UK Election!

I was just to going to post about that.

No doubt there will be another ‘issue’ shortly which will produce loads of frothing – piss’n’wind – about something which is irrelevant but that won’t stop attempts to manufacture a story out of it.

Like it or not, having a UK passport means you’re still very much affected by the decisions of the government no matter where you live.

Fair. Then you should have representatives in parliament voted for by those living overseas, not some MP for a random place you once lived in who will be acting for their actual constituents not you.

The post refers to it being ‘…a top priority’ which is different to ‘the top priority’.

There is no contradiction.

Ah, well, if keeping filthy foreigners out is just a top priority and not the top priority I guess that’s fine then.

Now, is this something that he means or is it one of those things he’s just saying to attract slightly racist Tory voters?

Did I miss the reaction on here to the news that Diane Abbot is actually intending to stand as the Labour candidate? It’s almost as if the biggest issue of the election has suddenly assumed less importance now that it can’t be used to attack Starmer.

It’s barely left a scratch on the campaign. I realise this is a huge disappointment for some. Like those who were obsessed with the media coverage towards the end of the week and over the weekend. I mean…they’d be the same people who exhorted us to pay absolutely no attention to the media when they, their absolute boy and his mates were making Labour ever more unelectable by the day.

Some would compare this to the behaviour of a cult. This is childish stuff of course.

Fair. Then you should have representatives in parliament voted for by those living overseas, not some MP for a random place you once lived in who will be acting for their actual constituents not you.

Or ditch FPTP?

The post refers to it being ‘…a top priority’ which is different to ‘the top priority’.

There is no contradiction.

Other than it’s simply not a convincing way of talking about stuff.

The contradiction I would point to is bringing down immigration whilst needing immigration.

Did I miss the reaction on here to the news that Diane Abbot is actually intending to stand as the Labour candidate

Add it to the list, along with Angela Rayners council house, that the Tory press (followed slavishly by the BBC) have been desperately trying to make an issue out of, but in reality nobody actually gives a flying **** about

Now, is this something that he means or is it one of those things he’s just saying to attract slightly racist Tory voters?

Nail on the head. How the hell are we supposed to vote for this shit?

Did I miss the reaction on here to the news that Diane Abbot is actually intending to stand as the Labour candidate?

What sort of reaction are you expecting? I think most people believe that it is up to Diane Abbott and her constituency party whether she stands or not.

For a while Starmer seemed to think that it wasn’t up to Diane Abbott but then on Friday afternoon he cleared up the issue and said that it was up to her after all.

Thanks for bringing up the issue again, it’s been ages, but what do you think needs discussing?

It’s good rubbish outcomes and poor decisions don’t affect a campaign.

All that matters then.

Or ditch FPTP?

I want a fairer voting system. I also want a local MP (or MPs) I can address my concerns about our area to. Ideally one I voted for. All this is possible together.

Someone living and planning to stay in Spain voting for the MP for the High Peak makes little sense to me.

I think it’s pretty reasonable to give the person you are hoping is your best bet lots of scrutiny before you vote.

Absolutely but unless what what you turn up is is abhorrent that you can’t vote for them they remain your best bet.

The issue we have with usual suspects is not they don’t like Starmer but the fact they don’t come up with an alternative, cos at the moment despite Starmers lack of charisma and exciting policies which in themselves are pretty normal traits for your average politician he’s not yet decided to take us out of our partnership with our biggest trading partner, started a genocidal war with a neighbour or demonized large numbers of our citizens. In fact the only complaint form the usual suspects is he’s not left wing. Well I think most of us are quite happy with that. The point is he still is our best hope to avoid another 5 years of corruption, division and destruction. I’ll take a bit middle of the road and not very inspiring over 5 more years of evil chaos any day of the week. This is the election thread discussing the options for the upcoming election, and most of us have made our peace with Starmer bejng the leader to rout the Tories. If you want to pull Starmer apart he does have his own thread.

Now, is this something that he means or is it one of those things he’s just saying to attract slightly racist Tory voters?

Well Yvette Cooper seemed very convinced that immigration had become too high under the Tories and needed to come down, when I saw her under telly this morning. So I guess yeah, Labour under Starmer will be tough on immigration. Well tougher than the Tories at least.

The issue we have with usual suspects is not they don’t like Starmer but the fact they don’t come up with an alternative

It’s not up to the usual suspects to come up with the alternative.

Starmer gets pulled apart in this thread just like Sunak does. You can’t police Starmer criticisms out of a general election thread.

So I guess yeah, Labour under Starmer will be tough on immigration. Well tougher than the Tories at least

She literally called it ‘free-market’ immigration under Tories whilst previously campaigning for being in the EU.

Did I miss the reaction on here to the news that Diane Abbot is actually intending to stand as the Labour candidate?

