The one and only UK 2024 election thread - July 4

[Lobby]

Funniest headline of the day is probably:

Labour hold 21 POINT LEAD among GB News viewers

Labour has almost doubled its lead over the Conservative Party in just a month among GB News viewers, a new poll has revealed.

Data from pollsters JL Partners, who posed current and recent GB News viewers the question “Which party would you vote for if there were a General Election tomorrow?” handed Starmer’s Labour Party a 46 per cent vote share - while the Tories sit at just 25 per cent. Reform UK sit at 18 per cent.

All that effort from GB News' owners to back the Tories and Reform, and even the morons that watch it are switching to Labour.

[sockwithaticket]

It distorts the market so the private companies that build renewables are able to sell energy profitably. It works to the extent that it's leading to lots of extra renewable capacity but it's politically risky as its making renewables seem as expensive as oil and gas to the bill payers.

Ta

[sockwithaticket]

Amusingly, Reform already has a candidate for Clacton. No doubt he can air his grievances to the Party members. 

Tony Mack, the Reform candidate in Clacton until today was already being scrutinised for Islamophobic and antisemitic tweets, so was probably going to be dropped even if Farage hadn't decided to go for his 8th electoral failure in a row.

In December, Mack posted on Twitter that Muslims were “backward, maladjusted and taught hate through Islam”, and has since stated that “secular or moderate Muslim is an oxymoron”.

He has also shared images of the notorious antisemitic mural that got Corbyn into trouble, stating that Reform was the only way to save Britain from the “globalist agenda”, a phrase often used as an antisemitic dog whistle.

Even Reform was probably going to find it hard to support comments as blatant as this.

I do recall Tice sayimg that the party wouldn't have the resources to full vet their candidates for every seat and appealing to the media to help do some of that work for them. It's certainly a novel way of getting out ahead of your party members being a bunch of head banging loons.

[Margin__Walker]

Half the fun of election years is emerging parties having to stand up hundreds of poorly vetted candidates in a hurry.

This one in particular should be a cracker

[Sandstorm]

Half the fun of election years is emerging parties having to stand up hundreds of poorly vetted candidates in a hurry.

This one in particular should be a cracker

[fishfoodie]

Amusingly, Reform already has a candidate for Clacton. No doubt he can air his grievances to the Party members. 

Tony Mack, the Reform candidate in Clacton until today was already being scrutinised for Islamophobic and antisemitic tweets, so was probably going to be dropped even if Farage hadn't decided to go for his 8th electoral failure in a row.

In December, Mack posted on Twitter that Muslims were “backward, maladjusted and taught hate through Islam”, and has since stated that “secular or moderate Muslim is an oxymoron”.

He has also shared images of the notorious antisemitic mural that got Corbyn into trouble, stating that Reform was the only way to save Britain from the “globalist agenda”, a phrase often used as an antisemitic dog whistle.

Even Reform was probably going to find it hard to support comments as blatant as this.

Weren't there enough tweets ?
Weren't they vile enough ?

It's not like anyone who wants to stand for these scum doesn't have a swastika, or other Nazi symbol tattooed somewhere on their body !

[I like neeps]

https://x.com/UKLabour/status/179769179 ... jn5pQ&s=19

For fans of the Big Short this is VERY good.

[tabascoboy]

https://newsthump.com/2024/06/03/clacto ... -his-hoop/

The general election presents a unique opportunity for Clacton voters to tell Nigel Farage to shove it up his hoop, it has emerged this afternoon.

After Nigel Farage announced he would be running for parliament in the Clacton constituency, the general election has become less about who will run the country for the next five years, and more a historic opportunity to tell Nigel Farage to get fucked.

However, the main political parties have united in their position that politics should be about working together to achieve common goals and telling chain-smoking racists to go fuck themselves.

[C69]

More Tory defections over the next few days.....to Reform apparently.
If Rishi thinks it's bad now...

[Hal Jordan]

My conviction that Cameron was the worst leader the Tories ever had grows stronger every day.

Not strong enough to see off his Bastards, lacklustre Brexit campaign, fucked off leaving everyone else to clean up his mess, leading to a spiral down the rabbit hole to here.

[Sandstorm]

My conviction that Cameron was the worst leader the Tories ever had grows stronger every day.

