General Election, June 8th

[Claridge]

10 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

If she wins, she'll be able to do what she wants - until she's next held to account by the electorate, after the reality of Brexit is apparent.

 

She won't have a specific mandate for Hard Brexit, though. She'll have a general mandate to exercise power....and will be able to use that to TRY to negotiate whatever Brexit she wants (unless over-ruled by Parliament in 18 months time).

Do you have any idea about what your talking about? You spout on as if you know what hard and soft Brexit really entails, when in reality you.me and everyone else has no idea.

[Webbo]

8 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

No, she should definitely have it now. It's definitely the most favorable time to have it. She's knows it'll be crazy to have it in three years time. The fact she knows this about the future tells you what she thinks of the future.

in 5 years time when brexit is bedded in and we've never been richer she'll win another landslide?

[Sharpe's Fox]

5 minutes ago, Claridge said:

Do you have any idea about what your talking about? You spout on as if you know what hard and soft Brexit really entails, when in reality you.me and everyone else has no idea.

Alf may not much of an idea of how this will end but I'll say he has a damn right more to say and more knowledge on the subject than you ever will you anti-intellectual dullard. Alf would fvcking destroy any sort of argument you would ever think of making if you could ever actually come up with a coherent one.

[Buce]

54 minutes ago, Webbo said:

Obviously if the polls were tight she wouldn't have called the election. That's the advantage of being in power. Blair called elections when it was to his best advantage, it's nothing new. The broad plan for brexit will be in the manifesto, if she wins the election she has a mandate to do what she wants.

 

The difference is that Blair didn't repeatedly promise not to.

 

Neither had his govt enshrined a fixed-term into law, to prevent precisely this scenario,

[Webbo]

2 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

The difference is that Blair didn't repeatedly promise not to.

 

Neither had his govt enshrined a fixed-term into law, to prevent precisely this scenario,

The law has been followed to the letter, you can only call an election if 2/3 of parliament agree. They did that today

[Strokes]

3 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

The difference is that Blair didn't repeatedly promise not to.

 

Neither had his govt enshrined a fixed-term into law, to prevent precisely this scenario,

Maybe the only time he didn't lie then.

[Buce]

1 minute ago, Webbo said:

The law has been followed to the letter, you can only call an election if 2/3 of parliament agree. They did that today

 

You conveniently ignored the first part.

[Buce]

Just now, Strokes said:

Maybe the only time he didn't lie then.

 

Indeed.

[Buce]

41 minutes ago, Claridge said:

Do you have any idea about what your talking about? You spout on as if you know what hard and soft Brexit really entails, when in reality you.me and everyone else has no idea.

 

Oh, dear.

 

Here comes Claridge to lower the collective IQ.

[davieG]

If calling this election is wrong how come only 13 MPs voted against it.

[Webbo]

Just now, Buce said:

 

You conveniently ignored the first part.

You conveniently forget the people who complained that Theresa May hadn't been elected by anyone, now she will be. 

 

Lets be honest here if Labour were leading in the polls you wouldn't be complaining, you'd be demanding an election. This all because you think the tories will win a landslide (something I don't take for granted btw).

[Webbo]

1 minute ago, davieG said:

If calling this election is wrong how come only 13 MPs voted against it.

Dennis Skinner was one of them. Nice to know he wanted Theresa May to stay in power for another 3 years.

[Buce]

1 minute ago, Webbo said:

You conveniently forget the people who complained that Theresa May hadn't been elected by anyone, now she will be. 

 

Lets be honest here if Labour were leading in the polls you wouldn't be complaining, you'd be demanding an election. This all because you think the tories will win a landslide (something I don't take for granted btw).

 

Actually, I wouldn't.

 

Although I initially supported Corbyn, he has shown himself to be inept and incompetent, and I wouldn't wish a govt ran by Momentum. When I vote, it's for what I consider to be for the good of the country, nothing else.

[Carl the Llama]

1 hour ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

Claims by politicians that May had no mandate were a cynical misrepresentation of our political system. We elect parliaments, not PMs. The Tories had a mandate and chose to change leader, so May had a mandate from parliament, like Callaghan, Major & Brown before her. She just views this as a politically expedient moment to increase her power, what with Labour being in disarray, led by a half-wit and with the British economy and society not having been devastated by Brexit yet. 

