Has Cameron acheived the biggest gain in seats in 80 years?

The short answer is no.

The long answer involves telling people like Alex Massie and Paul Sagar that they are simplifying the situation.

As Richard Blogger comments:

In 80 years, really? Oh so the 147 seats that Blair won (and the 171 that Major lost) did not happen in the last 80 years? And what about the 239 gain that Labour made in 1945 and the 190 that the Tories lost?

This is the typical Hilton meme. He carefully crafts a statement: “At yesterday’s general election the Conservative Party gained more seats than at any in election for the last 80 years.” and then allows reporters and bloggers to misquote it, so that a different “truth” is created.

Please, everyone, start the antidote meme that the largest swing in the last 80 years was 1945 and the second largest was 1997.

Conservatives are really good at getting thrown out, excellent at hanging on, quite good at just squeezing in, but dreadful at inspiring enthusiasm.

Filed under: Politics

Who’s been a naughty boy David?

Oh my. Not-Lord Ashcroft is not amused.

David Cameron was facing a growing backlash from his own MPs and party grandees today over the conduct of an election campaign that left him short of an overall majority and trying to make a deal with the Lib Dems.

The Observer can reveal that Lord Ashcroft, who pumped £5m into marginal seats, is furious with the Tory leader for having agreed to take part in television debates that he believes undid much of his work for the party.

Friends of Ashcroft also say the peer is angry because he believes Cameron failed to stand up for him properly in the row over his “non-dom” tax status, which harmed the Tories in the run-up to the election.

Ouch.

There is another thing to brighten your mood too.

Today, one senior frontbencher rounded on the Conservative leader, demanding that he sack key figures involved in the campaign, including the man who ran it, George Osborne, the shadow chancellor.

I’m beginning to like this Ashcroft fella…

Filed under: Politics