[Politics] The General Election Thread

[Thunder Bolt]

High Court has ruled this morning that the blanket ban on Extinction Rebellion by the Met Police was unlawful.

Another question for Pritti Patel to answer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50316561

 

[Bold Seagull]

Benn definitely, Starmer possibly and even Peter Kyle looks far better leadership quality than JC.

This really is an impossible election for me in terms of wanting a party or parties to win. Tories on their own with large majority equals hard Brexit and Singapore-On-Sea. Labour majority equals JC in charge, something that has me wanting to hide behind the sofa. Lib Dems (won't get in anyway but...) and the likely outcome isn't so much revoking Article 50 as another decade of Remain v Leave with Farage even more empowered and angry. And a hung parliament? More of the mess we have today.

I'm back to my normal view of selecting the local candidate who best represents my views and that's Kyle. Had JC had his way and deselected him I'd have voted for Robert Nemeth. However, my vote for Kyle is not a vote for Corbyn and my vote for Nemeth would not have been a vote for Boris. These are simply two decent, hardworking guys who want to make Hove and Portslade better and happen to have ideologically different ways of thinking they'll achieve it.

If I was in Brighton Pav I'd vote Lucas all day long - so I guess in hindsight I'm a Labour/Green/Tory who doesn't want either prospective PM nor a hung parliament. It's no wonder people turn off politics.

Peter Kyle is much more engaging about Corbyn than he was at the previous election having worked with him closely now during all these Brexit matters. If you have a chance to talk to Peter about it, ask him, I think he has a lot more faith in the leadership than perhaps previously. Kyle wasn't facing deselection, he was facing an endorsement of his local parties to stand again as were many of the sitting MPs as part of party rules. It was very unlikely he was going to face deselection. One thing about Corbyn's leadership is that he doesn't interfere with local party democracy or the party NEC or the membership. Massively criticised for this and not being more autocratic.

The main issue with Corbyn isn't leadership, it's socialism and the fear that holds for people. Wouldn't matter if Starmer, Benn or Lammy were leading, under the same policy it holds irrational fear in this country, whereas it's readily accepted as normal by many of our neighbours.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I'm certainly not claiming an overall Tory majority is in any way likely, but the market on most seats has Labour getting absolutely trounced right now...

Conservative - 1.18 (between 1/5 and 1/6)
Labour - 7.2 (over 6/1)

You must have matched bet on Labour by now!?

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Apologies if this is fixtures (I'm at work), but another one bites the dust:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-50314126.

Moderate Conservative MPs clearly do not wish to serve under Boris Johnson (and before the Jeremy Corbyn fan club point to his voting record, Ed Vaizey is very much from that wing of the party).

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Benn definitely, Starmer possibly and even Peter Kyle looks far better leadership quality than JC.

This really is an impossible election for me in terms of wanting a party or parties to win. Tories on their own with large majority equals hard Brexit and Singapore-On-Sea. Labour majority equals JC in charge, something that has me wanting to hide behind the sofa. Lib Dems (won't get in anyway but...) and the likely outcome isn't so much revoking Article 50 as another decade of Remain v Leave with Farage even more empowered and angry. And a hung parliament? More of the mess we have today.

I'm back to my normal view of selecting the local candidate who best represents my views and that's Kyle. Had JC had his way and deselected him I'd have voted for Robert Nemeth. However, my vote for Kyle is not a vote for Corbyn and my vote for Nemeth would not have been a vote for Boris. These are simply two decent, hardworking guys who want to make Hove and Portslade better and happen to have ideologically different ways of thinking they'll achieve it.

If I was in Brighton Pav I'd vote Lucas all day long - so I guess in hindsight I'm a Labour/Green/Tory who doesn't want either prospective PM nor a hung parliament. It's no wonder people turn off politics.

My thoughts as well. I’ll vote for Kyle as a person although I don’t agree with everything he’s said. I am also a fan of coalitions, so a progressive coalition between Lib, Lab and maybe SNP plus Caroline Lucas leading the country wouldn’t worry me, it will foster debate, smoothing over some of the labour party’s leadership flaws, and hopefully lead the country out of the current mess it’s in.

Which reminds me, I need to register to vote.

