[Politics] If there was a general election tomorrow

[Icy Gull]

Both parties are cluster ****s, hopefully Starmer can sort the looney left out as Blair did.

Do you really believe no govt could do better? Deaths per millions for large islands, new zealand 5 per million, japan 20, australia 35, ireland 430, the UK nearly 1,000. Even those where they have land borders, Germany at 230.

After Brexit then this i cant vote tory

Dare I suggest we have more than your average number of selfish ***** who don’t keep to the regulations, which has almost certainly led to the increased numbers. Unlike plenty of countries we are not actively enforcing restrictions and we are also more densely populated than most countries. Of course it’s so much easier to dive into blame culture, especially if the country is being run by a party and leader you detest.

(This is a general comment and not aimed at you personally btw )

There is not a cat in hell’s chance I’d vote Labour as I am not at all impressed by Starmer or the Labour Party. in fact I doubt I’d vote even though I would still vote Conservative over Labour if a gun was held to my head.

 

[nickbrighton]

Luckily NSC is just a forum, with a noisy left within it. I've lived and worked through Labour and Tory governments. Boris got dealt the worst political hand in history. Brexit and a worldwide pandemic. He is a poor communicator, but let's not forget he's only been a PM for 5 minutes and I suspect his faculties have been a bit Covid damaged. I'll judge him after Brexit and Covid, not in the middle of a fight for our global position and our financial and actual lives. The Tories may be a long way from perfect, but Labour and the tiddlers will never get my vote.

While I agree Boris got dealt the worst hand any PM has had since WW2, Brexit falls squarely on his shoulders and given that he was one of (if not the ) main reason Brexit won he should have had a plan, so no let off for him on that score. The Pandemic however is not his fault and despite some undoubted errors I see nothing from firstly Corbyn and now Starmer that makes me think they would have done any better at all. The abstention from voting and then complaining that Boris had done exactly what Starmer said he should do belies belief. He should either wholeheartedly support the Gov over this or offer viable alternatives- just like with Brexit this new Labour Leader has done neither and so comes over as weak and indecisive as his predecessors.

There is zero point voting for the small parties, and the Lib/Dems simply seem to have vanished. I have no idea who their leader is this week.

So it seems that with no viable opposition, we are left with Hobsons choice

 

[Perkino]

I cannot vote for Boris he is a fool, Starmer has the makings of being better than Corbyn but still probably voting for Lib Dems as a boycott to the two main parties who cannot get it right.

What I want to see most is an attack on tax avoidance and a party who were bold enough to try and cut that loophole would get my support

 

[Icy Gull]

While I agree Boris got dealt the worst hand any PM has had since WW2, Brexit falls squarely on his shoulders and given that he was one of (if not the ) main reason Brexit won he should have had a plan, so no let off for him on that score. The Pandemic however is not his fault and despite some undoubted errors I see nothing from firstly Corbyn and now Starmer that makes me think they would have done any better at all. The abstention from voting and then complaining that Boris had done exactly what Starmer said he should do belies belief. He should either wholeheartedly support the Gov over this or offer viable alternatives- just like with Brexit this new Labour Leader has done neither and so comes over as weak and indecisive as his predecessors.

There is zero point voting for the small parties, and the Lib/Dems simply seem to have vanished. I have no idea who their leader is this week.

So it seems that with no viable opposition, we are left with Hobsons choice

Pleased it’s not just me that thinks Starmer is not the man to take this on, the rush to support him is based mostly on hate for Boris as far as I can see.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I had high hopes of Starmer being the man that would have me putting my X in the Labour box once again.

But he's been utterly shithouse when it's possibly never been easier to be leader of the opposition.

Maybe it's unfair to judge him too harshly yet - he's still relatively new to the job, and he has held it in what are unprecedented times.

I couldn't vote for a Johnson-led administration so, almost by default, the Lib Dems would get my vote for something like the 3rd or 4th time in a row now.

Interesting. I'd echo Drew's question. What exactly is unimpressive about Starmer? I assume there are some specific examples.

For me he's cleansed the far left and started to deal with Anti Semitism. Unfortunately there are still power structures in Labour that reinstated Corbyn but he's done the best he can given he inherited them. It will take more than a few months to sort that mess out.

As for Covid, he's been right a few times and wrong a few times just like Boris. But if you're thinking he's sniped and criticised then that IS his job. The Leader of the Opposition is there to oppose.

It might have been good if he, Johnson, Krankie and the Welsh bloke could have worked together in a government of national unity but that's for Boris to propose - not Starmer.

 

[theboybilly]

100% Tory

 

[zefarelly]

Green as I live in Brighton Pavilion but Labour if I lived anywhere else.

There is a spreading trend, Labour and Greens have been chipping away in Adur. There will be street parties when the odious c**t thast is Tim Laughton gets his P45. His voting record is appalling.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10371/tim_loughton/east_worthing_and_shoreham/votes

 

[portslade seagull]

Starmer still needs to exorcise the far left. I think the unions will stymie any attempt at that. They got Corbyn back into the party, still to many loonys to go back. Stick with Johnson for the time being. Also no surprise with the poll as Brighton is a Labour area anyway

 

[Guinness Boy]

There is a spreading trend, Labour and Greens have been chipping away in Adur. There will be street parties when the odious c**t thast is Tim Laughton gets his P45. His voting record is appalling.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10371/tim_loughton/east_worthing_and_shoreham/votes

"Typical Brighton" is moving west and east into more affordable family housing. It's why the provincials on here are so scared of our supposed "bubble".

