Is May about to call an election?

I thought Rudd did pretty well – and was surprised to read this morning that her father died unexpectedly at the weekend.

If one of my team was grieving for her father, I wouldn’t ask her to do an important piece of work I should’ve been doing anyway.

That is very true .

Just watched Boris on BBC Breakfast floundering or what!

If one of my team was grieving for her father, I wouldn’t ask her to do an important piece of work I should’ve been doing anyway.

My thoughts exactly. But then it does rather reinforce the Tory stereotype of being cold-hearted, and totally devoid of empathy or compassion.

Who was it again who dubbed them the ‘Nasty Party’? I can’t remember, off the top of my head

So we could end up in a situation where the (narrowly) winning party leader is immediately deposed for their sub-par performance

I agree this is likely, but if it happens the tories will be finished. They’ll have zero credibility on both their ability to run a stable government and choose a competent leader/PM to lead the brexit negotiations, and have absolutely no mandate (not that they did before) for doing so.

while the losing party leader stays on after doing far better than anyone expected.

Question is will the PLP now unite behind him? Whatever happens next is going to require a united front, either behind Corbyn or someone else, but the main lesson is that the policies are massively popular and shouldn’t be abandoned.

Question is will the PLP now unite behind him? Whatever happens next is going to require a united front, either behind Corbyn or someone else, but the main lesson is that the policies are massively popular and shouldn’t be abandoned.

Yes, whatever happens to Corbyn, he has now left a legacy: the popular manifesto you refer to is actually Labour Party policy.

Question is will the PLP now unite behind him?

I’m surprised we haven’t seen more of this already, as soon as the polls starting to swing. They kept saying that their main criticism was electability (shown by the fact that Owen Smith’s manifesto was broadly similar), but it’s pretty fair to say that is now debunked – although obviously final election results will be proof.

I think that what this campaign is proving (with still a week to go) is how volatile and unpredictable modern politics and democracy is. It’s absolutely all over the place. Who on earth would have seen some polls showing a mere 3 point lead, in this ‘formality’ of an election?

God knows what could happen? The Tory party has only held together post brexit vote because everything has been focussed on Labours divisions. Now that things aren’t looking so cut and dried, that might not be the case for too much longer. If May is deposed (and I do think this is a very real possibility), then civil war could well erupt over the successor

There would be a beautiful irony to Brexit being put on hold while the pro and anti EU wings of the Tory party tore lumps out of each other (again!)

I can but dream, I suppose

Interestingly, Hilary Benn has been campaigning completely independently of Corbyn. He hasn’t mentioned his name once in the last month on Twitter. Until Last night!

Theresa May’s so-called strong and stable leadership looks pretty threadbare tonight after her refusal to debate with Jeremy Corbyn. #frit

seems to be a lot of old hands with their heads down on both side of the political divide at the moment.

Worth a look: https://www.tactical2017.com/

I’m in the same boat as you. I vote SNP cos I want a leftist government, which seems impossible as part of the UK but would be possible post-independence. I’d probably vote for the green party in independence land.

I’d love to see Corbyn in power. I like his policies and I actually like that he’s a bit shit from a PR perspective, because he is a decent human being with consistency and is willing to say unpopular things – the polar opposite to a psychopath like George Osborne.

But, would that leftist government be a blip? Would we back to the conservatives in 5 or 10 years?

I’m in a seat with a huge SNP majority with labour far down the ranks so no point in voting for them.

But, would that leftist government be a blip? Would we back to the conservatives in 5 or 10 years?

History would suggest so. The swinging back and forth clearly doesn’t help the long term plans for a country.

Who on earth would have seen some polls showing a mere 3 point lead, in this ‘formality’ of an election?

I agree with Ninfan on this.

The only poll showing that lead is the YouGov one. They did a very elaborate poll asking lots of people (50k IIRC) and doing all sorts of complicated mathematics on the results to make it truly reflective.

Which is another way of saying they had lots of scope to massage the numbers any way they want.

If I’m right, the actual election result will be nothing like as close.

I’m in a seat with a huge SNP majority with labour far down the ranks so no point in voting for them.

Depends on your view on tactical voting.

I’m in John Redwoods seat, odious shitbag that he is (apparently he was even visibly yawning and disinterested at a townhall meeting the other day).

I really want to vote Labour and I probably will, but a lot of people are thinking of voting Lib-Dem, not because of policy but because it might just slim his majority sufficiently (and be viewed as less of a lost cause than the leftist Labour vote) that it get’s rid of him for a different Tory.

So even in a safe seat voting for the opposition keeps the incumbent honest.

I’m voting Labour so even though my vote is ‘wasted’ it’ll boost Corbyn’s overall nationwide figure even if that is a meaningless statistical footnote.

Not sure how much use the polls are – BBC article reporting multiple results in most recent ones showing Tories with anywhere between 3 and 11% lead.

Seems little point in looking at them given the potential election outcomes differ wildly on those results from likely no overall majority to significant conservative majority.

it’s like a repetitive broken record repeating themselves over and over and over again.

Well here’s a first. I find myself agreeing with chewy.

But I have a plan. Scrap elections and put the leaders on “Just a Minute”. Winner gets to form the next government.

The only poll showing that lead is the YouGov one. They did a very elaborate poll asking lots of people (50k IIRC) and doing all sorts of complicated mathematics on the results to make it truly reflective.