Not strong enough to see off his Bastards, lacklustre Brexit campaign, fucked off leaving everyone else to clean up his mess, leading to a spiral down the rabbit hole to here.

Actually when he was leader the Tories were respected, capable and fairly competent. Soon as he left, they imploded and won’t recover for another decade.

[sockwithaticket]

My conviction that Cameron was the worst leader the Tories ever had grows stronger every day.

Not strong enough to see off his Bastards, lacklustre Brexit campaign, fucked off leaving everyone else to clean up his mess, leading to a spiral down the rabbit hole to here.

Actually when he was leader the Tories were respected, capable and fairly competent. Soon as he left, they imploded and won’t recover for another decade.

Meh. The austerity program he and Osbourne pursued set in motion an awful lot of the neglect and decay of public services that's biting so acutely now. Homelessness and foodbank usage spiked very quickly under that government and set the stall out on what to expect going forwards with conservatives. They were certainly competent at implementing austerity, but choosing that path was a mark of grave incompetence, a complete lack of understanding as to what was required. It trashed the shoots of recovery from the financial crisis that we were seeing under Brown. The chaos of the last several years might make Cameron and co. seem better by comparison, but that's more a mark of how awful the last few regimes have been rather than a postive for 'call me Dave'.

I fully accept that a lot of people don't see it that way, but I suspect that's because what they were doing largely didn't affect the middle classes/core Tory vote until more or less the time he rode off into the sunset leaving us all with the Brexit mess.

[lemonhead]

My conviction that Cameron was the worst leader the Tories ever had grows stronger every day.

Not strong enough to see off his Bastards, lacklustre Brexit campaign, fucked off leaving everyone else to clean up his mess, leading to a spiral down the rabbit hole to here.

Actually when he was leader the Tories were respected, capable and fairly competent. Soon as he left, they imploded and won’t recover for another decade.

Meh. The austerity program he and Osbourne pursued set in motion an awful lot of the neglect and decay of public services that's biting so acutely now. Homelessness and foodbank usage spiked very quickly under that government and set the stall out on what to expect going forwards with conservatives. They were certainly competent at implementing austerity, but choosing that path was a mark of grave incompetence, a complete lack of understanding as to what was required. It trashed the shoots of recovery from the financial crisis that we were seeing under Brown. The chaos of the last several years might make Cameron and co. seem better by comparison, but that's more a mark of how awful the last few regimes have been rather than a postive for 'call me Dave'.

I fully accept that a lot of people don't see it that way, but I suspect that's because what they were doing largely didn't affect the middle classes/core Tory vote until more or less the time he rode off into the sunset leaving us all with the Brexit mess.

They also put Grayling in charge of stuff.

Still in touch with my former boss at the Ministry, who confirmed that after 5 years and an exorbitant amount of money they finally managed to undo all the destructive shite he signed off. Rory Stewart has a point

[tc27]

Camerons folly was thinking he could stymy populists with referendums.

He just about got away with it in Scotland but entrenched the SNP in power for a decade and left the nation divided.

The Tories delivered a referendum and then a 'hard' brexit but the faragists are still coming for them anyway.

Feeding the tiger just delays eating you anyway. The cost of permanently hobbling the concept of parliament democracy wasn't worth the candle.

[Biffer]

My conviction that Cameron was the worst leader the Tories ever had grows stronger every day.

Not strong enough to see off his Bastards, lacklustre Brexit campaign, fucked off leaving everyone else to clean up his mess, leading to a spiral down the rabbit hole to here.

Actually when he was leader the Tories were respected, capable and fairly competent. Soon as he left, they imploded and won’t recover for another decade.

I think he rode a public perception of 'Tories are more competent' and that disguised the complete whackjobs that made up some of his cabinet - IDS, Crabb, Hunt, Grayling, Morgan, Javid, Truss, Mundell, Hancock, Hands, Patel were all attending cabinet under his PM-ship.

[Lobby]

Camerons folly was thinking he could stymy populists with referendums.

He just about got away with it in Scotland but entrenched the SNP in power for a decade and left the nation divided.

The Tories delivered a referendum and then a 'hard' brexit but the faragists are still coming for them anyway.

Feeding the tiger just delays eating you anyway. The cost of permanently hobbling the concept of parliament democracy wasn't worth the candle.

