The Theresa May General Election thread (edited)

Snap

got the radio on now, Corbyn has just been on.

What a dick

ICBM

Hopefully she'll be gone by the middle June... but I can't see it.

crunchman

I think some of this is about giving her a stronger negotiating position in Brexit talks.  Labour have been saying that they want a vote on the final deal and would reject it if they don't like it.  As it is, she would only need a handful of Tory remoaner MPs to vote with Labour to scupper any deal.  That is a massive disadvantage in the Brexit negotiations that the EU would undoubtedly try to exploit.

If she has an election now and wins with an increased majority then she is in a much stronger negotiating position.  Maybe I'm being generous to May, but I think this is probably the main reason for holding it.  If Labour weren't in an absolute mess then she might have held back but I think that is more the cherry on top for the Tories.

RocknRollDave

Total win/ win situation for the Tories.

DarnWeight

quarky said:

Fretwired said:

I agree with you however Mandleson and co are engineering deals with local Labour/Lib Dem/Green groups in areas that voted remain to ensure they only put up one candidate. I could see UKIP voters swinging to the Tories to get Brexit.

Sounds just like the kind of anti-democratic thing that the left likes to do.

Given how happy certain Tory/UKIP representatives have been about jumping ship as the mood takes them (Carswell, Reckless, numerous councillors), with no subsequent effort to seek any kind of mandate for their position, I don't see this as anti-democratic in the slightest.  Parties are quite free to align their efforts when out of government, just as much as the previous Coalition proved they could do when in Government.  

Drew_TNBD

ICBM said:

Hopefully she'll be gone by the middle June... but I can't see it.

She wont. This will be a consolidation of power.

Not many people really have a grasp of UK politics right now, and nor do I really, but here is my take on it:

There are a handful of prosperous enclaves full of liberal and cosmopolitan people of all ages and creeds. These people work long hard hours, go to the gym and the pub, walk the dog, and treat life like one big happy game. London, Brighton, Cornwall and Devon, parts of Scotland and Ireland. They often don't care about immigration, or see it as a good thing.

Then there is the rest of the UK. The forgotten tribes. The Midlands, the North. Wales. Places full of people who have had everything ripped from them since the 1970's. Life has been tough, and it spans generations. They either see immigration as a negative culture changing thing, or they're too cowed to even have an opinion at this point.

But tides are turning. The fear of Britain turning into a right-wing nation is very much a real one, and I personally think it's unstoppable. There is too much history of haves and have-nots. Too many years of class warfare and division.

And then there are the people stuck in the middle... often having their toes in both pools, and not knowing what to do or how to act... they freeze up and let the world just happen to them. I'm in this group.

Way too much FUD spanning decades for us to dig ourselves out of this terrible hole. The UK is fucking doomed. We have the most stupid and most belligerent amongst us in power. And I'm not even just talking about politicians - Jeremy Kyle feeds fat fucking housewives shitty opinions every single day. Peppa Pig makes it cool for kids to talk like a fucking moron, and parents encourage it. We've got people freezing their own shit, putting a condom on it and sticking it up their own arse. We've got fucking deep-fried-cunting Mars bars for fucksake.

VimFuego

erm, which bits of devon and cornwall are full of liberal elites? totnes mebber, exeter at a pinch.

crunchman

VimFuego said:

erm, which bits of devon and cornwall are full of liberal elites? totnes mebber, exeter at a pinch.

This.  I grew up down there.

My home town is a hole these days.

randella

Drew_TNBD said:

the North... Places full of people who have had everything ripped from them since the 1970's.

That'll be why it's £6.50 for a pint of craft ale in the Northern Quarter of Manchester then, they're just trying to get back on the level 

Drew_TNBD

VimFuego said:

erm, which bits of devon and cornwall are full of liberal elites? totnes mebber, exeter at a pinch.

Judging by some of my friends, Falmouth is a good candidate.

VimFuego

Drew_TNBD said:

VimFuego said:

erm, which bits of devon and cornwall are full of liberal elites? totnes mebber, exeter at a pinch.

Judging by some of my friends, Falmouth is a good candidate.

there are pockets of wealth (mostly coastal like Padstow, tho many of those wealthy don't vote down here as 2nd homers). Devon is true blue tory, cornwall used to be lib dem but becoming tory now and both regions voted overwhelmingly for brexit.

Drew_TNBD

VimFuego said:

Drew_TNBD said:

VimFuego said:

erm, which bits of devon and cornwall are full of liberal elites? totnes mebber, exeter at a pinch.

Judging by some of my friends, Falmouth is a good candidate.

there are pockets of wealth (mostly coastal like Padstow, tho many of those wealthy don't vote down here as 2nd homers). Devon is true blue tory, cornwall used to be lib dem but becoming tory now and both regions voted overwhelmingly for brexit.

The arses! How dare they!

Drew_TNBD

randella said:

Drew_TNBD said:

the North... Places full of people who have had everything ripped from them since the 1970's.

That'll be why it's £6.50 for a pint of craft ale in the Northern Quarter of Manchester then, they're just trying to get back on the level 

Manchester is a city. Stands to reason you'll be financially raped by pubs there. Plus craft ale is for wankers.