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

. Of course it’s so much easier to dive into blame culture, especially if the country is being run by a party and leader you detest.

There are apparently plenty of people who voted for Johnson who think that his style of leadership is not entirely suited to handling a pandemic. Not every person who comments on the failures of our approach detests the bloke. It has not been an easy period for any country or political leader - a virus does not discriminate. I think it's fair to be able to point out failings without being accused of it arising out of some prejudice. And there always will be failings dealing with a pandemic - for all countries and leaders. These are unprecedented times.

Personally I can't stand the bloke - he should never have been anywhere near leading a political party. I don't detest him. But as a country we have needed him to step up and succeed for the safety and well being of our loved ones and neighbours. The number of deaths, economic impact, PPE deals and a lot else tell the story. Pointing that out is fair enough.

 

[Icy Gull]

There are apparently plenty of people who voted for Johnson who think that his style of leadership is not entirely suited to handling a pandemic. Not every person who comments on the failures of our approach detests the bloke. It has not been an easy period for any country or political leader - a virus does not discriminate. I think it's fair to be able to point out failings without being accused of it arising out of some prejudice. And there always will be failings dealing with a pandemic - for all countries and leaders. These are unprecedented times.

Personally I can't stand the bloke - he should never have been anywhere near leading a political party. I don't detest him. But as a country we have needed him to step up and succeed for the safety and well being of our loved ones and neighbours. The number of deaths, economic impact, PPE deals and a lot else tell the story. Pointing that out is fair enough.

Fair comment, I am no fan of Boris btw. My point was not directed at everyone who wants change, just an observation that it could be for many. There are a large number of people who didn’t want him as PM from the off too.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

In answer to the question. Starmer. These are times for serious politicians who are able and used to getting things done. We need honesty and to be treated like adults. I think Starmer will do that.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

If I had the chance to just vote for PM then Labour as Starmer is the least worst of the current incumbents. But not sure I could vote for a Labour MP and it would be fruitless as Nus could murder babies and still get a 10K majority.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

On the pandemic issue.... the world press outside the UK are gobsmacked by the British response and their lurching from side to side.... the one thing that does make sense is that it accurately reflect the govts behaviour in Brexit talk over the last six months. Remember in the UK you mostly see your own press which is by definition biased, but nobody takes us seriously any more,. We are the sick man of Europe and this has mostly happened in the last 18 months. And who has been in power throughout most of that time. We are at our lowest ebb since 1974. And the rising prices and the power cuts may just be around the corner...

 

[zefarelly]

"Typical Brighton" is moving west and east into more affordable family housing. It's why the provincials on here are so scared of our supposed "bubble".

It explains the amount of Hipsters in central Shoreham Nothing much affordable about £500k for a 3 bed terraced house though. or these sheds they're slapping up on the riverbank.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Fair comment, I am no fan of Boris btw. My point was not directed at everyone who wants change, just an observation that it could be for many

I appreciate that. And yours is fair comment as well. Happy Christmas my old fruit.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Completely agree. We need PR, which drives more consensual politics. But it went to a referendum and failed unfortunately so we are left this nonsense where many votes don't count depending on where you live and the choice is mainly binary. It wouldn't happen in Germany

You can argue that the only votes that count are the ones that result in your candidate winning. Everyone else's votes don't 'count' because the voters didn't get what they want. This is the case regardless of whether you have FPTP or PR.

The main difference between PR and FPTP to me is that with the latter at least some people get the candidate and government they wanted. With PR nobody does most of the time because most of the time you end up with a coalition. Nobody votes for a coalition (even if a coalition is 'better' for due process, which it may well be).

In a FPTP system, extremism is tempered by the fact that if a party lurches to far to the left or right they won't get a majority. A fact that eluded the peanut size brains of the likes of Corbyn and Howard and, of course, Farrage.

If I need to pull any more rabbits out of my hat then I give you this. Under PR, we'd have Nigel ****ing Farrage sitting comfy in parliament, shouting insults at Gorgeous George Galloway on the benches opposite, and UK politics would edge ever closer to the shit show that passes for process in America.

That said, with Boris at the helm I hardly feel like crowing about our world-beating democracy and oven-ready solutions.

Hope all's well

 

[Lenny Rider]

Had this argument with Miss Hart the other day, unfortunately the Tories win by default as they are the best of a bad bunch.

 

[dazzer6666]

Where's the 'none of the above, they're all useless' option ??

 

[blue-shifted]

Huge majority for labour on this poll, but in the sanctity of the polling booth, I wonder if a few will peel away to the tories.

It will be really interesting how many people who claimed to have voted tory because of Corbyn will vote next time. My guess is that they will just lie about it and vote tory or just keep quiet