What a monumental mess! Arrogance from Cameron and then May has resulted in the public telling them to **** off! The country is completely split on almost everything it seems. A hung parliament is the worst possible result, especially for those like me who wanted brexit. I wouldn't be at all surprised now if we were to stay in the EU. Clegg losing and Farron almost losing are rather pleasing results however. May got 43% of the vote which apparently is the largest share since 2001! What a mess!
The biggest issue is the start of the Brexit negotiations in 10 days time, which are crucial. May will have to stay on for now in a government supported by the Ulster Unionists. Contenders for her crown, Boris, Davis and Rudd, should be on board in the EU talks so the EU negotiators have comfort that a change of leader later in the year won't derail the talks. Kier Starmer needs to be kept in the loop too, so there is a united front (initially anyway) in the talks. More plus points - Sturgeon looks as sick as a dog, and Salmond and Robertson ousted by the Tories
Interesting times. Like the Referendum, the popular vote speaks louder than the number of seats does. Lots of comment on the likelihood of a coalition government. I'd say we already had one, and that's part of the problem for the country. The DUP seems to be positioning for Mrs May to resign as part of the price for them to prop up the Conservatives.
Just seen the suggestion that Labour wins against the Conservatives in "hard to swing" constituencies (i.e., not the ones that were close in 2015) were places that voted "Remain" and the ones where the Conservatives did the opposite were "Leave" places.
MY VOTE COUNTED!!!!! Just found out that my local anonymous Tory(seven years on the taxpayer payroll for nothing) got kicked out and Labour in, here in leafy, middle class, well off Remainer Warwick and Leamington Spa. On reflection there were a lot of Labour and a few Lib Dem posters in windows around town, with zero Tory ones, this is usually balanced by massive Tory banners in the country lanes. Not this time. Very difficult to draw concrete conclusions from this, other than it's a brutal kick in the teeth for May personally, second rater out of her depth. No Tory cabinet minister prepared to talk to the BBC. Those Tories prepared to talk paying up the genuinely impressive share of the vote (though not as impressive as Labours surge), which is of course irrelevant in our stupid archaic system, and even in a full proportionate representation system they wouldn't have a majority. Now the hardcore Remainers in the Tory party have a lot more influence, the leadership depends on Scottish Tories who take a much softer line on Brexit and the DUP who's prime concern is open border and no customs issues with the Republic. Top hole what! Interesting seeing how the markets are reacting, as they want certainty but recognise a less damaging Brexit may result. If there is another election soon I would expect Labour to win, now people believe it's possible.
Perhaps but the argument against this is that Corbyn will not run a better campaign than he has just done - and some of his key promises may well be found out. As an example, the promise to fund student's tuition fees costing an eye-watering £10 billion has been attacked by his own party. Alan Johnson has condemned it as unaffordable and favouring middle class families over the working class. On the other hand, the Tories cannot surely run an election campaign as inept as Theresa May's. Huge numbers of older voters turned from Tory to Labour as a result of the dementia tax and issues over the winter fuel allowance. If the Tories bring in David Davis, down to earth council house boy, he will give them their best chance in my view.
I'm no fan of Corbyn - but he got that result with McDonnell, Abbot and Thornberry on his front bench. Even Peter Glaze, Frank Spencer and Mr Blobby could do a better job than those three, and yet.. Expect more of that party's talent to actually join in next time.
Well, Abbott will be gone I agree. I suspect McDonnell was central to the successful campaign, so I can't see him going anywhere - or indeed Thornberry, whom Corbyn seems to view as a key lieutenant despite the fact she regularly drops clangers. The point you raise is interesting though, Tooting, because the Blairites have been pretty quiet. Will the likes of Benn, Cooper, Kendall, Flint convert to Corbynism? I have my doubts
If the choice is fundamentally austerity v anti austerity I would expect more polarisation and a bigger shift to Labour, as they are talking directly to the people that May said she was most interested in and have nothing to lose by believing promises. The Tories just aren't credible on this field, even if they have a council house single parent offspring leader, and the more they try to play in it the more old style Tory voters they put off. The big change, a return to a two party system with the marginalisation of all of the smaller parties and the sharing out of their votes (all the these parties now have less seats between them than the Lib Dems did 2010-15 Goodbye and good riddance UKIP). Next election is a straight battle. As they will definitely form the next government it's the Tories record that will be voted on. May doesn't look flexible or intelligent enough to handle the horse trading required for them to deliver anything in the near future.
Blairism is dead in the Labour party, Goldie. If the people you mention don't like the manifesto that Labour ran on, they shouldn't be in the party. They will come round.
My son voted for the first time yesterday, went for JC. When I asked him for his reasons he said 'he sounded like a normal bloke and the abolition of tuition fees is a great idea' All his mates felt the same. May / Tory arrogance helped massively
Blairism may be dead, Strolls, but the Blairites still exist and they are members of Parliament. I just don't see any of them serving in Corbyn's shadow cabinet or coming round as you say. Johnson's an example, even thought he's now retired. It's clear he doesn't agree with fundamentals of Corbyn's labour, which I imagine would include disagreeing about abandoning all austerity and hammering business. There are two parties within Labour, and going back to Tooting's post, that restricts Corbyn's talent pool
From someone from afar but still somewhat relevant ................... Labour is everything that is wrong with this day of age. The Bleeding Heart Society allow all the bludgers and ergers to enter the country and further ruin what the British have built up over the past century and more. You can't keep letting in the scum just to appease the EU and or alike. If the country is not stuffed already, it will be shortly under a Labour govt. Here in Oz, regardless of who you voted for, fact is over the past 30 years, Labour have blown out the budget everytime, Liberal have reeled it in each time. Labour paid illegal immigrants the equivalent of to social security until their cases were heard in court. Unbelievable ! What message are we sending. Briton needs a stable government with some backbone, right now. Anything else will send it further into the mire. Sorry for the rant but l do feel for you all there. Aussie.
