Hold your nose and vote Labour?

[Throbbing Angel]

I think spoiled ballots still count towards turnout.

If turnout in a GE is below 50% they should run it again but with all previous candidates barred from standing. That might make the useless cunts pitch something worth voting for.

Aye - I think they do count towards turnout.

Re: 50% - good idea!

 

[kabbes]

If spoilt ballots count towards turnout, that means they reduce the percentage of votes that any party can claim to have achieved.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

If spoilt ballots count towards turnout, that means they reduce the percentage of votes that any party can claim to have achieved.

Or that they already factor that into the calculation(s).

 

[PTK]

I know, I know, women aren't exempt from poor decision making. No one is. I tend to think that the whole political arena would benefit from more balance in this area, though.

Was it Gulliver's travels where the view that the desire to enter politics should debar one from ever entering politics, was expressed?

It is not a question of "poor decision making."

 

[MickiQ]

According to Either Vote, or Vote None. Why be silent? spoilt ballot papers in 2015 (couldn't find later figures) was almost 100K, less than one percent of the vote but more in total than any elected MP got. As for rerunning an election if less than 50% vote nice idea but it's never actually happened in the UK. 1918 was when all men got the vote.

 

[steeplejack]

Smug Wes Streeting says to the NHS that "Money is tight" and the service needs to "provide better value for taxpayers", promising a hardline "tough love" message. He also accuses staff of using winter crises as "an excuse to ask for more money".

What exactly is meant to get better if we vote for these cunts again?

 

[Sasaferrato]

Smug Wes Streeting says to the NHS that "Money is tight" and the service needs to "provide better value for taxpayers", promising a hardline "tough love" message. He also accuses staff of using winter crises as "an excuse to ask for more money".

What exactly is meant to get better if we vote for these cunts again?

There is a thread in general on this subject.

 

[GarveyLives]

Opinion polls show British people are keen on nationalisation, support strikes, are flexible on immigration, and support action on climate change.

Starmer thinks Just Stop Oil are "contemptible" and will not revoke any of the newly issued North Sea oil and gas licences.

Labour have refused to commit to the climate funding pledge made at COP26, drawing criticism from NGOs.

When approached by the Guardian, spokespeople for the shadow net zero and energy secretary, Ed Miliband, the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and the Labour leader all declined to commit to the funding pledge.

Labour are not to be trusted on climate change.

It has now been reported that shortly before the abandonment of the Labour Party's pledge to spend £28bn a year on 'green investment', the shadow chancellor’s office accepted a financial donation from The Lord Donoughue (also known as Bernard Donoughue), a former director of The Global Warming Policy Foundation, 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL:

Rachel Reeves accepted donation from climate sceptic days before dropping £28bn pledge

 

[teqniq]

Just yuck. The more I hear with each passing day, the less I like:

Labour bars press from secretive lobbying event at Scottish party conference

 

[GroovySunday]

Just yuck. The more I hear with each passing day, the less I like:

Labour bars press from secretive lobbying event at Scottish party conference

View attachment 412322

You can always vote for this lot

Why the Green Party is shit

Inspired by the legendary 'why the Lib Dems are shit' thread and prompted by the Green led council strikebreaking in Brighton, this is your opportunity to give examples of their shitness and prove that those of us who think they'd genocide the working class to save the Bolivian arse wasp are...

www.urban75.net

 

[Rob Ray]

An interesting FT analysis here, noting that:

Historically, Labour benefited from higher turnout. But in 2019, the gradient flipped, as the Conservatives leaned into the Brexit divide, placing themselves on the side of non-graduates. The 2019 election may have been the first time that increased working class turnout boosted the Conservatives, not Labour.

The argument from John Burn-Murdoch (the FT's chief data wonk) is that the right's lean into the culture wars and blame targets for the economy (migration, the EU), has stripped the left parties' position as the natural home of working class votes away on both sides of the Atlantic.

Not sure I entirely buy that (Republican voting continued to skew wealthier in both 2016 and 2020, same with Tories), but I do think it's another pointer (if more are needed) that the (so-called) centrist inability to square their core logic of "caring neoliberalism" with actually supporting the needs of the working class has broken trust so thoroughly that such tactics gain an outsized influence.

 

[High Voltage]

<deleted>

You know what, I can't even be bothered to post the post I was going to post, such is the pointlessness of voting where I live . . . we either get Tory or a Tory supporting party

 

[cupid_stunt]

<deleted>

You know what, I can't even be bothered to post the post I was going to post, such is the pointlessness of voting where I live . . . we either get Tory or a Tory supporting party

I blame it on too much cider drinking.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

+ 107 vs - 24,869 says it all doesn't it? The Starmer strategy is basically 'be bland and unspirational enough that the rightwing media don't attack us too much and just stand by while the tory vote collapses'.

 

[magneze]

Tories + Reform aren't far away. GE will be much closer.

 

[The39thStep]

An interesting FT analysis here, noting that:



The argument from John Burn-Murdoch (the FT's chief data wonk) is that the right's lean into the culture wars and blame targets for the economy (migration, the EU), has stripped the left parties' position as the natural home of working class votes away on both sides of the Atlantic.

Not sure I entirely buy that (Republican voting continued to skew wealthier in both 2016 and 2020, same with Tories), but I do think it's another pointer (if more are needed) that the (so-called) centrist inability to square their core logic of "caring neoliberalism" with actually supporting the needs of the working class has broken trust so thoroughly that such tactics gain an outsized influence.

