The one and only UK 2024 election thread - July 4

[Slick]

Depressing but not very surprising

Nearly 40% of young people do not intend to vote in the general election, according to a shock poll.

The Techne survey for Independent Media revealed that a quarter of 18 to 34-year-olds say they have not even registered to vote less than two weeks before the country goes to the polls.

The findings have led to fears that the main political parties are failing to do enough to engage with young people.

According to the poll, just 57% of 18 to 34-year-olds say they are registered and will vote on July 4.

That compares with more than 80% of those aged between 35 and 64.

A further 17% of young people say they are registered but will not vote, while 22% are not registered and have no plans to do so.

That means a total of 39% of young people say they will not vote in the election.

By contrast, only 17% of 35 to 44-year-olds, 16% of 45 to 54-year-olds and 15% of 55 to 64-year-olds say they won’t vote.

“The problem is that 18 to 34-year-olds do not identify with any of the political parties or are particularly taken by the agenda.

“Another poll the other day by Savanta showed how young voters are abandoning the Labour Party.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ ... bcf74e9bc9

It’s fucking tedious - I’ve had chats with probably 4 or 5 people in their 20s over the last few weeks where they’ve said how fed up they are with the state of the country but had not bothered to register to vote.

It’s pathetic - it takes 5 minutes and voting itself much the same, if you can’t do that you deserve everything you get

I blame them for Brexit as well

[Tichtheid]

I get it with younger people being completely turned off, we took all the best stuff, free education up to tertiary level, ability to buy a house, fee movement across the continent to live and work where we wanted, fantastic pension schemes, long careers, a functioning health service, a reliable safety net for when times were hard, we’ve taken all of those things and trashed them and given young people deliveroo and the fucking Kardashians

Why the fuck should they listen when we tell what they should or shouldn’t do or pontificate about their responsibilities?

[sockwithaticket]

Being nihilistic or apathetic about it and refusing to engage with the political process won't change anything.

Maybe voting won't either, but it's doing something rather than nothing.

[Lobby]

I get it with younger people being completely turned off, we took all the best stuff, free education up to tertiary level, ability to buy a house, fee movement across the continent to live and work where we wanted, fantastic pension schemes, long careers, a functioning health service, a reliable safety net for when times were hard, we’ve taken all of those things and trashed them and given young people deliveroo and the fucking Kardashians

Why the fuck should they listen when we tell what they should or shouldn’t do or pontificate about their responsibilities?

Its pretty simple. The reason why the Tories focus all their policies on appealing to retired home owners is because they vote in large numbers. The first step to having policies that take account of and support younger people is for them to vote. Only then will politicians pay attention to them

[Slick]

I get it with younger people being completely turned off, we took all the best stuff, free education up to tertiary level, ability to buy a house, fee movement across the continent to live and work where we wanted, fantastic pension schemes, long careers, a functioning health service, a reliable safety net for when times were hard, we’ve taken all of those things and trashed them and given young people deliveroo and the fucking Kardashians

Why the fuck should they listen when we tell what they should or shouldn’t do or pontificate about their responsibilities?

Couldn't you say similar things for most generations?

[tabascoboy]

Just 10 days to go and still can't fathom the best anti-Tory vote for my seat. As a postal voter, need to make my mind up, get it done this week, even if it means having to settle for the incumbent Tory winning and "properly" voting based on policies alone - but that's no easier

[Paddington Bear]

I get it with younger people being completely turned off, we took all the best stuff, free education up to tertiary level, ability to buy a house, fee movement across the continent to live and work where we wanted, fantastic pension schemes, long careers, a functioning health service, a reliable safety net for when times were hard, we’ve taken all of those things and trashed them and given young people deliveroo and the fucking Kardashians

Why the fuck should they listen when we tell what they should or shouldn’t do or pontificate about their responsibilities?

I’m referring to people broadly my own age. Simple answer is that votes are decided by who turns up. The fact is that young people tend to be ignored in politics because they don’t turn up, and pensioners get prioritised because they do. This isn’t a cast iron law of the universe, sure pensioners have more time on their hands but next Thursday I’ll be in and out of the polling station within 10 minutes, maybe less. If you’re not willing to do that your voice isn’t relevant to public policy, harsh but true

[Tichtheid]

I didn’t say I agreed with not voting, just that I get some of the reasons why some don’t do it.There are a myriad of reasons why people don’t engage with the political process, from some people thinking the politicians squabbling on tv have no relevance to their lives, through socio-economic reasons for disenfranchisement

Whatever the reasons, “well fuck ‘em if they can’t be arsed” is the very worst response to the problem of low turnout

[Sandstorm]

If TikTok makes voting kewl, then all the kids will turn up.

