msc 18,479 Posted November 11, 2019 15 hours ago, Kinnock said: It's a good job it's a four party election, because otherwise this could be turning into an incredibly dull affair. Soubry losing her seat should be fun though. Guess we might all want to put money on Soubry at this rate of accurate predictions! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 11, 2019 26 minutes ago, msc said: Guess we might all want to put money on Soubry at this rate of accurate predictions! This is turning out to be an utterly shite election. However the Four Party thing stills stands, because Farage standing down only in Tory held seats and not Lab held Tory marginals isn't as bad for Labour as it could have been. It wouldn't surprise me if Boris decides to stand down in every other seat or something ridiculous now. .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungWillz 21,062 Posted November 11, 2019 Bawjaws does a Trump and announces provisions for service personnel and ex-service personnel on 11 November. Literally no depths to which this charlatan will sink to gain votes. Quite clearly Farage has struck a deal with Bawjaws in some way. Once again, these individuals put themselves before country. Do we have any certainty as yet where Bawjaws is standing? At the rate of stand downs, will there be anyone worth a Portillo moment? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grim Up North 3,727 Posted November 11, 2019 33 minutes ago, Kinnock said: Standing down in Tory held seats. Retaining his candidates in Lab/Lib Dem held seats. We're absolutely fucked here. Hmmm obvious manipulation of the people - sometimes the people don't like that and it can have unexpected results. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 11, 2019 9 minutes ago, Grim Up North said: Hmmm obvious manipulation of the people - sometimes the people don't like that and it can have unexpected results. Just proves what an absolute farce our electoral system is. (Although many rightly pointing out that unless Farage stands aside in Labour held marginals it's not necessarily that useful). Deadline for candidate nominations is this Thursday by the way in case anyone wants to know how long we've got to wait for any other pacts to be announced. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grim Up North 3,727 Posted November 11, 2019 42 minutes ago, Kinnock said: Just proves what an absolute farce our electoral system is. (Although many rightly pointing out that unless Farage stands aside in Labour held marginals it's not necessarily that useful). Deadline for candidate nominations is this Thursday by the way in case anyone wants to know how long we've got to wait for any other pacts to be announced. Does anyone actually know if more Tory or Labour voters would vote for Brexit party? My gut feel is that Tory Leavers would vote Tory because it gets it done, Tory Remainers might vote Lib Dem, Labour Remainers might vote Labour or Lib Dem and Labour Leavers might vote Brexit party. (obviously not en masse but logically if this election is Brexit based v traditional vote then that feels like the direction the various groups are pulled in) Hence even in Labour marginals with a strong Leave vote the Brexit party presence might change the result of first past the post significantly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 11, 2019 38 minutes ago, Grim Up North said: Does anyone actually know if more Tory or Labour voters would vote for Brexit party? My gut feel is that Tory Leavers would vote Tory because it gets it done, Tory Remainers might vote Lib Dem, Labour Remainers might vote Labour or Lib Dem and Labour Leavers might vote Brexit party. (obviously not en masse but logically if this election is Brexit based v traditional vote then that feels like the direction the various groups are pulled in) Hence even in Labour marginals with a strong Leave vote the Brexit party presence might change the result of first past the post significantly. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/yougov-poll-expert-says-farage-s-leave-alliance-will-only-hurt-tories-1-6369431 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TQR 14,402 Posted November 11, 2019 This is, for remainers or even just people not on the hard right, just a tactical voting exercise. Everyone needs to check who’s most likely to unseat a Tory and potentially end up voting for a party they’d in normal circumstances rather shit into their hands and clap than elect. Myself included this time. But it relies on remainfolk/non-right-wingers thinking to do that check (because Lab and Lib won’t get their shit together and work with each other) and we as a nation are shit at doing that. It’s gonna be close. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
En Passant 3,743 Posted November 11, 2019 5 hours ago, YoungWillz said: Bawjaws does a Trump and announces provisions for service personnel and ex-service personnel on 11 November. Literally no depths to which this charlatan will sink to gain votes. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 11, 2019 FT reporting Labour are watering down some of the major policies in a 'are you fucking stupid conference?' move; Could be some fallout over this from the momentum side of the party. Could also buy us some Lib Dem votes. https://www.ft.com/content/00c2a854-0180-11ea-b7bc-f3fa4e77dd47 Quote The Labour leadership is set to water down some of the more radical policies backed by party members earlier this year when the election manifesto is finalised this week. The document, which is still expected to be one of the most leftwing prospectus for government seen in the UK for decades, will feature extensive nationalisation, a £300bn raid on shareholders and £400bn of new state borrowing. But senior party officials are expected to push back against some of the measures approved by its membership at the annual conference in September, which marked a further shift to left for what was already one of the most leftwing mainstream political parties in Europe. Delegates backed several pledges including one on immigration that included free movement of EU citizens after Brexit, a 2030 net zero-carbon target, the nationalisation of the “big six” energy suppliers, and a plan to effectively scrap private schools. The final manifesto — which is set to be unveiled next week at the earliest — will not necessarily commit wholeheartedly to those new proposals, according to senior party figures. Mr Corbyn’s team is looking for ways to respect the spirit of the conference vote on immigration, including extending full voting rights to all foreign nationals living in the UK and closing all immigration detention centres, but is looking to pare back on free movement. Emily Thornberry, shadow foreign secretary, appeared to rule out free movement becoming party policy when she told BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday that the party wanted “managed migration” when the UK left the EU. She said that was consistent with Labour’s Brexit policy of remaining in the customs union but not the single market. A Labour conference motion backing free movement is unlikely to be included in its entirety © Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters Labour has pledged to strike a new Brexit deal within three months and then hold a referendum within a further three months in which the public votes either to leave the