General Election 2015 'Portillo Moments' And The Candidates Hoping To Decapitate A Big Beast

by Guest Fri Feb 13, 2015 6:25 pm

We laughed. Even at 10pm," Stephen Twigg says. The Labour MP is recalling how, even as the national exit poll was released on election night 1997, he thought it fanciful that he would beat Michael Portillo.
But he did. And the toppling of the then Conservative defence secretary became one of the iconic moments of Tony Blair's landslide victory.
The overall outcome of the coming election is far less predictable. But the breakdown of the two-party system has left political observers salivating at the prospect of multiple 'Portillo-moments' on the evening of May 7 and into the early hours of the next day.
Eighteen years on from Portillo's decapitation in Enfield Southgate, the focus is on Sheffield Hallam - where Nick Clegg looks to be in trouble. And he is not the only one. At least five other high-profile politicians are looking warily over their shoulder's, some for the first time.
Lib Dem chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, Tory cabinet ministers Nicky Morgan and Esther McVey and Labour's shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander are all under threat.
There is also the possibility of a 'reverse-Portillo'. Nigel Farage hopes to be elected the MP for Thanet South - where the incumbent Tory MP is stepping down. However polls have indicated his Conservative challenger may be able to block the Ukip leader.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/02/10/6-portillo-moments-that-could-happen-on-election-night_n_6652692.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

I think this is going to be one of the most interesting elections in years.
Safe seats? I think many will go out of the equation as safe if as seen the votes are going to be very split. It will all depend on how many voters turn out voting for UKIP and the Greens, having taken former supporters from the Tories and Labour. Neither the Greens or UKIP will win many seats, (max of 10 for UkIP on the higher estimations) but they will tip the balance in how votes will go to either Labour or Tories in their own safe seats.