 

[lawros left foot]

Could anyone really vote for a party that not only endorses this, but, introduced it.

 

[BBassic]

So the Tories campaign is off to a cracking start...

Rees Mogg says he wouldn't have died if he was at Grenfell as he had common sense , backed up by fellow Tory Andrew Bridgen who said Mogg was too clever to have listened to the fire brigade's advice
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns lied when he said he knew nothing about his adviser and Welsh assembly candidate wrecking a rape trial
Tories put out a video of Keir Starmer doctored to show a false narrative and get called out for it by Piers Morgan
Tory candidate in Wales says all benefit claimants should be put down
DWP adverts about Universal Credit banned for being misleading

And yet none of this will matter to their voters come December 12th.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Peter Kyle is much more engaging about Corbyn than he was at the previous election having worked with him closely now during all these Brexit matters. If you have a chance to talk to Peter about it, ask him, I think he has a lot more faith in the leadership than perhaps previously. Kyle wasn't facing deselection, he was facing an endorsement of his local parties to stand again as were many of the sitting MPs as part of party rules. It was very unlikely he was going to face deselection. One thing about Corbyn's leadership is that he doesn't interfere with local party democracy or the party NEC or the membership. Massively criticised for this and not being more autocratic.

The main issue with Corbyn isn't leadership, it's socialism and the fear that holds for people. Wouldn't matter if Starmer, Benn or Lammy were leading, under the same policy it holds irrational fear in this country, whereas it's readily accepted as normal by many of our neighbours.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to ask him. No doubt he'll be door knocking and hopefully he'll hold another session somewhere in Portslade, like he did with Eddie Izzard in Vale Park. Wife is one of the keyholders to the scout hut so will certainly know it gets booked again. But does that "faith" extend to Brexit? They've never been aligned on it IMO.

Socialism in a pure sense is probably too "left" for me, economically. I'm more of a Blairite. The progressive part of me is probably more in terms of wanting a much stronger approach to climate change from central government and as a confirmed social liberal. As HT says a progressive aliance wouldn't be at all terrible.

 

[vegster]

And yet none of this will matter to their voters come December 12th.

Indeed, the Tory manifesto is quite simply to get Brexit done whatever the cost and put right the last 10 years of Tory spending cuts! That's how confident they are of winning, they really don't care.

 

[beorhthelm]

Peter Kyle is much more engaging about Corbyn than he was at the previous election having worked with him closely now during all these Brexit matters. If you have a chance to talk to Peter about it, ask him, I think he has a lot more faith in the leadership than perhaps previously. Kyle wasn't facing deselection, he was facing an endorsement of his local parties to stand again as were many of the sitting MPs as part of party rules. It was very unlikely he was going to face deselection. One thing about Corbyn's leadership is that he doesn't interfere with local party democracy or the party NEC or the membership. Massively criticised for this and not being more autocratic.

deferring control of the party to a backroom group is not a good thing though (and goes for Conservatives too). deselection was shelved as they didnt have time, according to Labour sources, there were candidate lists for all LLP that dont have suitably approved candidates.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I am also a fan of coalitions, so a progressive coalition between Lib, Lab and maybe SNP plus Caroline Lucas leading the country wouldn’t worry me, it will foster debate, smoothing over some of the labour party’s leadership flaws, and hopefully lead the country out of the current mess it’s in.

This represents my views, and wishes, exactly.

A genuine Lab/Lib coalition, with the two parties having to work properly together,would smooth the extreme leftist edges off Labour, and bring them broadly to where I'd like to see them.

It just looks so difficult to achieve, though, given the the Liberals are ideologically more closely aligned in thinking with the Tories on everything OTHER than Brexit.

Its a mess

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

This represents my views, and wishes, exactly.

A genuine Lab/Lib coalition, with the two parties having to work properly together,would smooth the extreme leftist edges off Labour, and bring them broadly to where I'd like to see them.

It just looks so difficult to achieve, though, given the the Liberals are ideologically more closely aligned in thinking with the Tories on everything OTHER than Brexit.

Its a mess

I was desperately hoping for a Labour/Lib Dem coalition after this election to just get rid of the Tories and soften Brexit (if it happened at all) but Swinson has completey ruled this out if it meant Corbyn would become Prime Minister so it looks like that’s not going to happen as I can’t see JC steppping aside.

