General Election 2019

Possibly because he has the media 100% against him. The difference at election time is that the Labour Party will have the same TV coverage as the Tories and thus have a direct link to the public which is missing the rest of the time. The highest point of Corbyn's popularity was during the last election campaign, and I expect something similar this time. The point is that the public is against the straightforward choice between hard Brexit and Johnson' s deal - his deal has not even come under scrutiny yet, but that will happen. The public must also be able to see that the Lib Dem plan of scrapping Article 50 altogether without a vote is also too extreme (and I admit undemocratic). Labour's way is the middle way, and the only one which can go part way towards reconciliation. The Tories will try to deflect from that with scare stories about anti semitism, Marxism blah blah but this will not work for the entire six weeks.

 

Good luck with all that. You sound like a Watford supporter boldly predicting a top six finish this season.

 

I am always optimistic SH ! This may not be misplaced because Labour will get much more publicity than at other times, and Corbyn is a very good campaigner at times like this. The other aspect is that there is currently a remain majority in the UK - and if they vote tactically (as you are suggesting the Brexiters do) then there is nothing you can do about it. The last point is that the electorate do not like what they see as unnecessary elections and tend to punish those that call them. My prognosis is, however, the same as Frenchie's ie. a hung Parliament - which puts us back to square one, with even more time lost.

 

I would keep Corbyn as Labour leader for the next ten years, he is the Tories best asset by far.

The problem you have is the remain vote is split nearly equally between Labour and LibDems. The leave vote is heavily in favour of the Tories with The Brexit Party having a tiny proportion of the votes and likely to become even smaller. I cannot see any cooperation between the two main remain parties, which will be their downfall.

Are you now predicting another loss for Labour with the Tories as the largest party?

 

I once asked the local Tory party chairman what input members had into shaping policy. He was horrified at the thought of ordinary members having any influence on such things. The role of the common member is to raise funds, and have some say in electing people to represent the party at Westminster, but policy, no. This is of course much easier to control than having lengthy meetings of the membership, and trying to reconcile differing views, something that the Labour party has been trying to do for many years. The Tory model is rather nearer to the authoritarian one seen in the Soviet Union, yet somehow a party that is trying a much truer form of democracy has a
reds under the beds label attached to it. Very odd if you wish to think about it, but quite logical if you don't.

 

I am not actually predicting anything but feel we may have a remain majority in the next Parliament. It bothers me a little to see how many MPs are standing down (up to a hundred) and their replacements could serve to further polarize the 2 main parties, which is the last thing that Britain needs. My great fear is that this will be the dirtiest election campaign ever, and I pray we do not end up with another Joe Cox in the process.

 

Obviously happened a long time ago. As a Tory Party member I am regularly emailed and invited to offer suggestions online and at regular meetings. As Labour and the LibDems have struggled to get anywhere near power in the last 10 years, decent ideas are few and far between.

 

How many meetings of your local party have you been to?

 

"There are laws to protect the freedom of the press's speech, but none that are worth anything to protect the people from the press." Mark Twain

Therein lies the problem: the barclay bros, rotheremere's, murdoch's, etc., of this world having far too much sway in how people are conditioned to think.

 

"The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make a criminal look like he's the victim and make the victim look like he's the criminal. This is the press, an irresponsible press. If you aren't careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X, Audubon Ballroom, December 13, 1964

Not, initially, a very nice man. But he learned the error of his ways... so then they shot him before he became a muslim MLK.

Like him, hate him, it doesn't matter: his words ring true.

 

you are all mugs to believe in any side of the spectrum of filth.

whole system needs changing n you lot argue like fighting about scraps. mugs.

nada great about britian now. been dross for ages.

mexico neither. not standing up for meself. just you lot are mugs for supporting either party, they willnever take you anywhere, holibobs or else.

rotten

 

I much prefer reasonably polite political debates than settling issues with a bullet in the back of the head Mexican style.

 

Squeaky bum time.

Double blow for Boris: New polls show Johnson's lead is shrinking... as Remainer parties prepare to reveal election pact in 60 seats

 

The only thing which is really predictable at this election is that the opinion polls will get it wrong SH. This has been happening more and more recently. Polls of this sort do not show up the potential turnout at elections - when asked by pollsters non voters are less likely to admit to being so than when it comes to the election itself. Also tactical voting does not come out fully in opinion polls.

 

Mex, is John Wayne still keeping those pesky locals under control?

 

mmm.. a few beers Mex

Seriously though I tend to agree

The establishment now uses the media to fuel populism.

Nothing like the 'great' British Constitution I somehow scraped an E grade A level in !!

 

As i said , we are doing this in my constituency..... sadly I dont expect Labout to embrace this possibility.

 

Think that was definitely the Tequila talking Yorkie Seriously though the end product of a non political population which thinks 'Them up there do what they want anyway' is normally disastrous. Unless. of course, they build from the bottom and establish autonomous communities as a result - but simple passivity leads nowhere.

 

I'm sure this is a warning for the Tories not to be complacent and voters not to vote for the Brexit Party against the Tories. It will also encourage the blue rinse brigade to turn out this time. I'm sure the Tories will not score own goals this time such as May's long term care fiasco.

 

On the city’s streets there is not only a deep dislike of Brexit, but also a profound distrust of the prime minister, Boris Johnson, even among people who have voted Tory in the past. Kevin Hayter, who co-owns a local construction company, voted Tory in 2010 and 2015 when David Cameron was leader, but said he would never do so again because the party had changed utterly.
“They are now a tawdry, deceitful lot who kicked out all the decent one-nation Tories and I can’t vote for them. "
A few yards along the high street, Ian McCoy, a chartered surveyor, said the Tories had headed off to the “far right”. He believed they would be rejected by the people of Winchester. “Winchester is full of a lot of very reasonable, sensible people who don’t like that kind of politics,” he said. Asked about Johnson, he shook his head and said he was “just a buffoon”.

The Tories are seriously worried that seats like Winchester are now marginal seats despite a 10,000 majority. Lose seats like these, a likely wipeout in Scotland, and to go from a minority to a majority government would be very difficult. In fact it could depend on Corbyn imploding at a time the opposite is more likely. With both Labour and LibDems having plenty of door knockers despite the time of year, will the more elderly Tory party members be prepared to get out and about. Last time when asked SH said he didn't go in for that sort of thing.