GOLD is showing Yes, Minister at 5:20pm all this week. Yesterday, it was Scotland that was full of marginal seats, so that an international trade deal simply had to be struck for the benefit of the Scots. Today, it was Sunderland that was marginal, so that there could simply be no Civil Service cuts that put Mackems out of their jobs. Ah, those were the days.
In fact, they still are. Winning depends on holding, or picking up, seats in Scotland, Wales, the North and the Midlands. Losing them put the Conservatives out in 1997, and failing to win them back kept them out in 2001 and 2005, the second an Election at which they cleaned up in the supposedly king-making South East. Their failure to make much or any progress where it really matters denied them an overall majority in 2010, and their loss of what little they have will deprive them of office 2015.
The equally ignored battle between them and the Lib Dems in the West Country and in Hampshire has also made the difference between a majority government and a hung Parliament at every General Election for many years. The consequences of that fact last time might even cause a bit of attention to be paid to the more westerly half of the South next time. But don't hold your breath.
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