UK Election!

If you can, emigrate.

Not so easy these days.

What have the Tories done which convinces you that they stand no chance of winning?

Hi!

The left has shown repeatedly that it will hold its nose and support a centrist candidate.

There is one fairly large exception to that…

Corbyn expected to stand as independent candidate https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c033z38m849o

I’m more worried about people not voting,reform standing down and him sliding back in.

I can’t see it happening but strange times.

I’m still worried about this, TBH.

That would be a massive shock wouldn’t it but then I was shocked when I woke up the morning after the Brexit vote so know how stupid people allowed to vote can be.

There is one fairly large exception to that…

Corbyn expected to stand as independent candidate

It’s an exception, but one of 650 constituencies is hardly a large one.

reform standing down

There is zero chance of Reform UK pulling out of the general election because frankly it would be of zero advantage to them.

The Tories are going to lose the general election whether Reform UK stand or not – the arithmetic makes that clear.

All that Reform UK not standing would achieve is that the Tories might not lose by quite as much.

The worse the Tories do on July 4th the better it is for Reform UK, who very obviously want to be seen as the right-wing alternative to the Tories.

Reform UK are very clearly not going to help the Tories get a respectable result.

2019 was quite different because Corbyn had committed Labour to a second referendum, so the Brexit Party were willing to help defeat Labour.

This time Starmer has committed Labour to accepting Brexit plus there is no reasonable possibility of Labour losing the election.

And let’s face it, Starmer as prime minister isn’t going to scare them as much as Corbyn being prime minister. Prime minister Corbyn must have been the stuff of nightmares for them – a leftie woke foreigner-loving cyclist?!?!

I thought Rishi Sunak sounded quite buoyant yesterday.

was that another rain pun?

The remaining tories after the election will essentially be reform in all but name

are they under any obligation to select her as a candidate?

Excellent question, shouldn’t it be the local constituency labour party that decides if they want another Elphicke for Dover?

Or was she standing down anyway? Her crossing the floor was supposed to be sticking the knife in to Rishi, but she’s already become a liability for Labour.

Elphicke already said she wasnt going to stand at the GE

There is zero chance of Reform UK pulling out of the general election because frankly it would be of zero advantage to them.

Completely agree. This is their opportunity to get as much money out of their gullible followers until the next election. There is no chance of them not taking full advantage of this sales period.

this feels like it will bite sunak in the arse

he lied to her face, knowing in that just a few hours he’d be announcing an election and the law would never get through

Both Labour sources and some Tories are saying this is the most jaw-dropping moment of the week: the claim that Sunak misled a grieving mother about introducing legislation in her son’s name. ‘Psychotic’ says a Labour source. ‘Staggering’ says a Tory… https://t.co/NeiUvzsHxl

— Alex Wickham (@alexwickham) May 24, 2024

Lib-Dems announcing that they want to give patients the right to see a GP within 7 days, which is fine, I guess. How’re you going to achieve that Ed?

Put GPs in glass offices and allow folk to come and see them work through the windows. Solved it.

How’re you going to achieve that Ed?

I don’t think he posts on here so let me help you:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy66901gz3po

Lib-Dems announcing that they want to give patients the right to see a GP within 7 days,

7 days!

Pretty low bar to set.

From Ernie’s BBC link

Half of the 8,000 extra GPs would come from boosting recruitment, while the rest would be secured by retaining more experienced GPs, the Lib Dems said.

So the “extra” 8000 is 4000 new and 4000 existing that didn’t leave, most likely because they moved into partnership / managerial GP areas which means they see less patients… This is just like the Tory “new” hospitals.

I’m genuinely shocked that of the laws they pushed through today won’t include the renters reform bill to put a stop no fault evictions

Who saw that coming?

7 days!

Pretty low bar to set.

If you’ve tried to actually get a GP’s appointment recently, you’ll know that’s actually a pretty ambitious target from where we presently are.

In our local surgery you’ll be looking at a month, minimum

“Half of the 8,000 extra GPs would come from boosting recruitment, while the rest would be secured by retaining more experienced GPs, the Lib Dems said.”

“The Lib Dems said” makes it very clear that there would be 4000 new GPs under their plan. I can’t see any evidence of the LibDems trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes.

7 days!

Pretty low bar to set.

Yep, that was my immediate reaction, and as binners points out, a sad reflection of our times.

binnersFull Member
I’m genuinely shocked that of the laws they pushed through today won’t include the renters reform bill to put a stop no fault evictions

wow Im pretty sure I heard on R4 yesterday they definitely were going to put it through!

Everyone assumes the polls will narrow over the course of the campaign

But what if Sunak standing brolly-less & dead eyed in the pouring rain, u-turning on a GE with D-Ream/Steve Bray drowning him out, was actually the high point?

A complete Tory campaign collapse is underpriced

Pretty low bar to set.

