The 2024 UK General Election - news, speculation and updates

[MickiQ]

There’s a whole number of takes on this :
Firstly he’s more animated by off road bikes than anything he’s said on Gaza
Secondly his ‘plan’ has been used in Manchester for over 10 years
Finally after listening to it , watch it again with no sound and pay attention to the people in the background who seem to have problems concentrating on his pitch .

Anyway it’s one rung up from banning fizzy drinks

The guy in the brown jacket directly behind him is awesome, it's like they're not even on the same planet.

 

[redsquirrel]

There’s a whole number of takes on this :
Firstly he’s more animated by off road bikes than anything he’s said on Gaza
Secondly his ‘plan’ has been used in Manchester for over 10 years
Finally after listening to it , watch it again with no sound and pay attention to the people in the background who seem to have problems concentrating on his pitch .

Anyway it’s one rung up from banning fizzy drinks

I wonder how dirt bikes rank compare on the importance scale with the smell of cannabis

 

[Dogsauce]

I wonder how dirt bikes rank compare on the importance scale with the smell of cannabis

Tbh cannabis smells really rank these days, I have a neighbour who smokes and you can even smell it with the door shut, acrid and strong.

 

[Orang Utan]

I quite like it, which is just as well, considering how much of it I vape (much less smelly than smoke, but still noticeable - some vaping folk seem delusional about that).
But hardly a burning (npi!) matter of importance enough to put in a manifesto, surely?
Same with quad bikes. They’re extremely annoying and angering to me when I see lads racing them down the high street but it happens maybe twice a year. I would support stern measures against them but don’t think it’s up there with climate change and housing as a key issue

 

[redsquirrel]

Those new prison places won't fill themselves.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Alkie or not, I had time for Charlie Kennedy. He seemed an alright sort, by the standards of politicians. Definitely did not get on with the Clegg bunch.

Met him once. Very nice chap in person.

 

[lazythursday]

I know people are sneering about the bikes thing but I think that's pretty good politics. Local Facebook groups are full of posts really pissed off at noise / ruined green spaces etc. it might be low level stuff but it's one of those quality of life issues that gets people's backs up. Of course it's not more important than Gaza or poverty but you need to bring the mildly annoyed suburbanites into the coalition.

 

[Elpenor]

Dirt bikes feels like he’s pitching at the Nextdoor electorate

Tomorrow it’ll be something about travellers

 

[Sue]

Dirt bikes feels like he’s pitching at the Nextdoor electorate

Tomorrow it’ll be something about travellers

Lost cats and cleaners.

 

[ska invita]

I know people are sneering about the bikes thing but I think that's pretty good politics. Local Facebook groups are full of posts really pissed off at noise / ruined green spaces etc. it might be low level stuff but it's one of those quality of life issues that gets people's backs up. Of course it's not more important than Gaza or poverty but you need to bring the mildly annoyed suburbanites into the coalition.

It's a swing voter issue.... The concerns of those few thousand voters repeatedly trump everyone else in the country

 

[lazythursday]

It's a swing voter issue.... The concerns of those few thousand voters repeatedly trump everyone else in the country

Is it? It's one of those perennial issues that comes up all the time in this safe-ish Labour seat. Much like the usual issues that plague local politics like litter and dog shit and roadworks. I don't think it's a swing voter issue really. Sensible to have some policies about local quality of life stuff, mundane though it can seem.

 

[The39thStep]

Is it? It's one of those perennial issues that comes up all the time in this safe-ish Labour seat. Much like the usual issues that plague local politics like litter and dog shit and roadworks. I don't think it's a swing voter issue really. Sensible to have some policies about local quality of life stuff, mundane though it can seem.

Of course something should be done but does it really need to be a photo op issue ? What prevented the previous incumbent of this safe-ish Labour seat where you live or the Council/Police /Housing providers from doing something about it?

Greater Manchester which includes the Lib Dem and Tory councils have confiscated and crushed off road bikes for years.

 

[ska invita]

That's what I mean, they're making a meal of it because of what it signals and for whom this signal lands with....this is focus group led for certain...

 

[xenon]

It's a swing voter issue.... The concerns of those few thousand voters repeatedly trump everyone else in the country

Not really. I know of a traditional labour area where these bikes are a nuisance to the people that live there. Not Tori is going to get elected by those people.

 

[xenon]

Bit of a weird thing to make a national issue though Al grant you.

 

[two sheds]

cheaper than rescuing the NHS

 

[Elpenor]

cheaper than rescuing the NHS

In the same way supervised tooth brushing at school is not quite as effective as there actually being NHS dentists available

 

[Puddy_Tat]

That's what I mean, they're making a meal of it because of what it signals and for whom this signal lands with....this is focus group led for certain...

Dunno really.

Things like this can be spun as 'politicians who live in big detached houses not caring about what happens on the estates where they don't have to live' if they don't show an interest in it.

 

[steveo87]

Never thought I'd say this, but thank God for the Tories - without them this would have been a fairly dull election campaign all things considered.

 

[skyscraper101]

Just think if it had gone the other way in 2015 we could've had 'chaos with Ed Miliband'

 

[Cerv]

Never thought I'd say this, but thank God for the Tories - without them this would have been a fairly dull election campaign all things considered.

on the other hand "may you live in interesting times" is a curse.
a bit of dullness wouldn't go amiss. I'll get my kicks elsewhere

 

[Puddy_Tat]

a bit of dullness wouldn't go amiss

will this do?

 

[Cerv]

will this do?

View attachment 428566

perfect

 

[gosub]

will this do?

View attachment 428566

perfect

Be better in greyscale

 

[T & P]

I’m not much of a betting man; in past elections, has either of the main two parties been given such long odds as 66/1 to be in government after the election?

M

 

[Bingoman]

I’m not much of a betting man; in past elections, has either of the main two parties been given such long odds as 66/1 to be in government after the election?

MView attachment 428571

Do they have the odd on the lib Dems being the official opposition at all?

 

[belboid]

Do they have the odd on the lib Dems being the official opposition at all?

5/2

 

[belboid]

I should add, my mouse must just have been hovering over the Reform odds, I did not make such a bet.

Especially as it would have been stupid, with them being the shortest odds available.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Be better in greyscale

is he turning in to john major?

 

[Nine Bob Note]

I guess Ed Davey (Not Nick Clegg, Charlie Kennedy, Vince Cable or any of the LDs anyone has ever actually heard of) becoming the leader of the opposition will be the true Portillo moment this time around. Unless Binface beats Binfire in Richmond.