Most 'open' election I have ever known – politics Prof

A British politics professor has told Connexion he has never known an election’s outcome to be so uncertain on polling day.

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Prof Colin Talbot, of Manchester and Cambridge universities, said he feels that the latest polls do not adequately reflect the degree of uncertainty of many voters, especially among those who are not committed Conservative supporters, as to who to vote for today.

“I have never known it quite so ‘open’,” said Prof Talbot, who is also co-director of the ENGAGE Public Policy think tank.

He added: “The maths suggest there are a lot of seats, 75-95, that could go either way on a relatively small switch in votes.

“There are also four different elections going on in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and some local battles that could be exceptional.

“So who knows? There are some 'boundaries', for example a Labour majority or even Labour being the largest party looks very unlikely.

“I think a large Tory majority is also unlikely, and I expect some headline grabbing individual results.”

Connexion will be following up the results of the election tomorrow with experts including Prof Talbot.

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