[Politics] General Election 2024 - 4th July

[Eeyore]

The right wing press are going into hysterical meltdown. It's not a surprise really.

 

[abc]

Regardless of anyone’s specific political leanings on here, a ‘super’ majority with a small potentially ineffective opposition is surely damaging to the UK’s democracy?

Whilst it’s clearly time for a change, and the Tories have brought a lot of this on themselves, will five years of Starmer ‘Carte Blanche’ really make the UK a better place?

Whether a government has a majority of 50 or 200 they pretty well have ‘carrer blanche’. Whether or not Starmer and Labour makes the UK a better place remains to be seen.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

I for one cannot WAIT for tomoz, to kick out the scummiest party in my lifetime! It feels like a new start, time to really run the country properly, and be sensible and realistic about how tough things are and will be, but by bringing about a unity and understanding that once we get through the hurdles, we will be better off, nit pretending it is ok like the current wankers.

Bellcheeses at work saying I’m being disrespectful to anyone who might vote Tory, by saying I can’t wait for them to get out for a fresh change, yet they say my vote is wasted voting green. Literally burying their heads in the sand over the huge fall from grace this country has seen, and they still blame Labour and anyone centre left. Does my f***ing head in.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

'Keir, Putin has pressed the button, what shall we do?
I'll get back to you, I'm at the cinema with the family and a tonne of popcorn'

All been there

 

[A1X]

You just parrot out that anything other than the current state of affairs constitutes extremism of the left or the right (or, citing the horseshoe theory, that they're ultimately the same as one another). Such parroting only tends to occur when the current state of affairs is failing badly whereas, when things are going reasonably well, there doesn't tend to be the hype around extremism, as it can be more or less ignored, or is fixated elsewhere than the 'extremism' (of course) of the left and the right, eg Islamic fundamentalism. For those that parrot as such, there's never, ever a left or a right, only a centre-left versus an extreme/far left or a centre-right versus an extreme/far right.
If you want a more technical answer as you might with an MA in History, it's all to do with hegemony.

Do I? That's news to me.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Do I? That's news to me.

I think @Machiavelli may have got the wrong poster (I made a similar mistake yesterday over two moderators).

It's never nice to have one's opinion given disproportionate representation

(apologies - couldn't resist; and I have probably mixed up Mach with Mellotron and will have to issue a third apology )

 

[Machiavelli]

Do I? That's news to me.

You asked a genuine question, I gave a genuine answer and I wasn't expecting paranoia. Which is another way of saying, no you don't! And on my prior point about things not working, see the recently posted Jonathan Pie tweet.

Edit: the paranoia could well have been prompted by my use of the plural 'you' and your reading it as a singular 'you'.

 

[rippleman]

No it won't.
They will tinker around the edges, unable to tackle the real problems, like most who have gone before. Whatever their intentions, there will always be a necessity to find ever increasing ways of raising taxation and like those before, will direct that at business. Sure, there will be the usual soundbites and headlines aimed at the general public but the burden will fall on the business sector. VAT, Corporation Tax and two different fuel duties, creating the highest pump prices in Europe are crippling industry.
One pound in every five paid back to the government every quarter, is killing the hospitality industry. One pound in every five paid back to the government on company profits is killing investment and recruitment. Transport costs are astronomical in a society that now demands its purchases delivered by four wheels in 24 hours.
Help business and you help everybody.

One significant way to help business and achieve growth would be to take away control of interest rates from the Bank of England who are keeping the interest rate at way above the current rate of inflation. High interest rates rates stifle investment in new infrastructure, R&D, housebuilding etc.

Who benefits most from high interest rates? Why, the banks of course as they invest and they lend. They get the benefit of the high rates at both ends.

Starmer should remove the BoE's control of interest rates immediately. The costs of borrowing must come down if we want to achieve growth.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I have concluded the only possible choice is the Liberal Democrats from the options available

 

[GT49er]

I have concluded the only possible choice is the Liberal Democrats from the options available

OK, vote Lib. Dem. - but don't be too disappointed if millions of people don't consider them to be the only possible choice!

 

[jcdenton08]

One final throw of the dice from the Libs this morning, with a hand delivered double sided memo (in handwritten envelope no less - I wonder how many thousands of them the volunteers have had to write out!) along with an A3 glossy.

