The 2024 UK General Election - news, speculation and updates

[Pickman's model]

Tory deputy chair dismissed sewage crisis as ‘political football’

Angela Richardson accuses campaigners against polluted water of putting Conservative MPs in danger

www.theguardian.com

At this point I'm starting to think we need to merge the "Incompetent Tory" thread and this one.

Incompetent doesn't really cover what's going on, something stranger's needed

 

[Kaka Tim]

The fact that the tories are putting thier reources into defending seats with sizeable majorities suggests that the polling reflects what they are seeing on the ground. I doubt ReFuk will get more votes than the vermin on the day - but they are clearly going to take a considerable bite out of their vote share - Farage is concentrating his fire on them rather than labour. I regularly go on the spectator fb page ("gammon chat") and the ReFukers have their tails up and are getting giddy about it- for them this is about replacing the tories with the aim of taking power at the next election in 2029 - they think they are seeing a right populist surge - so they dont really care that smashing the tories helps labour. Givne all this - and the fact that this is most polled election ever and all the polls are pointing the same way - a 1997 defeat is probably the best case outcome for the tories.

 

[Pickman's model]

The fact that the tories are putting thier reources into defending seats with sizeable majorities suggests that the polling reflects what they are seeing on the ground. I doubt ReFuk will get more votes than the vermin on the day - but they are clearly going to take a considerable bite out of their vote share - Farage is concentrating his fire on them rather than labour. I regularly go on the spectator fb page ("gammon chat") and the ReFukers have their tails up and are getting giddy about it- for them this is about replacing the tories with the aim of taking power at the next election in 2029 - they think they are seeing a right populist surge - so they dont really care that smashing the tories helps labour. Givne all this - and the fact that this is most polled election ever and all the polls are pointing the same way - a 1997 defeat is probably the best case outcome for the tories.

Only they're now bereft of people of the calibre of william hague alongside whom potential tory leaders are but political midgets

 

[Steel Icarus]

Unless they're listening to tory claims about labour's tax. They're not the most rational of voters

I'm sure you're right but I'm just preparing myself in case there's a huge disappointment on the night.

I'm afraid no matter what happens there will be huge disappointment on the night, especially if you expect that Starmzy is about to actually change anything.

 

[andysays]

I'm afraid no matter what happens there will be huge disappointment on the night, especially if you expect that Starmzy is about to actually change anything.

And anyone who expects that has a whole 5 years of disappointment to look forward to

 

[DotCommunist]

well, that mp got his kid to eat the spinal column inna bap/bse burger on tele, lets see those MP's blase about the state of the water swig a tall glass of eau d'shite

 

[Sue]

So the school summer holidays in Scotland started end of last week. My sister and BIL set off this morning on holiday -- Glasgow schools finished on Wednesday. Their postal votes haven't arrived so that's them not able to vote.

(A couple of councils have just set up emergency centres to deal with this but Glasgow's not one of them.) Wonder how many people are in a similar position.

 

[Serge Forward]

Just at my mam's when this came through her letter box:


I think it's the only election communication she's had.

Much as I despise Labour, I get the impression Long Bailey is one of the better ones... while my MP is the nefarious Liz Kendall.

Still, with her dementia, I doubt poor old mam will have the wherewith to be casting her vote.

 

[The39thStep]

Just at my mam's when this came through her letter box:

View attachment 431142

Much as I despise Labour, I get the impression Long Bailey is one of the better ones... while my MP is the nefarious Liz Kendall.

Still, with her dementia, I doubt poor old mam will have the wherewith to be casting her vote.

She could get a proxy ?

 

[Serge Forward]

She could get a proxy ?

Nah. I doubt she'd barely understand what it's about. That doesn't feel right.

 

[PR1Berske]

Bloomberg reporting on Labour MPs who could lose on polling day, including Bristol Central, Birmingham Ladywood, and Islington North

Ailbhe Rea and Julian Harris: Labour’s Vulnerabilities

There are six days to go until the election. The Conservatives slipped fractionally to 20.1%, extending a run of record lows with Labour comfortably 20 points ahead, according to Bloomberg’s poll of polls.

www.bloomberg.com

 

[Sue]

Well, I got my first leaflet (and not delivered by Royal Mail). It's from Reform which shows enthusiasm i guess as can't see them doing very well in Hackney.

I just bumped into my neighbour and the first thing he said was that he couldn't believe we'd had leaflets from Reform. I guess young British Asians are maybe not their target audience. Although I'm struggling to understand quite who their target audience actually is round here.

 

[Duncan2]

Has anyone seen a vote conservative poster??

 

[PR1Berske]

The Guardian has announced for Labour, with caveats;

People don’t vote for abstractions. They vote their hopes and their fears, and they tend to see those in concrete terms. If Labour wants voters to repose hope in it, then the party needs to spell out its ambitions.

The Guardian view on the general election 2024: a Labour victory would be a reason for hope | Editorial

Editorial: Sir Keir Starmer must win. Only his government can shape the future we want to see

www.theguardian.com

 

[The39thStep]

I'd like to see a re-jig - keep the £500 deposit, but you also need sigs from 500 constituents to stand, but in return you get funding for leaflets.

Kind of toying with the idea of cash payments to constituents to attend hustings as well....

Democracy is prescious, I think we should spend rather more on keeping it in good health.

I think the issue of democracy being precious and keeping democarcy in good health is an important one and a far better option than that of trying to price out candidates that some don't
want.

The question of how do you incentivise citizens to participate, say in attending hustings and voting , is worthy of a far wider discussion. I wouldn't support having to resort to paying people to attend hustings and I wouldn't support the other side of the coin where citizens are fined for not voting. There has to be something, perhaps parties who might make a difference in those citizens' lives by tackling the issues that don't get mentioned in the election like affordable housing for example that might incentivise people to attend hustings and to vote or parties that carry out their manifesto and promises?

What also needs to be looked at is candidates not attending hustings, a casual trawl through Twitter reveals lots of examples of no shows by both Tory and Labour in particular, some in prominent places like Islington North for example. .

 

[Dogsauce]

I think the fee was increased to 500 a number of years ago just to stop twats using it to promote their business or whatever. Vote Mike’s Carpets, hundreds of bargain room size remnants party, in Batley & Spen.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Has anyone seen a vote conservative poster??

Yes, but only in their local party office windows.

 

[Steel Icarus]

There's a huge Vote Labour sign in the front garden of one of Grimsby's seemingly-oxymoronic nice houses

 

[MickiQ]

Has anyone seen a vote conservative poster??

Yes for Sarah Dines (Derbyshire Dales) but it was the only one, that said I have only seen a couple of Labour and LibDem ones. no Green or Reform.

 

[PR1Berske]

I think the fee was increased to 500 a number of years ago just to stop twats using it to promote their business or whatever. Vote Mike’s Carpets, hundreds of bargain room size remnants party, in Batley & Spen.

And yet some get through!

Got this through the door. Seems unwise on several levels?

View attachment 431097View attachment 431098

 

[Leafster]

Has anyone seen a vote conservative poster??

Yes, just one in the front garden of a house near me. I haven't seen any posters for other candidates in my constituency. I did spot one for Labour but then realised I'd actually crossed the border into the neighbouring constituency of South Croydon.

 

[chilango]

Has anyone seen a vote conservative poster??

Yep.

A fair sprinkling in the Woodley & Earley constituency. Outside the houses that have paved over their front gardens so that there's parking for their half dozen cars.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Just at my mam's when this came through her letter box:

View attachment 431142
I think it's the only election communication she's had.

Much as I despise Labour, I get the impression Long Bailey is one of the better ones... while my MP is the nefarious Liz Kendall.

Still, with her dementia, I doubt poor old mam will have the wherewith to be casting her vote.

I did wonder what happened to her…

 

[Dystopiary]

I think the issue of democracy being precious and keeping democarcy in good health is an important one and a far better option than that of trying to price out candidates that some don't
want.

The question of how do you incentivise citizens to participate, say in attending hustings and voting , is worthy of a far wider discussion. I wouldn't support having to resort to paying people to attend hustings and I wouldn't support the other side of the coin where citizens are fined for not voting. There has to be something, perhaps parties who might make a difference in those citizens' lives by tackling the issues that don't get mentioned in the election like affordable housing for example that might incentivise people to attend hustings and to vote or parties that carry out their manifesto and promises?

What also needs to be looked at is candidates not attending hustings, a casual trawl through Twitter reveals lots of examples of no shows by both Tory and Labour in particular, some in prominent places like Islington North for example. .

I get what you're saying, but why should anyone trust what they say at hustings?

These candidates were invited to a recent event in Bristol by five disabled people's organisations to answer questions on their policies re disability.

The result? They just made a load of stuff up:

One disabled campaigner who attended the event, but asked to remain anonymous, said: “It was not informative – candidates were allowed to make up anything they felt the audience might like, without being called out for the lack of facts or the lack of semblance to their party manifesto.

“It was not a means of holding anyone to account (which I would say is anyway an extremely naive objective for a hustings) because nobody that came has any chance of being elected.”

Election hustings candidates invent disability policies, days before general election

 

[Serge Forward]

I did wonder what happened to her…

I'd prefer it if you didn't use my mam's condition as a basis for your attempt at humour.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Hahah!

Exclusive: Tory 'Supermajority' Warnings Backfire As Voters Say It Makes Them More Likely To Vote Labour

Large numbers also say it will make no difference to who they back on July 4.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I'd prefer it if you didn't use my mam's condition as a basis for your attempt at humour.

Eh? What you talking about? I thought RLB wasn’t an MP let along running again…

 

[The39thStep]

I get what you're saying, but why should anyone trust what they say at hustings?

These candidates were invited to a recent event in Bristol by five disabled people's organisations to answer questions on their policies re disability.

The result? They just made a load of stuff up:



Election hustings candidates invent disability policies, days before general election

Isn't the issue about how candidates etc should be held to account rather than just trust? There was a convo on this thread or boards earlier about the selection and accountability of candidates
which imo failed to examine the issue properly.

 

[Silas Loom]

Eh? What you talking about? I thought RLB wasn’t an MP let along running again…

Yeah, had the same thought. Had just assumed that she had been purged. Just in case she managed to cross over somehow from the parallel universe where she was party leader.

 

[andysays]

So the school summer holidays in Scotland started end of last week. My sister and BIL set off this morning on holiday -- Glasgow schools finished on Wednesday. Their postal votes haven't arrived so that's them not able to vote.

(A couple of councils have just set up emergency centres to deal with this but Glasgow's not one of them.) Wonder how many people are in a similar position.

My partner got her postal vote in plenty of time here in London.

I suppose as it's the school holidays in Scotland, more people than normal have applied for postal votes, hence the councils sending them out are over stretched.

Wonder how significant this will prove to be