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Can Boris be stopped?

What is clear from the opinion polls is that the majority of voters do not want a Boris Johnson-led government. The Tories have flatlined at 42%. The message from the opinion polls is that you should make sure your vote counts if you want to stop Boris.

If you want to protect the NHS, then you will need to stop Boris. If you want significant progress on tackling greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment, then Boris must be denied a majority. If you wish for action on child poverty and an end to the misery of austerity, then as a voter you will need to make sure your vote counts to deny Boris Johnson a majority in parliament.

The polls show Labour is closing down the Tory lead, but with just a few more days to polling, it might not be sufficient. Votes are needed where they can impact on the parliamentary arithmetic. This is why voters in the key marginals matter.

The Observer today published a poll checker so that voters can see how best they might vote if they want to stop Boris.

Of course, it could be that one reason Labour may not close the gap is that people are already voting tactically. That might explain the greater resistance to movement of Labour's poll rating.

There is everything to play for in the coming days. Where the votes stack up will matter more than only the national numbers.





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