Guess the date of the next UK General Election Sweepstake!

[DCI Frank Burnside 3,887]

11 hours ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

"Working assumption" - code for "until the bastards try and knife me after the local elections."

 

 

Fixed

[dodrade 94]

"Mystic Veg" goes for August (despite the fact most MPs will be on holiday). She's also strangely adamant Starmer won't be Labour leader by then despite a twenty point lead in the polls, is she expecting him to go the way of John Smith?  

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/asparagus-fortune-teller-general-election-starmer-b2536495.html#:~:text=14%3A32 BST-,Asparagus fortune teller predicts when next general election will be,good for Sir Keir Starmer.

 

The alternative scenario is that using asparagus to predict the future is in fact total nonsense.

[Lard Bazaar 3,799]

Credible sources via my job suggest that our council election teams are preparing for an October/November date however I did get that info prior to the local election results last week so this may well be out of date information now.  

[RoverAndOut 4,746]

1 hour ago, Lard Bazaar said:

Credible sources via my job suggest that our council election teams are preparing for an October/November date however I did get that info prior to the local election results last week so this may well be out of date information now.  

 

Councils are having to do guesswork, the same as everyone else since Rishi decided to fuck everyone over and not tie it into the local elections like it should have been. But the conventional wisdom says October/November is most likely. September means announcing in August when he'll be on holiday and December is too close to Christmas.

[TQR 14,385]

I'd still not totally rule out a July election, quite honestly. Sunak hasn't - it's still the "second half of the year", after all.

[Sod's Law 445]

October and November are both a horrible time to have an election due to the uncertainty it causes with conference season, the US elections and then the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings, and nobody wants another December election. There's just no good date to have it after September. I'm actually pretty pissed off that he hasn't announced the date already given that some rumours were speculating he was preparing to head to the palace right after the locals.  

 

Just announce the goddamn date, man. If it's not next month then at least tell us WHEN. His party might even have a slight uptick in the polls if he just said when the date was today and didn't give off the strong impression that he's holding the country hostage for shits and giggles.  

[TQR 14,385]

Oh for cunt sake. Should’ve kept my trap shut.

 

[Paul Bearer 6,101]

8 hours ago, TQR said:

Oh for cunt sake. Should’ve kept my trap shut.

 

It’s politics, fkrs will hold an election in August now. 

[DCI Frank Burnside 3,887]

13 hours ago, TQR said:

Oh for cunt sake. Should’ve kept my trap shut.

 

Other way of looking at it. Longer he leaves it the worse it'll probably be for them

[Sod's Law 445]

1 hour ago, DCI Frank Burnside said:

Other way of looking at it. Longer he leaves it the worse it'll probably be for them

Exactly. As I pointed out, it sends off the message to voters that he's holding the country hostage in order to eek out every little morsel of power that he can before the inevitable happens. Human beings resent uncertainty as a general rule and prolonging it will do his party no good. 

[msc 18,437]

5 minutes ago, Sod's Law said:

Exactly. As I pointed out, it sends off the message to voters that he's holding the country hostage in order to eek out every little morsel of power that he can before the inevitable happens. Human beings resent uncertainty as a general rule and prolonging it will do his party no good. 

When my in-laws start moaning about the election taking forever, you know you've lost the country.

[RoverAndOut 4,746]

11 minutes ago, msc said:

When my in-laws start moaning about the election taking forever, you know you've lost the country.

 

I think we've reached the opposite end of the scale to Brenda from Bristol now. 

 

"No election? You're joking!"

[The Old Crem 3,582]

I can see if being January. As late as possible.

[TQR 14,385]

Look, we know that nothing’s gonna come of it, but it’s a bit of fun nonetheless…the Lib Dems are tabling a motion of no confidence in the government tomorrow.

[Sly Ronnie 878]

TBF most governnents tend to hang on to the bitter end when the going gets tough. Labour's last term in office lasted almost the whole of the parliament, with the election 5 years and a day after the last in 2005.

Of course the Tories are old hands at this, with parliaments virtually running out in 1964 and 1997.

