THE FOURTH OF JULY

[Chris152]

Irrelevant - the big failure is Starmer's. He's supposed to be leading the opposition.

It's like a battle for who owns the Labour party, rather than trying to take whatever steps we can to undo the damage done to our country by the tories. With enough Starmer-bashing from the left of the party and an unholy alliance (whatever form than might take) between reform and the tories, irrevocable damage could be done to the long-term prospects of the left in the UK. Have the argument with Starmer once he's in power.

 

[RobinBHM]

He's supposed to be leading the opposition

the polls show he is doing a fantastic job

 

[RobinBHM]

 

[RobinBHM]

I saw this tweeted by Alastair Cambell:

BREAKING: Am being leaked all the campaign director morning notes from Tory HQ now … here is today’s … we will be fielding C Heaton-Harris on the media this morning. You will know he is not standing but as with M Gove we think this helps us.

These departing MPs are able to put a bit of distance from the campaign and when asked to comment eg on betting scandals, unravelling tax lies and the like, they can say it is not a matter for them. But they can then pivot to our line of the day which is that Starmer will take UK back into EU. We need to be careful however, as there is a danger this will make Starmer more popular. So we need to issue the warning gently, especially in Lib Dem areas.

Please don’t leak but the Chancellor called the PM yesterday furious at his “Brexit is great”’tweet (overnight focus groups suggest JH has a point but let’s double down to show confidence in our strategy.

Tomorrow Sir Gavin Williamson will be main message carrier.

Unfortunately most of current cabinet now feel they are in either lost cause seats or marginals so we have to respect their refusal to go out and defend the national campaign. But as you know Gav is a great salesman and we are hoping he can do for Rishi what he once did for fireplaces.

No new scandals overnight apart from us using public money to set up party website for candidates. But thankfully there are so many bigger scandals nobody is noticing. And remember … it is no longer about stopping the boats but stopping the votes. STOP THE VOTES. AVOID THE SUPERDEFEAT WE KNOW WE DESERVE. Onwards !!!

 

[Rhossydd]

.....
Tomorrow Sir Gavin Williamson will be main message carrier.

I assume that's all a spoof, but that Williamson was knighted says it all about the tories.

 

[Spectric]

the polls show he is doing a fantastic job

He actually does better when not saying anything, all he needs to do is sit tight and wait for the keys to number 10 . He is one of those politicians that has as much character or charisma as a dirty nappy at a diner party. Labours problem is simply that it is no longer the labour party, it has taken the decision that wining an election is more important than keeping to it's roots and so has mutated into something that is aimed at wining the election but really all for nothing because it could be anything and still win.

 

[Jacob]

the polls show he is doing a fantastic job

Well not really.
Labour has 41% and ahead of the tories,
Labour had 41% in 2017 but just behind the tories.
In other words if Starmer gets in it will only be because of tory collapse, not because of his vague programme, on which his rating has simply not improved over Corbyn's.
If he had not attacked the left and instead kept Labour as a broad church his rating would almost certainly be higher.

 

[Jacob]

I have just been watching a presentation by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) on the main party election manifestos. Completely scathing - in summary:

"They have singularly failed even to acknowledge some of the most important issues and choices to have faced us for a very long time. As the population ages these choices will become harder, not easier. We cannot wish them away".

Link to full presentation IFS

IFS have a world class reputation for independent economic analysis and are financed by government departments, major charities with only a small amount of funding from business.

In short - political alignment is evidently a triumph of faith over reason.

A vote for either Green or Reform is looking attractive (despite obvious flaws) to send a message to the major parties that honesty and clarity is more important than empty and deficient spin.

Or go for the traditional tactical vote - LibDem. No better than Tory or Labour bur they seem like nice people (mostly)!

 

[RobinBHM]

Labours problem is simply that it is no longer the labour party, it has taken the decision that wining an election is more important than keeping to it's roots and so has mutated into something that is aimed at wining

“Labours problem is simply that it is no longer the Labour party”
…….I agree with that, it’s actually electable for a change.

but really all for nothing because it could be anything

I politely disagree, Labour has become electable because it has positioned itself where it isn’t alienating floating voters.

Labour wouldn’t be ahead if it had a Corbyn continuity candidate like Rebecca Long Bailey as leader.

And Labour have plenty of policies which will make change, I’ve listed a few already.

You have to bear in mind Starmer has been fighting right wing populism with a mostly right wing media spreading lies and propaganda, there’s no political bandwidth it gets crowded out with hatred of foreigners and phoney culture wars.

We live in dangerous times

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Well not really.
Labour has 41% and ahead of the tories,
Labour had 41% in 2017 but just behind the tories.
In other words if Starmer gets in it will only be because of tory collapse, not because of his vague programme, on which his rating has simply not improved over Corbyn's.
If he had not attacked the left and instead kept Labour as a broad church his rating would almost certainly be higher.

In 2017 Corbyn may have benefitted from Tory disarray over Brexit and an ineffectual (although decent) Mrs May.

