Day0 A dead eyed Sunak u-turns & calls a surprise GE in a torrential downpoor drowned out by D-Ream/Steve Bray
Day1 Sunak gets caught out taking staged qs from Tory councilors dressed as warehouse workers, fails to organise a football chat in a brewery. CCHQ asks for 100 replacement MPs to be found & vetted b4 thr bank Holiday weekend is over
Day2 Sunak has to ditch all his flagship policies (including Martyn's law, who's mum he'd promised way back on Day0would pass b4 summer)
Refuses to pay out on his £1000 charity bet with Piers Morgan
Sunak tries a relaunch at the place they launched the Titanic
Tsunami of MPs quitting including Gove & Leadsome CCHQ now needs to find 150 candidates
Sunak finishes the day being filmed building a red wall at a skills centre
Day3(so far) Sunak halts campaigning to spend a day at home (presumably locked in his study looking for a way out of this absurd shitshow) edit: I mean a plane to california rather than whiskey & a revolver
I don’t particularly have a problem with Sunak or Hunt. I think they’ve actually done a decent job in a short period under quite dire circumstances, BUT, the Conservatives, especially in the last 9 years, have shown themselves to be self-serving, incompetent and reckless with the country.
Hunt will almost certainly comes out of this quite well, as will, unbelievably, Cameron,
They've made it a very presidential campaign, but Sunak, just isn't very charismatic. Sunak has never fought a GE as PM, was gifted a safe seat, became leader without winning a leadership contest......
1st downfall video. & it's good
Hunt will almost certainly comes out of this quite well
I hope not. That will be the Jeremy Hunt who was Health Secretary from 2012 to 2018 during which Health spending was slashed and caused the first Junior Doctors strike in 40 years.
The same Jeremy Hunt who then chaired the Health and Social Care Select Committee from 2020 - 2022 and advocated increased spending on the Health Service.
The same Jeremy Hunt that then became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2022 and refused additional budget for Nurses and Doctors leading to further strikes.
But people have short memories. In my world he is one of the key architects of the current mess the Health Service is in. This also creates an impossible task for Starmer to address due to the 5-10 years its takes to train medical staff. People will blame Starmer for that though.
I don’t particularly have a problem with Sunak or Hunt. I think they’ve actually done a decent job in a short period under quite dire circumstances, BUT, the Conservatives, especially in the last 9 years, have shown themselves to be self-serving, incompetent and reckless with the country.
Not sure I share your assessment of Sunak and Hunt, I'll acknowledge they picked up a train set already smeared with fecal matter by the last two to play with it but rather than make the "tough choices" they talk about most of what they've done is try to placate the head bangers. Lots of talk about boats and Rwanda, some trans bashing and most recently a pop at the scourge of the cycling menace. But very little business has been managed in the commons under Sunak and Hunt has just "cut taxes" partly as a token giveaway ahead of an unwinnable election and partly to spike the next government (presumably a Labour one).
Hunt will almost certainly comes out of this quite well, as will, unbelievably, Cameron,
Cameron? WTF has he actually done? A comeback tour, and (by virtue of being a Lord) been conveniently unavailable in the commons to answer questions on arms exports...
Feels like the bar for "good government has just fallen very, very low.
I will give Sunak this, it might be unintended, but by calling the GE when he has, in the hamfisted way he managed to that little bit of extra damage to the Tories might just force them to clear the decks and either Go full 'Reform' or else finally boot out the Grifters and loons and rebuild themselves as an actual political party.
Nobody's really going to worry about what wonders 5 more years of Sunak might have delivered, deep down the intern must know that. If he's actually gone fully Rogue and is actively trying to throw the GE maybe a tabloid will somehow get hold of details of early Californian school registration details within the next few weeks (GDPR be damned)...
https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/49531-voting-intention-con-22-lab-44-23-24-may-2024
The very latest poll might give Labour a 22% lead but we are still six weeks away from the general election, and although not in the least bit surprising it is moving in the direction which I would rather it wasn't.
What I find a tad surprising though is how support for Reform UK appears to continue to grow, 14% by any measure is huge, even if you allow a big margin of error.
I did think that when push came to shove and a general election was called that some of the support for Reform UK might start returning to the Tories - traditionally UKIP did very badly in general elections.
The voter tracker in the link is interesting - support for Labour has remained remarkably stable for a long time but support for the Tories has nosedived as support for Reform UK has almost trebled in a year.
