there's an election

[.V.]

Pissed off with Lib Dems & SNP still.

Still think Labour should push for a minority government. Will of the people and all that.

I think the Tories have to be seen to fail before they can properly push for this sadly. When they do then Labour can press for a minority govt, because they Tories cant dissolve Parliament on their own now.

 

[.V.]

I really hope the Ruth Davidson doesn't become Tory leader, as much as I'd like to see a LGBT Prime Minister. I think she would do very well in a general election.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

 

[smat]

The absolute brass neck of Theresa May to make that statement about forming the next government with the DUP without bursting into tears.

 

[Stringy]

I said further up that Mansfield absolutely wouldn't vote Tory, so here I am just owning up to my pants prediction.

 

[HertsWolf]

It’s weird.
The basic Blairite contention that a beardy Bennite throwback like Corbyn couldn’t win a general election remains unscathed. But that vote share stat changes everything.
Brown got 29%. Miliband got 30%. Blair himself only managed 35% in 2005. Corbyn got over 40%. The ‘pragmatic’ centrists in the Labour Party can no longer argue that social democracy – proper social democracy, not their disingenuous, watered down third way crap – isn’t popular.
That’s huge. It completely changes the dynamic within the party, especially the PLP. It’s a good thing, too. The left needed this. British politic did, too. It’s not easy for me to be positive the moment, but I do genuinely consider the above change very welcome.

Maybe. Maybe not.
You have been convenient with your lens. And in not looking at the context of the political landscape.
With your lens, you omit to mention that in 1997, Blair won with 43% and in 2001 wth 41%. Heading backwards... 1992 (Kinnock - left) 34%, 1987 (Kinnock-left) 31%, 1983 (Foot-left) 28%, 1979 (Callaghan-noone really knows) 37%, 1974 (Wilson-middle) 39%. Corbyn's performance (40%, a 9.5pp increase) certainly looks excellent, but could they have got more? Corbyn's result looks far better than those of Kinnock and Foot, but pretty much at Blair's first two elections. Except he didn't win. That 'crap third way' did win then. And maybe it would have done yesterday. As to why it didn't do well in 2010 and 2015 is open to debate but many probably held Labour responsible for the economic crises around that time and felt that the 'business sense' of the Tories was safer.

In terms of context, the dramatic rise, collapse, rise, collapse, rise etc of the SNP, UKIP and the LibDems have muddied the waters in terms of results and percentages. In this election, we suddenly returned, effectively, to two-party politics so both Labour and the Tories showed a big increase in votes.
82.4% of votes were for those two parties, compared to just 67.3% two years ago. That's a staggering difference and British politics hasn't been so bipolar since the 1970 election (89.5%), although it did reach almost 81% in 1992. (So why did Kinnock only get 34%?)
In the last decade a series of events way beyond our control or influence has put the people of most nations into a state of apprehension and nervousness. The continued resilience of global terrorism networks, the global economic crisis, the relentlessness of globalisation and the internetisation of society has created a world that brings wealth, connectivity and opportunity but it also brings confusion and fear. In the UK, lay over that our own particular issues of the EU/Brexit, Scottish independence, immigration and maybe basic national identity and you have fertile ground for specialist political parties playing to specific interests: UKIP and the SNP both have "their thing". In both cases, the bullet has been shot and in both cases, arguably, neither party has a long-term future.
Corbyn appeared at a time when society is ditching the special interest political parties and looking for a return to strength and stability. Ironically for Theresa May, many found that, appropriately enough, in Labour as much as in the Tories.

So maybe Corbyn's result is a sudden demand for social democracy (whatever that might mean) by 40% of the population. Or maybe it's because everyone is deserting single-interest parties now that those special interests are mainstream.

I start a new job on Monday and therefore probably won’t be posting much at all in the next few months. Probably a good thing…

Good luck with the job. I do hope it's as a new MP. I had a similar situation early last year and disappeared - to huge sighs of relief - for a long time, but I do hope you manage to get back to post regularly.