[Hal Jordan]

If TikTok makes voting kewl, then all the kids will turn up.

And vote Reform, given the social media they pump out.

[Wyndham Upalot]

Just 10 days to go and still can't fathom the best anti-Tory vote for my seat. As a postal voter, need to make my mind up, get it done this week, even if it means having to settle for the incumbent Tory winning and "properly" voting based on policies alone - but that's no easier

Have you tried this site for a possible steer?

https://tacticalvote.co.uk

[tabascoboy]

Just 10 days to go and still can't fathom the best anti-Tory vote for my seat. As a postal voter, need to make my mind up, get it done this week, even if it means having to settle for the incumbent Tory winning and "properly" voting based on policies alone - but that's no easier

Have you tried this site for a possible steer?

https://tacticalvote.co.uk

Yes, but it doesn't really align with how votes in the local council elections went last year. LD and Green were the big winners then, not Labour as this now suggests. IMO LD/Green/Labour will have a much more even split than this suggests allowing the Tories to retain despite Reform

[SaintK]

Should imagine a few Tory candidastes feel this way.

James Cracknell, who is standing to be a Conservative MP, has called the Tories a “shower of shit”, in a video he posted on Facebook.
The former Olympic rower, who is the Conservative candidate for the key Labour target of Colchester, said: “Two weeks out from the Olympics, if we are competing against the Conservative party my teammates and I would be saying they are a shower of shit.
“And if one of my teammates got caught for cheating they’d be dead to me. That abuse of trust is unforgivable.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics ... cracknell

[epwc]

I'm sure any sensible Tory feels the same

[Sandstorm]

I'm sure any sensible Tory feels the same

Short list

[epwc]

I'm sure any sensible Tory feels the same

Short list

Currently extremely short, but there have been plenty in the past

[fishfoodie]

Just 10 days to go and still can't fathom the best anti-Tory vote for my seat. As a postal voter, need to make my mind up, get it done this week, even if it means having to settle for the incumbent Tory winning and "properly" voting based on policies alone - but that's no easier

Have you tried this site for a possible steer?

https://tacticalvote.co.uk

Yes, but it doesn't really align with how votes in the local council elections went last year. LD and Green were the big winners then, not Labour as this now suggests. IMO LD/Green/Labour will have a much more even split than this suggests allowing the Tories to retain despite Reform

Locals are a lousy indicator for GEs; a subset of electorate turns out for them, & local issues are more significant, & the candidates are obviously more accessible.

[Insane_Homer]

Hunt the cunt forced to delete a picture of him coercing his wife into voting for him

[petej]

Depressing but not very surprising

Nearly 40% of young people do not intend to vote in the general election, according to a shock poll.

The Techne survey for Independent Media revealed that a quarter of 18 to 34-year-olds say they have not even registered to vote less than two weeks before the country goes to the polls.

The findings have led to fears that the main political parties are failing to do enough to engage with young people.

According to the poll, just 57% of 18 to 34-year-olds say they are registered and will vote on July 4.

That compares with more than 80% of those aged between 35 and 64.

A further 17% of young people say they are registered but will not vote, while 22% are not registered and have no plans to do so.

That means a total of 39% of young people say they will not vote in the election.

By contrast, only 17% of 35 to 44-year-olds, 16% of 45 to 54-year-olds and 15% of 55 to 64-year-olds say they won’t vote.

“The problem is that 18 to 34-year-olds do not identify with any of the political parties or are particularly taken by the agenda.

“Another poll the other day by Savanta showed how young voters are abandoning the Labour Party.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ ... bcf74e9bc9

That is actually an impressively high number considering the large effort put in by the ruling party (not to mention their media pals) to deter people from under 40 from voting and running roughshod over our democracy. Remember 2001 vote turnout was under 60% and 2005 was 61.4% (and about 45% of that age voted) and hasn't been over 70% since 97. 60%would be higher than any of the elections from 97 -2010 in that age bracket.

