The 2024 UK General Election - news, speculation and updates

[Orang Utan]

I see no reason not to assume that Starmer is as genuine a Woolwich fan as Jeremy Corbyn or Osama Bin Laden.

Actually, that has reminded me that I read a profile of him when he was first elected as leader in which the profiler, who seemed to know about these things, said he does appear to be a genuine football and Arsenal fan who can talk about football knowledgeably, so no dilettante like most politicians.

 

[ska invita]

Tbf my entire impression of Starmer is based on a boss I once had that he really reminds me of. As in a functional (mostly) alcoholic, working class but far from poor background he never shut up about, really boring manner - he droned on and on, a petty obsession with trivial rules but only when it suited him, a complete toadying bastard when it came to more senior management, a principle-less hypocrite and a bare faced fucking liar who was full of his own self righteousness. With a nasty streak. He was an Arsenal supporter too. I'm not sure what it is about Starmer that reminds me of him

Professional Managerial The Gaffer Class

 

[hitmouse]

Surely Starmer's refusing to wear an England shirt because of his principled objections to the kit looking too woke?

Anyway, quick impression of what the GE's looked like on the ground to me:
Not had anything through my door (unless my housemates threw it out before I got home) and no canvassers that I'm aware of. Not much in the way of signs and things but have seen one or two WPB signs, and I think one proper Labour garden sign and then another who'd put one of their shitty little Union Jack flyers in the window. In terms of irl encounters with candidates or campaigners, bumped into the Communist League at a RMT picket, and then had a fairly high number of encounters (or near-misses, because I've still managed to avoid actually having to talk to the fuckers) with the WPB lot recently - once at a local community family fun day in the park thing, once at a Palestine thing, and then again at the Orgreave commemoration at the weekend. I suppose that the RMT/Palestine/Orgreave stuff may all represent votes that Labour's decided that they're happy to do without, but it doesn't look great for Labour's activist base if the WPB can mobilise for a fairly apolitical "celebrate your local area" type festival and they can't.

 

[The39thStep]

Actually, that has reminded me that I read a profile of him when he was first elected as leader in which the profiler, who seemed to know about these things, said he does appear to be a genuine football and Arsenal fan who can talk about football knowledgeably, so no dilettante like most politicians.

Who was the profiler, who seems to know about these things?

 

[Orang Utan]

Who was the profiler, who seems to know about these things?

I can’t remember. They seemed to know more than me, which admittedly isn’t much at all, but I worked with a bunch of proper football fans (season ticket holders) for ten years and got to discern between their football chat and the kind I’d hear amongst mates, who seemed to be repeating what they’d read in the papers or heard a pundit say on the telly or radio

 

[Orang Utan]

Interestingly, 54% of Brits don’t watch football on the telly, while 52% voted for Brexit. Just sayin’

 

[Pickman's model]

I can’t remember. They seemed to know more than me, which admittedly isn’t much at all, but I worked with a bunch of proper football fans (season ticket holders) for ten years and got to discern between their football chat and the kind I’d hear amongst mates, who seemed to be repeating what they’d read in the papers or heard a pundit say on the telly or radio

He has an advisor who explains the game to him and gives him talking points to drop into any conversation about football

 

[Pickman's model]

Interestingly, 54% of Brits don’t watch football on the telly, while 52% voted for Brexit. Just sayin’

37.4% of the electorate voted for brexit.

 

[Artaxerxes]

By all accounts Starmer does like football, I don't so its really irrelevant whether he does or not.

At least he's not Cameron levels of West Ham VIlla I suppose.

 

[A380]

Just when you think things can't get anymore weird/worst for the Tories, the Conservative Home website has published an article from Farage inviting their readers to 'join the revolt'!

Nigel Farage: My message to ConservativeHome readers - it's time to join the revolt | Conservative Home

You've been so badly let down by the Conservative Party that it really must be time for something - and someone - new, who can unite the right. What have you got to lose?

conservativehome.com

Oooh . I can’t wait to read the comments section later. That’s my little tea time treat sorted. Better than a Cadbury’s mini roll.

 

[Silas Loom]

Oooh . I can’t wait to read the comments section later. That’s my little tea time treat sorted. Better than a Cadbury’s mini roll.

That was my first thought, but it wasn’t as fun as I expected. Even ConHome readers have more or less given up.

