[Politics] Sir Keir Starmer’s route to Number 10

[WATFORD zero]

During a visit to Mansfield, the prime minister said: "My working assumption is we'll have a general election in the second half of this year."

I guess you are working on the assumption that if you support enough Conservative PM's for long enough, one of them must get something right eventually, even if just by the law of averages

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I listened to KS's speech and was hoping for a bit more detail in it (I suppose this will come at a later date). He pretty much just went through the general list of issues that basically any incoming party from opposition would want to deal with.

It all sounded very good, as a lot of his speeches do, but he's still light on the specifics of how and when. Saying for instance 'we'll blast through the planning red tape and get Britain building' is all very well and good, but how? Which current protections for green belt land will go? Which elements of the planning application validation process will be relaxed?

What do you mean? Get Britain Building is perfect and show's he realises what is needed....i.e. just 3 words. Few qestioned Boris and his Get Brexit Done for details. Make America Great took Trump to The White House.

Go, Kier, Go! (maybe there's a future for me in speech/policy writing?)

 

[A1X]

During a visit to Mansfield, the prime minister said: "My working assumption is we'll have a general election in the second half of this year."

Still wants to retain it as a threat if his MPs start making general regicide noises is my guess, especially if the local election results are a bloodbath

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

What do you mean? Get Britain Building is perfect and show's he realises what is needed....i.e. just 3 words. Few qestioned Boris and his Get Brexit Done for details. Make America Great took Trump to The White House.

Go, Kier, Go! (maybe there's a future for me in speech/policy writing?)

....and Trump lost the election with his verbose Make America Great Again policy. Three is the magic number.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Blimey mate, you need a hobby.

I'm aware of Ed Sheeran's work too, doesn't mean I listen to him.

Can you find me any quotes I've made on Sheeran?

Sorry, can't hang around on NSC all day, I only popped on while I had a spot of lunch. Things to do, people to see

 

[ROSM]

I agree. He probably doesn't

What you have to remember is that a sitting government has the resource of an entire civil service to call upon, It has access to all financial data and the resource to analyse it. It has access to all official secrets and commercial contracts in place which will influence the detail of policy.

The leader of an opposition has none of this. Just a few consultants paid for by limited party funding. An opposition will never be in a position to provide a detailed policy breakdown even if it were wise to do so. That doesn't mean we should never change governments.

Conservatives have twice turned down request for opposition access. It can now be forced this month. Usually happens c16 months before an election but can be forced at 12. Last 2 elections were called at short notice so these didn't happen. Now sunak says second half of year it could be just 6 months of access.

 

[abc]

At this stage, he's right to not get bogged down in detail.

Of course, that would be ridiculous for someone who has aspirations to be running the country within the next 12 months!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

During a visit to Mansfield, the prime minister said: "My working assumption is we'll have a general election in the second half of this year."

Why can't these people speak normally? What the cock is a 'working assumption', FFS?

 

[Chicken Run]

Why can't these people speak normally? What the cock is a 'working assumption', FFS?

Mmm, I thought similar so looked it up and lo and behold….

A working assumption is something that comes to be revised, of course, as one goes forward and the evidence changes.

You can use it when you want to express something that you consider to be true, but are uncertain about.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Mmm, I thought similar so looked it up and lo and behold….

A working assumption is something that comes to be revised, of course, as one goes forward and the evidence changes.

Although in this case, given he's talking about something that's entirely within his own control, it's a bit like me saying I have a "working assumption" that I'll go to the pub later.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Mmm, I thought similar so looked it up and lo and behold….

A working assumption is something that comes to be revised, of course, as one goes forward and the evidence changes.

You can use it when you want to express something that you consider to be true, but are uncertain about.

So, coming back to my first question, why can't/didn't he say something like: "The general election will probably* be in the second half of this year."?

*I'd even settle for "...most likely be..."

 

[Chicken Run]

So, coming back to my first question, why can't/didn't he say something like: "The general election will probably* be in the second half of this year."?

*I'd even settle for "...most likely be..."

I don’t disagree with any of that, it’s only that you asked what ‘Working Assumption’ meant so I looked it up for you

Why you’d be surprised that a politician go’s from London to Brighton via Plymouth is a mystery to me though

 

[Weststander]

I want Starmer to win with a healthy majority (but not Brighton Pavilion, Green’s please) and he will.

But I’m bored by these speeches …. each one is a waffling ‘vision’, JFK or Martin Luther King he isn’t. I like facts, proposed policies. Looks like I’ll have to until the manifestos.

Perhaps he’ll be more inspiring when he announces real policies dealing with injusticies?

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I don’t disagree with any of that, it’s only that you asked what ‘Working Assumption’ meant so I looked it up for you

Why you’d be surprised that a politician go’s from London to Brighton via Plymouth is a mystery to me though

I know - and I appreciate that (sorry if that didn't come across). It was a more general question, not just to you!

 

[Surrey Phil]

I am a swinging voter and have to say, with rose tinted glasses off, I genuinely don’t think any party is actually capable of running the country. My GE vote will be one that helps a coalition, as that is the only credible option.

 

[jcdenton08]

I am a swinging voter and have to say, with rose tinted glasses off, I genuinely don’t think any party is actually capable of running the country. My GE vote will be one that helps a coalition, as that is the only credible option.

@WATFORD zero will be along shortly to playfully mock your value system.

 

[Is it PotG?]

@WATFORD zero will be along shortly to playfully mock your value system.

He's just ploughing through all of his posts since 1972.

 

[nwgull]

I want Starmer to win with a healthy majority (but not Brighton Pavilion, Green’s please) and he will.

But I’m bored by these speeches …. each one is a waffling ‘vision’, JFK or Martin Luther King he isn’t. I like facts, proposed policies. Looks like I’ll have to until the manifestos.

Perhaps he’ll be more inspiring when he announces real policies dealing with injusticies?

When it comes to the government, I’ll be more than happy with 5 years of boring after the shit show of the last 8 years.

 

[Is it PotG?]

When it comes to the government, I’ll be more than happy with 5 years of boring after the shit show of the last 8 years.

You won't be disappointed, this fence sitter makes John 'Grey' Major look like Timmy Mallet.

 

[WATFORD zero]

@WATFORD zero will be along shortly to playfully mock your value system.

As you well know, I would only do that if he had posted a couple of hours earlier that he had only ever voted for one colour of rosette and couldn't imagine voting for any other, and then claimed to be the very definition of a swing voter in their next post.

Then I would playfully mock him, but to the best of my knowledge he hasn't done anything anywhere near as foolish as that