Will posh boy tories be saved by their posh boy nemesis Boris tonight.

[Superphil]

Or will the poor scumbag riff-raff bloke take the spot?

 

[Grendel]

It's pointless trying to use local elections to determine the possible result of a future general election, in recent history the party in government has rarely done well. Labour took 44% of the vote as opposed to the Tories 33% in the 1990 locals, and then lost the 1992 general. Labour took an absolute kicking in the 2000 local elections, losing nearly 600 councillors, and won the 2001 general with another landslide majority. Of course Labour will be delighted and shout about today's results, but the reality is that it means nothing in terms of what happens in 2015.

 

[k2bluesky]

'There's nothing left, we've pissed it all down the drain' - thanks to that useless tit Gordon Brown, borrowing money to create public 'jobs' and win votes as we have seen before and with Greece, Spain etc will only plunge the country back into deeper debt again, the good times are gone, there will be no growth again, the collapse of materialistic civilization is under way.

 

[ROSM]

Saying very little while in opposition was the ploy that the Tories used from 2006 onwards. They supported the spending plans of the Blair/Brown last term pre crash, they objected to bailing out the banks post crash which was the one main policy division.

That ploy cost them an open goal victory at the last election. Given the state of the GLOBAL economy not everybody fell for the line that change was needed to the level it should have done. Labour lost seats as did the Lib Dems but the Conservatives failed to win it.

So now they suffer the fate of being called not Tory enough by their supporters and too tory by the rest of the country. Since Andy Coulson's departure there has been a significant lack of 'connection' in the government messages. Whether you think he should have been appointed, you cant doubt the value he gave the Conservative team in terms of displaying a more in touch message.

It was Coulson who on day 1 of the Coalition, had the whole Cabinet in (Lib Dem and Tory) and got them to perfect the line 'given the economic crisis we have inherited......'. Given we are now in double dip, the eurozone is crashing, the US are still spending themselves out of trouble and the focus of the changes, it is a line that cannot be spun for the next 3 years.

Boris Johnson is despised the Cameron and Osborne alike but he is a rarity in the world today - a relatively popular Tory who (whether he believes them or not) says things that give the impression he is in touch with what people think. Clapham Gull is right that he is more a Thatcherite than any of the current cabinet (with the exception of maybe Clegg).

 

[kano]

Not a tory voter but I would like to see Boris win. Hes done a great job imo and regardless of party politics that would be enough for me if i was voting.

edit to add that the labour gains across the country are hardly a big surprise given the state of the world

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Was Boris Johnson actually standing for mayor as a Conservative candidate?

 

[itszamora]

Was Boris Johnson actually standing for mayor as a Conservative candidate?

Yes, they want to ride his coat-tails as far as they can. Interestingly, almost all the people I've spoken to about the Mayoral election (granted, not loads) say they've voted for the independent candidate, Siobhan Benita. That would definitely make things interesting.

 

[Common as Mook]

Yes, they want to ride his coat-tails as far as they can. Interestingly, almost all the people I've spoken to about the Mayoral election (granted, not loads) say they've voted for the independent candidate, Siobhan Benita. That would definitely make things interesting.

I think Boris is pretty much nailed on. Any votes for independants will have come from those Labour supporters who (rightly so) couldn't bring themselves to vote for a slimeball like Livingstone. There have been many idssenting Labour voices about Livingstone too.

 

[ROSM]

Was Boris Johnson actually standing for mayor as a Conservative candidate?

That's what it says on the form - in reality he was standing as a 'Boris' candidate.

Win or Lose, the odds on him being Prime Minister in the future will shorten significantly

 

[Napper]

Amusing results. 1 term f*** ups this lot

 

[ROSM]

I think Boris is pretty much nailed on. Any votes for independants will have come from those Labour supporters who (rightly so) couldn't bring themselves to vote for a slimeball like Livingstone. There have been many idssenting Labour voices about Livingstone too.

Indeed there have. The interesting thing will be on the second votes cast. So many of the Green and Lib Dem second votes may go to Livingstone (shudder). Boris should be enough ahead on first votes to survive that.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

That's what it says on the form - in reality he was standing as a 'Boris' candidate.

