Ot labour will get in

[KerrAvon]

I would also say the quality of debate in this election is going to be very poor, and very little about values or realistic solutions to genuinely big issues, on any side.

The quality of debate will be poor because nobody is willing to grasp the nettle and speak the truth, which is that the UK is no longer an influential country and has been slipping down the economic league table (the UK economy was 90% of the size of the German economy in 2016 – it’s now down to 70%).

We need to recognise reality and address where the UK is. That means finally growing out of the post empire ‘stiff upper lip – of course Johnny foreigner will want to trade with us - and we’ve got an attractive flag’ mentality that brought us Brexit and an approach to Covid that resulted in the country sustaining more deaths than it needed to.

We also need to recognise the impact of slipping down the economic league tables. We vote for parties that want to reduce taxation whilst still believing that we can maintain the triple lock on pensions, have decent class sizes in schools that aren’t falling down, a world class health service, and roads that are free of potholes. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t get voted in.

[KerrAvon]

Not sure that many, if any, vters who are currently inclined to vote Labour would switch to Reform. I think voters this way inclined will have spread between Conservative and Reform ages ago, with Farage taking a few more of the Tory trad members now he is fronting them up. It's good news for Labour i think, the split that we hoped Farage might deliver in 2019 but stood his tory facing candidates down. He now seems to genuinely want to rival the tories as Labours main opposition. I don't think he's a hope in hell, but that's his plan I think.

Grist won't vote for Farage - born in Kent lives in London.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Grist won't vote for Farage - born in Kent lives in London.

Too true, it's the duck with a red rosette for my vote

[UlleyMiller]

Please keep these threads coming. Absolute comic gold.

The world's 78th largest country checking in with its 6th largest economy, and here they are again with the doom.

Keep it coming!!

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Please keep these threads coming. Absolute comic gold.

The world's 78th largest country checking in with its 6th largest economy, and here they are again with the doom.

Keep it coming!!

Yes indeed hilarious to think that anything will change.

Like football, you can have decent players but if the manager is crap you'll win nowt

[LincsMiller]

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Voting in the UK is like asking a potato if it wants to be mashed or chipped

[KerrAvon]

Please keep these threads coming. Absolute comic gold.

The world's 78th largest country checking in with its 6th largest economy, and here they are again with the doom.

Keep it coming!!

6th on total GDP, but where are we ranked on GDP per capita?

[Redshank]

Farage will pinch as many votes from Labour as he does from Conservatives. If proportional representation existed Reform would have a huge impact and rightly so.

Exactly. Nothing will change until we get a democratic voting system. But no chance of that with both main parties not interested in democratic process within their own party, never mind the whole electorate.

Labour are worse than the Tories for undemocratic selection of MPs. Hardly any Labour MP standing down over the last couple of years, all of a sudden, there's a whole raft of them, right at the death, too late to have a proper selection process involving the members. Instead, the NEC parachute in Starmer-ite yes men/women with no connection to the constituency.

Morgan McSweeney... remember his name. He's the new Dominic Cummings and has Starmer completely under his control.

Make a note also of Labour MPs recently standing down. I guarantee that they'll be in the House of Lords this time next year in recognition of their "timely resignation".

I'm done with the Labour Party. Greens can have my vote.

[UlleyMiller]

6th on total GDP, but where are we ranked on GDP per capita?

BBC Factcheck may correct me, but I seem to remember 22nd. Both figures are less than the full story, but the point remains that we are 'punching' when it comes to the revenue we're able to generate as a relatively small nation.