GP: Not an urgent care service. If you’re that poorly, that you need to see someone quickly; hi thee to A&E.

“Half of the 8,000 extra GPs would come from boosting recruitment, while the rest would be secured by retaining more experienced GPs, the Lib Dems said.”

It takes 7 years minimum to train a GP, and then another 5-10 to actually know what you’re doing. Giving patients “legal rights” to see a GP is just asking for trouble for some patients IMO. I can see managing that wouldn’t be hugely fun times for my staff. Retaining more experienced GPs? Is that code for paying them more?

But what if Sunak standing brolly-less & dead eyed in the pouring rain, u-turning on a GE with D-Ream/Steve Bray drowning him out, was actually the high point?

It’s a clever strategy…….. Labour voters are renowned for wanting to help the weak and disadvantaged.

It takes 7 years minimum to train a GP

You do realise that this is not a new LibDem policy and one which they will have previously debated and discussed, and that there are undoubtedly some LibDem members with medical qualifications who know how long it takes to train a GP, don’t you?

Boosting recruitment can simply refer to the Tory/Labour long established policy of poaching underpaid medical staff from poor third world countries.

20% VAT on private schools, I thought Labour’s far left class hatred was expunged during the ‘New Labour’ years?

So all those ordinary, average earning families who’s only hope of a decent school for the kids was scrimping, no holidays, no new car, make do and mend, to get them in a fee paying school will now be priced out of the sector and will have to find places in state schools (funded by taxes)

Geniuses.

It takes 7 years minimum to train a GP, and then another 5-10 to actually know what you’re doing. Giving patients “legal rights” to see a GP is just asking for trouble for some patients IMO.

This. It also has the effect of “induced demand”  which makes the problem worse not better.

It’s like building bypasses to relieve traffic. A short term fix that makes the problem worse in the long run.

You can’t fix a demand problem just by increasing supply, the demand needs to be managed as well.

I think grimep is my mother in law, she has the same argument.

there are undoubtedly some LibDem members with medical qualifications who undoubtedly know how long it takes to train a GP, don’t you?

Actually I doubt that there are. Part of the problem with General Practice is that we are woefully under-represented in the higher echelons of government compared to our prevalence in medicine. Also most managerial/political GPs are part timers with very little insight into the profession.

20% VAT on private schools … scrimping ..

Yeh, I imagine poor ol’ Rishi might not be where he is today if it hadn’t been for the taxpayer helping with his fees all those years

Pray for @thepodge

20% VAT on private schools, I thought Labour’s far left class hatred was expunged during the ‘New Labour’ years?

Nothing to do with class, just treating them like the business they are and subjecting them to the same taxes. I would also remove their charitable status as none of them do ore than a token gesture to justify being a charity.

20% VAT on private schools, I thought Labour’s far left class hatred was expunged during the ‘New Labour’ years?

So all those ordinary, average earning families who’s only hope of a decent school for the kids was scrimping, no holidays, no new car, make do and mend, to get them in a fee paying school will now be priced out of the sector and will have to find places in state schools (funded by taxes)

Geniuses.

are you on crack.

Actually I doubt that there are.

Are you actually being serious or was that intended as casual hyperbole?

https://x.com/drevanharris?lang=en

The Natalie Elphick thing was just to inflict max embarrassment on Sunak i think. They knew she wouldn’t be standing next GE, and already had a candidate in place. Suspect they had no idea it would be only a month. Makes that decision to bring her onboard even more ridiculous

The Natalie Elphick thing was just to inflict max embarrassment on Sunak i think.

Defecting to Reform UK would have done far more damage. Rishi Sunak, along with everyone else, was able to just shrug his shoulders and look bemused.

So all those ordinary, average earning families who’s only hope of a decent school for the kids was scrimping, no holidays, no new car, make do and mend, to get them in a fee paying school will now be priced out of the sector and will have to find places in state schools (funded by taxes)

Are you a parody account or have you “started early”?

#edit: Joe-m beat me to it…

binnersFull Member
7 days!

Pretty low bar to set.
If you’ve tried to actually get a GP’s appointment recently, you’ll know that’s actually a pretty ambitious target from where we presently are.

In our local surgery you’ll be looking at a month, minimum

Had the occasion to need the GP for myself this week for the first time in a while. Called receptionist at 8am. Had appointment at 09:20 same day and the meds dispensed by pharmacy by 10am.

Pleasantly surprised. Not sure if that was just luck or the Scottish surgeries are fairing better than down south.

who know how long it takes to train a GP, don’t you?

I don’t doubt. On the issues facing GPs currently? I doubt it if giving pats ‘legal rights’ to demand appts is what they have in mind.

I heard it as some leasehold reform was going through but not the ban om no fault evictions, but I was haf asleep at the time and it was a bit drowned out by a purring cat.