Labour leading polls in Grimsby and Cleethorpes?

Grimsby is a marginal, Austin Mitchell struggled to hold in 2010, and Labour held on for grim death in 2015.

Cleethorpes has been Tory since 2010 and you'd expect them to hold on current polls.

However...

http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/l...ction-survey/story-30329440-detail/story.html

One thing to note, however, are the large number of people undecided. Most likely secret Tories.

If I were a betting man, I'd bet on the Tories winning both seats. If they lost Cleethorpes then, I would suspect, they would not be winning with a landslide.

I much prefer this avatar, "Timmy the voice in the wilderness" look which is very apt, thank you

Many years back I spent quite a few months in Cleethorpes (contractors paradise) as it was once called.

It is certainly bad for Labour if they don't win the seat there as Grimsby/Cleethorpes is as working class as it gets and I would have thought that it would be a safe Labour seat.

I share your view that if the Tories do win the seat that a landslide will be on the cards.

Might be worth staying up late on GE day as we will know if there is going to be a landslide victory for the Tories early after the polling stations close.

I think I'll wait to hear Dimbleby's prediction at 10pm then go to bed to avoid hours of misery!

Hopefully not ..... you will have your good lady with you by then.

Hi Matt - actually not quite. Hopefully the Settlement visas will be through this week (been 47 days) but her flight is actually on 11 June.

Fingers crossed!

Regards.

Gerry

And the son?

Yes of course - 2 visas. Hopefully last weeks telephone interview from the Embassy (double checking his relationship with father etc) will trigger a positive decision soon. Quite an anxious time really!

Never been to Grimsby or Cleethorpes!

Gerry

You are missing out in life if you have never been to Cleethorpes, many years back when I was working nearby I found the place fantastic for wine , women and song

A real down to earth old seaside town, Labour through and through I thought, but by the sounds of it not nowadays.

Good luck with it

Thank you sir!

G

I have strong familial connections to Peterhead - a Scottish North East fishing town. I always feel at home by the seaside - and a walk round the harbour is always a highlight (hopefully avoiding seagull guano!!!)

Peterhead is a pleasant enough place, a few years back I had the very long drive up there to a turbine testing facility there.

Like you I enjoy the small coastal towns

The port - at least in number of trawlers - is much quieter now - and with peak-oil now passed there are also fewer North sea oil ship movements. Like inumerable other places up and down our land the town lost almost all heavy and light industry - with the main street now full of charity shops and a melancholic air.

I would thoroughly recommend this DVD - hugely evocative of times past - it moved me greatly when I first saw it on BBC Four.

You never know, the town may see a resurgence in its trawler fleet after Brexit if things go well (which I'm not anticipating)

Its very sad when towns like this start to die off and businesses start to close or relocate, although it probably makes it a more attractive place to live for those who like the quiet life. Problem is, people who like the quiet life are usually getting on in years and it doesn't hold well for the youngsters in the town who are seeking work and a reasonable lifestyle.

I guess time will tell if being out of the Common Fisheries Policy will assist our indigenous fishing industry - I certainly know the vast majority of fishermen blame the CFP for the sector's contraction.

Yes, I agree - lack of local job opportunities results in the young gravitating to the larger centres of population. Bit of a problem with drugs too - sadly.

And on that score we may see an improvement in Grimsby which also has its roots firmly in fishing, as you say, "time will tell."

I genuinely wonder how many of today's unemployed under 30s would want the hard life of a trawler man, 12 foot crashing waves pouring rain versus the PS4 hmmmm.
Sad really