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Off Topic News & Current affairs

Discussion in 'Charlton' started by ForestHillBilly, Feb 6, 2020.

  1. lardiman

    lardiman The truth is out there
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    A couple of days ago I heard that the Conservatives were about 14 points ahead of Labour in the opinion polls.

    Boris may be getting a personal battering right now over sleaze and alleged moronic Covid remarks, but people do not seem to be turning on the whole Government as Starmer wishes they would.

    We will get some more clues about the public mood in the elections of 6th May...
     
    #1241
  2. ForestHillBilly

    ForestHillBilly Well-Known Member

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    Yes, and I must say Starmer has not risen to the challenges of what is admittedly a really difficult job. Having been elected on the basis that he isn't Corbyn, he hasn't done anything to persuade people that Labour would do a better job. I found his choice of Shadow Cabinet disappointing, particularly in the treasury. I voted for Lisa Mandy because she had a realistic grasp of Labour's dire situation, and had sensible ideas about rebuilding slowly from local level.
     
    #1242
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  3. The Penguin

    The Penguin Well-Known Member

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    I've always thought we get the politicians we deserve.
     
    #1243
  4. Butterfield

    Butterfield Well-Known Member

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  5. ForestHillBilly

    ForestHillBilly Well-Known Member

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    Doesn't download on my phone
     
    #1245
  6. Butterfield

    Butterfield Well-Known Member

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    the tweet was deleted

    35BE1521-2FF1-4C46-BCE2-924E8E9962CB.png

    The South Vietnam bit was probably why. From a peer no less.
     
    #1246
  7. lardiman

    lardiman The truth is out there
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    I didn't know there was a free South Vietnam.
     
    #1247
  8. The Penguin

    The Penguin Well-Known Member

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    Time for milord to take an Alzheimers test.
     
    #1248
  9. Butterfield

    Butterfield Well-Known Member

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  10. lardiman

    lardiman The truth is out there
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    Time for Newsmax to have its sorry arse sued right off.

    An apology does not really cover destroying somebody's life by spreading blatant lies about them to millions of bloodthirsty rednecks.
     
    #1250
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  11. lardiman

    lardiman The truth is out there
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    Breaking News:

    Looks like the Conservatives have won the Hartlepool by-election.

    BBC pundits saying possibly because a large number of people who voted Brexit Party in 2019 have voted Conservative this time.
    That would explain the result in itself.
    But not really explain the continuing collapse in Labour support.

    If most of the ex-Brexit Party vote goes to the Tories in other constituencies in the next election, Labour could be in for a second drubbing, and maybe end up with fewer than 100 seats.
    Starmer and his shadow cabinet have a huge job on their hands.
    If they expected some kind of 'natural' backlash against Boris (votes coming back to them that they didn't really have to work hard for) then they have another think coming.
     
    #1251
  12. ForestHillBilly

    ForestHillBilly Well-Known Member

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    Never thought Labour could be any more unpopular than they were under Michael Foot. The country needs an opposition, and it ain't coming from Labour.
     
    #1252
  13. Ubedizzy

    Ubedizzy Well-Known Member

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    Maybe the Tories just appeal to a bigger majority now.

    The old working class voter, clocking on, day in day out in the factories is vastly reduced. More people tend to see themselves as middle class these days so Labours pool is much reduced. Add to that the fact that many proper old style Labour voters, particularly in the north, are turned off by a posh lawyer as party leader and you can see why Labour are struggling.

    Boris delivered Brexit, which is what the majority wanted. The world didn’t end when we left, like the remainers told us it would, the economy is forecast to be back to 2019 levels by the end of this year (which is pretty impressive considering Brexit and the global pandemic) and Boris has overseen the most successful vaccine program in the world.

    Why worry about a bit of sleaze and jobs for the boys ? Labour would probably do exactly the same anyway.
     