 

[cupid_stunt]

That was my first thought, but it wasn’t as fun as I expected. Even ConHome readers have more or less given up.

Seems to be a mix of replies, as to accept Reform or not, but overall you are right, they have largely given up, this one raised a smile for me.

 

[The39thStep]

I can’t remember. They seemed to know more than me, which admittedly isn’t much at all, but I worked with a bunch of proper football fans (season ticket holders) for ten years and got to discern between their football chat and the kind I’d hear amongst mates, who seemed to be repeating what they’d read in the papers or heard a pundit say on the telly or radio

Nearly Green Street material, be careful son.

 

[bluescreen]

interesting chart

 

[Bus Honeygun]

I don't know why, but there's never very much obvious election activity around my way. Haven't seen a single window poster or garden sign, no canvassers, and the only leaflet through the door was a 'sorry we missed you' one from the Labour candidate.

(Edit: Somebody must have read this as a Labour leaflet popped through the door an hour later)

Out and about in Taunton and West Somerset in the past week and there's Lib Dem stuff absolutely everywhere. I guess it's pretty much a given that Labour will win in Exeter so maybe you only see activity and obvious signs that there's an election coming in the places where there's more at stake.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I don't know why, but there's never very much obvious election activity around my way. Haven't seen a single window poster or garden sign, no canvassers, and the only leaflet through the door was a 'sorry we missed you' one from the Labour candidate.

Out and about in Taunton and West Somerset in the past week and there's Lib Dem stuff absolutely everywhere. I guess it's pretty much a given that Labour will win in Exeter so maybe you only see activity and obvious signs that there's an election coming in the places where there's more at stake.

Yep, you have drawn the right conclusion, if it's a safe seat you'll hardly notice there's a GE on.

When I lived in the Taunton area, it was always a sea of Tory & LD posters and signs, when I moved to Worthing - nowt, until this year, when Labour looks like taking what was considered a Tory seat, loads of Labour posters, and they are flooding the place with canvassers from other areas.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I can’t remember. They seemed to know more than me, which admittedly isn’t much at all, but I worked with a bunch of proper football fans (season ticket holders) for ten years and got to discern between their football chat and the kind I’d hear amongst mates, who seemed to be repeating what they’d read in the papers or heard a pundit say on the telly or radio

TBF though even if he's not a massive football fan I don't think jumping on the England bandwagon when there's a major tournament is a particularly fake or inauthentic thing to do anyway. Millions of people do it and while it might be a bit grating to hear someone suddenly start banging on about 'Southgate has to take the handbrake off' or some shit it's also why international football can feel more inclusive in a way. Basically there's about a hundred better things to slag Starmer off for before you get to this IMO.

 

[Cerv]

it's ok. someone you aren't too keen on having a shared interest with you doesn't in any way reflect badly on yourself by association.
so it's fine to admit that Starmer does like football. is a long time Arsenal fan, plays 5 a side, etc, etc. just like huge swathe of the country does. no need to pretend this is some outrageous lie.

 

[Cerv]

interesting chart

View attachment 429349

with the lead time on getting the final proofs to the printers, they didn't want to take the risk on having the wrong guy in the photos.

 

[Rimbaud]

Surely Starmer's refusing to wear an England shirt because of his principled objections to the kit looking too woke?

Anyway, quick impression of what the GE's looked like on the ground to me:
Not had anything through my door (unless my housemates threw it out before I got home) and no canvassers that I'm aware of. Not much in the way of signs and things but have seen one or two WPB signs, and I think one proper Labour garden sign and then another who'd put one of their shitty little Union Jack flyers in the window. In terms of irl encounters with candidates or campaigners, bumped into the Communist League at a RMT picket, and then had a fairly high number of encounters (or near-misses, because I've still managed to avoid actually having to talk to the fuckers) with the WPB lot recently - once at a local community family fun day in the park thing, once at a Palestine thing, and then again at the Orgreave commemoration at the weekend. I suppose that the RMT/Palestine/Orgreave stuff may all represent votes that Labour's decided that they're happy to do without, but it doesn't look great for Labour's activist base if the WPB can mobilise for a fairly apolitical "celebrate your local area" type festival and they can't.

I've had nothing in the post and only seen 2 Labour signs in people's windows round here (and I tend to get around a bit) - last election there were loads.

Suggests it is going to be a very low turnout to me.

Only 200,000 of the 3.5 overseas voters have registered to vote.