Reform UK can thank Priti Patel/Suella Braverman/Rishi Sunak for that. By trying to suck up to white Tory bigots and making asylum/small boats/immigration a huge and defining issue the brown Tories handed the ball to Reform UK.
What I genuinely don't understand is how the Tories didn't learn from the lesson from the European conservative parties of the futility of trying to beat the far-right at their own game.
What I genuinely don’t understand is how the Tories didn’t learn from the lesson from the European conservative parties of the futility of trying to beat the far-right at their own game.
Perhaps because in politics, probably even more than in any other field, you'll always get opportunists who DGAF about the bigger picture and are in it for their own personal advancement?
I did think that when push came to shove and a general election was called that some of the support for Reform UK might start returning to the Tories – traditionally UKIP did very badly in general elections.
"Support" still has to be translated into votes for Reform to become an actual political force. Right now they're still just just the remnants of UKIP with some well funded backers, Oh and 30p Lee.
The difference this time is that they're not going to tactically stand back to let Tory candidates walk it, as dirty as the Tories will get towards Labour (and probably vice-versa), expect Reform candidates to do the same to everyone. It's going to be a three sided poo flinging match...
Anyway to round out a perfect day Sunak built a red wall
It's good to see him learning a new skill. You never know what the future may hold.
The thing that really pisses me off is that if Rees-Mogg does lose his seat, he'll almost certainly end up in the House of Lords (I could be wrong, I hope, as he's not a Sunak supporter)
What's so galling about Loathsome and Gove and May et al all standing down is that all the fockers who gave us Brexit and failed to make a success of it are just walking away scot free and letting everyone else tidy up the mess. No brexiteers left are there?
I think that even the Conservatives have realised that rabidly Brexiteer candidates are unlikely to be vote winners:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/987347/brexit-opinion-poll/
No brexiteers left are there?
Which might just allow the next administration to do the decent & right thing and start to try and repair the damage Brexit has done one small bit at a time.
It’s going to take time though.
The thing that really pisses me off is that if Rees-Mogg does lose his seat, he’ll almost certainly end up in the House of Lords (I could be wrong, I hope, as he’s not a Sunak supporter)
Mogg is just one figure. Having him lounging about somewhere in parliament is probably preferable to him dedicating all of his time to Dickensian villainy.
@ernielynch All these conservative centrists who oppose a manifesto for change but would like progressives like me to believe policies for change will emerge post-election seem to want me to believe abolishing/reforming the Lords is exactly the sort of thing Labour could do after winning.
I think Starmer said abolishing it would be a second term thing. Personally, I think having a second chamber is a good thing, just not the one we have now.
Get rid of life peers, get the bishops out, and massively reduce the size....and change the rules about people ending up their cos they bunged a load of money to a party.
Got the first election propaganda through the letterbox today. Came from the local conservative candidate, but nowhere does it mention that she is conservative. It was only when I looked at the small print on the back, was the word conservative visible. Even Tories don't want to be Tories it seems 😁
I see you @garage-dweller. I am now in the same (not small) boat. I have been shuffled from 1 constituency to another for just about every election.
Labour canvassers today - claiming to be anti brexshit and "wait until we get in". Aye right.
Labour canvassers today – claiming to be anti brexshit and “wait until we get in”. Aye right.
In the local elections my Labour county councillor didn't disagree with me on my doorstep and called it a "stupid thing to say" multiple times when I said I wasn't sure I could vote Labour after Starmer's comments on LBC in October. Your canvassers are probably just in denial themselves.
The poll posted above states 55% currently believe it was wrong for the UK to leave the EU. I can only see that increasing, especially if 16 & 17 year olds are allowed to vote in 2029 which will increase the electorate by 1.5 million.
Once the Tories are out of government I suspect rejoin will become an increasingly important topic and will be a 2029 election subject. The only party I see putting it on the table, who have a chance of government, are Labour now pro-brexit Corbyn has gone.
Right now though I suspect Labour see it as too risky despite current polling that 74% of people intending to vote labour stating they would also vote to rejoin. I cant see labour ignoring that past this election.
@Twodogs Problem is that if they don't get the constitutional reform stuff (which would also include proper devolution to the regions) out of the way in the first term, they won't do it at all.
IMO the upper chamber should be e.g. 180 people elected on a regional party list system with 1/3 up every two years, and a limit of two six year terms.
