MADAM – In reply to Steve Parker’s letter (SNJ June 4), the results from the recent Euro, local and Newark by-election collectively appear to strongly indicate that there will be no coalition government after the 2015 general election.

The Lib Dem vote has gone backwards to 1970s level and it will be a straight one-to-one contest between the Conservatives and Labour for government.

Cross-party tactical voting as expressed by Mr Parker will not therefore be effective next year as it has in recent elections.

For certain in Stroud the general election winner will be either the Conservative or Labour candidate, with The Greens a distant third.

The Lib Dems will make a mini-recovery, as all parties of government do in the days before a general election.

They are resilient and will regroup in years to come.

UKIP’s support habitually falls off the cliff edge in general elections after Euro successes.

Stroud is a barren wasteland for them, despite what their media officer has written.

They polled less than their national or regional average and failed to get even one local councillor elected.

In fact, the Conservatives secured more votes than UKIP in both local and Euro elections in Stroud.

UKIP may retain its deposit in the general election but not much more.

So for Mr Parker to suggest that Conservatives vote for them to stop Labour winning in Stroud would produce the exact opposite result to what he wants.

Tom Newman

Stroud