Cameron promised a referendum to nullify UKIP's threat to the Tory vote. He did so in the expectation that there would be another hung parliament and that he could then drop the referendum promise when entering another coalition with the Lib Dems as there was no way they would agree to it. That plan was scuppered when he actually got a majority and had to go ahead with his manifesto pledges. As with Scottish independence, it was a gamble on his part, but this time he (and the rest of the Country) lost.

It also didn't help that a Corbyn-led Labour party refused to campaign for a 'No' vote in the referendum

[Biffer]

Camerons folly was thinking he could stymy populists with referendums.

He just about got away with it in Scotland but entrenched the SNP in power for a decade and left the nation divided.

The Tories delivered a referendum and then a 'hard' brexit but the faragists are still coming for them anyway.

Feeding the tiger just delays eating you anyway. The cost of permanently hobbling the concept of parliament democracy wasn't worth the candle.

Cameron promised a referendum to nullify UKIP's threat to the Tory vote. He did so in the expectation that there would be another hung parliament and that he could then drop the referendum promise when entering another coalition with the Lib Dems as there was no way they would agree to it. That plan was scuppered when he actually got a majority and had to go ahead with his manifesto pledges. As with Scottish independence, it was a gamble on his part, but this time he (and the rest of the Country) lost.

It also didn't help that a Corbyn-led Labour party refused to campaign for a 'No' vote in the referendum

Yeah, all the Corbynistas conveniently forget how he helped the Leave vote.

But it's mostly on Cameron.

[robmatic]

My conviction that Cameron was the worst leader the Tories ever had grows stronger every day.

Not strong enough to see off his Bastards, lacklustre Brexit campaign, fucked off leaving everyone else to clean up his mess, leading to a spiral down the rabbit hole to here.

Actually when he was leader the Tories were respected, capable and fairly competent. Soon as he left, they imploded and won’t recover for another decade.

I think he rode a public perception of 'Tories are more competent' and that disguised the complete whackjobs that made up some of his cabinet - IDS, Crabb, Hunt, Grayling, Morgan, Javid, Truss, Mundell, Hancock, Hands, Patel were all attending cabinet under his PM-ship.

Some of his cabinet being whackjobs seems a massive step up from the absolute shower we have been lumbered with recently.

I think Cameron was strategically terrible (austerity, Brexit) but at least he had the pretense of managerial competence. The current incarnation of the Tory party has nothing other than poorly thought out populism.

[robmatic]

Actually when he was leader the Tories were respected, capable and fairly competent. Soon as he left, they imploded and won’t recover for another decade.

I think he rode a public perception of 'Tories are more competent' and that disguised the complete whackjobs that made up some of his cabinet - IDS, Crabb, Hunt, Grayling, Morgan, Javid, Truss, Mundell, Hancock, Hands, Patel were all attending cabinet under his PM-ship.

Some of his cabinet being whackjobs seems a massive step up from the absolute shower we have been lumbered with recently.

I think Cameron was strategically terrible (austerity, Brexit) but at least he had the pretense of managerial competence. The current incarnation of the Tory party has nothing other than poorly thought out populism.

And Jesus Christ but it's a sad state of affairs when you can feel nostalgic about the Cameron government. I also have a lot more respect for John Major these days after seeing the depths that the Tory party can reach.

[Slick]

I'd usually be pretty excited about these GE debates, but I don't think I'm even going to watch tonight. Just want the thing over with

[Insane_Homer]

Another cracker!

[Insane_Homer]

44774.png (308.14 KiB) Viewed 465 times

[David in Gwent]

44774.png

It's not the sort of thing to be applauded.

You Left wingers really are a dangerous bunch, aren't you, hoender hardloper.

[S/Lt_Phillips]

44774.png

It's not the sort of thing to be applauded.

You Left wingers really are a dangerous bunch, aren't you, hoender hardloper.

Oh no, you are quite wrong, it absolutely should be applauded, loudly.

[David in Gwent]

44774.png

It's not the sort of thing to be applauded.

You Left wingers really are a dangerous bunch, aren't you, hoender hardloper.

Oh no, you are quite wrong, it absolutely should be applauded, loudly.

Only if you're a buffoon.

I take it you won't mind an escalation of these events? Because this is what it could lead too.

But yeah, applaud it.

