, Parliament: The Biography Volume 1 (2014), p. 5. On the Campaign Trail Cool Miliband An account has started on Twitter to try and shake off Ed Miliband’s current image by making him more cool. @CoolMiliband Cameron’s Good Life Times cartoonist, Peter Brookes has a rather hilarious look into Cameron’s Good Life manifesto and the extension of the help to buy scheme. @BrookesTimes Election- the game The BBC has produced its own Hung Parliament game. Try it for yourself! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32336071?ocid=socialflow_twitter .