I don't think it has sunk in to the Tories yet, they are going to lose by a very large margin whoever takes them forward. I don't even know why they are embarrassing themselves with these type of discussions.
Fwiw I think they came to a fork in the road when it came to the soul of the party. Instead of putting forward an argument and fighting to preserve some sense of one nation conservativism against the likes of Farage (now Reform) they decided instead (out of some misguided fear) to plant their feet on their turf. And they've gone full pelt down this road and lost themselves whilst at the same time giving the likes of Reform more credit than they deserve. The worry I have is that Starmer will make the same mistake.
I don't think a landslide in favour of either party is good. It is always best when any single party doesn't have too much power. It's when one party has too much power that they can enact their stupidest policies, that the stupidest decisions get made. Always best when the power is finely balanced.
My issue is less with super majorities, but the fact in UK politics a PM can be elected and so easily sacked for some bad story or something. Let's take Boris Johnson, he won a super majority and reorganized the entire Tory party, as is his right as the winning PM/leader of the Tory Party Keir Starmer has done the exact same with Labour. Then, suddenly, Boris is sacked. No one is there in the UK gov to replace him, it should not be so easy to force out a PM - PMs should be forced to stick it ****ing out. In our system, Keir Starmer could be elected with a completely insane majority and within a year or two, sacked for some news story and being hounded out by journos. Suddenly, we have an unelected PM with no support Its a ****ing mess.
I agree with you, I think once a party sacks a PM elected via the General Election, then they should be forced back to the polls, which then installs a risk element to the party doing the sacking. #BringBackBoris
Anecdotal evidence, but one of my colleagues told me recently that he'll be voting Reform at the next GE. He's an Irishman who was formerly a big fan of Jeremy Corbyn. Not sure what this means really, except that Reform appeals to pissed off angry people in general, not just right wing ones.
I know nothing about Reform myself, who there candidates are or what they stand for. I've certainly not seen any media interviews with anyone from the party on their policies (or maybe I have and not realised!). For someone like myself, I will always consider other than the two main parties, afterall I see it that the independents are there to mop up the undecided. I can't and will not vote for the Lib Dems so it's whatever is left on the ballot paper. Interesting view point of your mate, but you are right, like all these random parties they appeal to as you say the pissed off people. There was a more serious undertone to my earlier message about Palestinians, I honestly don't understand why someone has not created an anti war party, if you can get a million marchers, why not a million votes and more once others jump on the bandwagon, it don't have to be just about Gaza either, it could be about Ukraine, Yemen and anyone else we are lining up to fight.... I was also genuine when I said maybe people don't care as much as they pretend from their armchair, give me such a party and I'd give it thought before the ballot box. It might all count for nothing, but Labour are going to get in anway, so no anti war party will damage their vote.
The fringe parties in this country get absorbed into the big parties because of our first past the post system. So CND, for example, became a minority voice within the Labour party, while Ukip infiltrated and took control of the Tories. Independent breakaway groups don't tend to survive that long, the one Green MP being a notable exception. But that's Brighton for you, it's most unlike the rest of the country.
Can only comment for myself ... but haven't ever voted along party lines - because I've never found enough to actually agree with on a personal level - so my mantra is to always read what the individual candidates say they will look to do for the local area and give my vote to the one I agree most with ... would do that even if it meant giving it to the Monster Raving Conservative party - although, in fairness, to date, have never had cause too ...
I was in the hospital waiting room the other day, 4 older folk started talking about the election, all 4 stating, they wouldn't be voting, 3 of them the first time ever, they all said they had no confidence in any of them. One asked me, what I thought, I just said rather than not vote, why don't you look at the smaller parties, look at their policies and the one you like most vote for it, it won't make any difference to the outcome of the winner but if enough people did it and the smaller party got a decent amount of votes, it might just make the main 2 sit up and see what they're offering and take on board some of the policies you've voted for.