I’ve never been lobbied this hard ever, Libs are going all in here (Seaford - Lewes district). This is about my sixth or seventh load of literature from them (compared to two from the Tories) along with two door knockers.

Interestingly, my elderly mother who I’m caring for, has already postal voted Lib Dem and hasn’t received a single letter or flyer from the Libs, but several from the Tories. I realise they use demographic modelling to target specific votes, but it just seems a bit weird.

To be honest I’m a little annoyed, because as I’ve repeatedly said (sorry @Sid and the Sharknados ) I am HATING having to vote for traitor Lib Dems solely to get the Tories out, and would rather not be reminded of it to be honest.

 

[Jim in the West]

Just logged on the thesun.co.uk and dailymail.co.uk (much as it pains me)....great to see that Labour's ads are still festooning their front pages.

 

[Machiavelli]

One significant way to help business and achieve growth would be to take away control of interest rates from the Bank of England who are keeping the interest rate at way above the current rate of inflation. High interest rates rates stifle investment in new infrastructure, R&D, housebuilding etc.

Who benefits most from high interest rates? Why, the banks of course as they invest and they lend. They get the benefit of the high rates at both ends.

Starmer should remove the BoE's control of interest rates immediately. The costs of borrowing must come down if we want to achieve growth.

The flaw in your analysis is that for most of the past 15 years, interest rates have been historically low whereas before the BoE had responsibility for setting interest rates, they were far higher.

 

[Forster's Armband]

I am voting Labour. I am not totally convinced by the Starmer version. Still, I hope we will return to some competent, sensible, and disciplined politics that might give the country a fighting chance of improving albeit slowly.
I think the country underestimates the collective trauma of living through the last 14 years (and the last 5 in particular). The consent uncertainty, in fighting changes of PM and government has made it impossible to tackle the key issues we've been paralysed.
I hope on Friday we wake up to a Labour government with a working majority (I doubt it will be as big as people say), one that is willing to serve and do what needs doing, and one that grows in confidence and boldness to tackle the issues we face.
I hope Friday will feel like a new dawn, one of hope and positivity for a country that has been utterly battered for 14 miserable years.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I am voting Labour. I am not totally convinced by the Starmer version. Still, I hope we will return to some competent, sensible, and disciplined politics that might give the country a fighting chance of improving albeit slowly.
I think the country underestimates the collective trauma of living through the last 14 years (and the last 5 in particular). The consent uncertainty, in fighting changes of PM and government has made it impossible to tackle the key issues we've been paralysed.
I hope on Friday we wake up to a Labour government with a working majority (I doubt it will be as big as people say), one that is willing to serve and do what needs doing, and one that grows in confidence and boldness to tackle the issues we face.
I hope Friday will feel like a new dawn, one of hope and positivity for a country that has been utterly battered for 14 miserable years.

All of this (except I'm personally voting tactical LD).

I ask for little more than some honest grown ups in charge. I do not expect them to achieve miracles, nor to agree with every decision they take - just to once again have some confidence that they are taking those decisions in the best interests of the country, rather than themselves, their party or their donors.

 

[Eeyore]

Just had the Tory leaflet for Kemptown through the door. It's utterly desperate. It might as well have said that Keir Starmer is going to send kids up chimneys.

It also only mentions Conservatives where needed and says little of their 'record'

It leaves me thinking how they just seem to have given up and how much they want to distant themselves from this government. I've never known anything like this in a previous election.

 

[Home and Away]

Big day tomorrow.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

The only bit that worries me is that after the worst government in living memory there are STILL people who will vote Conservative - it’s madness! They have been appalling - the last 5 years in particular.
Please think about what you’re doing!

 

[ROSM]

The only bit that worries me is that after the worst government in living memory there are STILL people who will vote Conservative - it’s madness! They have been appalling - the last 5 years in particular.
Please think about what you’re doing!

The tories always relied on getting c35% of the electorate. Even the worse version of tories historically got 30%. Extreme Right wing (bnp, nf, ukip) generally got 6% in both circumstances

All that's happened now is that those c36% of the right (given tories abandoned centre so aren't aiming at 41%) have split with more to reform. So it's either 18% each as some saw in polls a few weeks ago or 23/13 to tories as some today are showing.