    #1253
  14. lardiman

    lardiman The truth is out there
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    Views on the radio seem to be that Starmer has made several mistakes lately with his attacks on the Government;
    • Cash for curtains - nobody really cares.
    • Tax tweaks for Dyson - Starmer went big on this, but there was no scandal. And the Government was trying to secure ventilator supplies in a deperate situation. Big miscalculation by the Labour leader, trying to attach this to his 'sleaze' agenda.
    Starmer has shown he is far out of touch with the real voters.
    He seems concerned only with the Islington chattering classes and the Westminster bubble.

    Labour should be supporting the Government in its efforts to beat the pandemic.
    But all they've done is whinge and pick niggling arguments.
    And they're still being led by the nose, by London based arch-remoaners.

    Their candidate in Hartlepool was a staunch pro-EU candidate <doh>
    In a town that voted 70% to leave in 2016, and where the Lib Dems have just been totally wiped out.


    Apologies for the Brexit pollution of this particular post.
    Unfortunately the issue does matter to this election result in my view.
    I won't make a habit of it though.
     
    #1254
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  15. The Penguin

    The Penguin Well-Known Member

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    Sir Keir will have to do a bit more than say he "will fix the economy", or "build a better future":emoticon-0113-sleep, if he wants to be trusted. The hard left seem to be revelling in the result, so maybe Labour hasn't even bottomed out yet.
     
    #1255
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  16. Ken Shabby

    Ken Shabby Well-Known Member

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    I'd generally class myself as hard left, but Labour tried that with Corbyn and it wasn't exactly a success. They may feel some sort of internal struggle reulting in toppling Kier Starmer and bringing in someone more radical will bring the voters back into the fold, but as @Ubedizzy points out, the demographics may have changed for good and while they will attract some new voters, they will drive away the middle ground which is where most of the swing voters they need are to be found.
    Personally I think Starmer will begin to turn things around given time, though he needs to up his game a great deal. But Labour needs to change a little, and a swing back to the hard left will get them nowhere.
     
    #1256
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  17. The Penguin

    The Penguin Well-Known Member

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    Diane Abbott tweeted that Labour won the seat under Jezza. How deluded can you get. Labour's worst result for 85 years and she's claiming success. And she was probably an even bigger liability than Corbyn. The stench of Corbynism is still there, and Sir Keir will need to up his game to get rid of it.
     
    #1257
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  18. lardiman

    lardiman The truth is out there
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    I think the Opposition would be well advised to look carefully into potential routes to expose poor leadership from the Government and then make a solid case, rather than snatch at a few tenuously related minor issues and then trying to build them into a major assault on a theme (sleaze).

    And it needs to learn to assess the mood of the country, and look for large numbers of people who have genuine issues that the Government has neglected.
    Why isn't Labour campaigning for headlines about leaseholder victims of the Cladding scandal for instance?
    Because people with leaseholds aren't viewed as natural Labour voters?

    There is plenty of inequality and injustice in the UK after over a decade of Tory Government.
    Labour should be standing up for ALL the victims of injustice. Not just those who might be seen as target voters.
    And for pity's sake, come out of the Westminster bubble!

    There are nowhere near enough Islington trendy lefties and students to elect Labour to power right across this country.
    At this rate, in a decade Labour will be a London only party, with a dwindling Welsh outpost.
     
    #1258
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  19. The Penguin

    The Penguin Well-Known Member

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    I don't really see a proper conversation in the Labour party about how to become good in opposition. A cabinet reshuffle might help, with the most unconvincing performers like Annelise Dodds being replaced. The government is borrowing huge amounts, yet their answer to too many questions is to borrow even more. And personal attacks like the ones on Johnson tend to rebound, in much the same way as when Mrs T was PM. But I fear it will be more "steady as you go".
     
    #1259
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  20. The Penguin

    The Penguin Well-Known Member

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    HUge blunder by Starmer sacking Angela Rayner. He lacks any political nous.
     
    #1260

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