British Politics
Been on holiday for a few weeks, surprised to find no general discussion of British politics so though I'd kick one off.
Tory leadership contest is quickly turning into farce. Trump has backed Boris, which should be reason enough for anyone with half a brain to exclude him.
Of the other candidates Rory Stewart looks the best of the outsiders. Surprised to see Cleverly and Javid not further up the betting, but not sure the Tory membership are ready for a brown PM.
https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri...
Regarding the LD leadership contest, Jo Swinson is miles ahead of any other candidate (and indeed any of the Tory lot). Should be a shoe in.
Finally, it's Groundhog Day in Labour - the more serious the anti-Semitism claims get, the more Corbyn's cronies write their own obituary by blaming it on outlandish conspiracy theories - this week, it's apparently the Jewish Embassy's fault...
negative polics and target culture have destroyed the good stuff. We need politicans with ideologies (aka principles) and policies. They mustn't be allowed vacuous nonsense like ' we promise 100,000 x's and judge me on whether I deliver'. It's bollocks that's just a way of avoiding having any real substance. Sure there needs to be be sticking plasters but they mustn't be confused with the important stuff which can decades to play out.
We just have to refuse to vote for main street parties who dont have principle backed policies that they have argued for and planned (and we broadly agree with). It's up to us but we still figthting nonsense about having to vore for people we think are awful - I think we might be making progress on that a tiny bit but it's a hell of a long way to go..
tories 18%
reform 19%
Labour polling at only 4% more than the months-long attacked ZOMG AntiSemitism Corbyn is the other story here
People unimpressed with both big parties
Hence why a vote for the greens is no more wasted than a vote for any other party in this election.
(Also, I'm Team Green in HotD)
You don't need to vote for the Green Party to vote for Green policies. They don't have a monopoly on them.
Other parties have green policies, but if I vote Labour, how will they know I was endorsing their green offering rather than one of the many other factors?
The Green Party is the party you vote for if the Environment is the most important factor for you, just the same as you vote reform if it's immigration. Plus, they have policies that I have long argued for on these forums - if you're not going to have the conviction to vote tor a party that aligns with your core beliefs, then why bother?
Yeah subsidising public transport kills 2 birds with one stone. Helps the poorest who generally use it the most, and almost certainly encourages people to leave their cars at home.
and this scorching hot take from 2020:
Tories under 50 seats really has shortened in price on betfair over the last couple weeks. Seems completely unthinkable but with that poll putting Reform ahead of them......
Other parties have green policies, but if I vote Labour, how will they know I was endorsing their green offering rather than one of the many other factors?
The Green Party is the party you vote for if the Environment is the most important factor for you, just the same as you vote reform if it's immigration. Plus, they have policies that I have long argued for on these forums - if you're not going to have the conviction to vote tor a party that aligns with your core beliefs, then why bother?
They won't.
If you vote Green, how will they know you were endorsing their green offering instead of their insane tax proposals?
Why bother? Because in politics you are going to need to compromise. You also need to do it as an adult. The Green Party's proposals are unrealistic and are exactly the sort of thing you get to do when you don't have the pressure of potentially having to form a government.
Because their insane tax proposals are never going to pass, whereas their policies on £1 bus fares and free school meals are entirely realistic and affordable.
Tories under 50 seats really has shortened in price on betfair over the last couple weeks. Seems completely unthinkable but with that poll putting Reform ahead of them......
Millions of shy(ster) Tories around. You'd have to be completely uncaring about peoples perception of you to admit that you're voting for them again after everything they've done (and haven't done), far worse than in 1992.
Millions of shy(ster) Tories around. You'd have to be completely uncaring about peoples perception of you to admit that you're voting for them again after everything they've done (and haven't done), far worse than in 1992.
That might well be true, and even without it the absolute worst polls for the Torys still put them above that number. Then again, Reform look like they are picking up more and more previous Tory voters as each day passes, shy or proud.
Because their insane tax proposals are never going to pass, whereas their policies on £1 bus fares and free school meals are entirely realistic and affordable.
I dont think any of the policy drivers behind the main parties will think anyhtign but 'green' when they see people vote for the greens.
I voted green at the London elections (apart from Sadiq Kahn) and would at this election if it wasn't for a proper labour independent option. The greens are far from ideal in many respects but they know what it means when we vote for them.
Because their insane tax proposals are never going to pass, whereas their policies on £1 bus fares and free school meals are entirely realistic and affordable.
None of their proposals are going to pass because they aren't in a position to be making any proposals anywhere that matters. If those proposals pass it'll be because someone else made them.
Indeed. Now why might others adopt these proposals?
Because they might win a few votes. Or because they think they're a good idea.
I'm not having that the Greens are the only people with the intellectual power to think of free school meals.
Of course they're not the only ones. If you have a stronger alternative candidate (as I do) then vote for them
But the intellectual power of 'changed labour' is focused on winning votes. Democratic power comes from us making them win our vote. They dont give a **** what we want if we wll vote for them anyway.
jfc I've just learned that Farage only has one ball.
The scriptwriters are laughing at us.
Conservative leadership hopefuls are already lobbying for support to take over from Rishi Sunak amid widespread fears the party is heading for a disastrous defeat on 4 July, the Guardian has learned.
With three weeks to go before the general election, candidates and advisers had begun lining up behind their preferred contenders, sources said, with some Tory campaigners complaining they were being inundated with messages from potential leaders.
The early favourites for leader include former secretaries of state Priti Patel, Suella Braverman, Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps. Several of those, however, are fighting to retain their seats, leaving their contention highly uncertain.
One Tory adviser said: “There is quite a bit of manoeuvring going on already. Members of the cabinet are texting candidates regularly just to ‘check in’, while others are already lining up their leadership teams.”
They added: “It can be quite annoying – sometimes you wish they would focus more on the general election campaign.”
.
I can still see them desperately seeking a new leader and a deal/aliance with reform.
I doubt there's any realistic mechanism unless sunak gets so fed up he tells us all to **** off a few weeks ahead of schedule.
If you wonder what the Greens look like in government then just look to see the results of their input in Scotland before they were chased. To be fair, they are probably the only Green party who have ended up arguing with Friends of the Earth and falling out with the UK Green Party accusing them of being 'transphobic'. They're a weird bunch and are miles away from the sort of Green parties you see in Europe.
