UK Politics: A Partly Political Broadcast

[The Anti-Targ]

If the centre-right business oriented types (urban, better educated?) are in favour of a referendum, which one assume also means a decent proportion of that 70% are remainers. And the educated left are also largely pro-referendum and remainer. Then that must mean there are a lot of mouth-breathers on left and right who are anti-ref leavers if the gen pop polls are a lot tighter than the Times reader survey. Or the gen pop polls are somehow badly misreading the national mood for a ref.

[ants]

15 hours ago, mormont said:

So Johnson is sitting on the report into Russian interference in UK elections, until after the election. Weird coincidence, huh?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/04/no-10-blocks-russia-eu-referendum-report-until-after-election

It is stuff like this where I thought Corbyn was an idiot not to do a temporary deal for a cross-party government to stop no-deal and bring in new elections.  It would have given the opposition parties a month or so to dig up and publish every report, rotten deal and bad analysis that the government itself had performed on this issue, Brexit, future trade negotiations, preparations for no-deal, but also domestic areas such as the NHS and transport.  You could have had a month of the election with release after release of "this is what the Tories were hiding!". 

[mormont]

Government ads for Universal Credit, claiming to 'debunk' myths, have been banned by the ASA because they themselves are 'misleading'.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-50304322

Quote

The claims included in the Universal Credit Uncovered advert series included:

• "Myth: universal credit makes it harder to pay your rent on time. Fact: your job centre can give you an advance payment and pay rent directly to landlords."

The ASA said this was misleading as it omitted significant restrictions placed on the right to alternative payment arrangements, which are in fact available to about one in 10 claimants.

The ASA said: "We considered that readers would understand the claim to mean that under UC the option to have rent paid directly to landlords was generally available without restriction to all claimants who wanted it."

Other adverts claimed:

• "Myth: you have to wait five weeks to get any money on universal credit. Fact: if you need money, your job centre will urgently pay you an advance."

This again, the ASA concluded, was misleading, saying it was not always made clear enough in the adverts the advance was a loan to be repaid within 12 months, or that the advance payments were not necessarily available immediately.

And others said:

• "Myth: universal credit doesn't work. Fact: it does. People move into work faster on universal credit than they did on the old system."

The ASA said it considered that readers would interpret the wording "move into work faster" to refer to secure ongoing employment, but in fact the 2017 study the claim was based on had included "people who had worked for only a few hours on one occasion during the relevant period".

 

 

 

[mormont]

So, so far the Tory election campaign is a string of gaffes and resignations. It's going well.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-50302173

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-50314112

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/03/tory-mp-ross-thomson-quit-after-denying-sexual-assault-claim

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18017661.sky-news-interviews-empty-chair-conservative-no-show/

[Heartofice]

The Kate Burley story is a bit of an odd one, considering James Cleverly wasn't actually booked to be on her show. 

[A wilding]

Another (admittedly minor) one by the Tory candidate in my constituency:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-50306103

Plays nicely to the "out of touch" theme, for all his claims to be a local ...

[BigFatCoward]

The bookies have taken note of the tory fuck ups. Since yesterday labour are now twice as likely to win a majority (still not very likely) and the tories are half as likely. 

[Maltaran]

Labour have banned three of their MPs from standing again

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50319044

Includes Chris Williamson, but oddly not Keith Vaz, apparently they haven't made a final decision on him although it seems an obvious choice.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Dunt's summary of the beginning of the Tory capaign. Funny and terrifying at the same time. How will the Tories be able to keep that amount of crazy up till December?

 

[Chaircat Meow]

Tom Watson is not standing again.

Bad.

It seems like moderates in both parties just keep surrendering to the crazies. 

[SeanF]

21 hours ago, Maltaran said:

Labour have banned three of their MPs from standing again

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50319044

Includes Chris Williamson, but oddly not Keith Vaz, apparently they haven't made a final decision on him although it seems an obvious choice.

Chris Williamson is the sort of MP you want to give a free transfer to.

Ian Austin and John Woodcock are today urging people to vote Conservative.

[BigFatCoward]

They just couldn't help themselves could they. Tories fuck up royally, could they take advantage and look like a party ready to govern and lead? Could they fuck. 

[Maltaran]

1 hour ago, SeanF said:

1 hour ago, SeanF said:

Chris Williamson is the sort of MP you want to give a free transfer to.