[The Old Crem 3,582]

51 minutes ago, Sly Ronnie said:

TBF most governnents tend to hang on to the bitter end when the going gets tough. Labour's last term in office lasted almost the whole of the parliament, with the election 5 years and a day after the last in 2005.

Of course the Tories are old hands at this, with parliaments virtually running out in 1964 and 1997.

1992 was only two months before its deadline as well and was done early to avoid the local elections.

[RoverAndOut 4,746]

2 hours ago, Sly Ronnie said:

TBF most governnents tend to hang on to the bitter end when the going gets tough. Labour's last term in office lasted almost the whole of the parliament, with the election 5 years and a day after the last in 2005.

Of course the Tories are old hands at this, with parliaments virtually running out in 1964 and 1997.

 

Difference being 97 and 2010 ended in May, with the local elections causing least disruption. Nobody wants a January election.

[Sly Ronnie 878]

What the public want may not neccesarily be what they get, knowing this lot!

That said, I'm of the thinking now that the GE will be shade before my initial prediction - 3rd/10th October.

We'll have the summer recess, no need to recall Parliament, 5 week campaign.

[dodrade 94]

7 hours ago, Sod's Law said:

Exactly. As I pointed out, it sends off the message to voters that he's holding the country hostage in order to eek out every little morsel of power that he can before the inevitable happens. Human beings resent uncertainty as a general rule and prolonging it will do his party no good. 

Calling an election now would mean certain defeat, playing for time and hoping something turns up is the only card he has left however unlikely things are to get any better for him.

[Sod's Law 445]

12 hours ago, dodrade said:

Calling an election now would mean certain defeat, playing for time and hoping something turns up is the only card he has left however unlikely things are to get any better for him.

I didn't say he should call it now (although he should if he has a shred of humanity and grace left), more that he should announce the date at the very least. A little certainty goes a long way, especially when you look at how packed the political calendar at the end of the year is looking. 

[Sly Ronnie 878]

5 hours ago, Sod's Law said:

I didn't say he should call it now (although he should if he has a shred of humanity and grace left), more that he should announce the date at the very least. A little certainty goes a long way, especially when you look at how packed the political calendar at the end of the year is looking. 

 

I was thinking along similar lines over the weekend. As a tactic to see off any rebellion, Sunak could announce the date of the election for such and such, even if it is months in advance. There would be no prorogation, Parliament would continue business as normal until dissolution.

[Sly Ronnie 878]

On 14/10/2023 at 11:49, TQR said:

Let's get a list going:

 

2 May 24: RoverAndOut

9 May 24: Dying Probably

16 May 24: BuffaloPhil

23 May 24: Paul Bearer

6 Jun 24: Redrumours

13 Jun 24: DCI Frank Burnside

27 Jun 24: Father Brown

4 Jul 24: Sir Creep

5 Sep 24: Bentrovato

12 Sep 24: ladyfiona

26 Sep 24: Sod’s Law

3 Oct 24: En Passant

10 Oct 24: Bibliogryphon

17 Oct 24: Sly Ronnie

24 Oct 24: Diego

31 Oct 24: msc

7 Nov 24: TQR

14 Nov 24: Great Uncle Bulgaria

21 Nov 24: lilham

28 Nov 24: Root Inspector

12 Dec 24: Clorox Bleachman

19 Dec 24: The Old Crem

28 Jan 25: Toast

 

Latest update. 4th July is almost certainly a gonna as well but the deadline for dissolution for that hasn't passed yet. Then we're into the Autumn.

[TQR 14,385]

Sunak was on Loose Women earlier (as an aside, he was rinsed by Judi Love in a clip doing the rounds on SM) and indicated the election won't be until at least October.

 

Sorry I couldn't be the bearer of good news.

[dodrade 94]

Robert Peston on his show this week said all his Downing Street sources were telling him November 14th which would tie in with an announcement just after the Conservative Party conference.

[Redrumours 860]

31 minutes ago, dodrade said:

Robert Peston on his show this week said all his Downing Street sources were telling him November 14th which would tie in with an announcement just after the Conservative Party conference.

Noooooo not another 25 Weeeeeeeeek's.!!!!!