 

Anybody who told you that nobody voted for Hard Brexit was talking bollocks, Webbo. 48% voted Remain, 52% voted Brexit. Some of the latter voted Hard Brexit, some voted Soft Brexit, many voted Haven't-Got-A-Clue Brexit....would be hard to say what fraction of the 52% belonged to each of those 3 categories. 

 

So, this election will put it all right, will it? Having backed Remain herself, Is May going to campaign for a mandate for Hard Brexit, spelling out all the consequences of that, before it's even been negotiated? Thus far, she seems to be refusing to say exactly what she wants a Brexit mandate for - so she's called an election to ask for a mandate for something, but won't tell us what it is....she wants a blank cheque. And she's done that when she already has a referendum mandate for Brexit, parliamentary approval to proceed and a majority in the Commons. 

 

It's utterly cynical abuse of the democratic system for personal/party political advantage. I'm not outraged at it, though. I've been saying for months that it was the logical thing for her to do. I'm only surprised she had any doubt about calling an election (if she did). With the economy not having tanked yet and Corbyn as an opponent, it's a no-brainer. It's dirty politics, but that's what successful politicians do.

 

"What do you people want?" I'd like a proper vote in parliament and/or an election not now but in 18 months when any negotiated terms for Hard Brexit and/or any prospective trade deals are known and the likely consequences are evident. Obviously, I never expected to get that, because it wouldn't be in the interests of the Tory Govt to hand power to parliament or the people at a time when the country's going down the toilet. Instead, in 18 months time we'll all be sitting on the dole with Brexit looking like a pile of shite, no trade deals, public services being slashed and we'll be scratching our heads wondering why we thought May was such a great leader!? Still, at least Corbyn will be gone (surely?!) 

 

Meanwhile, here's some good news:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39645885

"Former Conservative chancellor Ken Clarke is to stand again to be an MP in the 8 June general election".....a voice of sanity and competence in parliament.

Maybe you should stop posting again, it's a bit creepy how most of your posts are basically more eloquent, better informed versions of how I feel about or interpret the current state of affairs.  Bold text for absolute truth.

 

4 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

Actually, I wouldn't.

 

Although I initially supported Corbyn, he has shown himself to be inept and incompetent, and I wouldn't wish a govt ran by Momentum. When I vote, it's for what I consider to be for the good of the country, nothing else.

This this this.  I'll never understand the sorts who choose a party and then defend it through good and bad like a football team.  Historically my personal politics have tended to align me with Labour or the Lib Dems but I can't fathom offering my support to either right now and just like you I thought Corbyn was going to give British politics the shake up it needed, instead he's allowed the sediment to settle.  As the campaign process begins I'm just as likely to vote conservative as any other party bar UKIP or the BNP (are they even still a thing?) but let's hear what they all have to say first.

[The Blur]

There are whispers in some circles that May has called an election to offset potential loss of seats by MPs who are embroiled in campaign fiddling scams and are being investigated by CPS.   Even if there is no election and all Tories MPs involved do lose their seats,  I will not be too shocked if their local constituencies still vote in a Tory candidate in a by election regardless so I can not see any validity in this theory but it is one that merit some debating though. 

[Alf Bentley]

56 minutes ago, davieG said:

If calling this election is wrong how come only 13 MPs voted against it.

 

A surprisingly low figure, though about 100 abstained, including the SNP - and presumably a fair number of Labour MPs.

 

Obviously, nearly all the Tories and Lib Dems supported it as their parties stand to gain.

 

Labour is the interesting one: turkeys voting for Christmas, unless there's a political earthquake before election day.

Corbyn's allies presumably seriously believe that he can win. Maybe some machismo, too: we mustn't turn down the offer of a fight, even if we'd stand a much better chance by fighting in 18 months or 3 years time.

But I reckon that a lot of it is internal party politics - Lab MPs opposed to Corbyn who don't want to be seen to be opposing him, and who might be quite happy to see him crash and burn at the election - a chance to rebuild Labour under a new leader after the election?

[Facecloth]

37 minutes ago, Carl the Llama said:

Maybe you should stop posting again, it's a bit creepy how most of your posts are basically more eloquent, better informed versions of how I feel about or interpret the current state of affairs.  Bold text for absolute truth.