 

[Abertawe]

I'm not happy with this apparent end game. Excluding Kensington, Tories & DUP = 13,908,917, FUCK OFF. To the streets surely. How can they preside over us. Progressive alliance need to come out and encourage a peaceful takeover.

 

[HertsWolf]

I'm not happy with this apparent end game. Excluding Kensington, Tories & DUP = 13,908,917, FUCK OFF. To the streets surely. How can they preside over us. Progressive alliance need to come out and encourage a peaceful takeover.

Because that's how democracy works.

 

[Aber gas]

My MP, actually gives a shit about the students, came to the uni loads of times this campaign just talking to people.

Good bloke is Clive.

I said further up that Mansfield absolutely wouldn't vote Tory, so here I am just owning up to my pants prediction.

you're not the only one lad

 

[Abertawe]

Because that's how democracy works.

It's how the process works, hardly democracy though.

I don't think this can last. Even Sky have been savaging the DUP. By being so desperate the Tories are actually doing even more damage to themselves in the long term.

 

[Renegade]

It's how the process works, hardly democracy though.

I don't think this can last. Even Sky have been savaging the DUP. By being so desperate the Tories are actually doing even more damage to themselves in the long term.

 

[HertsWolf]

It's how the process works, hardly democracy though.

I don't think this can last. Even Sky have been savaging the DUP. By being so desperate the Tories are actually doing even more damage to themselves in the long term.

Of course it's democratic.
It's more than Blair had in 1997, 3 million more than Blair or Cameron had in 2005 and 2010, 2 million more than the Tories two years ago.

If you want to talk about democracy, speak to a LibDem about how they got 23% of the vote in 2010 and just 9% of seats, or 8% of the vote last time and 1% of the seats.

Labour lost the election. Get over it. There'll be another one along in a minute.

 

[HertsWolf]

By being so desperate the Tories are actually doing even more damage to themselves in the long term.

Which is a problem for you, why?

 

[Abertawe]

Of course it's democratic.
It's more than Blair had in 1997, 3 million more than Blair or Cameron had in 2005 and 2010, 2 million more than the Tories two years ago.

If you want to talk about democracy, speak to a LibDem about how they got 23% of the vote in 2010 and just 9% of seats, or 8% of the vote last time and 1% of the seats.

Labour lost the election. Get over it. There'll be another one along in a minute.

Dunno why you being a plank mate.

 

[HertsWolf]

It's actually the second-highest number of winning votes in British electoral history. John Major's 14 million votes in 1992 being the record.
Are all these other victories undemocratic?

 

[HertsWolf]

Dunno why you being a plank mate.

Me the plank? Because I don't agree with you? ffs

 

[Aber gas]

Labour lost the election

Didn't really though. Given the context it's a kick arse, super duper, fully automated luxury communist WIN.

 

[Pagnell]

This new development should put shitrags like The Mail and The Sun in a right predicament.

 

[HertsWolf]

Didn't really though. Given the context it's a kick arse, super duper, fully automated luxury communist WIN.

Did though. LOL

I think it was a great campaign by Labour, helped substantially by the arrogance of a Conservative Party that actually believes the Telegraph, Express, Mail, Times and The Sun are a) accurate and b) representative of voters.

There's no such thing as a "moral victory". Because I am fairly sure you'll find that almost every person who voted Tory will disagree with you. Do remember that the Tory vote is also up, by 5.5 percentage points.

In a weird way, this was a vote for the establishment. Bit like with Macron. Instead of voting with the "say it like it is"....Britain backed the status quo.

 

[Abertawe]

Me the plank? Because I don't agree with you? ffs

No. You're angry and being argumentative. You need some chill basically.

 

[Abertawe]

Did though. LOL

I think it was a great campaign by Labour, helped substantially by the arrogance of a Conservative Party that actually believes the Telegraph, Express, Mail, Times and The Sun are a) accurate and b) representative of voters.

There's no such thing as a "moral victory". Because I am fairly sure you'll find that almost every person who voted Tory will disagree with you. Do remember that the Tory vote is also up, by 5.5 percentage points.

