Topic: UK General Election - July 4th, here we go folks.

[Draex]

116 MPs are standing down at this election, 73 of which are Tories (so far).

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/mps-standing-down-next-election

Apparently, Sunak's election announcement caught many Tory constituency parties off guard - they're still looking for around a hundred candidates.

Right you were! Might be 150 by tomorrow though with all the rats jumping ship!

Gove and Leadsom gone tonight.

[Yosser0_0]

So I mentioned last night about whether the Tories would be able to defend the seat in Leigh which they won for the first time ever after it always being a Labour stronghold. Well it seems like the MP was completely surprised by the announcement and will not be re-standing:-

I have decided, however, not to contest the new Leigh and Atherton constituency at the unexpectedly announced General Election to take place in July.

https://www.jamesgrundy.org.uk/news/james-grundy-mp-general-election-2024-statement

At the time of writing it does not seem that the Tories even have a candidate:-

https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/WN7%201DY/

Incredible, the whole thing just comes across as a shambles with Sunak behaving like a fighter pilot getting ready to bang out after putting his jet into a tailspin!
 

[Red Beret]

This is from The Guardian, and I agree with every word of it except the "punished" at the end - it should be "destroyed":

The Tories will blame forces beyond their control: Covid or Ukraine. But that is to dodge the blame for their own decisions. It was this government that decided to impose a two-child limit on the benefits available to families in need: scrapping it would lift some 500,000 children out of poverty. But they kept it.

That limit came courtesy of David Cameron and George Gideon Oliver Osborne, son of Sir Peter Osborne, 17th Baronet of Ballentaylor and Ballylemon and Felicity Alexandra Loxton-Peacock, educated at St. Paul's and Magdalen College, Oxford, architects of the boneheaded policy of austerity, which defied all economic logic, choking off spending at the very moment the country was gasping for air. The burden of that act of economic illiteracy fell heavily on local authorities already pared to the marrow, who then had to cut even deeper. Communities across the country still bear the scars, in the form of closed libraries, drained swimming pools and playgrounds left to rust – children and adults deprived of the only leisure facilities some of them ever had.

That's a debate point right there. All Starmer has to say is that the Tories knowingly and wilfully tipped half a million children into absolute poverty. And the moment Sunak comes back with the "we can't fund everything" jibe, all Starmer has to do is say, "what about the £100s of millions wasted on PPE? The billions on a track and trace system that never saw the light of day?"  Then sit back and watch the bastard squirm.

[Gili Gulu]

So I mentioned last night about whether the Tories would be able to defend the seat in Leigh which they won for the first time ever after it always being a Labour stronghold. Well it seems like the MP was completely surprised by the announcement and will not be re-standing:-

I have decided, however, not to contest the new Leigh and Atherton constituency at the unexpectedly announced General Election to take place in July.

https://www.jamesgrundy.org.uk/news/james-grundy-mp-general-election-2024-statement

At the time of writing it does not seem that the Tories even have a candidate:-

https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/WN7%201DY/

Incredible, the whole thing just comes across as a shambles with Sunak behaving like a fighter pilot getting ready to bang out after putting his jet into a tailspin!
 

From his own website:

Leigh will also be getting £20 million from the Future Towns fund and £11.5 million from the Levelling Up fund to regenerate our town centre after years of neglect,

And who the fuck was in power while Leigh and the rest of the North was being neglected?
Absolutely baffling to me that previously strongly Labour areas would vote for these clowns.

[Red Beret]

Good article, 
There was a Tory supporter in Fleetwood talking with a reporter the other day, woman passed by and butted in angrily saying what about all the sewage they are dumping in our seas, contaminated drinking water. man answered mocking her.  you think Labour will fix all this do you, poor woman was lost for words.

The institutional arrogance of the average Tory politician towards the average voter is still alive and well I see. It's shit like this why the Tories need to be utterly destroyed at the next election.

[Red Beret]

There's going to be no Portillo moments left at this rate.

That's because Portillo never saw it coming. These all do.

78 Tories are now "retiring". That doesn't include six Independents initially elected as Tories, or the Tories who have defected and are standing down.

[oldfordie]

The institutional arrogance of the average Tory politician towards the average voter is still alive and well I see. It's shit like this why the Tories need to be utterly destroyed at the next election.

He's gullible, probably been listening to Sunaks Labour has no plan and thinks it's ok to mock Labour for not coming up with quick solutions without considering how irresponsible the government have been. he's prepared to put them in power again as none of this has passed his mind. IMO. the first step in finding the solution is recognising how we got in this mess in the first place and doing something about it, put in a responsible government in power who will never allow anything like this to happen again. thats one part of the debate and it should always bee remembered when Sunak trys to mock Labour MPs for having no plan. the actual solutions become more understandable then. it will take time to fix everything. Debt through the roof.
Labour should spend public money on fixing the things the government are responsible for, they can't throw £billions of public money fixing problems private water companies created.