Fewer than 200,000 Britons living abroad apply to vote in UK election

Lack of awareness and obstacles such as last-known UK address requests cited as reasons for low participation

www.theguardian.com

 

[The39thStep]

TBF though even if he's not a massive football fan I don't think jumping on the England bandwagon when there's a major tournament is a particularly fake or inauthentic thing to do anyway. Millions of people do it and while it might be a bit grating to hear someone suddenly start banging on about 'Southgate has to take the handbrake off' or some shit it's also why international football can feel more inclusive in a way. Basically there's about a hundred better things to slag Starmer off for before you get to this IMO.

Apart from wind ups I honestly don't think people care about whether he likes football or not tbh . I dont think anyone cares if his father was a toolmaker and his mother was a nurse. They are just some PR bites that whoever has been dealing with him has tried to use in order to sell a more human image of what is a very wooden personality. Unfortunately, the attempts to message that he is a working class , football loving , yet at the same time leadership material are so manufactured that people just see through it. Hence the jokes.

Labour are coasting at the polls not because of his 'personality', even worse not because of Labour's policies, but because the Tories are toast.

 

[rasputin]

Suggests it is going to be a very low turnout to me.

As predicted months ago by polling expert Professor John Curtice, provoking general ridicule from Guardian readers.

Low general election turnout likely​

Looks like he was (as usual) right though.

 

[QueenOfGoths]

We've had leaflets from the LibDems, Tories (including a lovely photo of her cuddling her dog just to show how soft and caring the Tories are!) but not Labour.

However the Labour candidate has been very active on social media answering questions and all three have made slightly embarrassing 'vote for me' videos which I suppose just comes with the territory.

There's also Green Party and SPD candidates plus two independents who, with the exception of one of the independents who's been engaging people on social media, have been resolutely quiet!

Surprised we haven't got a Reform candidate but I wonder if they feel it will be an uphill struggle to oust the Tories from Maidenhead so i not worth it.

 

[kebabking]

We had the Greens on a stall in town on Saturday, and I've seen a Green party poster in town.

I've got a lot of time of them on local, social and climate/environment issues, but I do worry that what's going to happen is that both complacency, and the Labour manifesto being not the most exciting document ever to hit my inbox is going to lead to the Tory incumbent keeping the seat, albeit with a vastly reduced majority...

LibDems don't appear to be bothering though - we had a leaflet with the standard 'only the LibDems...' slogan, but they didn't bother with a graph because even straw chewing yokels like us can see that 8 is a much smaller number than 22....

 

[cupid_stunt]

We've had leaflets from the LibDems, Tories (including a lovely photo of her cuddling her dog just to show how soft and caring the Tories are!) but not Labour.

However the Labour candidate has been very active on social media answering questions and all three have made slightly embarrassing 'vote for me' videos which I suppose just comes with the territory.

There's also Green Party and SPD candidates plus two independents who, with the exception of one of the independents who's been engaging people on social media, have been resolutely quiet!

Surprised we haven't got a Reform candidate but I wonder if they feel it will be an uphill struggle to oust the Tories from Maidenhead so i not worth it.

Do you mean SPD or SDP, if it's the SDP that would probably explain why there's no Reform candidate, as they have an electoral pact in some areas. Otherwise it's just because they fell short of standing in all 650 areas, probably down to the short notice, so are only standing in 609.

Reform will be standing in 609 out of 650 constituencies (all in Great Britain).[198] As part of an electoral pact with the Social Democratic Party, the two parties have stood aside for each other in six constituencies and over a dozen candidates are standing under a joint Reform-SDP banner.[199] WIKI LINK

 

[QueenOfGoths]

Do you mean SPD or SDP, if it's the SDP that would probably explain why there's no Reform candidate, as they have an electoral pact in some areas. Otherwise it's just because they fell short of standing in all 650 areas, probably down to the short notice, so are only standing in 609.

Ah I see. It is the SDP

 

[Combustible]

Any news about whether the Liberal party are standing?

 

[PR1Berske]

Any news about whether the Liberal party are standing?

I believe they are. Top of my head I don't know where (best guess, one of the Liverpools where Steve Radford (sp?) still hangs around)

 

[JimW]

Any news about whether the Liberal party are standing?

Need to know if you need to keep the dogs locked in?

 

[cupid_stunt]

Any news about whether the Liberal party are standing?

Yes, but only in 13 seats.