In a weird way, this was a vote for the establishment. Bit like with Macron. Instead of voting with the "say it like it is"....Britain backed the status quo.

Oh you're a troll, nevermind.

 

[HertsWolf]

No. You're angry and being argumentative. You need some chill basically.

You're kidding, right? Me angry?? Why would I be angry?

 

[Renegade]

This new development should put shitrags like The Mail and The Sun in a right predicament.

Now, now Pags, British terrorists aren't terrorists.

The DUP are absolute fucking scum, I sincerely hope the next election is called before 2022. Hopefully, a light is shone on just how backwards this party is and what it is preventing in Northern Ireland. If the rest of you could pressure them on abortion rights and marriage equality, that would be just lovely. The DUP will probably be pleased with direct rule given that they are now part of the ruling coalition, but Arlene Foster still hasn't been investigated for the RHI scandal and she probably won't be until power sharing is restored in Northern Ireland. On the plus side, it might mean some more funding for Northern Ireland. On the negative side, the corrupt DUP will piss it up the wall.

 

[HertsWolf]

Oh you're a troll, nevermind.

What on earth makes you think I'm a troll? I've simply debated the points you've made, calmly and rationally? Seems odd that you would think I need to chill. (Admittedly, it's always a bit irritating whenever anyone, effectively, tells you to calm down though.)

 

[Renegade]

You're kidding, right? Me angry?? Why would I be angry?

Dude, chill. Aber is like this with everyone, even those he loves. <3

I appreciate that you take the time to argue in facts, but trolls (the BNP hate mob) are taking up a little too much of your time on here recently.

 

[Veggie Legs]

This new development should put shitrags like The Mail and The Sun in a right predicament.

It definitely should, but it won't. Can't imagine them doing anything but sweeping it under the carpet.

 

[Pagnell]

It definitely should, but it won't. Can't imagine them doing anything but sweeping it under the carpet.

Absolutely, rags like those are adept at chatting complete shit one week then contradicting it the next as if it never happened.

 

[HertsWolf]

I sincerely hope the next election is called before 2022.

I think this is absolutely inevitable. When you have a minority government, there is a huge risk of a vote of no confidence. Personally, I feel the DUP will have too high expectations and they won't be bothered about having to go back to the polls sooner rather than later. So I feel there will be another election within a year or two.
Northern Ireland will be particularly badly affected by Brexit, so it is likely that the DUP (like or loathe them) will be keen for some kind of deal rather than no deal. That will moderate, surely, the Tories hard Brexit ambitions. (Edited Although, the DUP have a clutch of extremely right-wing policies that are deeply unpleasant.

I do feel this might, indeed, shine a light on politics in NI and hopefully in a positive way. It still feels (probably wrongly but that's just how it feels) all too sectarian and focused on petty things. The page of negotiating commitments at the front of the DUP manifesto is telling. Most people outside, NI will be going "WTF is this all about? Why is this shit important?"

I appreciate that you take the time to argue in facts, but trolls (the BNP hate mob) are taking up a little too much of your time on here recently.

I don't usually bother much to argue the facts, but I don't like the bigots taking over threads. I know that most of it is trolling by them but in my paranoia, I have these suspicions that some of it is orchestrated. You see it on so many forums.....these people insidiously putting forward the same soundbite shite.

In this case, I'm relaxed (Ummm..I wasn't the one wanting to take to the streets or claiming it's all undemocratic). I am delighted that the progressive vote has been so strong this election. I think it's a great sign that people care about social issues, social justice, that money isn't everything and that there needs to be a more compassionate approach to politics. I am particularly pleased for Corbyn because the media have treated him disgustingly the last two years.

 

[.V.]

The right wing Tory press have seemingly exhausted their attacks on Corbyn now. What else can they attack him on that will effect public perception of him?

 

[HertsWolf]

The right wing Tory press have seemingly exhausted their attacks on Corbyn now. What else can they attack him on that will effect public perception of him?

Rupert Murdoch stormed out of an election night party when he heard the exit poll.