I’m really pleased for her and her constituents as I imagine it must have been a helluva stress to be under, shame it took so long for her to be cleared of ****-all though

Shame for Faiza Shaheen, especially the way she was kicked out and replaced but I hope she stands as an independent and kicks starmer in the nuts.

The issue we have with usual suspects is not they don’t like Starmer but the fact they don’t come up with an alternative

The alternative is you look at the manifestos, listen to what the candidates are saying, and go with whoever most closely aligns with your values/issues.

It worked for UKIP voters.

It’s not up to the usual suspects to come up with the alternative

Fair enough, I’ll rephrase my post then

The issue we have with usual suspects is not they don’t like Starmer but the fact they are unremitingly negative about anything,

Not trying to police anything, that’s the mods job. Might be worth trying to play the argument not the man though.

Absolutely but unless what what you turn up is is abhorrent that you can’t vote for them they remain your best bet.

Starmer and labour have crossed that line for me.  Enthusiastic brexiteers and gaslighting the nation about it, no extra spending ie continuing austerity, anti democratic with reference to the devolved nations.

fortunately my seat will not go tory so it makes zero difference to the odds of a labour government so its not a difficult decision.  In a labour / tory marginal it would be harder

The issue we have with usual suspects is not they don’t like Starmer but the fact they are unremitingly negatove abput anything,

Maybe if Starmer could stop pandering to Tories and racists for 5 minutes he might say something people could react positively to.

Think they’re ‘pandering’ more to the middle, the immigration quote was an easy one for them, think we’re currently at record net migration after Covid, so to ‘cut’ it won’t be difficult, but it a great soundbite for an election to counter any tory claims that we’ll be flooded with immigrants.

The next leader of a country that needs more migrants is saying he’s going to cut immigration.

He’s saying it because it gives racists a warm fuzzy feeling.

Starmer is a bloody fraud and has done very little to improve the situation as far as I can see.  I mean, he’s going to be stuck with the immigration issue by way of example and likely go in quite a Tory direction – and yet the screaming Liberals will simply ignore this. Yvette Cooper today calling the Tories current offering – ‘free-market’ immigration, that’s exactly what the EU was!

I take it you are aware that the current high level of immigration is due mostly to the Tory policy of increasing the number of work, study and dependants visas? Easily reversible by any party who wants to I would imagine (including the Tories).

The immigration promise is bad policy (stirring a sensitive topic that has many levels: marriage, work visas, student visas…) and bad politics (he’s made himself a hostage to a single number). I don’t like it.

shame it took so long for her to be cleared of ****-all though

Abbot hasn’t been cleared of anything. She immediately withdrew her stupid race trolling letter and went through the disciplinary process. She just hasn’t been binned as candidate. And now she’s signed up for another 4 years despite not being at the top of her game any more. Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell are not role models!

On the upside: free school breakfast clubs are an effective and practical way to reduce child hunger and improve learning. It’s not earth-shattering or overnight, but it’s the kind of thing I want to see from a competent, constructive and slightly boring government. I would like to see free school meals for all schoolkids in time (London, where 16% of the English population lives, already has free school meals in primaries under Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan).

https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/jun/02/full-tummy-school-breakfast-labour-plan-pupils

‘Play the argument not the man’  …would that mean we get a bit less of the ‘absolute boy, sixth form, childish, tin foil hat, usual suspects, monty kin python.’ Nice thought but this crap doesn’t come from the left in this discussion.

Back on topic, I see the SNP are also worried about Labour’s austerity posturing. It’s not like we’re putting words in their mouths, it’s the words coming out of their mouths.

The next leader of a country that needs more migrants is saying he’s going to cut immigration.

He’s saying it because it gives racists a warm fuzzy feeling.

He’s saying it because it’s something the tories can’t fight against well, they have been the party of cutting immigration for years, but post Brexit, and especially in the last two years, net migration has been above average and to reduce that number isn’t going to be a difficult task.

I’m not sure how the fact they’re talking about teaching the skills to those in the UK to fill the gaps is a racist thing either, they’re not promising to stop immigration, or to just live with gaps in the skills the UK desperately needs, but again, it’ll be sold either side of the argument to suit those who have an axe to grind either side.

due mostly to the Tory policy of increasing the number of work, study and dependants visas? Easily reversible by any party who wants to I would imagine

Why would it be “easily” reversible?

Are you suggesting that the current Tory government has been issuing work visas unnecessarily? Haven’t the Tories faced severe criticism for clamping down student visas? And I have no idea why you think a Labour government could easily be tougher on dependants visa than the Tories – how are they going to stop partners living together and children with their parents?

But let’s say that you are right and the current immigration numbers could easily be reduced, in other words it’s not really much of a problem, why the announcement by Labour today? Why focus on it and make it an election issue for Labour?

Everyone, including it would appear most Tories, now accepts that Starmer will be prime minister next month, he and Yvette Cooper don’t actually need to talk about the Tories  ‘failing on immigration’, they can leave Nigel Farage to level those accusations at the Tories.