This , unfortunately, will be exactly the case in the Portuguese elections where Chega could get anywhere between 15-20% against an incumbent. Socialist Party who been at the most tepid in dealing with issues regarding wages, housing, the NHS whilst being embroiled in a couple of corruption scandals. The Euro elections later in June will also see the populist right benefit across the EU.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Tories + Reform aren't far away. GE will be much closer.

I'll be very surprised if that happens. The professional managerial class, neo-liberal orthodox, technocrat Sunak and the populist/insurgent right Reform don't have any substantial unifying issue on which a deal can sensibly be done.

If they've got any strategic sense at all Reform are going to bide their time for a few months - get 10-12% in the GE - and wait for the Tory re-alignment in opposition.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Not sure I entirely buy that (Republican voting continued to skew wealthier in both 2016 and 2020, same with Tories), but I do think it's another pointer (if more are needed) that the (so-called) centrist inability to square their core logic of "caring neoliberalism" with actually supporting the needs of the working class has broken trust so thoroughly that such tactics gain an outsized influence.

Yeah I'd agree. I think the thing is that they don't need to become 'the natural home of the working class' or whatever, and it's really not true that working class people in general are motivated by that culture war shite is it, but it might get them enough working class votes on side to keep them in power.

 

[magneze]

I'll be very surprised if that happens. The professional managerial class, neo-liberal orthodox, technocrat Sunak and the populist/insurgent right Reform don't have any substantial unifying issue on which a deal can sensibly be done.

If they've got any strategic sense at all Reform are going to bide their time for a few months - get 10-12% in the GE - and wait for the Tory re-alignment in opposition.

I wasn't suggesting a deal. More that voters might move from Reform to Tories at GE.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

I wasn't suggesting a deal. More that voters might move from Reform to Tories at GE.

Ah, okay. There may be some movement back I guess, but I think the 10-15% are going to be extremely hard for the Tories to win back under Sunak. Those voters are either done with the main parties or feel deeply betrayed by the Tories. The latter feeling is unlikely to change in the next few months.

 

[belboid]

+ 107 vs - 24,869 says it all doesn't it? The Starmer strategy is basically 'be bland and unspirational enough that the rightwing media don't attack us too much and just stand by while the tory vote collapses'.

View attachment 412379

even tedious old John Curtis was going on about how these two elections show there is absolutely no appetite for anybody. The turnouts are pathetic, the labour vote barely increases. They might just hold onto Wellingborough, especially. if the tories put someone up who isn't the ex-MPs shoddy girlfriend.

 

[Chz]

It's a by-election. Turnout is down massively from a general election. Convert those figures into percentages and it's a big increase for Labour.

 

[belboid]

It's a by-election. Turnout is down massively from a general election. Convert those figures into percentages and it's a big increase for Labour.

Yes, we all know that. But the turnout is abysmal. Blair was doing better in such seats, winning as high a proportion of the vote, but with an even higher turnout. Shit tho he was, he inspired people to turn out and vote. Starmer very clearly isn't doing.

 

[bluescreen]

It's a by-election. Turnout is down massively from a general election. Convert those figures into percentages and it's a big increase for Labour.

Yes but it can't be assumed that low turnout affects all parties equally, which is why by-election results can't really be extrapolated into GE. For once I'd have thought the Tories are right in suggesting that their voters are less motivated than anyone else (except perhaps LD) - though it's hard to imagine that changing much between now and then.

 

[Sue]

Shit tho he was, he inspired people to turn out and vote. Starmer very clearly isn't doing.

Hearing Starmer's post results speech/soundbite earlier, I for one felt all fired up and inspired!

 

[The39thStep]

Just seen a tweet that suggests the partner of Damien Egan who won in Kingswood for Labour is ex IDF and worked with a company doing Birthright tours



.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Yes, we all know that. But the turnout is abysmal. Blair was doing better in such seats, winning as high a proportion of the vote, but with an even higher turnout. Shit tho he was, he inspired people to turn out and vote. Starmer very clearly isn't doing.

Precisely. As I mentioned the other day even Blair's limited 'third way' programme - the minimum wage, fairness at work, the pledge card etc - looks dynamic compared to the cynical nothingness offered by Starmer and co. And, as Belboid says - like it or not - the evidence is that Blair did motivate some people to go out and vote Labour. Starmer is evidently not doing so. If it was possible for both Labour and the Tories to lose the next election I have no doubt that that's what would happen.

 

[belboid]

Just seen a tweet that suggests the partner of Damien Egan who won in Kingswood for Labour is ex IDF and worked with a company doing Birthright tours



.

looks to be accurate

Meet Yossi Felberbaum, an Israeli Peer from the class of 2013. Yossi was born and raised in Kiryat Yam, a town just a few miles north of Haifa. Yossi graduated from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev with a BSc in Software Engineering and recently completed his MSc in Computer Science at המרכז הבינתחומי הרצליה - IDC Herzliya. After six years of service in the Israel Defense Forces he will finish his duty this October. Yossi plays an important role on the Israeli community board as a liaison between Excel and the IDF, assisting with recruitment of 8200 unit soldiers as Israeli Peers. He looks forward to traveling to Europe and the United States after he finishes his service in the IDF, and will pursue a career abroad in software engineering. Good luck and thank you for everything you do, Yossi

 

[GarveyLives]

It has now been reported that shortly before the abandonment of the Labour Party's pledge to spend £28bn a year on 'green investment', the shadow chancellor’s office accepted a financial donation from The Lord Donoughue (also known as Bernard Donoughue), a former director of The Global Warming Policy Foundation, 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL:

Rachel Reeves accepted donation from climate sceptic days before dropping £28bn pledge

Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP really should note that some people are not the "gullible simpletons" that he considers them to be:

Why should Black people vote Labour?

 

[Calamity1971]

Well they've got my vote.
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