[Biffer]

I didn’t say I agreed with not voting, just that I get some of the reasons why some don’t do it.There are a myriad of reasons why people don’t engage with the political process, from some people thinking the politicians squabbling on tv have no relevance to their lives, through socio-economic reasons for disenfranchisement

Whatever the reasons, “well fuck ‘em if they can’t be arsed” is the very worst response to the problem of low turnout

Whenever I get the chance to explain this, I point out to younger people that politicians only give a toss about people who vote against them. If you're part of their 'always Labour' or 'always tory' base, they couldn't give a shit. If you don't vote, they couldn't give a shit. So vote against them. For anyone, doesn't matter. But vote.

[Biffer]

It's also the absolutely blatant nature of putting young people off as well. An over 60s Oyster Card is valid, a young person's Oyster card isn't. An older person's buss pass is, a younger person's isn't.

[Lobby]

This is astonishing

Government destroys £1.4bn of PPE from one Covid deal

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cll476qzm85o

And surprise, surprise, the Government has been lying about the true scale of waste:

The government previously estimated that £85m worth of PPE secured under the contract would not be used, which is approximately 6% of the true total.

[tabascoboy]

Christ alive, Reform truly does attract them!

Reform UK Salisbury candidate says Putin 'seemed very good'

THE man standing for Reform UK in Salisbury has come under fire after he said Vladimir Putin "seemed very good". Julian Malins KC told a hustings audience that the Russian president "is not the Austrian gentleman with a moustache come alive again" on Sunday evening, June 23.

This was in response to a public question about whether Mr Malins' government would continue to support Ukraine.

Acknowledging that thousands of young Ukrainian and Russian men were dying as he spoke, Mr Malins added: "We support diplomacy. We support every possible effort to reach a compromise and a settlement over the issues in Ukraine.

"That is what the adults in the room do. Stop the killing and negotiate a proper settlement." The 74-year-old continued: "War is not about as it were punishing or in some way running over thousands of young men in tanks and blowing them up because one person takes points of view which you disagree with.

"I have actually met Putin and had a 10-minute chat with him and he seemed very good. He is not the Austrian gentleman with a moustache come alive again."

Boos and looks of disgust were directed towards Mr Malins, who does not live in Salisbury, after he made this statement. A member of the public, who has housed two Ukrainian refugees for the last two years, then accused Mr Malins of being out of touch.

She said: "I can't believe what I've just heard. "How can you in Salisbury, where we had Novichok on our streets, say that?"

Julian Malins has been approached and asked to comment further on his remarks.

https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news ... emed-good/

[Slick]

I was listening to the Private Eye podcast last night and they were saying that Farage is by a very large distance the most popular and well known politician in the UK. He has 98% name recognition which is astonishing and way ahead of even the PM.

[SaintK]

This is astonishing

Government destroys £1.4bn of PPE from one Covid deal

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cll476qzm85o

And surprise, surprise, the Government has been lying about the true scale of waste:

The government previously estimated that £85m worth of PPE secured under the contract would not be used, which is approximately 6% of the true total.

That is an absolute scandal!!!

[petej]

Christ alive, Reform truly does attract them!

Reform UK Salisbury candidate says Putin 'seemed very good'

THE man standing for Reform UK in Salisbury has come under fire after he said Vladimir Putin "seemed very good". Julian Malins KC told a hustings audience that the Russian president "is not the Austrian gentleman with a moustache come alive again" on Sunday evening, June 23.

This was in response to a public question about whether Mr Malins' government would continue to support Ukraine.

Acknowledging that thousands of young Ukrainian and Russian men were dying as he spoke, Mr Malins added: "We support diplomacy. We support every possible effort to reach a compromise and a settlement over the issues in Ukraine.

"That is what the adults in the room do. Stop the killing and negotiate a proper settlement." The 74-year-old continued: "War is not about as it were punishing or in some way running over thousands of young men in tanks and blowing them up because one person takes points of view which you disagree with.

"I have actually met Putin and had a 10-minute chat with him and he seemed very good. He is not the Austrian gentleman with a moustache come alive again."

Boos and looks of disgust were directed towards Mr Malins, who does not live in Salisbury, after he made this statement. A member of the public, who has housed two Ukrainian refugees for the last two years, then accused Mr Malins of being out of touch.

She said: "I can't believe what I've just heard. "How can you in Salisbury, where we had Novichok on our streets, say that?"

Julian Malins has been approached and asked to comment further on his remarks.

https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news ... emed-good/

I wonder how he got to meet Putin.

[epwc]

That is an absolute scandal!!!

