msc

That was....wow. Fucking hell. Spoiler tags don't work on my phone so I'll say no more, Rover.

To be fair, I think politicians mostly talk a lot of shite so judge them on what they put into print (and can be held to) or what they actually do with power (and can be judged on). Can't do the latter with Starmer yet! (Stress on "yet".) It is very much don't scare the horses, but given England's propensity to vote for the Tories at the slightest excuse, and also to vote for the Tories when Labour do good stuff in office (NHS and welfare? Vote Tory. Liberalise society and keep us out of Vietnam? Vote Tory. Tories fucked up the economy? Vote Tory. etc etc) I do understand it. Even if its as exciting as plain rice for dinner. YouGov and others have changed their weighting mid-election which seems... weird to me but I'm not a pollster. (The last YouGov would have had Labour on 44% but has shifted prediction of the don't knows and former Tory voters from 2019.) Lots of hedging bets I think. Everyone is focused on the Lab/Tory and Tory/Reform polling differences but I think we need to keep an eye on the Tory/Lib Dem margin, as its getting a lot closer and that effects about 100 Tory seats.

Just to say having read the manifesto a vast chunk of it is lifted directly from the 2019 manifesto! Shame UBI is on the back burner though. And I'm not keen on much of the language around immigration and welfare. Even so, considerably to the left of the Blair manifesto in 1997. The Tory manifesto is all about how people need to be of service. Ominous shit. Not read the SNP manifesto yet but from history neither will several of their candidates! Hopefully. @En Passant from Glasgow, anyone but France! 3 of the last 4 finals, time they gave someone else a go! If that's England fair enough. Would like a proper underdog win though like Denmark 92 or the Greeks in 2004.

I'll take on this Jane McAlevey person people like and David Irving thanks.

Nope, my five live on. Art Garfunkel - legit surprised he's still around. Russell Grant - still looks like a HA in motion. John Goodman - went on a health kick and lost a bunch of weight and tbh good on him. Michael Barrymore - just thought he was due a stroke, looked like shit on TV when the game started. Steve Buscemi - just a punt pick. He worked as a fireman on 9-11, I sort of expect the cancer news one day. But tbh I picked punts, not realising half the teams would go for old frail folk!

Was nearly ninety so I'm guessing she wasn't on location much during Stalker!

Every day is a school day. Bobby Davro is a comedian??

They've taken down the infrastructure for the basic phones in large parts of the country under the Tories. Would cost shitloads to re-do. Bullies gonna bully regardless. They didn't have smartphones or internet in the eighties yet still tracked down our neighbours son via the phone box and set fire to their dog. (I knew the dog years later, it survived and lived to be close to 20 human years old which is bloody ancient for a terrier. Just adding that bit in for those worried. No, I can't imagine harming any dog like that, let alone a lovely wee thing like that guy.)

Speaking of voter id all of my id doesn't qualify to vote in person. However I have managed to convince them to give me a postal vote (Id checks slightly more sensible there). There's still a week left to get a postal vote registered for anyone else Tories not getting rid of this grumpy bastard's vote that easily.

Did you see that vox pox during the Hartlepool by-election, of the voter who voted Tory to "punish the Labour government doing nothing for Hartlepool the past decade". Sums them up for me. He's having the time of his life. Goofy stunts, heartfelt interviews about caring for his disabled son, might have the best Lib Dem results since Ashdown and Kennedy.

It should be their safest seat in Scotland (well, without Teflon Mundell in it) but people really don't like what happened to Duguid. I think they'll still have the 3 borders seats and at least one of the North East (likely 2) but I am open to being pleasantly surprised.

And nothing of value was lost. Not sure he needs to worry about that. Heard staunch Tories in that area telling folk to vote SNP over Ross!

They've also got Jackie Doyle-Price as Tory MP, who doubled down on a dog whistle campaign against UKIP candidate Tim Aker in 2015, and has taken advantage of split opposition to sneak through ever since.

Predictions 10pm - exit poll, Laura K talks to some Tory guests about how exit polls can be wrong like in 1992. 10.50pm - first result from Sunderland. Small swing to Labour because they already have a big majority. "Wont win a majority on that swing." 1am - first Labour gain. 2am-3am - killing fields 3.10am - Sunak: "its been a bad night for the Conservatives." 4.00am - some sort of victory speech from Keir Starmer 4.30am - Tories lose a seat which hasn't existed since 1832. 9am - Sunak announces he will go to the palace 9.05am - Laura K - "Where did it all go wrong for Keir Starmer?"

My dad is Moseley's age and still climbs mountains, but always in a friend's group, checking the weather etc before and letting folk know the exact route they're taking.

Funny that as I feel we have a moral mission to bring down this government! Couldn't believe Laura K was still defending Sunak over fucking off from the D-Day stuff. Even for her!

Oh I think a few bigger names will fall but if the task is widest defeat for a sitting MP then the former Scottish justice minister is a top candidate IMO! I thought Bridgen was standing for Reform but he's just an independent. Even Frank Field got gubbed as an independent and he ain't no Frank Field.

Am assuming they don't need to be A Listers from that list? Sara Britcliffe (Hyndburn) Andrew Bridgen (NW Leicestershire) Kenny McAskill (Alloa)

Michael Portillo thinks the polling in 1997 actually encouraged tactical voting because people felt they could actually vote out the local Tory...like him!