 

Both him and Godsiff are now running as independents 

[Ser Hedge]

Have the LibDems missed a trick by identifying so strongly with Remain their other policies have just been completely sidelined or are not getting any attention in the media? The centre ground in politics is so wide open now, but you don't see many voting for them just because they are the most 'moderate' party.

Also, while it would have made little difference in most constituencies, could the United to Remain pact in 60 seats not be extended to a UK-wide LibDem-Green alliance?  The symbolic value of a joint platform might have brought in more green and young votes with climate change topical. I know past voting would show the Greens have tiny vote share in non-pact seats, but you would have had stronger climate change credentials and made that a real election issue. Maybe you win a few more marginals here and there, surely worth trying?

 

[Werthead]

1 hour ago, Ser Hedge said:

Have the LibDems missed a trick by identifying so strongly with Remain their other policies have just been completely sidelined or are not getting any attention in the media? The centre ground in politics is so wide open now, but you don't see many voting for them just because they are the most 'moderate' party.

Also, while it would have made little difference in most constituencies, could the United to Remain pact in 60 seats not be extended to a UK-wide LibDem-Green alliance?  The symbolic value of a joint platform might have brought in more green and young votes with climate change topical. I know past voting would show the Greens have tiny vote share in non-pact seats, but you would have had stronger climate change credentials and made that a real election issue. Maybe you win a few more marginals here and there, surely worth trying?

Possibly. The LibDems are on thin ice because their stance on Brexit has overridden some memories of their role in the coalition, but that does seem to be coming back to haunt them. The Tories and Labour are both also talking about non-Brexit issues (today both hitting the idea of Northern regeneration hard), so it was probably a mistake for Hedi Allan to stand up and say that Brexit is the sole issue of this election. It may be the most important for some people, but it's not for a lot.

[mormont]

Candidates for both Labour and the Tories continue to drop like flies.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-50338256

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50341292

Does nobody vet these people?

[Spockydog]

"To me the Israeli state is like an abused child who becomes an abusive adult. Like child abuse it has to stop.”

Can anyone explain to me what makes this statement anti-semitic? 

[Which Tyler]

https://www.lcdviews.com/2019/11/07/moderate-tory-mps-to-stand-aside-for-batshit-crazy-candidates-in-tory-party-electoral-pact-with-itself

 

“Moderate” Tory MPs to stand aside for batshit crazy candidates in Tory party electoral pact with itself

 

IT TAKES ONE TO TANGO : THE CONSERVATIVE AND UNIONIST PARTY has been accused of a copycat strategy today after it reacted to the news of the ‘Unite to Remain’ electoral pacts with a unifying electoral pact strategy of its own.

 

Speaking through an interpreter at a campaign event in central London today, Tory party leader, Boris ‘there’s nothing to see in that intelligence report’ Johnson, garbled and mumbled, waffled and enthused in a collection of syllables mashed together to form a word salad.

 

He looked haggard, his hair looked like it was attempting an escape bid, and helpfully no one asked what it feels like to leave your wife and children, and move your young girlfriend into Downing Street. Because we don’t do moral standards in British political life anymore, at least, not under the Conservatives. Just ask serving cabinet ministers, who have been disgraced, resigned and then had their careers resurrected.

 

Mr Johnson’s statement was separated into its component parts and re-assembled in something akin to speech by the interpreter.

 

...

[SeanF]

14 hours ago, mormont said:

Candidates for both Labour and the Tories continue to drop like flies.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-50338256

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50341292

Does nobody vet these people?

All it needs is a google search.

I see another candidate has dropped out today, after calling a Jewish councillor "shylock."

[SeanF]

15 hours ago, Werthead said:

Possibly. The LibDems are on thin ice because their stance on Brexit has overridden some memories of their role in the coalition, but that does seem to be coming back to haunt them. The Tories and Labour are both also talking about non-Brexit issues (today both hitting the idea of Northern regeneration hard), so it was probably a mistake for Hedi Allan to stand up and say that Brexit is the sole issue of this election. It may be the most important for some people, but it's not for a lot.

I think it's sensible from the Lib Dems' point of view.  They aren't trying to win, they're trying to advance from 12 seats to 25 or so.  There are certainly that number of constituencies that are passionately pro-remain.