In 2019, Corbyn at the helm, Labour managed 32% of the vote and allowed the Tories to dominate.

Two lessons - Corbyn failed and very large majorities do not make for good government.

 

[woodieallen]

I'm voting for my current MP. Not the Party. It's because of what he has done for us in the constituency while being MP

 

[Scruples]

I'm voting for my current MP. Not the Party. It's because of what he has done for us in the constituency while being MP

And that is how voting should go across the land.

 

[selectortone]

I'm voting Labour, and for the first time ever, in 50 years voting at GEs, my candidate might actually win. Despite Tobias Ellwood, the Tory candidate here in Bournemouth East, being generally a decent bloke. Nice but dim. He'd make a good Liberal Democrat.

I just can't wait to see the back of those entitled, cruel, self-enriching, Eton-prefect Tory sleazebags. I'm praying (and still not quite believing) I'll be dancing in the street on July 5th.

 

[Keith Cocker]

It's like a battle for who owns the Labour party, rather than trying to take whatever steps we can to undo the damage done to our country by the tories. With enough Starmer-bashing from the left of the party and an unholy alliance (whatever form than might take) between reform and the tories, irrevocable damage could be done to the long-term prospects of the left in the UK. Have the argument with Starmer once he's in power.

Absolutely spot on.

 

[selectortone]

Absolutely spot on.

Yep.

 

[selectortone]

 

[Rayfontofall]

Perhaps being that close she explained the difference between male and female so he does not wonder why she is not standing next to him at the urinals !!

 

[Yorkieguy]

As is often the case, politicians at all levels have spent too much time trying to discredit their opponents rather that in expounding their plans should they be elected. The Tories lost the chance of being re-elected with Partygate, Matt Hancock banging on about social distancing while snogging his mistress, BoJo supporting Dominic Cummings, and their failure to deliver 'levelling up' which lured 'Red Wall' voters to vote Tory for the fist time in their lives.

I think most of those who will bother to vote, probably made their minds up in 2021 and I doubt the dial has shifted.

But in his desire to get elected, Sir Kier Starmer has overpromised what can be realistically achieved, and hasn't been open about the likely costs, despite saying their manifesto is 'fully costed.' He changes his mind from one week to the next, and he says one thing, but other members say another. For example:

Labour has pledged to ban zero-hours contracts, end fire-and-rehire practices and introduce “day-one” employment rights as part of a “new deal for working people” within the first 100 days of taking office.

At the recent 'Times CEO Summit' Rachel Reeves, in trying to woe business leaders to back Labour and invest in the UK ', stated: 'Labour is unapologetically and unambiguously a party of wealth creation', and: 'Business had nothing to worry about from the party's plan to bolster workers' rights'. She said: 'The party would not ban flexible working or zero hours employment contracts and would allow companies to hire on short terms contracts or to offer overtime working'.

She announced plans for a new National Wealth fund which she claims will 'unlock business investment and for every £1.00 of public investment would bring in £3.00 of private sector investment, create 650,000 jobs and would include £2.5 bill to rebuild the UK steel industry, £1.8 bill to upgrade ports, and 1.4 bill into the automotive industry.

The Labour Party has generally only had to operating levers - one marked 'TAX' the other marked 'SPEND' and has been (to some extent still is), on a point of principle more concerned about wealth redistribution than in wealth creation, so it makes quite a change to see someone who has the insight and grasp to want to see the economy thrive.

But to what extent those targets are realistic, and whether this anticipated new wealth is part of Starmer's 'fully costed plan' remains to be seen. No new taxes? I don't believe him. He'd probably get more votes if he came clean and it wont be long till he's saying: 'After 14 years of Tory Misrule, things are much worse than we'd expected'. The manifesto promises look too good to be true. I think he's underestimated the cost and the timescales, and has has anticipated income from boosting the economy which is by now means guaranteed.

Rachel Reeves is bright, well-educated, has worked for the Bank of England and in banking and finance.

While at secondary school, she won a British Under-14 girls chess championship title After gaining A-Levels in politics, economics, mathematics and further mathematics, she gained a BA in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University, then graduated with an MSc in economics from the London School of Economics. Her first job after leaving university was at the Bank of England, then she moved to Leeds in 2006 to work for the retail arm of HBOS – the UKs largest mortgage lender.

I hope her plans bear fruit.

 

[Spectric]

Matt Hancock banging on about social distancing while snogging his mistress, BoJo

Read that with care otherwise it will generate some very disturbing images that will haunt you for life.

 

[Jake]

He is one of those politicians that has as much character or charisma as a dirty nappy at a diner party.

He seems lot more decent than anyone who has recently been PM or even in government. Maybe we should learn that politics is serious, not entertainment, from the wreckage that the sort of 'flamboyant' people you seem to prefer have inflicted.

And also I know which would be a better dinner party guest, and it's not the Farage/Johnson bullshitter types.