A stunning set of results in the local elections for the sitting Conservative government. There was a firm rejection of the Labour Party and UKIP might as well pack up as their job is done achieving Brexit. The promised Lib Dem revival seems to have stalled also. This is a real confidence boost for the most popular PM in decades.
Yeah, well, people voted for trump too.... that's turning out well for the average Joe now, isn't it?... and where 'Murica leads we usually follow. In this case off the metaphorical cliff, just like them. Utterly disheartening.
I have to disagree with that statement, I believe it is coming from exatly the same place as the disbelief and denial of the Brexit vote, most of the people I know are fed up with British governments falling over themselves to appease someone or other. Perhaps if any of the opposition parties had a somewhat more dynamic leader we would not have the Conservatives driving all before them.
To be honest Brag it is very difficult to present yourself as a dynamic leader without having the media on your side. The main problem for Labour is that they are losing votes in all directions - remainers are going to the Lib Dems and, my suspicion is that, at the other end, Brexiters who went firstly to Ukip have either not returned or have moved on to the Tories. Many others are simply saying to the Tories 'You got us into this mess - you can get us out of it'. As always the Tory press, and others, will say that the reason for Labour's problems lies in their left wing policies but that is pure right wing propaganda. The real reason for Labour's demise is that they are being too honest - they were, are, and will be lukewarm remainers but without the convictions of the Liberals or the Greens, and that is clear for everyone to see. Nobody trusts Labour to really drive Brexit through, and nobody knows what would come out of it at the end. The Tories strength (if you can call it that) is that they have suppressed all dissention in their party - and, therefore, all appear to be driving in the one direction, at least for the moment. Their problems come later.
None of the recent political leaders have been dynamic, but if the Labour party had anyone half decent the BBC would fall in behind. I think with no real parliamentary opposition the Tories are more than likely going to have an internal conflict, as they did when Mrs Thatcher was PM. And look what happened then.
Mrs Thatcher was leader of the Tories for a total of 15 years. The oddballs in the Tories are few and far between, Clark, Soubry etc. The Conservatives have a remarkable habit of uniting when necessary, in complete contrast to the LP.
I don't think that 'uniting when necessary' is a particularly good quality SH. It means going against your own convictions for the sake of power. It means suppressing real debate within your ranks - it just means that the LP. is the more democratic of the two.
It would not make any real difference who was leader of the Labour Party Brag. This election is being fought over Brexit (every other issue is being pushed under the carpet) and, however dynamic the leader was, he would still be faced with the fact that Labour has no tangible position on this. Ukip are the ' We want to leave immediately' party, the Tories are the 'We don't really want to but we're going to do it because that is the will of the people' party, Labour are the 'Soft Brexit (damage limitation) party - but the electorate doesn't know what that entails. The Lib Dems and the Greens are the 'let's vote again' parties. It doesn't really matter what other ideas the parties have - they will be judged on which one of these positions is closest to the man on the Clapham omnibus. I would like it to be Labour - but the problem is that Labour's position would be a complicated one which would have to be explained almost from zero.
Most of the Tories are extremely united on the main issues, there are very few dissenters. The LP is all over the place with most MP's expressing no confidence in the shadow cabinet. The only democratic decision they have all taken is to firmly remain unelectable for the foreseeable future. As previously reported they are more interested in internal feuds than being a responsible government. Diane Abbott highlighted her incompetence yet again today, they are becoming a laughing stock.
Maybe, maybe not - look at the way they are reporting today's election result in Scotland, where the SNP leader is most certainly far more than half decent. "Tory victory" - "SNP seats down". Surely anyone would find it hard to believe that having won more votes, more seats, an increased number of seats, a total of 155 more seats than the second placed party and being in the driving-seat of more councils than any other party in the land doesn't represent a victory?
I have just been reading some comments in the French press about why people are choosing Macron over Le Pen. Before starting to read I would have guessed that it would have been related to unemployment, immigration, maybe even the EU. I would have been wrong. 80% of the people said it was because they liked his policies on education. They are to stop cutting the funding for schools that has resulted in class sizes increasing, employ more teachers and ensure that in primary schooling, learning to read is vital for the children. The people wanted the best for the children. I hope that when the election campaign starts in the UK, people will think about the future of the children in 10-20 years time, and what the effect of the course the country is taking will have on them.
As Macron only received 25% in the first round I suspect most are not voting for him but against Le Pen. I am extremely surprised how unpopular he is with both left and right. I suspect it will be an almost impossible task for him to garner enough support from other groups to govern effectively for very long. Time will tell.
Which will be difficult, in Scotland anyway, given the nonsense peddled by the media in regard to Education.
No, it specifically about the UK voter thinking about tomorrow rather than being locked in to a one issue election.
Scotland has just recorded its worst ever scores in the PISA figures. Education Secretary said 'The results made uncomfortable reading"