Which is another way of saying they had lots of scope to massage the numbers any way they want
Or they reflected the previous problems in other polls and this one is constituency based which is much more representative than a country wide one. Also factor in a huge upsurge in young voter registration.
Do you think or hope it’s wrong?

Just look at her body language. The slightest thing seems to get her flustered. Not really PM material as it turns out.

It’s plausible – if nothing else this election has done wonders for his personal image, with people now seeing him as genuinely electable and his personal rating way higher than it was. I mean just look at what binners is now writing.

if nothing else this election has done wonders for his personal image, with people now seeing him as genuinely electable and his personal rating way higher than it was.

Which if he losses puts Labour in a really bad position.

Whatever happens next Friday shall be interesting.

Have we done May’s Plymouth interview yet?

Q: Two visits in six weeks to one of the country’s most marginal constituencies – is she getting worried?

A: “I’m very clear that this is a crucial election for this country.”

Q: Plymouth is feeling the effects of military cuts. Will she guarantee to protect the city from further pain?

A: “I’m very clear that Plymouth has a proud record of connection with the armed forces.”

Q: How will your Brexit plan make Plymouth better off?

A: “I think there is a better future ahead for Plymouth and for the whole of the UK.”

Q: Will you promise to sort out our transport links?

A: “I’m very clear that connectivity is hugely important for Plymouth and the South West generally.”

Such concise yet informative answers! I’m very clear that she hasn’t got a clue.

Plymouth Herald

No matter what we think of the policies we should at least offer our elected MPs the courtesy of listening to them without hectoring – and that applies to all sides, government, the opposition – the whole lot.

You’ve seen Parliament, right?

I suspect she’s close to collapsing under the strain. She’s not up to the job. She looked like a zombie on footage I saw yesterday where she was being asked about the tv debate. She genuinely looks ill.

Have we done May’s Plymouth interview yet?

Q: Two visits in six weeks to one of the country’s most marginal constituencies – is she getting worried?

A: “I’m very clear that this is a crucial election for this country.”

Q: Plymouth is feeling the effects of military cuts. Will she guarantee to protect the city from further pain?

A: “I’m very clear that Plymouth has a proud record of connection with the armed forces.”

Q: How will your Brexit plan make Plymouth better off?

A: “I think there is a better future ahead for Plymouth and for the whole of the UK.”

Q: Will you promise to sort out our transport links?

A: “I’m very clear that connectivity is hugely important for Plymouth and the South West generally.”

Such concise yet informative answers! I’m very clear that she hasn’t got a clue.

Plymouth Herald

POSTED 3 MINUTES AGO # REP

She really is our version of Donald Trump. Not fit for a position in Government, let alone the PM job. The fact she is PM, and looks likely to stay that way, should be cause for national embarrassment.

I’m almost starting to feel sorry for her. If only it wasn’t completely self inflicted and largely due to her hubris.

She genuinely looks ill.

[jambafact]Im almost certain she had a stroke.[/jambafact]

🙂

We’ve not seen her birth certificate either.
🙂

Have now listened to that interview – she’s very clear about a lot of things without conveying any of that clarity to anybody else. I’d describe it as a bit of a car crash were it not that I suspect her programmers campaign managers probably think it went perfectly – she didn’t commit to a single thing which she might later have to U turn on. Nor do I think it’s likely to put off all those 40+% of people who apparently still see her as the best choice.

Do we have a zombie protocol? Does the cobra eat the zombie?

She does look ill tbh, very drawn, anxious and scared.

I wonder if she’ll make it through the next week?

Is this you Rusty? Are you conflicted? 😆

🙂
Not really.

I’m just wondering if the whole thing gets called off if she pulls a sickie?

I think something must happened away from the cameras.
Either a newspaper has withdrawn it’s backing, brexit goals have been laughed at, they’ve already told her she’s finished, etc.
She looks completely resigned.

Perhaps her husband said – “Actually it’s about time you took some bins out”.

Any more than 3 and it’s a w**k!
– my pal to his dad on the golf course

YouGov survey puts Labour 17 points ahead in London.
Linky.

A nice sit down and a cup of tea, Theresa?

Whereas Corbyn seems to be fairing well and is looking well.

Neither of them are young and these sort of non-stop activities must take their toll. I am only 49 but I know I would be knackered if I had to go through it.

Do we have a zombie protocol? Does the cobra eat the zombie?

Zombie Mayggot?

£50.00 says she’s nailed on for the next but one series of Strictly.

If she wasn’t such a horrible bitch I might feel just a little bit sorry for her.
I reckon she has piles from too much gary action.

please won’t somebody talk to me about Brexit, why does noone want to talk about brexit ?

She genuinely looks ill.

She is ill – and as a result has to inject herself with insulin five times a day. I’d also imagine the PM has been pretty busy dealing with briefings after Manchester so she’s probably doing 20+ hour working days as well.

It’s a noticeable trait of the left to cast themselves as “progressive” and having zero tolerance of discrimination against people living with disabilities etc. yet there’s no end to constant highly personalised value judgements made of people who have a different view (see endless recent examples of people being called racist or scum and this then flowing through social media as a proven fact) or the pretty unpleasant imagery of Theresa May of the sort above and references to her being a skeleton etc.

Having seen first hand the disability and subsequent loss of sight in a type 1 diabetic I find it pretty distasteful – and would say the same of anyone making the same jibes against any other MP as well.