Another one...

[sockwithaticket]

This is astonishing

Government destroys £1.4bn of PPE from one Covid deal

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cll476qzm85o

And surprise, surprise, the Government has been lying about the true scale of waste:

The government previously estimated that £85m worth of PPE secured under the contract would not be used, which is approximately 6% of the true total.

That is an absolute scandal!!!

Hopefully Labour make good on that promise of a commission to go after the covid fraud. The issue of money wasted/funneled to their mates during Covid alone should have the Tories facing absolute elecotral wipe out, let alone all the other shit they've done.

[tabascoboy]

Another late attempt at damage control (breaking news)

Tory party withdraws support from two candidates accused of suspect election date bets

The Conservative party is no longer backing Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, the two candidates who have been accused of making suspect bets on the timing of the election, the BBC is reporting.

The party has taken the decision on the basis of what it has uncovered during its inquiries into the allegations, the BBC says.

[salanya]

After his own aide admitted a week ago about his bet, it took Rishi till now to make a decision ( despite being 'very angry').

Interesting how it's on the same day as this latest PE waste scandal newsline...

[epwc]

After his own aide admitted a week ago about his bet, it took Rishi till now to make a decision ( despite being 'very angry').

Interesting how it's on the same day as this latest PE waste scandal newsline...

I wonder if he's angry about that too, hasn't said has he?

[fishfoodie]

Another late attempt at damage control (breaking news)

Tory party withdraws support from two candidates accused of suspect election date bets

The Conservative party is no longer backing Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, the two candidates who have been accused of making suspect bets on the timing of the election, the BBC is reporting.

The party has taken the decision on the basis of what it has uncovered during its inquiries into the allegations, the BBC says.

A day late & a dollar short as ever, causing maximum damage.

I hope the Betting regulators are also investigating other voting bets, like for example bets on a sitting PM losing his own seat, because this is getting to the point where it looks more like sabotage than ordinary incompetence

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Rishi was perhaps hoping to wait on the results of the Gambling Commission investigations, and that sort of makes sense, but this was very clear cut, bar he might not have known just how many have behaved so badly, and then you'd be suspending maybe 1-2 people a day and never getting off the story then either.

had that proved a viable path the GC would have been in no rush to complete their investigations, really they've moved much quicker so identify who leaked the information, and such as I understand they believe they know who leaked it and why, but they have nothing that would be what's labelled proof, that position may have changed in the last couple of days and I'm simply behind the times

[Slick]

After his own aide admitted a week ago about his bet, it took Rishi till now to make a decision ( despite being 'very angry').

Interesting how it's on the same day as this latest PE waste scandal newsline...

I wonder if he's angry about that too, hasn't said has he?

I'd imagine he is angry. Maybe even quite angry. Don't you know it was him that paid everyone furlough?

[epwc]

I'd imagine he is angry. Maybe even quite angry.

Ooerr! That must be a scary sight, glad I'm not in number 10 right now.

[Hal Jordan]

On an unrelated note, I see Tommy Yaxley-Robinson-Other Names has been arrested trying to get into Canada. Apparently an immigration offence.

No doubt he will spin it for more grift in his usual shameless manner.

[Margin__Walker]

The Met Police really have been a beacon of professionalism and integrity in recent years.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

it's a long time since I've been in a betting shop, can you no longer place a cash bet? which is to say why are all these people betting on accounts in their names? okay I'm crosser they're happy to act on inside info, but it's not exactly inspiring so many people are on the face of it so bad at being criminals

[fishfoodie]

On an unrelated note, I see Tommy Yaxley-Robinson-Other Names has been arrested trying to get into Canada. Apparently an immigration offence.

No doubt he will spin it for more grift in his usual shameless manner.

I do hope he is one of the first targets of the legislation going thru the Dail at the moment, to make it possible to remove individuals Irish Citizenship.

[Margin__Walker]

it's a long time since I've been in a betting shop, can you no longer place a cash bet? which is to say why are all these people betting on accounts in their names? okay I'm crosser they're happy to act on inside info, but it's not exactly inspiring so many people are on the face of it so bad at being criminals

Well that's where it's likely to be a tip of the iceberg thing. Those in bother right now were seemingly the ones stupid enough to place bets in their name/with their own accounts.

There'll likely be more who were more careful (got someone else to place the bet etc). Assume they are going through all bets placed in the small window on the election date with a fine tooth comb at the moment.