Agreed Daisy Cooper was one of the better performers and continues the pretty good week the Lib Dems had. Flynn is a good talker but a hypocrite. Easy to talk about climate and ignore the SNP just reneged on their own green policy rather publicly. Denyer her usual "all the problems in my party happened when someone else was there" self. Farage hates immigrants and the NHS as we already knew. Rayner had the look of someone ordered not to punch anyone and desperately trying to obey that order. Cosplay Thatcher was the cream of this Tory government: off, and needing put in the bin. The Plaid chap was like the Silence from Doctor Who. They'd cut back to him and I'd go "wow where did he come from?"

Rotherham allegedly.

Tbh I watch lots of trash TV (TM Ulitzer) and have never heard of him either though a quick Google suggests he's on a bunch of shows I don't watch. Also never seen TOWIE or Love Island. Even I have my limits.

Actually, yes, Crem is right here. Axing one of his colleagues while the poor chap is in hospital (but still planned to campaign as he's recovering), then letting the Scots leader u-turn on his decision to run, looks very poor.

He's in his eighties and has survived two heart attacks, pnuemonia, several falls and broken bones in the last four months. He could be on his deathbed now and I'd still think he's clearly a hard bastard.

incomplete* Hartnell Era Alumni (of note) still standing *basically, folk who have a decent chance of QO On Screen Carole Ann Ford (1940) - Susan Maureen O'Brien (1943) - Vicki Peter Purves (1939) - Steven, better known for Blue Peter and as the voice of Crufts Anneke Wills (1941) - Polly Virginia Wetherell (1943) - Dyoni in The Daleks, plus Hammer Horror and A Clockwork Orange Marcus Hammond (1938) - Antodus in The Daleks, plus Z-Cars David Graham (1925) - Charlie the Barman from The Gunfighters and many Dalek voices, plus every nearly every show of your childhood Derren Nesbitt (1935) - Tegana in Marco Polo, plus The Prisoner, Where Eagles Dare and Special Branch Fiona Walker (1944) - Kala in The Keys of Marinus, plus I Claudius and The Woman in Black Dave Anderson (1945) - Aztec in The Aztecs, de Marun in The Crusade and Sven the Viking in The Time Meddler, plus nearly every Scottish show ever made since the sixties (Taggart, Still Game, Brond, Tutti Frutti, you'll recognise him instantly) Ilona Rodgers (1942) - Carol in The Sensorites, plus Prisoner Cell Block H Neville Smith (1940) - D'Argenson in The Reign of Terror, but far better known as the writer of memorable Public Information Film kid shitscarer Apaches Kay Patrick (1941) - Poppaea in The Romans and Flower in The Savages, later producer of Corrie Peter Fraser (born circa 1938) - David Campbell in The Dalek Invasion of Earth, plus The French Lieutenant's Woman Roslyn de Winter (1938) - Vrestin in The Web Planet and The Ghost Lady in The Chase Julian Glover (1935) - Richard the Lionheart in The Crusade, plus... For Your Eyes Only, Star Wars, City of Death, Harry Potter, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, the bad guy from Indiana Jones - you know who he is Tony Caunter (1937) - Thatcher in The Crusade (not that one), plus Eastenders and Queenie's Castle Jean Marsh (1934) - Lady Joanna in The Crusade plus Upstairs Downstairs, Frenzy, The Twilight Zone, Return to fucking Oz, Willow, The Eagle Has Landed Valentino Musetti (1943) - minor roles in The Crusade, plus Alien 3, The Italian Job, better known as stuntman and motorsports driver. Ronald Rich - Viking in The Time Meddler, plus Hans from You Only Live Twice, believed to still be alive. Martin Jarvis (1941) - Hilio in The Web Planet, plus The Forsyte Sage, Eastenders, lots of classical drama Lyn Ashley (1940) - A Drahvin in Galaxy 4, plus Mrs Eric Idle from Monty Python's Flying Circus (and real life at the time) Edward de Souza (1932) - Marc Cory, plus The Spy Who Loved Me and Sapphire and Steel Frances White (1938) - Cassandra in The Myth Makers, plus I Claudius and the voice of Granny Pig on Peppa Pig Roy Evans (1930) - Trantis from The Dalek Master Plan, plus Only Fools and Horses and Blackadder (a popular bit part actor - Who fans will know him as doomed Bert the Miner in The Green Death) Pamela Greer (1941) - Lizan from The Dalek Master Plan, later became a scriptwriter for Triangle Annette Robertson (1940) - Anne Chaplet from The Massacre Chris Tranchell (1941) - Roger Colbert in The Massacre, plus The Onedin Line John Tillinger (1938) - Simon in The Massacre, later became an acclaimed Broadway director David Weston (1938) - Nicholas Muss in The Massacre, RSC stage regular Eileen Helsby (1937) - Venussa in The Ark, plus Survivors and Bergerac. Patrick Godfrey (1933) - Tor in The Savages, plus Clockwise and The Remains of the Day Sandra Bryant (1945) - Kitty in The War Machines, plus On The Buses. Behind the Scenes Waris Hussein (1938) - director, An Unearthly Child, Marco Polo, plus Jewel in the Crown Richard Martin (1935) - director, The Daleks, Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Web Planet, The Chase plus Crown Court and Elizabeth R John Gorrie (1932) - director, The Keys of Marinus plus Tales of the Unexpected Michael Imison (1938) - director, The Ark, later Noel Coward's literary agent Brian Hodgson (1938) - sound effects Alexandra Tynan, credited as Sandra Reid (born in the 1930s at some point) - designer of the original Cybermen