 

[blue-shifted]

And yet none of this will matter to their voters come December 12th.

And it won't matter to them because they will be oblivious to it.

Is any of that on the front page of the tory press do you think?
Do you think the Russian bots will be directing to that traffic online?
How many tory voters are really going to look outside what they are being told?

 

[Bozza]

You must have matched bet on Labour by now!?

I'll not touch political betting after the last election after having a large chunk of money tied up for some time.

Different bookies and Betfair took slightly different interpretations on the outcome and paid out at different times. I didn't lose out, but I was sweating slightly at one point!

 

[blue-shifted]

This represents my views, and wishes, exactly.

A genuine Lab/Lib coalition, with the two parties having to work properly together,would smooth the extreme leftist edges off Labour, and bring them broadly to where I'd like to see them.

It just looks so difficult to achieve, though, given the the Liberals are ideologically more closely aligned in thinking with the Tories on everything OTHER than Brexit.

Its a mess

I don't think they are .... but I think they are very conscious to appear distant from Labour whilst both pursuing a roughly similar progressive agenda, though with a bit less tax and spend

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Could anyone really vote for a party that not only endorses this, but, introduced it.


View attachment 116905

Woman with Spina Bifida in a wheelchair, has her benefits reduced. She has been on Disabled Living Allowance for 26 years, but this has been replaced by PIP. She was told she could walk unaided!

https://www.itv.com/news/granada/20...ut-after-being-told-you-can-walk-across-room/

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

So the Tories campaign is off to a cracking start...

Rees Mogg says he wouldn't have died if he was at Grenfell as he had common sense , backed up by fellow Tory Andrew Bridgen who said Mogg was too clever to have listened to the fire brigade's advice
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns lied when he said he knew nothing about his adviser and Welsh assembly candidate wrecking a rape trial
Tories put out a video of Keir Starmer doctored to show a false narrative and get called out for it by Piers Morgan
Tory candidate in Wales says all benefit claimants should be put down
DWP adverts about Universal Credit banned for being misleading

Cairns has gone.
I have a wonderful feeling that the Tories are going to go through this campaign stumbling from one disaster to another.
Johnson under pressure is hopeless as he makes everything up as he goes along depending on where he is and what that area needs.
I hope the media continue to put the thumbscrews on each Tory as they are grilled in front of the camera.
They must not be allowed to get away with the past 10 years of unnecessary hardship and the lies of what they are going to do if they win.
Not saying labour shouldn't be grilled but in the past Labour have always had to account for every penny they are going to spend/borrow, the Tories must come under the same scrutiny.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

After Rees-Mogg, Bridgen and Cleverly getting the Tory campaign off to a flyer, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns has resigned after knowingly turning a blind eye to an aide who helped wreck a rape trial. Tory values eh.......

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-50302173

 

[highflyer]

Cairns has gone.
I have a wonderful feeling that the Tories are going to go through this campaign stumbling from one disaster to another.
Johnson under pressure is hopeless as he makes everything up as he goes along depending on where he is and what that area needs.
I hope the media continue to put the thumbscrews on each Tory as they are grilled in front of the camera.
They must not be allowed to get away with the past 10 years of unnecessary hardship and the lies of what they are going to do if they win.
Not saying labour shouldn't be grilled but in the past Labour have always had to account for every penny they are going to spend/borrow, the Tories must come under the same scrutiny.

Ow!

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...s-interview-video-tory-election-a9187141.html

 

[Bold Seagull]

deferring control of the party to a backroom group is not a good thing though (and goes for Conservatives too). deselection was shelved as they didnt have time, according to Labour sources, there were candidate lists for all LLP that dont have suitably approved candidates.

Not sure it's deferring control or rather obeying rules and regulations and powers of the executive.

Anyway, Kyle wasn't yet in a reselection process. It would have needed 1/3 of branches connected to the constituency to have voted for a reselection, then a selection ballot would have happened with the sitting MP automatically included. So actually while that process was shelved, the need for reselection itself hadn't yet been voted on. Kyle did defy the whip 4 times, so only right the Party groups have a chance to endorse their candidate again.