UK Election Questions

[minionofmidas]

Little England Beyond Wales sounds like the sort of place to elect Tories...but that would be the Southern Pembrokeshire seat, not the Northern one.
I would have thought the Northern one was fairly safe Labour, with a good chance of a Nat setup whenever hell freezes over.

[minionofmidas]

I don't see the Tories picking up Preseli Pembroke unless they can somehow unite the non-Labour vote in the seat.

Fair piont, but i think its possible. If the Conservatives can't win this seat there in real trouble IMHO.

The Conservatives are in real trouble, have been for fiteen years, and I don't see no getting out of it.

[minionofmidas]

True, I was exaggerating.
Then again, the last Conservative by-election gain was in 1989. (William Hague was the winner, btw.)

[minionofmidas]

There have been some by-election holds since (which is more than can be said for the 92-97 period). There also was a gain in a by-election to the Scottish Parliament.

[minionofmidas]

I would expect an increase in Tory seats after the next general election, though not a majority.

I do have to ask, is there a "von" in your family name?  :-)

Of course not.

[minionofmidas]

I would expect an increase in Tory seats after the next general election, though not a majority.

I do have to ask, is there a "von" in your family name?  :-)

Of course not.

How unfortunate.  I've known a Freiherr and went to school with an Imperial Highness. :-(

I'd doubt the latter. She might be descended of people with a claim to that title, but, being a title, it has been abolished.
Now, in case you wonder why I don't doubt the former: Many German ex-nobility families have dragged things that sound like titles into their family names. Thus Richard Freiherr von Weizsäcker's family name is Freiherr von Weizsäcker (Freiher meaning Baron). Since a 1928 court decision, women with such names are allowed to use a female version of the ex-title. Obviously, the yellow press, and many of the people involved, pretend these are titles, and call themselves, say, Prinz Ernst August von Hannover, and "der Prinz" (when really it should be Ernst August Prinz von Hannover, Prinz von Hannover being his surname).