Can Google predict who will win the next UK election?

Google trends is a tool allowing you to see the relative popularity of search terms. If used correctly it can be used to predict national / worldwide phenomena such as outbreaks of influenza.

So can it be used to predict the winner of the next UK election? Google trends data shows that Gordon Brown consistently outperforms David Cameron in Google queries. This is contrary to most opinion polls which put the Labour Party firmly behind the Conservative Party.

Trends for "Labour Party" vs "Conservative Party" however reveal a much more different picture where the two parties are neck and neck. A hung parliament, or Labour win dubbed the great escape as has been suggested in the press might not be such a distant possibility after all.