O/T - Ben Wallace.

[Omegstrat6]

The odds of those who replace him are depressing.

I don't see anyone in that list of note.

I rarely get it right in politics because I can't guess which way this electorate would typically vote, but I see no one inspiring at all. If LD and Labour manage to form a coalition at the next election and change the voting system from FPTP, the Tories could be in the wilderness for a long time.

I'd like to see PR system introduced too. Unless the next Tory leader can pull off nothing short of a miracle I think the recent local elections also indicate a good chance of a Labour/LibDem alliance forming a minority government after the next election too-though how much good this may do I don't know. Let's wait for the next lot of manifestos as at the moment I've really little idea of what the opposition parties plans are as they are too busy offering criticisms rather than solutions at present!

[mickd1961]

The odds of those who replace him are depressing.

I don't see anyone in that list of note.

I rarely get it right in politics because I can't guess which way this electorate would typically vote, but I see no one inspiring at all. If LD and Labour manage to form a coalition at the next election and change the voting system from FPTP, the Tories could be in the wilderness for a long time.

There’s no way Labour will change the voting system to PR, they’ll believe they can get a majority in the future.

Two and a half years is an eternity in politics, there’s enough time for a sensible Tory leader with a Centre to slightly Left agenda to put the party in a good position again.

I said last night that a new party is needed though, all of the present options are too riven be extremist to both sides.

[mickd1961]

I'd like to see PR system introduced too. Unless the next Tory leader can pull off nothing short of a miracle I think the recent local elections also indicate a good chance of a Labour/LibDem alliance forming a minority government after the next election too-though how much good this may do I don't know. Let's wait for the next lot of manifestos as at the moment I've really little idea of what the opposition parties plans are as they are too busy offering criticisms rather than solutions at present!

They’ll need SNP support in all likelihood.

You really want Sturgeon pulling the strings?

F u c k me, you think things are bad now.

People need to wake up and smell the coffee.

[WBA123]

They’ll need SNP support in all likelihood.

You really want Sturgeon pulling the strings?

F u c k me, you think things are bad now.

People need to wake up and smell the coffee.

It won't get worse than this. This is a real low point for this country.

We have a PM pushing all of our constitutional boundaries, for his own benefit.

[mickd1961]

It won't get worse than this. This is a real low point for this country.

We have a PM pushing all of our constitutional boundaries, for his own benefit.

If there is the slightest chance of Sturgeon holding the U.K’s b o l l o x in her palm in an even worse way the DUP with Theresa May then I can’t vote for Labour or Libs.

We already pay too much to subsidise that utter basket case of a country, I don’t want her with the whip hand.

[kettering_baggie]

I don’t particularly want to vote Conservative, I didn’t in the last election, but there is no way that I could vote for Labour, yes they do have some very good, principled MPs, there are far too many crackpots in the party and too many that hold views favouring minority groups in society. The LibDems are protest vote. We really do need a good PM that can put together a government that will bring the country through the difficult times we face today.

[Omegstrat6]

I don’t particularly want to vote Conservative, I didn’t in the last election, but there is no way that I could vote for Labour, yes they do have some very good, principled MPs, there are far too many crackpots in the party and too many that hold views favouring minority groups in society. The LibDems are protest vote. We really do need a good PM that can put together a government that will bring the country through the difficult times we face today.

Don't disagree with any of that! I'm normally inclined to favour Labour but the party has been too fractured for years and with too many far left influencers. Boris's govt. though , to me, represented the worst of the Tory party with its elitist, self-interested and out of touch views. All their talk of levelling up is just empty rhetoric to chase voters. As you say, the recent LibDem victories in local elections simply smack of tactical voting as people fall out of love with Boris but equally don't trust Labour. Tough times ahead and hard to identify anyone from any party who may make a decent PM.

[Omegstrat6]

They’ll need SNP support in all likelihood.

You really want Sturgeon pulling the strings?

F u c k me, you think things are bad now.

People need to wake up and smell the coffee.

Don't really know whether the SNP would cosy up to Labour and having Sturgeon in any sort of position to pull strings is the last thing I would want. I'm just saying that I can't honestly see the new Tory leader -whomever that will be-being able to keep them in power as too much damage has been done and that the recent local elections seem to indicate a lot of tactical voting will probably happen at the next election.

[mickd1961]

Don't really know whether the SNP would cosy up to Labour and having Sturgeon in any sort of position to pull strings is the last thing I would want. I'm just saying that I can't honestly see the new Tory leader -whomever that will be-being able to keep them in power as too much damage has been done and that the recent local elections seem to indicate a lot of tactical voting will probably happen at the next election.

No......it’s Labour that’ll cost up to the SNP, literally anything to get them into power again.

It’s well accepted that since Labour can no longer win the seats they used to easily win in Scotland it makes it almost impossible for them to win a majority to govern by.

Mark my words, Wee Krankie will end up holding the whip hand and with far more power than the DUP had over Theresa May.

I believe that even the thought of this will make many Tory waverers return to the fold at the next General Election.

If I was running the Tory campaign it’d be one of the main things I’d be ramming down people’s throats.

“Vote Labour Get Sturgeon” would be the message I’d get everyone putting out.

Labour have already lost Scotland forever, the Tory’s still get a few seats from north of the border.

Labour can “afford” to cosy up to Sturgeon and even agree to an independence vote such is their weakness in Scotland.

[WBA123]

No......it’s Labour that’ll cost up to the SNP, literally anything to get them into power again.

It’s well accepted that since Labour can no longer win the seats they used to easily win in Scotland it makes it almost impossible for them to win a majority to govern by.

Mark my words, Wee Krankie will end up holding the whip hand and with far more power than the DUP had over Theresa May.

I believe that even the thought of this will make many Tory waverers return to the fold at the next General Election.

If I was running the Tory campaign it’d be one of the main things I’d be ramming down people’s throats.

“Vote Labour Get Sturgeon” would be the message I’d get everyone putting out.

Labour have already lost Scotland forever, the Tory’s still get a few seats from north of the border.

Labour can “afford” to cosy up to Sturgeon and even agree to an independence vote such is their weakness in Scotland.

Its the angle they'll go down most probably, because most people vote for a party to keep the others out of power. But it doesn't make any sense, here's why..

Considering you need 325 seats to win a majority, current polling suggests Labour would be just short of a majority (around 300-315 seats). They've got Plaid Cymru, Green and Lib Dems to lean on before SNP. Between those 3 they'll have 30+ seats minimum, maybe 50+ seats if LD keep making gains in the south vs Tories.

It means Labour would need 270 ish seats for that to happen. They won 260 seats under Corbyn in 2017. So if you go on current modelling, it actually makes no sense to vote Tory to not get SNP. It makes more sense to vote Labour for that to happen. The more seats Tories take off Labour, the more chance Labour will have to rely on SNP.

But these are only polls, and we know how inaccurate they can be, also Tories are at rock bottom right now so who knows where they'll be polling come election day. It would have to be an almighty swing for them to win a majority from here though.

The best case scenario in my view is Lab/LD form a coalition and the voting system changes so we're no longer a 2 party country. The choice between Corbyn and Johnson at the last election proves how bad that can be for the country.