[Paddington Bear]

I'd usually be pretty excited about these GE debates, but I don't think I'm even going to watch tonight. Just want the thing over with

It’s pointless as well - their advisers happily say ‘it’s not a debate, its a chance to get a message across’. So they won’t engage with each other and we know who wins the election anyway

[S/Lt_Phillips]

It's not the sort of thing to be applauded.

You Left wingers really are a dangerous bunch, aren't you, hoender hardloper.

Oh no, you are quite wrong, it absolutely should be applauded, loudly.

Only if you're a buffoon.

I take it you won't mind an escalation of these events? Because this is what it could lead too.

But yeah, applaud it.

How dare you make the assumption that I want to see an escalation of violence? Where have I posted anything suggesting that?

I await your apology.

[sockwithaticket]

It's not the sort of thing to be applauded.

You Left wingers really are a dangerous bunch, aren't you, hoender hardloper.

Oh no, you are quite wrong, it absolutely should be applauded, loudly.

Only if you're a buffoon.

I take it you won't mind an escalation of these events? Because this is what it could lead too.

But yeah, applaud it.

Prescott being egged twenty years ago led to fuck all escalation bar him punching the pro-hunting twat that did it. Pinting that prick Farage is fine and it no way encourages escalation except in the minds of the mentally defective.

[David in Gwent]

Oh no, you are quite wrong, it absolutely should be applauded, loudly.

Only if you're a buffoon.

I take it you won't mind an escalation of these events? Because this is what it could lead too.

But yeah, applaud it.

How dare you make the assumption that I want to see an escalation of violence? Where have I posted anything suggesting that?

I await your apology.

I merely made the assumption that you're a buffoon and quite obviously, a hypocrite.

[Insane_Homer]

44774.png

It's not the sort of thing to be applauded.

You Left wingers really are a dangerous bunch, aren't you, hoender hardloper.

Oh no, you are quite wrong, it absolutely should be applauded, loudly.

... and not voting for him 7 times previously fails. Plan B is a bit more on the nose.

[Slick]

Oh no, you are quite wrong, it absolutely should be applauded, loudly.

Only if you're a buffoon.

I take it you won't mind an escalation of these events? Because this is what it could lead too.

But yeah, applaud it.

Prescott being egged twenty years ago led to fuck all escalation bar him punching the pro-hunting twat that did it. Pinting that prick Farage is fine and it no way encourages escalation except in the minds of the mentally defective.

I quite strongly disagree, it's a shit thing to do and we definitely shouldn't be encouraging it or taking it lightly.

[Jock42]

44774.png

It's not the sort of thing to be applauded.

You Left wingers really are a dangerous bunch, aren't you, hoender hardloper.

Oh no, you are quite wrong, it absolutely should be applauded, loudly.

Nah. The guy is a fucking bellend but that's out of order. I have no political party I'm aligned to but I'm sure many people would be outraged that someone would do that to their favoured party member.

ETA: Or indeed to the lassie in question because her political opinion differs.

Plus, unless it's tennents, it's a fucking needless waste.

[sockwithaticket]

Only if you're a buffoon.

I take it you won't mind an escalation of these events? Because this is what it could lead too.

But yeah, applaud it.

Prescott being egged twenty years ago led to fuck all escalation bar him punching the pro-hunting twat that did it. Pinting that prick Farage is fine and it no way encourages escalation except in the minds of the mentally defective.

I quite strongly disagree, it's a shit thing to do and we definitely shouldn't be encouraging it or taking it lightly.

Whether it's eggs, custard or milkshakes, just in my lifetime anyone from Blair to Corbyn has had something thrown on them yet it's not like any of those spearheaded a wave of similar. We get one every few years, that's it. It's silly to handwring over it imo. If there were any demonstrable path of escalation, either in volume or severity of incidents, then perhaps we should take it more seriously. In the absence of that there's no harm in shrugging it off and even cracking a smile if it happens to someone as repugnant nd divisive as Nige.

[S/Lt_Phillips]

Only if you're a buffoon.

I take it you won't mind an escalation of these events? Because this is what it could lead too.

But yeah, applaud it.

How dare you make the assumption that I want to see an escalation of violence? Where have I posted anything suggesting that?

I await your apology.