[Yosser0_0]

From his own website:

And who the fuck was in power while Leigh and the rest of the North was being neglected?
Absolutely baffling to me that previously strongly Labour areas would vote for these clowns.

There is another story behind this though and its been rumbling on for years, even during and before Andy Burnham's time there. All the revenue in the borough generated from council tax etc. went to Wigan council, a Labour council with some history of corruption and most of the money was spent on Wigan town centre rather than other local towns and suburbs that were desperate for it. There has been huge resentment over it, hence his 'Lexit' proposal and I think there is some justification in it as that Wigan Labour council is rotten.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-66174391#:~:text=A%20%C2%A3135m%20masterplan%20to,alongside%20new%20restaurants%20and%20bars.

[Red Beret]

He's gullible, probably been listening to Sunaks Labour has no plan and thinks it's ok to mock Labour for not coming up with quick solutions without considering how irresponsible the government have been. he's prepared to put them in power again as none of this has passed his mind. IMO. the first step in finding the solution is recognising how we got in this mess in the first place and doing something about it, put in a responsible government in power who will never allow anything like this to happen again. thats one part of the debate and it should always bee remembered when Sunak trys to mock Labour MPs for having no plan. the actual solutions become more understandable then. it will take time to fix everything. Debt through the roof.
Labour should spend public money on fixing the things the government are responsible for, they can't throw £billions of public money fixing problems private water companies created.

I just think that "Yeah, we can't fix it, but neither can Labour" isn't much of an election platform.

There surely has to be lots of holes where taxpayers money is draining away that Labour can plug without too much difficulty? There's been so much rank corruption with the Tories' mates siphoning off billions; if Labour can just cut those leaks and build up some revenues they can look at rectifying a few problems, right?

Yeah, it would mean the tax burden remaining high in the short to medium term, but if we start to see improvements within, say, three years, then perhaps there will be room for more optimism?

[oldfordie]

I just think that "Yeah, we can't fix it, but neither can Labour" isn't much of an election platform.

There surely has to be lots of holes where taxpayers money is draining away that Labour can plug without too much difficulty? There's been so much rank corruption with the Tories' mates siphoning off billions; if Labour can just cut those leaks and build up some revenues they can look at rectifying a few problems, right?

Yeah, it would mean the tax burden remaining high in the short to medium term, but if we start to see improvements within, say, three years, then perhaps there will be room for more optimism?

  I wouldn't disagree with any of the solutions, it's just this Labour have no plan tactic that Sunaks hammering in every sentence.
Ha ha Labour MPs have no plans or solutions.  people believe this shit without questioning it.

[Crosby Nick]

There's going to be no Portillo moments left at this rate.

It’s going to be like watching United play a bunch of kids in the League Cup and getting battered. The names may be unfamiliar, but still a lot of fun to watch.

[TepidT2O]

What is incredible is how much the tories seem caught by surprise. I mean, labour had election adds out within a couple of hours of the declaration of the election.  The Tories?  They’re taking him to th titanic quarter and they’ve got him insulting the Welsh.

[TSC]

Right you were! Might be 150 by tomorrow though with all the rats jumping ship!

Gove and Leadsom gone tonight.

Some deluded loon of a Tory backbencher on the beeb news praising Gove for delivering Brexit.  Absolute zero self-awareness.  Part of the reason the Tories are so far behind in the polls is because of the disaster that is Brexit.

[TSC]

Why are they even in Belfast? The main parties don't put up candidates there!

Thats probably why he was in NI.  He’ll be off to the Isle of Man next.

[PaulF]

  I wouldn't disagree with any of the solutions, it's just this Labour have no plan tactic that Sunaks hammering in every sentence.
Ha ha Labour MPs have no plans or solutions.  people believe this shit without questioning it.

It should be easy to stop this one.
Labour do have a plan.
Our plan is for this country to have more teachers
Our plan is to run the economy responsibly

Etc through the 6 pledges

[Lisan Al Gaib]

It should be easy to stop this one.
Labour do have a plan.
Our plan is for this country to have more teachers
Our plan is to run the economy responsibly

Etc through the 6 pledges

Labour don't want him to stop saying it though because it's utter nonsense and shows he just doesn't listen or pay any attention to what anyone else does or says.

[oldfordie]

It should be easy to stop this one.
Labour do have a plan.
Our plan is for this country to have more teachers
Our plan is to run the economy responsibly

Etc through the 6 pledges

We will see, I think we had a taste of what's to come last night, nobody was thinking about Sunaks Labour have no plans is ludicrous, the just saw the Tory MP putting a Labour MP on the backfoot making her look like she has no answers to his questions. what's your plan, come on tell us your plan, any sensible reaction to Labours plan went out the window after that.
 It's not just about Sunaks attack on Labour for having no plan being absurd. ive mocked that for the last 4yrs as well. last night QT showed the tactic can also be used for the Torys to evade a grilling over their responsibility for creating this mess and attack Labour for having no solutions, the debate turns into who has the best solution when we should be acknowladging who created this mess and boot them out, do that and then the solutions are taken into context. everything F... national debt tripled, there is no quick fix.

