#GE2015 FORECAST from ELECTIONS ETC

The Lib Dems move up a point (to 9%) and UKIP down one (to 15%) in our polling average this week, while Labour and the Conservatives stay on 33% and 31% respectively.
With just 20 weeks to polling day and still lagging two points behind Labour, the Tories are running our of time to turn things around. Our model now puts their chances of securing a majority at just 16% – the lowest since we starting forecasting last year.
For the third week in a row, Labour are the slight favourites to win the most seats. Their chances of doing so are up slightly, from 54% last week to 55% now.
It still looks like being a very close election: the likelihood of a Hung Parliament is also up again, to 60% – its highest yet.
Our central forecast is for a Hung Parliament where Labour are the largest party, with 299 seats to the Conservatives 289. The Lib Dems’ 31 seats in this scenario would be enough for a Lab-Lib Dem Coalition to command a slim majority, but not a Con-Lib Dem one.
That’s our last forecast update of 2014. We wish you all a merry Christmas, and will be back with a new update on Friday, 9th January 2015.

Date of forecast: 19 December 2014
Days till the election: 139
Inputted current average poll shares
Con: 31%
Lab: 33%
LD: 9%
Others (inc. UKIP): 27%
– UKIP: 15%
Forecast Election Day Shares (with 95% Prediction Intervals)
Con: 33.4% (±6.6, i.e. 27% – 40%)
Lab: 31.0% (±4.9, i.e. 26% – 36%)
LD: 11.5% (±6.3, i.e. 5% – 18%)
Implied point estimate shares for:
– Others (inc. UKIP): 24.1%
– UKIP: 13.4%
Forecast Election Day Seats (with approximate 95% Prediction Intervals)
Con: 289 (219 – 369)
Lab: 299 (223 – 365)
LD: 31 (26 – 37)
(Prediction intervals assume LD & others shares at central forecast, Con & Lab shares vary as per prediction intervals)
Central forecast: Lab largest party, but short of a majority by 27
Approximate probabilities of key outcomes
Con largest: 45%
… with a majority: 16%
Lab largest: 55%
… with a majority: 24%
Hung Parliament: 60%
… with Con largest: 28%
… with Lab largest: 32%
(probabilities may not sum due to rounding)