North Shropshire by-election

[brogdale]

Vermin twitter output has dried up while they wait to be told what they now think.

 

[PR1Berske]

I'll report the OP to change the title

 

[marty21]

Paterson has recalled himself

 

[cupid_stunt]

What amazing entertainment all round.

 

[elbows]

 

[marty21]

If only Boris had a quiet word with Patterson a few days ago , now old chap, do the decent thing & resign , I'll make you a Lord in a few years when the fuss has died down

 

[elbows]

 

[brogdale]

Missed opportunity to include Jack Straw in there somewhere opening a door for them.

 

[brogdale]

The reality...

 

[JimW]

We're even shit at corruption. Your average village Party secretary here would laugh if they ever heard of this ineptitude.

 

[gosub]

If only Boris had a quiet word with Patterson a few days ago , now old chap, do the decent thing & resign , I'll make you a Lord in a few years when the fuss has died down

If he'd of taken the 30 days....he had a majority of 23k Chances are he'd still have been an MP. As was, he was calling for Katherine Stone to resign yesterday

Painted himself into a corner.

 

[brogdale]

I'll report the OP to change the title

Conventionally very safe:

 

[marty21]

If he'd of taken the 30 days....he had a majority of 23k Chances are he'd still have been an MP. As was, he was calling for Katherine Stone to resign yesterday

Painted himself into a corner.

He would probably have been re-elected , even if there had been a recall election.

 

[gosub]

He would probably have been re-elected , even if there had been a recall election.

Probably. But the efforts of the last couple of days wouldnt have done him any favours

 

[marty21]

Probably. But the efforts of the last couple of days wouldnt have done him any favours

That fucked him , more than the actual grifting

 

[brogdale]

That fucked him , more than the actual grifting

Barwell is suggesting (from his factional standpoint) that another faction used Paterson:

 

[Lazy Llama]

I'll report the OP to change the title

Done

 

[brogdale]

Where's the sport in this?

Labour, the Lib Dems and the Green Party are discussing standing aside and backing an independent "anti-sleaze" candidate in the by-election prompted by Tory MP Owen Paterson's resignation.
They are all said to be open to the proposal for the seat of North Shropshire, which is usually an ultra-safe one for the Conservatives.
Mr Paterson quit on Thursday amid a row over his breaking of MPs' rules.
No date has yet been set for the resulting by-election.
Opposition parties are looking back at the contest for the seat of Tatton, Cheshire, at the 1997 general election, when former BBC journalist Martin Bell took on - and defeated - Conservative incumbent Neil Hamilton.

 

[elbows]

Well an anti-sleaze candidate can be an even better sport, but it depends who it is and whether they gain sufficient momentum to mount a real challenge.

 

[marty21]

Where's the sport in this?


View attachment 295494

Difficult to think of who an anti-sleaze candidate could be tbh.

 

[Sue]

I hate this shit. The lack of choice for the folk voting, the idea that you're voting against something/someone rather than for policies or ideas or something. That political parties are even more obviously than normal up for horse trading/playing games. It stinks frankly.

(And I say this as someone who thinks they're all fucking awful.)

Eta It's also a very stupid and short sighted thing to do. Once you potentially encourage your voters to vote for someone else, are they really going to vote for you next time? Maybe but maybe not.

 

[tim]

Where's the sport in this?


View attachment 295494

I reckon.

 

[mx wcfc]

I hate this shit. The lack of choice for the folk voting, the idea that you're voting against something/someone rather than for policies or ideas or something. That political parties are even more obviously than normal up for horse trading/playing games. It stinks frankly.

(And I say this as someone who thinks they're all fucking awful.)

Eta It's also a very stupid and short sighted thing to do. Once you potentially encourage your voters to vote for someone else, are they really going to vote for you next time? Maybe but maybe not.

Yeah, agreed, but

To get rid of the tories at the next election (which is really important), all non-tory parties are going to have to have to agree some sort of pact and stand down to give the others a clear run. The concept of a single "not tory" candidate is something I agree with.

 

[WouldBe]

Where's the sport in this?


View attachment 295494

But not the Tories standing aside.

 

[Sue]

Yeah, agreed, but

To get rid of the tories at the next election (which is really important), all non-tory parties are going to have to have to agree some sort of pact and stand down to give the others a clear run. The concept of a single "not tory" candidate is something I agree with.

I guess that's where we differ. Labour, Tory, Lib Dem? All shit, all the same, don't care.

 

[Dogsauce]

Well an anti-sleaze candidate can be an even better sport, but it depends who it is and whether they gain sufficient momentum to mount a real challenge.

Given it’s a super-safe seat, it doesn’t matter too much, but it might highlight to the public a bit more the level of corruption in this government.

Patterson’s crimes are fairly straightforward and dull though, it’s not brown envelope stuff. Much more dodgy dealings elsewhere so those might need to be the focus.

Can‘t think who would be put forward, it’d probably need to be a public figure but suspect they’ll be utterly tone deaf and put up Jolyon Maughan or someone like that.

 

[redsquirrel]

I hate this shit. The lack of choice for the folk voting, the idea that you're voting against something/someone rather than for policies or ideas or something. That political parties are even more obviously than normal up for horse trading/playing games. It stinks frankly.

(And I say this as someone who thinks they're all fucking awful.)

Eta It's also a very stupid and short sighted thing to do. Once you potentially encourage your voters to vote for someone else, are they really going to vote for you next time? Maybe but maybe not.

Absolutely.
A comrade in the ACG noted (in the 2nd issue of Stormy Petrel - get it while the last few print copies are available!) that there is a difference between the naturally arising anti-fascism of any pro-working class politics and Anti-Fascism, the organised (liberal) coalition of groups and parties. I agree with that, and I'd extend it to anti-toryism and Anti-Toryism.

Pro-working class politics will of course be anti-tory but Anti-Toryism, the "Progressive Alliance", is certainly not pro-working class, rather the opposite, it hides and confuses the fundamental issue class behind "good government", "sensible politics" and similar liberal canards. The retreat of so many "socialists" into Anti-Toryism is frankly pathetic and depressing.

 

[tim]

Yeah, agreed, but

To get rid of the tories at the next election (which is really important), all non-tory parties are going to have to have to agree some sort of pact and stand down to give the others a clear run. The concept of a single "not tory" candidate is something I agree with.

Yes, the sort of approach the Liberals were touting before the 2010 election.

 

[brogdale]

I can see why Starmer might be tempted not to send out a candidate; could be damaging for him to see vote share actually decline in such circs.

 

[strung out]

I can see why Starmer might be tempted not to send out a candidate; could be damaging for him to see vote share actually decline in such circs.

Labour have said they'll stand.