Theres 6 weeks to go, unless something is done about it then I think this will become more obvious as the election nears.

[hide5seek]

Current Labour lead is 21 points with 6 weeks to go. Even if the tories reduce that lead by 2% each and every week for the next 6 weeks the lead will still be 9%. With the high likelihood of tactical voting that would still be a healthy Labour majority

It would take a reduction in the lead by 3% each and every week for the next 6 weeks to give a hung Parliament. Which would still most certainly result in a minority Labour Government

It would take a reduction in the lead by 4% each and every week for the next 6 weeks to give a tory majority and even then, not a big one
----------
Taken from another site

[cornishscouser92]

One thing I am looking forwards to is the demise of the Green vote from 6-9% or so in the polls, as their economics are put under the microscope.

[Red Beret]

  I wouldn't disagree with any of the solutions, it's just this Labour have no plan tactic that Sunaks hammering in every sentence.
Ha ha Labour MPs have no plans or solutions.  people believe this shit without questioning it.

As if the Tories have a fucking plan. Boris was just a bullshitter - he acted confident and threw out a load of waffle and bluster to confuse and distract. We're dealing with a Tory Party that's out of ideas, and doesn't even know how to BS anymore.

[cornishscouser92]

@kiranstacey - BREAKING: Sunak is going to take a day off the trail tomorrow in a highly unusual move so early in the campaign. He will spend it at home in talks with his senior aides. But the Tories insist this is NOT a campaign relaunch.

Holy fuck, is he going?!

[John C]

He’s a very well liked local MP of long standing. I can see why the constituents would vote for him.
He will win.

I've never understood that, nothing but a gobby, spoilt little rich boy, who fell into life as a career politician. What has the guy ever done of note ?   

It's the wrong question. It's whether he has been a good local MP or not. I've heard many people, who may not like his ideology, say that he's served his constituency well. He's been there for several decades now too. I agree with Tepid. I think he'll win.

As a one-off question about Corbyn, why isn't WAP right on his point though.

(and I don't want to turn it to a Corbyn thread for the next few days)

[killer-heels]

@kiranstacey - BREAKING: Sunak is going to take a day off the trail tomorrow in a highly unusual move so early in the campaign. He will spend it at home in talks with his senior aides. But the Tories insist this is NOT a campaign relaunch.

Holy fuck, is he going?!

Nope it will be because more MP’s have said they are not standing and apparently more are going to be saying the same thing. They have loads of candidates to find and put forward.

[Red Beret]

@kiranstacey - BREAKING: Sunak is going to take a day off the trail tomorrow in a highly unusual move so early in the campaign. He will spend it at home in talks with his senior aides. But the Tories insist this is NOT a campaign relaunch.

Holy fuck, is he going?!

That would be insanity. Do the Tories think they can call an election, get to see Labour's cards, then rescind it so they can prepare better for an election at a later point?

They will end up with fewer seats than the Lib Dems if they try a tactic like that.

[killer-heels]

That would be insanity. Do the Tories think they can call an election, get to see Labour's cards, then rescind it so they can prepare better for an election at a later point?

They will end up with fewer seats than the Lib Dems if they try a tactic like that.

It will probably be to ensure the party has enough candidates. It could also be an attempt to contact all their remaining MP’s and to speak to those who apparently are thinking of not standing again.

[cornishscouser92]

That would be insanity. Do the Tories think they can call an election, get to see Labour's cards, then rescind it so they can prepare better for an election at a later point?

They will end up with fewer seats than the Lib Dems if they try a tactic like that.

Well Gove has effectively stabbed him in the back, why not just bugger off to California?

[west_london_red]

Sunak lost debates to Liz Truss, didn't he?  Says it all, really.

As I said before, the Tories have no record to campaign on. The economy is in the toilet; taxes are through the roof; services are on their knees; a huge chunk of the workforce is engaging in strike action; climate change is destroying crops and driving up food prices; and we're dealing with shortages and fallout from the hardest of hard Brexits.

They can't even say there are green shoots of recovery. All they can say is that there MIGHT be green shoots of recovery soon, and do people want to risk that by voting Labour?

He lost the contest, he didn’t lose the debates from what I saw and closed the gap as the debates took place, when you go to the kind of school and universities he went to they teach you how to debate. And I’ll say this, Starmer might be the former head of the CPS but I dont think he’s great at PMQs because it’s completely different to being in court, if a prosecutor is asking a question and the defendant doesn’t answer it the judge will intervene to make sure the defendant answers the question, in politics there is a lot more BS than there is in court.

[west_london_red]

That would be insanity. Do the Tories think they can call an election, get to see Labour's cards, then rescind it so they can prepare better for an election at a later point?

They will end up with fewer seats than the Lib Dems if they try a tactic like that.

Who’s saying they are going to rescind the election?

[cornishscouser92]

Who’s saying they are going to rescind the election?

They can’t, Parliament is prorogued.