The outcome of the 2015 General Election is wide open. The combined share of the vote between Conservatives and Labour is at record breaking lows. The growth of UKIP across England and Wales and the SNP in Scotland means that it is all to play for, and on current numbers, looks like either the Conservatives or Labour will need junior partners to prop up a minority government – either in the form of a coalition or confidence/supply.

Some of my friends in the Conservative Party are positively bewildered (if not angry) as to why small state free marketer Tory to UKIP defectors would be completely comfortable for any possible result to play out in May (naturally, the preference is for UKIP to hold the balance of power). Here is why;

We cannot see much, if any, difference between the Tories under Cameron and Labour. Take the recent Autumn statement; close your eyes and you could be mistaken for thinking it was Ed Balls at the dispatch box: banker’s bonus tax, a continuation of “the rich must pay their fair share” mantra, and so increases in stamp duty for expensive homes – which to many (depending on your age and purchase price) is far worse than Miliband’s mansion tax. I note some Tory MPs were equally unhappy.