VimFuego

whatever, was just saying the SW isn't a liberal elite heartland. I passed no judgement on how people voted.

quarky

Drew_TNBD said:

 We've got people freezing their own shit, putting a condom on it and sticking it up their own arse. 

Please tell me you are making that up.

DarnWeight said:

Given how happy certain Tory/UKIP representatives have been about jumping ship as the mood takes them (Carswell, Reckless, numerous councillors), with no subsequent effort to seek any kind of mandate for their position, I don't see this as anti-democratic in the slightest.  Parties are quite free to align their efforts when out of government, just as much as the previous Coalition proved they could do when in Government.  

It is purposely denying the voters in those seats their choice of who to vote for. Completely authoritarian and un-democractic.

Fretwired

Drew_TNBD said:

ICBM said:

Hopefully she'll be gone by the middle June... but I can't see it.

She wont. This will be a consolidation of power.

Not many people really have a grasp of UK politics right now, and nor do I really, but here is my take on it:

There are a handful of prosperous enclaves full of liberal and cosmopolitan people of all ages and creeds. These people work long hard hours, go to the gym and the pub, walk the dog, and treat life like one big happy game. London, Brighton, Cornwall and Devon, parts of Scotland and Ireland. They often don't care about immigration, or see it as a good thing.

Then there is the rest of the UK. The forgotten tribes. The Midlands, the North. Wales. Places full of people who have had everything ripped from them since the 1970's. Life has been tough, and it spans generations. They either see immigration as a negative culture changing thing, or they're too cowed to even have an opinion at this point.

But tides are turning. The fear of Britain turning into a right-wing nation is very much a real one, and I personally think it's unstoppable. There is too much history of haves and have-nots. Too many years of class warfare and division.

And then there are the people stuck in the middle... often having their toes in both pools, and not knowing what to do or how to act... they freeze up and let the world just happen to them. I'm in this group.

Way too much FUD spanning decades for us to dig ourselves out of this terrible hole. The UK is fucking doomed. We have the most stupid and most belligerent amongst us in power. And I'm not even just talking about politicians - Jeremy Kyle feeds fat fucking housewives shitty opinions every single day. Peppa Pig makes it cool for kids to talk like a fucking moron, and parents encourage it. We've got people freezing their own shit, putting a condom on it and sticking it up their own arse. We've got fucking deep-fried-cunting Mars bars for fucksake.

I agree with much of what you say but the country will head to the left - it's happening all over Europe (France, Germany, and Italy) and it will happen here. People are fed up with globalisation, big companies that pay poor wages and no tax and a wealthy elite that cream off the top. The NHS is in crisis, people can't afford to buy a home, the young are saddled with student debt for their uni degrees and we have a pension time-bomb heading our way. Many of Corbyn's policies are popular - he's just too old and out of his depth.  A younger more dynamic leader could do well and could retake Scotland from the SNP.

VimFuego

feck, fretwired's just called it for the left, looks like it'll be a tory landslide.

randella

Drew_TNBD said:

randella said:

Drew_TNBD said:

the North... Places full of people who have had everything ripped from them since the 1970's.

That'll be why it's £6.50 for a pint of craft ale in the Northern Quarter of Manchester then, they're just trying to get back on the level 

Manchester is a city. Stands to reason you'll be financially raped by pubs there. Plus craft ale is for wankers.

It was not so much about beer prices, more a gentle dig at you lumping in 'the North' as one homogeneous blob of whippet-owning jobless Brexit-voters.

Plus, as well as decent bitter or a nice cold export lager, I quite like the odd pint of craft beer.  Obvs I'll now avoid it completely knowing that a stranger on the internet doesn't approve

Drew_TNBD

randella said:

Drew_TNBD said:

randella said:

Drew_TNBD said:

the North... Places full of people who have had everything ripped from them since the 1970's.

That'll be why it's £6.50 for a pint of craft ale in the Northern Quarter of Manchester then, they're just trying to get back on the level 

Manchester is a city. Stands to reason you'll be financially raped by pubs there. Plus craft ale is for wankers.

It was not so much about beer prices, more a gentle dig at you lumping in 'the North' as one homogeneous blob of whippet-owning jobless Brexit-voters.

Where the fuck did you get that from?

randella

Drew_TNBD said:

randella said:

Drew_TNBD said:

randella said:

Drew_TNBD said:

the North... Places full of people who have had everything ripped from them since the 1970's.

That'll be why it's £6.50 for a pint of craft ale in the Northern Quarter of Manchester then, they're just trying to get back on the level 

Manchester is a city. Stands to reason you'll be financially raped by pubs there. Plus craft ale is for wankers.

It was not so much about beer prices, more a gentle dig at you lumping in 'the North' as one homogeneous blob of whippet-owning jobless Brexit-voters.

Where the fuck did you get that from?

"Then there is the rest of the UK. The forgotten tribes. The Midlands, the North. Wales. Places full of people who have had everything ripped from them since the 1970's. Life has been tough, and it spans generations. "

No need for the aggression either, I was having a bit of fun.