General Election - 4th July 2024

[bluenova]

That’s all true but only because of our ridiculous FPTP voting system. A true coalition, with a more equal share of the power base is a completely unknown entity in this country.
Before the 2019 election, which was odd for a variety of well known reasons, almost 200 seats haven’t changed sides since WWII (1 in 10 haven’t moved since the end of WWI and there was no Labour Party then)!
In fact, if you counted equivalent predecessor seats some haven’t changed hands since the 1800’s.
54 Tory seats haven’t moved for well over a 100 years. East Devon has been a Tory seat since 1835…..
It means that almost 14 MILLION people are, effectively, in one part fiefdoms, with no opportunity to ‘vote them out if they’re no good‘, which we are conned into thinking is democracy. It’s not…

I understand that - and I'm not suggesting PR is a bad idea - but it's far from a guarantee that the Tories would be out of power.

I think a lot of the "out for ever" goes back to the kind of 80s/90s/00s results where a simple Labour+LD sum was always over 50% and at times 60%+. You either had Thatcher, or still had her spectre looming over politics, and it was obvious which side you're on. Nowadays, things are a little messier, and we're more aware that a lot of voters might be left wing economically, but not in terms of social issues.

Nowadays a six party coalition just scraping over the line, would be messy, especially if the Tories were the largest party. We also saw how the LDs got hammered for the coalition - something that is quite common for junior partners in coalitions, because they have to give up so much. It would not be a surprise if a progressive coalition with a small and messy majority, was followed by a Tory+Faragesque win at the following election. And whose to say that if PR results in a Corbynesque socialist party picking up 5%+, that the LDs won't jump into bed with a Tory party that "modernises" again?

 

[BrianW]

The problem is this country has never been so divided - not in my life time, and I honestly believe not since the Civil War.

Under our winner takes all system (a very bad system) where the largest minority gets to dictate to everyone else, a very large proportion of the population will always be very unhappy.

Tories who support FPTP should ask themselves this. It is possible for a majority government to be elected on 35% of the vote if everything drops right. What if that 35% happened to be a bunch of far-left socialists with a plan to nationalise almost everything and set up a republic? Would you see it as 'the will of the people?' Because with changing demographics, it could happen one day.

 

[Postman Pep]

Can't wait.....

 

[Postman Pep]

 

[The Future’s Blue!]

Commy bastards. Absolutely sad state of affairs how the far left have been treated, left to start shite threads and post their ideology on.

Sad times.

 

[Postman Pep]

 

[Kirkstall Blue]

Initially I thought a landslide labour victory but I’m not so sure now, the Tories with their “stop the boats” campaign aided by some media have a strong vote winner in this campaign
Unfortunately racism is alive and well “it’s the fault of immigrants we can’t have a doctors appointment in some parts of the UK” etc.
I said to someone complaining “are you sure it’s not your English accent she (lives in Wales) she hadn’t thought of that one but voted Tory at the last GE“ it went very quiet racism or disadvantaged by your accent is systemic One of the greatest buzz words is racism and labour will have to work really hard to turn it around

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

Initially I thought a landslide labour victory but I’m not so sure now, the Tories with their “stop the boats” campaign aided by some media have a strong vote winner in this campaign
Unfortunately racism is alive and well “it’s the fault of immigrants we can’t have a doctors appointment in some parts of the UK” etc.
I said to someone complaining “are you sure it’s not your English accent she (lives in Wales) she hadn’t thought of that one but voted Tory at the last GE“ it went very quiet racism or disadvantaged by your accent is systemic One of the greatest buzz words is racism and labour will have to work really hard to turn it around

Will be interesting to see what happens with the Scottish Vote, the SNP in turmoil with the allegations around their finances will this potentially open up an inroad for the Westminster parties to get back into Scotland when it has been dominated by the SNP. Could help Labour if so.

 

[StrangewaysHereWeCome]

Like a lot of people I was Liberal minded in my teenage years right through to fairly recently. As I'm pushing 50 I find myself with conservative views/ideals.. (if that makes sense, I don't always know how to express myself.)
Anyhoo, no fucking way could I ever vote for this so called conservative party. Or the other lot. We're fucked as a country with the vaguely attainable promise of success keeping one going.

Feel sorry for the next generation.

 

[domalino]

Initially I thought a landslide labour victory but I’m not so sure now, the Tories with their “stop the boats” campaign aided by some media have a strong vote winner in this campaign
Unfortunately racism is alive and well “it’s the fault of immigrants we can’t have a doctors appointment in some parts of the UK” etc.
I said to someone complaining “are you sure it’s not your English accent she (lives in Wales) she hadn’t thought of that one but voted Tory at the last GE“ it went very quiet racism or disadvantaged by your accent is systemic One of the greatest buzz words is racism and labour will have to work really hard to turn it around

It makes a lot of noise on TV but the polling suggests "Stop the boats" type stuff is way down most voters list of concerns in a bad economy with a cost of living crisis.

Labour still have a 20 point lead, and this business with Raab and Sunak getting investigated for corruptly not declaring his interest in childcare firms is going to be another dent in their numbers.