I merely made the assumption that you're a buffoon and quite obviously, a hypocrite.

No, you 'merely' made the assumption that I wish to see an escalation of violence. Which is not acceptable. I'm also struggling to see where you've dreamed up the fact that I'm 'obviously a hypocrite'.

I continue to await your apology.

[C69]

It's not the sort of thing to be applauded.

You Left wingers really are a dangerous bunch, aren't you, hoender hardloper.

Oh no, you are quite wrong, it absolutely should be applauded, loudly.

Nah. The guy is a fucking bellend but that's out of order. I have no political party I'm aligned to but I'm sure many people would be outraged that someone would do that to their favoured party member.

ETA: Or indeed to the lassie in question because her political opinion differs.

Plus, unless it's tennents, it's a fucking needless waste.

It's a Crass as stupid thing to do.
However calling every one left wingers or leftists all the time juß because they don't support reactionary figures and fringe politics is ridiculous.

[Slick]

Prescott being egged twenty years ago led to fuck all escalation bar him punching the pro-hunting twat that did it. Pinting that prick Farage is fine and it no way encourages escalation except in the minds of the mentally defective.

I quite strongly disagree, it's a shit thing to do and we definitely shouldn't be encouraging it or taking it lightly.

Whether it's eggs, custard or milkshakes, just in my lifetime anyone from Blair to Corbyn has had something thrown on them yet it's not like any of those spearheaded a wave of similar. We get one every few years, that's it. It's silly to handwring over it imo. If there were any demonstrable path of escalation, either in volume or severity of incidents, then perhaps we should take it more seriously. In the absence of that there's no harm in shrugging it off and even cracking a smile if it happens to someone as repugnant nd divisive as Nige.

It's not just about escalation though, it's about having a political system where you can go about your perfectly legal business without getting shit thrown at you. It's pathetic, imo.

[sockwithaticket]

I quite strongly disagree, it's a shit thing to do and we definitely shouldn't be encouraging it or taking it lightly.

Whether it's eggs, custard or milkshakes, just in my lifetime anyone from Blair to Corbyn has had something thrown on them yet it's not like any of those spearheaded a wave of similar. We get one every few years, that's it. It's silly to handwring over it imo. If there were any demonstrable path of escalation, either in volume or severity of incidents, then perhaps we should take it more seriously. In the absence of that there's no harm in shrugging it off and even cracking a smile if it happens to someone as repugnant nd divisive as Nige.

It's not just about escalation though, it's about having a political system where you can go about your perfectly legal business without getting shit thrown at you. It's pathetic, imo.

To which I say they basically can. In terms of incidence they've probably got a greater chance of being hit by a bus or shat on by a seagull.

[David in Gwent]

The intolerance of the left really never ceases to amaze me.

Hopefully the young woman will be arrested and prosecuted in line with the law and we won't see any further escalation.

...but I doubt it.

[sockwithaticket]

The intolerance of the left really never ceases to amaze me.

Hopefully the young woman will be arrested and prosecuted in line with the law and we won't see any further escalation.

...but I doubt it.

Keep up, she's already been arrested.

I presume you were wringing your hands similarly when non-lefties egged Milliband and Corbyn in the recent past?

Funnily enough, those incidents, like all other prior ones, whether they involved custard, eggs or milkshakes, didn't result in a wave of similar let alone an escalation. But let's not permit facts to get in the way of anything.

[David in Gwent]

Prescott being egged twenty years ago led to fuck all escalation bar him punching the pro-hunting twat that did it. Pinting that prick Farage is fine and it no way encourages escalation except in the minds of the mentally defective.

I quite strongly disagree, it's a shit thing to do and we definitely shouldn't be encouraging it or taking it lightly.

Whether it's eggs, custard or milkshakes, just in my lifetime anyone from Blair to Corbyn has had something thrown on them yet it's not like any of those spearheaded a wave of similar. We get one every few years, that's it. It's silly to handwring over it imo. If there were any demonstrable path of escalation, either in volume or severity of incidents, then perhaps we should take it more seriously. In the absence of that there's no harm in shrugging it off and even cracking a smile if it happens to someone as repugnant nd divisive as Nige.

We live in more interesting times then when Blair or Mr Hamas were in the spotlight.

We've already seen two MPs needlessly murdered in the line of their work relatively recently.