[Politics] Tory meltdown finally arrived [was: incoming]...

[jimhigham]

Yes. The Guardian has a political leaning in its editorial pages and it is firmly to the left.

But…

I challenge you to pick up an issue on Monday morning and find anything in the news pages that isn’t based on fact. Seriously. You’ll struggle.

You can dismiss it in your own head all you like but you don’t get to invalidate its news output simply because you don’t like its politics.

And the very next day…

The Mail on Sunday comes along to underscore my point. Take an event and then simply recast it, disregarding the facts, to suit a (poisonous) narrative.

The Guardian does not do this.

https://x.com/metpoliceuk/status/1784356828500922621?s=46&t=vBkVfgSXFArt25Q_RA9Kxg

 

[Since1982]

Conservative party staff and activists are secretly operating a network of Facebook groups that have become a hotbed of racism, misinformation and support for criminal damage.

An investigation has identified 36 groups that appear to be separate grassroots movements opposing the expansion of ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) schemes to reduce air pollution. They do not say they were set up by the Conservatives as part of a coordinated political campaign.


The closed groups – which have a combined membership of 38,000 – have been a forum for Islamophobic attacks on Labour’s London mayor Sadiq Khan, with members calling him a “terrorist sympathiser” and a “khaki punt” and saying they would pay to get him “popped”. Other posts promote white supremacist slogans, antisemitic conspiracy theories and have encouraged the destruction of Ulez enforcement cameras.

And a Tory councillor in Haywards Heath is an admin of all 36 groups. No wonder they are losing control of Mid Sussex.

 

[The Clamp]

Home Office to detain asylum seekers across UK in shock Rwanda operation

Exclusive: Operation comes weeks earlier than expected and is thought to have been timed to coincide with local elections

www.theguardian.com

“the government is entering the final phase of operationalising this landmark policy to tackle illegal migration and stop the boats”

 

[clapham_gull]

What will definitely unify the "Conservative" party is a lurch to right. A lurch to the right that will see them out of power for at least two terms.

That's the very difficult decision they are struggling with.

 

[Audax]

The only hope he has is to hang on to the last minute and hope the economy is on an upturn, then promise unimageable tax cuts to congratulate himself and the nation for everyone's fantastic work.

From a purely political strategic view, you are of course correct: the only hope Sunak / the Tories have of winning the next GE is to push it out as long as possible and hope that something happens that can swing enough voters back their way.

HOWEVER

Sunak may not have that option available to him if his goal is to be Conservative party leader and PM when that GE happens. His party is fractured and fractious. And another leadership spill at this point would almost certainly kill off any chance they have of winning a GE regardless of timing. IMO, if Sunak reaches a point where he feels the only options are "immediate GE" or "leadership challenge" he'll take the former.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

, if Sunak reaches a point where he feels the only options are "immediate GE" or "leadership challenge" he'll take the former.

It’s possible you’re right here.

But knows the outcome of and election is 99% “he won’t be PM any more”

The outcome of 50 letters going in and a cote of no confidence going in, is far less certain. Could that party coalesce around an alternative in time? Someone acceptable to the members and has a chance of winning an election? I’d say he has a 50% chance of survival if they try to knife him. He might try to ride it out.

 

[TomandJerry]

People with depression or anxiety could lose access to sickness benefits, the work and pensions secretary has said, as part of major welfare changes that have been described as a “full-on assault on disabled people”.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

People with depression or anxiety could lose access to sickness benefits, the work and pensions secretary has said, as part of major welfare changes that have been described as a “full-on assault on disabled people”.

And have it replaced with therapy and other treatment.

Err hang on. What you mean the treatment that has been decimated under tory Britain? We're using access to the medical services as an alternative to welfare now? Jeez

 

[Randy McNob]

What a grifter.

So the plan is to make the UK a worse place to live than Rwanda so people won't want to come here?

Vote conservative

 

[Thunder Bolt]

People with depression or anxiety could lose access to sickness benefits, the work and pensions secretary has said, as part of major welfare changes that have been described as a “full-on assault on disabled people”.

Dangerous outright lies about benefits for disabled people. Thousands of pounds? No way.

 

[Tubby Mondays]

Good reading. The fact that he is doing this to highlight how awful the Government are rather than to seek re-election later this year (he’ll be standing down) makes him a good chap in my book. Not all Tories are c***s. It’s mostly the current leadership who are just plain nasty, corrupt and incompetent.

I disagree.

This government hasnt just become awful this week, this month or even this year. Its been awful for years. Years in which he has been happy to serve as an M.P in it.

Now he's decided to step down, at the fag end of it, and fancies a job with Labour should they win the next G.E.

To me it smacks of someone burning down your house and waiting until everything but the garage has gone, ringing for the fire brigade and expecting you to thank them.

 

[Ethelwulf]

We could on Friday be in a weird situation where labour has annihilation the tories in the local elections . But they win the London mayor race. Khan has really pissed off a lot of the London public and in the latest polls is only just ahead

 

[pb21]

We could on Friday be in a weird situation where labour has annihilation the tories in the local elections . But they win the London mayor race. Khan has really pissed off a lot of the London public and in the latest polls is only just ahead

The tory candidate, the second 'favourite' has odds of 17/1.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

We could on Friday be in a weird situation where labour has annihilation the tories in the local elections . But they win the London mayor race. Khan has really pissed off a lot of the London public and in the latest polls is only just ahead

He’s 13 points ahead, although dropped from 20 points ahead.

 

[A1X]

He’s 13 points ahead, although dropped from 20 points ahead.

That’s largely due to a methodology change by one pollster, Khan is still likely to win and if there’s even a sniff of the polls closing there’ll be a lot of tactical voting. Hall is really not a popular candidate.

 

[A1X]

Talking of mayoral elections, the Tories are defending two this week

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It’s possible you’re right here.

But knows the outcome of and election is 99% “he won’t be PM any more”

The outcome of 50 letters going in and a cote of no confidence going in, is far less certain. Could that party coalesce around an alternative in time? Someone acceptable to the members and has a chance of winning an election? I’d say he has a 50% chance of survival if they try to knife him. He might try to ride it out.

I have not given up the hideous prospect of Johnson being parachuted into a constituency to emerge as the right and proper PM. After all it was he who won the last GE. And he got Brexit done. And blow me down it turned out that COVID was pretty much nothing, after all. Gone now.

The tory rank and file would be beside themselves with joy. As would 30% of the electorate. At least 30%.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

We could on Friday be in a weird situation where labour has annihilation the tories in the local elections . But they win the London mayor race. Khan has really pissed off a lot of the London public and in the latest polls is only just ahead

It's hardly neck facking and neck...

'With just a week to go to polling day, the Savanta survey for the Mile End Institute at Queen Mary University of London put the Labour mayor on 46 per cent, with his Tory challenger on 33 per cent, a lead of 13 points.'

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Talking of mayoral elections, the Tories are defending two this week

Christ, who are these people still planning to vote for Houchen?

Actually, scrap that, I suspect I'm related to a bunch of them.

 

[JBizzle]

Christ, who are these people still planning to vote for Houchen?

Actually, scrap that, I suspect I'm related to a bunch of them.

Having been in the Alfriston doctor's surgery on Monday, it's clear that there are swathes of people entirely taken in by Tory war-mongering.

"I moved down here in the 70s because London has become like a third world country. I haven't been back in years because it's even worse now" was pretty much verbatim and my favourite comment