Election Year or Fear!

[SithHappens]

Just an anecdote Swale, we can all find/invent anecdotes that fit our narrative

We can, like Nigel did when he read out the supposed real letter saying what a marvelous chao he was at school and not at all racist.

[SithHappens]

Interesting to see Greens are odds on favourites to win the by election in Gorton and Denley, and more surprisingly Labour overtaking Reform as favourites to win the next election.

[swaledale]

Interesting to see Greens are odds on favourites to win the by election in Gorton and Denley, and more surprisingly Labour overtaking Reform as favourites to win the next election.

I'm not surprised, it is from what I've read a constituency with a large number of voters who are left leaning, they won;'t vote reform, and will not want to vote labour whilst they are leaning so far to the right and generally appearing unable to run a piss up in a brewery.

[ramAnag]

I'm not surprised, it is from what I've read a constituency with a large number of voters who are left leaning, they won;'t vote reform, and will not want to vote labour whilst they are leaning so far to the right and generally appearing unable to run a piss up in a brewery.

Denton and Gorton are quite different Swale. I used to play rugby years ago for nearby Ashton and we played against Burnage and Old Aldwinians (Audenshaw) which are both within this new constituency so it’s an area I’m relatively familiar with. My sister in law also used to live in Denton which is largely white and, for want of a much better term, upper working class, while Gorton used to be a place to avoid years ago but seems to have a better reputation these days along with a much higher Muslim population.
As someone who remembers the ‘flash and circle’ emblem of the BUF springing up around Manchester in the sixties I very much hope that decency prevails next Thursday and Mancunians show Farage the door marked exit.

[SithHappens]

Think we all accept Farage is thin skinned as proven by his refusal to answer probing questions.

https://x.com/BladeoftheS/status/202...648766247?s=20

Refuses to even acknowledge the journalist asking the questions. Think also a degree of his misogynistic attitude showing too which its accepted he is.

[Ram Pant]

Fact.

Reform voted against legislation to help protect women and girls.

Reform voted against legislation to improve the lot of workers.

Farage has said he'll stop people working from home if he gets in.

Opinion.
They're a nasty bunch who are in it for themselves and those backing them financially so, basically, they are like 99% (approx) of politicians. Having found out that my right to vote in UK elections was restored a few years back, I have decided not to use it as there isn't a party that I feel I can support. The Blue Tories were always a no no. The Red Ones were my choice when they genuinely represented the working class and the poor but they no longer do that. The Turquoise Tories seem to represent even more of things I dislike then the Blue variety. LibDems I don't take seriously. Greens appear to be as seasonal as nature and change as often. Restore seems as unlikeable as Turquoise. No Monster Raving Lunatic candidate in my neck of the woods so I'll refrain.

[Andy_Faber]

Fact.

Reform voted against legislation to help protect women and girls.

Reform voted against legislation to improve the lot of workers.

Farage has said he'll stop people working from home if he gets in.

Opinion.
They're a nasty bunch who are in it for themselves and those backing them financially so, basically, they are like 99% (approx) of politicians. Having found out that my right to vote in UK elections was restored a few years back, I have decided not to use it as there isn't a party that I feel I can support. The Blue Tories were always a no no. The Red Ones were my choice when they genuinely represented the working class and the poor but they no longer do that. The Turquoise Tories seem to represent even more of things I dislike then the Blue variety. LibDems I don't take seriously. Greens appear to be as seasonal as nature and change as often. Restore seems as unlikeable as Turquoise. No Monster Raving Lunatic candidate in my neck of the woods so I'll refrain

Good summary!

Just as a matter of interest, do you have the ability to ?spoil your ballot? from overseas, and if you were in UK would you do so, or just not turn out?

[ramAnag]

Fact.

Reform voted against legislation to help protect women and girls.

Reform voted against legislation to improve the lot of workers.

Farage has said he'll stop people working from home if he gets in.

Opinion.
They're a nasty bunch who are in it for themselves and those backing them financially so, basically, they are like 99% (approx) of politicians. Having found out that my right to vote in UK elections was restored a few years back, I have decided not to use it as there isn't a party that I feel I can support. The Blue Tories were always a no no. The Red Ones were my choice when they genuinely represented the working class and the poor but they no longer do that. The Turquoise Tories seem to represent even more of things I dislike then the Blue variety. LibDems I don't take seriously. Greens appear to be as seasonal as nature and change as often. Restore seems as unlikeable as Turquoise. No Monster Raving Lunatic candidate in my neck of the woods so I'll refrain.

Totally agree with a lot of that, RP, but I think the 99% figure may be harsh.

Politicians do get a bad press, and understandably so in many cases, but there are very some decent, largely lower profile, ones.
I think I’ve known about four or five in my lifetime, either professionally or as a constituent. Charles Clarke, Philip Whitehead, Margaret Beckett, (all Lab), Matthew Parris (Tory) and John Whitby (Lab) and they all seem to have been decent and astute people, imo.

Unfortunately they all tend to get tarnished via the same brush as the more infamous and ruthless.

[Ram Pant]

Totally agree with a lot of that, RP, but I think the 99% figure may be harsh.

Politicians do get a bad press, and understandably so in many cases, but there are very some decent, largely lower profile, ones.
I think I’ve known about four or five in my lifetime, either professionally or as a constituent. Charles Clarke, Philip Whitehead, Margaret Beckett, (all Lab), Matthew Parris (Tory) and John Whitby (Lab) and they all seem to have been decent and astute people, imo.

Unfortunately they all tend to get tarnished via the same brush as the more infamous and ruthless.

Burton MPs I have known. 70-74 John Jennings. 74-83 Ivan Lawrence. Personally both likeable chaps (both Blue Tory) in conversation. Both very much toeing the party line in votes despite agreeing that you "had a point" when soeaking to them. The current one, I've never met. Red Tory. He voted against having an inquiry into the grooming gangs. I'm going to put a bet on that he isn't the MP for Burton after the next election.

[swaledale]

Totally agree with a lot of that, RP, but I think the 99% figure may be harsh.

Politicians do get a bad press, and understandably so in many cases, but there are very some decent, largely lower profile, ones.
I think I’ve known about four or five in my lifetime, either professionally or as a constituent. Charles Clarke, Philip Whitehead, Margaret Beckett, (all Lab), Matthew Parris (Tory) and John Whitby (Lab) and they all seem to have been decent and astute people, imo.

Unfortunately they all tend to get tarnished via the same brush as the more infamous and ruthless.

There is a saying that voters get the politicians they deserve and to an extent that is true.

going from my own expereince, at Local Government level, I found Tory councils, organised and clear on what they wanted to do, even if on occasion I disagreed with their policies. They generally had a plan and were able to communicate how it was to be delivered.

Labour councils were a mixed bag, some were literally "drunk" on power and often tried to do things that weren't practical or in some cases legal, the Council leaders in particular were much more controlling, but others were well run and easy to work with or for.

Liberal democrats tended to want to please everybody all the time and consequently got themselves tied up in knots a lot of the time. They very often found it difficult to agree amongst themselves on a particular plan or strategy which sometimes made them a nightmare to work for.

At a national level, the only MP I found to be impossible to work with was Matt Hancock, the one I disliked most and had a run in was Reeves before Labour took power, who I found one couldn't trust a word she said. The other MP's of whatever particular political colour were all hard working and generally fine to work with.

I certainly wouldn't want to be an MP, you get very little thanks, just moans from consituents, work very long hours, taking into account parliament, consituency duties and other activities, so I'm not surprised that some feel entitled to the odd perk here and there.