 

This this this.  I'll never understand the sorts who choose a party and then defend it through good and bad like a football team.  Historically my personal politics have tended to align me with Labour or the Lib Dems but I can't fathom offering my support to either right now and just like you I thought Corbyn was going to give British politics the shake up it needed, instead he's allowed the sediment to settle.  As the campaign process begins I'm just as likely to vote conservative as any other party bar UKIP or the BNP (are they even still a thing?) but let's hear what they all have to say first.

Was coming on tonight post about the football team like support. I've heard a few people introduced on the radio and tv over the last day and a half as Tory supporters, or Labour supporters etc. Winds me up something rotten. Things change, people shouldn't support a party like they support their football team through thick and thin. People should listen to the policies and arguments and decide who'll they vote for based on that. Listening to some people not just in the media but on here too, May, Corbyn, Farron, Nuttall and co could say absolutely anything and still secure their vote. Ridiculous.

[Strokes]

14 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

A surprisingly low figure, though about 100 abstained, including the SNP - and presumably a fair number of Labour MPs.

 

Obviously, nearly all the Tories and Lib Dems supported it as their parties stand to gain.

 

Labour is the interesting one: turkeys voting for Christmas, unless there's a political earthquake before election day.

Corbyn's allies presumably seriously believe that he can win. Maybe some machismo, too: we mustn't turn down the offer of a fight, even if we'd stand a much better chance by fighting in 18 months or 3 years time.

But I reckon that a lot of it is internal party politics - Lab MPs opposed to Corbyn who don't want to be seen to be opposing him, and who might be quite happy to see him crash and burn at the election - a chance to rebuild Labour under a new leader after the election?

I wonder a lot of labour see this as a chance to get rid of Corbyn regardless of the pain. Kind of like bursting a blister.

[Carl the Llama]

18 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

A surprisingly low figure, though about 100 abstained, including the SNP - and presumably a fair number of Labour MPs.

 

Obviously, nearly all the Tories and Lib Dems supported it as their parties stand to gain.

 

Labour is the interesting one: turkeys voting for Christmas, unless there's a political earthquake before election day.

Corbyn's allies presumably seriously believe that he can win. Maybe some machismo, too: we mustn't turn down the offer of a fight, even if we'd stand a much better chance by fighting in 18 months or 3 years time.

But I reckon that a lot of it is internal party politics - Lab MPs opposed to Corbyn who don't want to be seen to be opposing him, and who might be quite happy to see him crash and burn at the election - a chance to rebuild Labour under a new leader after the election?

You seem surprised... I think we conclusively learned that at least 50% of Turkeys will vote for Christmas 3 days ago when they approved a quasi-dictatorship.

[bovril]

5 minutes ago, Carl the Llama said:

You seem surprised... I think we conclusively learned that at least 50% of Turkeys will vote for Christmas 3 days ago when they approved a quasi-dictatorship.

Think they voted for less Christmas.

[Carl the Llama]

7 minutes ago, bovril said:

Think they voted for less Christmas.

Turkeys voting for Ramadan?

[Sharpe's Fox]

Look like I'm the only one standing up for party hardliners here. Fair enough. I don't support the Labour Party in everything it does. The focus on identity politics, the internationalism and it'a warped view on the Middle East make me uneasy. However the broad aims of socialism through parliamentary means, the representation of workers and community infrastructure enthuse me very much and it's the reason although Labour may swing through its broad church I'll probably always vote for them. People shouldn't underestimate the power behind those founding principles of the Labour Party because that's what we'll always be fighting for against those with power.

[fuchsntf]

A question...I having no feeling towards the feeling on the street. Is it possible we might see the

Lowest electoral turnout ever..

Could it be the UK , might feel lathargic, and be " voting tired"

Especially with local elections on the agenda...

Feeling also somewhat conned and cheated, when trying to sort out the deceit from

all corners of the political spectrum...No matter the mess within Labour, Conservatives

aint got anything to shout about, when it comes to in fighting and pulling together...

Both sides are coming over as smarmy salesman, using foot in the door tactics.

Women worse than the men..nobody has the high ground on or in any political debate corner.

Moral, motivation, manifests  empty shells.....

[Webbo]

It's gonna be a long 7 weeks.

[Alf Bentley]

3 minutes ago, Webbo said:

It's gonna be a long 7 weeks.

 

That's one thing we can agree on. Probably a seriously nasty campaign, too. I usually get childishly excited about election campaigns, but not this one.

 

Wouldn't surprise me if we end up with a very low turnout, though who that would benefit I don't know.