Sunak remains terrible at this

https://x.com/NicholasTyrone/status/1797310029856469493?t=2ZVxmhHKTBjP1JLn1gQYkw&s=19

Inevitably Labour have parodied it

https://x.com/UKLabour/status/1797332094990831616?t=nhbOB9MjbXwFGYeIpCmzVQ&s=19

I just don’t get why the Tory comms machine is still so bad

If the leadership debate on Thursday isn’t gamechanging for Sunak, his MPs will be revolting, I predict tory mutiny in the Sunday papers next week

Sunak remains terrible at this

I don’t know which political commentator it was, but they referred to him this week as ‘an over-enthusiastic supply teacher’ 😃

Him pacing off looking pleased with himself did give me physics teacher vibes.

Have their social media team never been on the Internet before? Have they never seen what happens immediately if you post yourself holding or standing next to a sign? Obviously someone immediately comes along and draws text on it.

I suspect morale and remaining talent in the party election machine is just so low, this is all they have.

The most successful (at winning elections) democratic party in Western history is on its arse.

All totally of its own making.

Wonderful.

It’s not escaped the notice of the press that certain people – Kemi Badanoch, Penny Mordaunt, Suella Braverman, Grant Shapps to name but a few – went missing the day Rishi announced the date of the election and haven’t been seen since

I can’t think why?

binners
Full Member
It’s not escaped the notice of the press that certain people – Kemi Badanoch, Penny Mordaunt, Suella Braverman, Grant Shapps to name but a few – went missing the day Rishi announced the date of the election and haven’t been seen since

I can’t think why?

Lol, yeah. For such a machiavellian party they are predictable as hell sometimes.

Sunak is like a medieval general thats shouted, “On me, charge!”… Then looked behind him only to see his whole army content to just stay put and watch him get eviscerated.😁

It’s not escaped the notice of the press that certain people – Kemi Badanoch, Penny Mordaunt, Suella Braverman, Grant Shapps to name but a few – went missing the day Rishi announced the date of the election and haven’t been seen since

No doubt they’ll be holed up in a deep bunker strategising their next move and deciding on a leader……….…

.

.

.

………….they’ll eventually be noticed as missing the day after the election and eventually found dead, having turned on each other soon after entering the bunker

I can wish,

^^ There’ll be some epic blood letting amongst the Tories after the election.

At least it will happen whilst they are out of power* so the country doesn’t have to pay for the carnage for a change.

*Not jinxing it hopefully!

The issue we have with usual suspects is not they don’t like Starmer but the fact they are unremitingly negative about anything,

Maybe because we can’t see any positives.  Help me out and list what positive difference you think we will see with a Starmer government based on any detail he has given?

I have agreed that one positive is that it won’t be the tories in power so the personalities and aims of the government will be a bit less awful but that is not really something that gives me that much of a positive feeling if I can’t see any differences that will actually matter to peoples lives outside of the political nonsense.

Who’s in the firing line today (turn page of far right playbook)

Ah, we’ve had a go at the young, immigrants, now it’s the LGBT+ community.

Surely Suella and Kemi are going to have to show their faces to talk about this?

He’s saying it because it gives racists a warm fuzzy feeling.

The ones he wants to vote for him? You know how democracy works, don’t you?

So Diane Abbott will stand after all?

Well if one believes that basically no one outside of Tower Hamlets or Westminster was that bothered when she wasn’t going to be the candidate, you can’t really argue that her standing will have a significant effect either.

It has barely moved the dial in all honesty, so on we go.

31 days to go.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/03/keir-starmer-labour-left-rishi-sunak-tories

Over the past few months, the people I have spoken to who said they will not vote for Labour all share one thing: not childish anger or silly idealism, but relief. After giving the party several chances and grappling with their choices, the decision not to vote gave them a sense of congruence. Their political choices finally aligned with their values, and gave them a sense of autonomy in a system that felt totally out of their control.

I know this article is going to be met with the usual howls of derision and denial but it’s worth a read.

Not really relevant for the former Tory voters who are now the strongest defenders of this new New Labour, obviously.

The ones he wants to vote for him? You know how democracy works, don’t you?

You know how you end up with racists and bigots running the country, don’t you?  Here’s a hint.  It’s not by pushing back against their backwards views.

I really can’t believe people are saying Starmer is right to be courting BNP voters.

This article in this mornings Guardian confirms what we’ve seen in Bury North, a marginal constituency  with a tiny Tory majority. They’re pouring resources into a seat they are surely absolutely guaranteed to lose, probably really heavily

As strategies go, this seems absolutely nuts!

“The Conservative party is pursuing an “ostrich strategy” on Facebook, spending almost all of its ad budget since the beginning of the year in constituencies that were once marginal but are now looking more like surefire losses, Guardian analysis shows.”

Tories pursuing ‘ostrich strategy’ on Facebook campaign ads