EU on that revised deal or remain in the bloc. On the 2030 net-zero carbon target the manifesto is expected to use more delicate language that would commit Labour to working towards a “path” to hit that goal. But it will still commit a Labour government to eradicating all sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles and decarbonising the entire energy network by that date. Hitting the target in just over 10 years was always seen as impossible as it would involve large-scale state intervention to replace all fossil fuel power plants, petrol and diesel cars, as well as millions of household gas boilers at a pace that most experts believe would be impossible to deliver. The radical environmental initiative also expanded Labour’s policy on nationalisation to include the big six energy suppliers, such as British Gas. The party had previously only targeted the energy network companies, including National Grid. But John McDonnell, shadow chancellor, has told the FT that the nationalisation of the big six might not be a priority for Labour’s first term in office. The manifesto, being drawn up by Andrew Fisher — Labour’s head of policy — is also expected to water down the conference vote that would effectively have abolished private schools by withdrawing charitable status, slashing tax exemptions and seizing control of all “endowments, investments and properties” held by private schools. Labour's conference backed a motion to 'abolish Eton' and other public schools © Susannah Ireland/Shutterstock The prospectus is instead expected to limit Labour to ending tax exemptions and withdrawing charitable status from independent schools. Senior figures argued that advocating the stripping of all assets held by private schools went too far. Mr Fisher and other senior figures will meet throughout this week to finalise policies ahead of a meeting on November 16, including union leaders, that is expected to approve the manifesto. New features are likely to include “inclusive ownership funds” which would transfer 10 per cent of the shares in every major company from shareholders to workers over a decade. The policy would apply to all UK-based companies with over 250 staff but it is not yet clear whether it would definitely apply to foreign businesses and private as well as public enterprises. The manifesto could also include the outlines of a plan — revealed by Mr McDonnell in September — to give some tenants of private landlords a “right to buy”. The document will include many of Labour’s policies from the 2017 election, including the nationalisation of water, the Royal Mail and the railways. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TQR 14,402 Posted November 13, 2019 Corbyn declares he’ll stay as PM for a full 5-year term if he wins the election. The irony is that declaration could well have lost him it. I could cry at how dire our future looks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungWillz 21,062 Posted November 13, 2019 I could be wrong but Bawjaws is taking credit for the invention of the electric car at the moment. The number of times he says "Ladies and Gentlemen" and enjoins the crowd to agree with him makes him look like a seaside entertainer from the 1970s. He is a real joke. An unfunny racist lying one. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 13, 2019 1 hour ago, YoungWillz said: I could be wrong but Bawjaws is taking credit for the invention of the electric car at the moment. The number of times he says "Ladies and Gentlemen" and enjoins the crowd to agree with him makes him look like a seaside entertainer from the 1970s. He is a real joke. An unfunny racist lying one. All three are a pile of steaming shit to be honest. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 13, 2019 This may not be as boring an election as we first thought.... 2019 (so far) 2017 2015 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spade_Cooley 9,538 Posted November 14, 2019 Things are so confused even John Curtice is saying "dunno m8" 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 14, 2019 John McDonnel has announced Labour's policy to nationalise the internet. No, I'm not taking the piss; Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TQR 14,402 Posted November 15, 2019 My god. These cunts are trying to lose this election! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 15, 2019 1 hour ago, The Quim Reaper said: My god. These cunts are trying to lose this election! It's actually a really sensible policy. Internet is the modern books; information. There basically creating a modern library infrastructure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TQR 14,402 Posted November 15, 2019 7 minutes ago, Kinnock said: It's actually a really sensible policy. Internet is the modern books; information. There basically creating a modern library infrastructure. It's sensible, right up until the realisation that it contravenes EU competition guidelines. So providing they plan on campaigning to leave in their proposed referendum, all's well. Also, they have to think in the build up to an election how it'll play in the media. Badly, is the answer to that by and large, whether that's right or wrong. This is the kind of idea they should bank for a budget speech in a year or so, rather than now; it's a policy that'll repel more voters than it'll attract until the benefits of it are actually seen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 15, 2019 25 minutes ago, The Quim Reaper said: It's sensible, right up until the realisation that it contravenes EU competition guidelines. So providing they plan on campaigning to leave in their proposed referendum, all's well. Also, they have to think in the build up to an election how it'll play in the media. Badly, is the answer to that by and large, whether that's right or wrong. This is the kind of idea they should bank for a budget speech in a year or so, rather than now; it's a policy that'll repel more voters than it'll attract until the benefits of it are actually seen. It doesn't contravene it because we're not actually 'nationalising it' - we're providing a basic level of service; private internet still exists. It's the same fair competition as providing free buses, someone can get a taxi if they want.b Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TQR 14,402 Posted November 16, 2019 Just hearing that we should be running a permanent budget surplus (thus more austerity for the foreseeable) from Ed Davey, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Kingston. Oh hang on, he’s a Lib Dem? Jesus. He’s almost more Tory than the Tories. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 16, 2019 43 minutes ago, The Quim Reaper said: Just hearing that we should be running a permanent budget surplus (thus more austerity for the foreseeable) from Ed Davey, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Kingston. Oh hang on, he’s a Lib Dem? Jesus. He’s almost more Tory than the Tories. Clever niche finding, given the Tories have abandoned austerity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 16, 2019 Fucking Blairites. Leaking Manifesto to least sympathetic outlet possible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,941 Posted November 18, 2019 So as things stand it's BBC - Huw Edwards ITV - Tom Bradbury?? C4 - Jeremy Paxman?? Sky - John Bercow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites