The 2024 UK General Election - news, speculation and updates

[Dogsauce]

Imagine having that cash to spend, seeing all the various global tragedies begging for donations, and thinking ‘nah, I’ll give it to the Tories’.

 

[Silas Loom]

Imagine having that cash to spend, seeing all the various global tragedies begging for donations, and thinking ‘nah, I’ll give it to the Tories’.

It’s not exactly a donation, though, is it? It’s partly a payment for ministerial access as insurance against sudden and unhelpful changes in GP software procurement advice. You don’t get that when you write cheques to a donkey sanctuary.

 

[Elpenor]

10th October apparently

Expected general election date revealed after Rishi Sunak rules out May poll

The prime minister is planning for the country to take to the polls in mid-October, narrowly avoiding the US presidential election and clashing with party conference season

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Chz]

I don't have a lot to add to this. Just putting it here for a bit of "here's some data you might or might not find interesting".

 

[cupid_stunt]

The LDs like their silly little stunts, but this hits a new low IMO.

Labour has been bigging up a May GE, which was always highly unlikely, just so they could call rat-boy a chicken when it didn't happen, and this shit is their high point.

 

[brogdale]

The LDs like their silly little stunts, but this hits a new low IMO.

Labour has been bigging up a May GE, which was always highly unlikely, just so they could call rat-boy a chicken when it didn't happen, and this shit is their high point.

The tied, old Lee Cain performance.

 

[Kaka Tim]

 

[Jimmy Don't]

The LDs like their silly little stunts, but this hits a new low IMO.

Labour has been bigging up a May GE, which was always highly unlikely, just so they could call rat-boy a chicken when it didn't happen, and this shit is their high point.

Yup, this is pathetic. There's another one with Truss and Sunak as a chicken burger, her the lettuce, obvs. I'm all for ripping the piss of these arseholes, but a Government in waiting, with 14 years of unbelievable mismanagement, corruption and lunacy to undo, should be a serious organisation.

Labour shouldn't be sinking to the Tories level, treating politics, the business of running our lives, like a school playground 'roast' session. What next, "your Mum's so fat she..."?

 

[Rob Ray]

Some good stuff from Caroline Lucas talking about dysfunction in Parliament amidst a lot of otherwise meh waffle. Graun news sense working overtime as per putting her at the bottom:

The whips, she says, dislike experts, and actively seek to appoint non-experts to bill committees (an MP who previously worked as a doctor, for instance, would not be thought suitable to scrutinise a health bill).

‘This place is utterly dysfunctional’: MPs on why they’re leaving parliament

Almost 100 MPs will stand down at the next election – and for many it won’t come a moment too soon. Here, Harriet Harman, Charles Walker, Caroline Lucas and others talk about what life inside Westminster is really like

www.theguardian.com

 

[Dogsauce]

It’s not exactly a donation, though, is it? It’s partly a payment for ministerial access as insurance against sudden and unhelpful changes in GP software procurement advice. You don’t get that when you write cheques to a donkey sanctuary.

A few hundred grand would be plenty enough for that. 15m is ideological.

 

[Silas Loom]

A few hundred grand would be plenty enough for that. 15m is ideological.

I did say “partly”, and the levels of access for Tory donors are tiered. Once you’ve exceeded formal tiers, goodness knows what you can ask for.

But yeah, donors are odd. They are ideological, certainly, and sometimes, as with Hester, there’s plenty of self-interest at work, but there must also be some intrinsic thrill of power from stuffing banknotes into the thong of a gyrating supplicant statesman.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I did say “partly”, and the levels of access for Tory donors are tiered. Once you’ve exceeded formal tiers, goodness knows what you can ask for.

But yeah, donors are odd. They are ideological, certainly, and sometimes, as with Hester, there’s plenty of self-interest at work, but there must also be some intrinsic thrill of power from stuffing banknotes into the thong of a gyrating supplicant statesman.

Hester seemed to be on the 'getting the prime minister come to your office in person' tier which seems like an appropriate thing to have in a democracy.

 

[Silas Loom]

Hester seemed to be on the 'getting the prime minister come to your office in person' tier which seems like an appropriate thing to have in a democracy.

You get discounts if your workplace provides good photo opportunities, though, like Bamford’s at JCB.

 

[Kaka Tim]

You get discounts if your workplace provides good photo opportunities, though, like Bamford’s at JCB.

when working for sainsburys in 2021 i did a delivery to Hesters office . Crate after crate of booze - like 3 dozen . Asked the glum looking receiptionists if they were having a party "no - its for guests" and they said they said it was a regular thing. Thought it was odd then - especailly as it was still during covid restrictions. Still - good to know public money was being spent well.

