General Election - 4th July 2024

[mackenzie]

I’m becoming more inclined to vote Lib Dem by the day tbh.

Me too.
I do think Labour will win comfortably though, but I have never liked any party having a massive majority and I hope that doesn't happen (although it will be funny to see some of the more prominent Tories lose their seats!)

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

Yikes… Tim Stanley of all people with the steel chair.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I have just read an argument in another place that Starmer's proposal to create more courts to deal with rape is impractical because, irrespective of funds, we do not have the capacity in (physical) courts, judges or lawyers.

If that criticism is valid, this country is more royally fucked than I had imagined. Because we can no longer deliver justice, one of the most basic functions of government. I just don't know what to say. It's scarcely believable.

It’s been coming since 2008 when legal aid rates were changed and weren’t increased (even with inflation) until a couple of years ago following the well-publicised strike action. This meant that less and less legal graduates were attracted into the criminal legal profession. For over a decade the number of criminal pupillages and training contracts were vanishingly small meaning far too few (and increasingly fewer) people were entering the profession.

This didn’t matter as much while the trial backlog wasn’t being addressed (and was increasing) and during Covid when things slowed down even further - but since the pandemic there’s (very belatedly) been significant moves to start clearing the backlog, but there aren’t anything like the number of practitioners to keep up. There simply aren’t enough criminal solicitors and/or barristers to cope. This has obviously been accentuated by peoole leaving the professions by way of retirement, death and people moving into other, better rewarded areas of law.

So those that do practise in crime are mad busy, and certainly earning far more than they were a decade or so ago, but there simply aren’t enough of them - and that isn’t something to which there is any quick fix. You can’t just magic up criminal barristers out of nowhere.

 

[mexico1970]

Actually my comment related to Reform candidates being thick morons, and from what I’ve seen so far I don’t think I’m far wrong.

I'm conflicted, but not enough to be overly concerned.

 

[Bodicoteblue]

I have just read an argument in another place that Starmer's proposal to create more courts to deal with rape is impractical because, irrespective of funds, we do not have the capacity in (physical) courts, judges or lawyers.

If that criticism is valid, this country is more royally fucked than I had imagined. Because we can no longer deliver justice, one of the most basic functions of government. I just don't know what to say. It's scarcely believable.

But…but….wee rishi had plenty of fully staffed courts, with judges ready to stop those ‘lefty’ lawyers from obstructing the sending of those awful illegal sorts to the peaceful heaven-on- earth that is Rwanda at the drop of a hat.
Surely we can use those - unless they don’t exist of course but that would have meant we were being told a big old lie!

 

[Vic]

Currently reading this and imo honest opinion not a great deal has changed.

It has. We've had a century of unionised labour, and working conditions are vastly improved, safety standards have been imposed, and the Tories have failed (narrowly) to dismantle the welfare state. This was posted to highlight that there are still people willing to blame "elites" but happy to follow some of the worst of those elites.

 

[Zablo Pabletta]

Reform UK candidate apologises over Hitler neutrality comments

Ian Gribbin says his grandparents were "Russian Jews fleeing persecution" and his comments were taken out of context.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[kaz7]

Whatever you do dont waste your vote on people/parties who will have zero say in how the country is run

 

[Vic]

Reform UK candidate apologises over Hitler neutrality comments

Ian Gribbin says his grandparents were "Russian Jews fleeing persecution" and his comments were taken out of context.

www.bbc.co.uk

So Reform is a party of appeasers, just after all that D-Day nonsense. That should be a lifeline for the Tories.

 

[inchy14]

It has. We've had a century of unionised labour, and working conditions are vastly improved, safety standards have been imposed, and the Tories have failed (narrowly) to dismantle the welfare state. This was posted to highlight that there are still people willing to blame "elites" but happy to follow some of the worst of those elites.

True but the disparity between rich and poor is bigger, swathes of housing is once again owned by private landlords and we’re paying over the odds in rent, food prices are extortionate yet supermarkets are making record profits.