WRT Brexit the only way the Europeans are going to let us back in is if there's a large majority in support and a broad cross-party consensus. Sadly, I don't think we're quite there yet.
IMO the upper chamber should be e.g. 180 people elected on a regional party list system with 1/3 up every two years, and a limit of two six year terms.
I'm with you on it being elected, but any party list would I think would hand parties far too much power. The last thing we should want is a more partisan upper house when we can see every day the results of the party dregs floated into the Commons in safe seats.
Yeah but Labour will do the decent thing and using their huge majority they will abolish the House of Lords.
Yep, start off by doing that. And then put in a maximum voting age of 60 which there will be no HOL to stop going through, bring in minimum age of 16 and therefore pretty much ensuring that we never have to see the Tories again.
Yes sadly even if there is a mandate it will take a decade for the UK to rejoin.
@zomg On the other hand, even if we don't have PR for the Commons, no party is likely to have an absolute majority in a proportionally elected upper house?
The Lords have done their best to knock back a lot of the loony legislation recently. I think reform should be gradual, I'd kick the bishops our today, hereditary peerages would disappear when the current holder dies. There would be minimum attendance and anyone not meeting it without good reason would be out. I'd also tighten up the criteria an have a properly independant body approve all appointments. I'm not sure a fully elected house is a good thing given the populations recent voting record.
Get rid of life peers, get the bishops out, and massively reduce the size…
Do you mean get rid of the hereditary peers?
The thing I can't see past is how do you appoint people fairly? If you say fixed terms, then what's to stop the government of the day loading up with its supporters when terms expire? Or do we carry on with the current nonsense where there's something like 850 Lords?
I’m not sure a fully elected house is a good thing given the populations recent voting record.
LOL! I love it! Democracy is a great idea as long as people vote correctly - spoken like a Tory!
Do you mean get rid of the hereditary peers?
Sorry, yes....you're correct
I like the idea of an elected for life (provisos around criminal convictions etc maybe) upper house.
it would remove some of the short term-ism and the need to make popular decisions in order to get re-elected. Sometimes the right decision isn’t popular or short term - climate issues for example.
You know Ernie you could actually engage in a proper debate rather than throwing insults around. It is pretty boring to be honest. If you think an elected second house is the way to go how do we avoid the tribal voting of the lower House because that really hasn't worked so well recently and the Lords have at least delayed some of the stupidity dreamt up by the elected representatives. Perhaps you approve of the electorates decision to put the Tories in power and are happy with result?
For the record I'll be voting Labour like I did in the last GE when Corbyn was Labour leader, but then I don't have to justify my political choices to judgmental people.
@stumpyjon As above, I honestly think the answer is a proportionally elected chamber with longish terms electing a proportion at a time to smooth out any swings. Remember that the way the commons looks the way it does is an effect of FPTP; a proportionally elected chamber is unlikely to have an outright majority and should in theory lend itself to more consensus based politics, which would reduce the idiocy.
Maybe some form of PR would work. I'd make elected stints 10 years and have elections for 20% of the seats.we really don't need another short term elected chamber. The upper house needs to act as a counter to the froth and populism of the lower house.
Once the Tories are out of government I suspect rejoin will become an increasingly important topic and will be a 2029 election subject. The only party I see putting it on the table, who have a chance of government, are Labour now pro-brexit Corbyn has gone.
Right now though I suspect Labour see it as too risky despite current polling that 74% of people intending to vote labour stating they would also vote to rejoin. I cant see labour ignoring that past this election.
Much as I'd love us to "un-brexit" tomorrow I think it has to be accepted that rejoining the EU will probably be as painful a process as leaving now and Labour have far more pressing challenges, it's going to be another decade at least before any real steps are taken in that direction.
If we're lucky Labour will get 2 terms to start un****ing the nation, everything else is on a much longer term wishlist and probably becomes SKS's successor's fight.
Rejoin isn’t the immediate goal. Restoring the four freedoms and a transparent trade deal would be a good start - and allows Labour to “respect the Brexies” by not rejoining (while dividing the remnants of the Tory party into frothing ideologues and hated pragmatists).
You know Ernie you could actually engage in a proper debate rather than throwing insults around.
With someone who doesn't like democracy because "the population" doesn't vote correctly? Seriously?
I actually find your contempt for "the population" quite insulating. But there you are.....we all have our different points of view.