 

[PR1Berske]

If he misses May 2nd the next date is May 9th, the same night as Eurovision's second Semi final. There's a combination of people all wanting to stay up on a Thursday night.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Labour attack ads are getting worse

 

[Silas Loom]

Is that even the McDonalds slogan any more?

 

[cupid_stunt]

FFS, I wish they would all grow the fuck up.

 

[MickiQ]

I think he's just hoping for a miracle tbh, that someone will suddenly find some issue that connects with the voters. At the moment the Tory campaign is going to consist of them just shouting "Stop The Boats" and "No to LTN's" over and over again.

 

[teqniq]

This could be interesting:

A revolution in the way Britain does politics has begun in Devon. Tory MPs should be afraid | George Monbiot

There’s an urgent need for a fairer electoral system – and if politicians won’t make it happen, the people will, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

 

[Silas Loom]

This could be interesting:

A revolution in the way Britain does politics has begun in Devon. Tory MPs should be afraid | George Monbiot

There’s an urgent need for a fairer electoral system – and if politicians won’t make it happen, the people will, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

Looks like the LDs are snookering it, which is unlikely to be in their interests. I am currently rather a fan of Moonboot, because one of the causes he’s adopted is important to me, but he does normally choose doomed ones.

 

[ska invita]

This could be interesting:

A revolution in the way Britain does politics has begun in Devon. Tory MPs should be afraid | George Monbiot

There’s an urgent need for a fairer electoral system – and if politicians won’t make it happen, the people will, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

"Of the 15 wealthy nations surveyed by the ParlGov project, voters in the UK are the most left-leaning, yet suffer the most rightwing governments"... Interesting fact if true...I wonder what the 15 nations were in the survey

 

[Elpenor]

They are trying to get the primary to work just down the road from Totnes here in Newton Abbot too. But some parties don’t want to play

It’s a fair point, but really the problem is the electoral system itself which neither party likely to win a UK election are interested in changing, and of course there are lolz available for calling Labour “progressive”

 

[ska invita]

I didn't understand in the article how a lib dem won the example primary ( I'm guessing Totnes) yet they've been told if they take part they get booted out?

 

[andysays]

This could be interesting:

A revolution in the way Britain does politics has begun in Devon. Tory MPs should be afraid | George Monbiot

There’s an urgent need for a fairer electoral system – and if politicians won’t make it happen, the people will, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

The word "revolution" has let itself go

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

This could be interesting:

A revolution in the way Britain does politics has begun in Devon. Tory MPs should be afraid | George Monbiot

There’s an urgent need for a fairer electoral system – and if politicians won’t make it happen, the people will, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

It's based on that very Guardian-y assumption that there's a load of 'progressive' parties lined up against the Tories isn't it. You'd think that the fact the answer it's come up with seems to be 'vote Lib-Dem' might give them something to think about there.

 

[emanymton]

I didn't understand in the article how a lib dem won the example primary ( I'm guessing Totnes) yet they've been told if they take part they get booted out?

I think they won then the warning went out? That was the impression I got

It's a load of bollocks that won't go anywhere anyway.

And he does that shit thing of calling anyone other than the tories progessive. The fact that a Lib Dem won says it all doesn't it?

Monbiot writes some good stuff occasionally, but this is just drivel.

 

[Bus Honeygun]

They are trying to get the primary to work just down the road from Totnes here in Newton Abbot too. But some parties don’t want to play

It’s a fair point, but really the problem is the electoral system itself which neither party likely to win a UK election are interested in changing, and of course there are lolz available for calling Labour “progressive”

Yeah, saw that. A mate of mine who's in the bit of Paignton sliced off into the Totnes constituency went to it. I was surprised at the level of engagement, to be fair. I also wonder a bit if the gerrymandering to cut off Paignton's big council estates and more working class Brixham from Torbay is going to backfire on the Tories. Hope so. Don't care who wins as long as they're not Tory.

 

[belboid]

It's based on that very Guardian-y assumption that there's a load of 'progressive' parties lined up against the Tories isn't it. You'd think that the fact the answer it's come up with seems to be 'vote Lib-Dem' might give them something to think about there.

and it seems to have taken place without any Labour Party involvement. Which considering they are the next government and were often runners up in the constituency, makes it completely pointless.

 

[Serge Forward]

I think they won then the warning went out? That was the impression I got

It's a load of bollocks that won't go anywhere anyway.

And he does that shit thing of calling anyone other than the tories progessive. The fact that a Lib Dem won says it all doesn't it?

Monbiot writes some good stuff occasionally, but this is just drivel.

Totnes as well, which is a worthless sample. I say this because last time I visited the place, you couldn't move for craft shops, woo merchants and weirdo hippy crystal shaggers. It proper peturbed me.