Win or Lose, the odds on him being Prime Minister in the future will shorten significantly

Thanks. I don't live in London, so I've not paid close attention to this campaign, but everything I have seen re. Boris has always concentrated on the individual, rather than the party. If he wins, the Tories can only take minimal comfort in that, and certainly can't use it as a gauge of public opinion.

 

[Common as Mook]

Indeed there have. The interesting thing will be on the second votes cast. So many of the Green and Lib Dem second votes may go to Livingstone (shudder). Boris should be enough ahead on first votes to survive that.

I didn't actually put a second vote down. If I'm honest, I didnt really understand it - first time I've voted in London.

 

[Common as Mook]

Thanks. I don't live in London, so I've not paid close attention to this campaign, but everything I have seen re. Boris has always concentrated on the individual, rather than the party. If he wins, the Tories can only take minimal comfort in that, and certainly can't use it as a gauge of public opinion.

I agree to a point. His campaign has attached itself firmly to the Tory party though. If you were to invent a character who was the stereotype of a Tory, Boris would be it.

 

[Simster]

Amusing results. 1 term f*** ups this lot

I'm not going to disagree with you that this lot are a f***ing shambles, but as an ardent Labour supporter, do you really have faith in their current set up too? Have a look at their awful front bench FFS. The wrong Milliband, Ed Balls, Harriet Harmen, Yvette Cooper - these people are f***ing useless. None of them got anything done when they were running the country. They are all career-politicians filled with hot air and no substance.

I'm left of centre myself and can honestly say I prefer Call Me Dave and Cleggnut to any of those except Milliband.

 

[Kumquat]

Thanks. I don't live in London, so I've not paid close attention to this campaign, but everything I have seen re. Boris has always concentrated on the individual, rather than the party. If he wins, the Tories can only take minimal comfort in that, and certainly can't use it as a gauge of public opinion.

I live up here and you're right. But applies to ken as well. this has always been a personality battle and a test of the individual's credibility rather than party politics. Boris has also pointedly criticised Cameron on several occasions to distance himself from central Tory Govt and many think he is angling for the Tory leadership.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I would be wary of reading too much into local election results but it needs to be remembered that the Tories failed to win the General Election in 2012 when any half competent opposition party should have walked it.

Likewise Labour will be facing a very unpopular government come 2015 so you'd think should walk it BUT as you've just pointed out the Tories failed to walk the last election despite Brown being very unpopular.

On current trends Milliband will be in Number 10 by 2015.

Hmmmm ...... Milliband and Balls in charge ....... now there's a really depressing and scary thought !

 

[Common as Mook]

I'm not going to disagree with you that this lot are a f***ing shambles, but as an ardent Labour supporter, do you really have faith in their current set up too? Have a look at their awful front bench FFS. The wrong Milliband, Ed Balls, Harriet Harmen, Yvette Cooper - these people are f***ing useless. None of them got anything done when they were running the country. They are all career-politicians filled with hot air and no substance.

I'm left of centre myself and can honestly say I prefer Call Me Dave and Cleggnut to any of those except Milliband.

Harriet Harman was embarrassingly bad on QT last night. So little substance it's untrue. The minimum you'd expect from a Labour front bencher is some sort of bulldog militancy, but she is just such a wet blanket.

 

[Dirk Gently]

It was only ever going to be a kicking for the coalition & I expect Labour will win the next election. Why would those in the cushy public sector vote Tory when their gold plated pensions, salaries & jobs are under attack. Labour got us into this mess & overspent trying to get out of this mess. It is always a Tory government that has to bale them out. I suspect that in less than 10 years this country will be on a par with some of our main brethren in Europe & when the Tories come back will have to make even further cuts!

Perhaps it's the sheer weight of simplistic generalisations that will drag us all under.

 

[Simster]

Harriet Harman was embarrassingly bad on QT last night. So little substance it's untrue. The minimum you'd expect from a Labour front bencher is some sort of bulldog militancy, but she is just such a wet blanket.

She is always embarrassingly bad. She is far more concerned about NOT being seen to argue against party policy than actually answer the question coherently or constructively. She is my least favourite front bench politician, and I'm including Gideon in that, and he makes my stomach churn.