Politics Thread 6

[Rex Kramer]

My assumption has always been that the majority in this country tack slightly to the left. This was based on things like the NHS, education and tax. But I'm starting to wonder if this is the case. I think at heart, we're a right wing country and this depresses me. The only time Labour have made an impression in recent times is when they appealed to the centre ground. Corbyn's policies appeal to my slightly left leaning tendencies but I don't think they hit with the majority and his unlikeability (is that a word?) just compounds this. It would be nice to be wrong but recent times suggest otherwise.

[Errkal]

It just makes all sound wanky and like people wanting to sound clever.

[Samuel_1]

My assumption has always been that the majority in this country tack slightly to the left. This was based on things like the NHS, education and tax. But I'm starting to wonder if this is the case. I think at heart, we're a right wing country and this depresses me. The only time Labour have made an impression in recent times is when they appealed to the centre ground. Corbyn's policies appeal to my slightly left leaning tendencies but I don't think they hit with the majority and his unlikeability (is that a word?) just compounds this. It would be nice to be wrong but recent times suggest otherwise.

His policies are actually very popular, it's just that he is a polarising figure.

[Rex Kramer]

I'd like to think that was the case and that things like nationalisation of core industries like power generation and other utilities are high on people's agenda but maybe people prefer hating on foreigners and punishing the disabled.

[Errkal]

I'd like to think that was the case and that things like nationalisation of core industries like power generation and other utilities are high on people's agenda but maybe people prefer hating on foreigners and punishing the disabled.

I don’t know if they prefer that, they just don’t get to hear about anything else.

[Rex Kramer]

Yeah but which comes first? A national press pushing right wing policies to direct the thoughts of the population or a press tapping into a general right wing public in order to sell more papers?

[Hexx]

The motion has been withdrawn

[Moggy]

Yeah but which comes first? A national press pushing right wing policies to direct the thoughts of the population or a press tapping into a general right wing public in order to sell more papers?

There’s little doubt that the right wing press have directed the thoughts of the population as a whole. Look at the areas like Liverpool where the Sun sells strawberry float all, they are far less Brexity and right wing.

It’s not just that though with Corbyn, plenty of lefties dislike/distrust him. That’s not just the influence of the media.

[KK]

I noticed the Daily Mail announcing today that they’ve signed up Susanna Reid as a weekly columnist...joining Piers Morgan (who she pretends to hate).

[BID0]

My assumption has always been that the majority in this country tack slightly to the left. This was based on things like the NHS, education and tax. But I'm starting to wonder if this is the case. I think at heart, we're a right wing country and this depresses me. The only time Labour have made an impression in recent times is when they appealed to the centre ground. Corbyn's policies appeal to my slightly left leaning tendencies but I don't think they hit with the majority and his unlikeability (is that a word?) just compounds this. It would be nice to be wrong but recent times suggest otherwise.

That's just not true. Centre politics is dead.

When was the last time Labour got a majority with a centre based manifesto? And Conservatives? The Conservatives only scraped a majority last time because they promised an EU referendum

Politics in this country is completely broken, so now is as good a time as to break away from what you're supposed to do, and do what you believe in. Otherwise we will be stuck in this broken capitalist vote for who you hate the least system for eternity.

That won't earn you a majority either, but it's a chance of left wing parties forming a coalition and potentially changing the voting system in the process.

[Rex Kramer]

I forget how old I am, by recent times I mean in the last 40 years.

[Moggy]

My assumption has always been that the majority in this country tack slightly to the left. This was based on things like the NHS, education and tax. But I'm starting to wonder if this is the case. I think at heart, we're a right wing country and this depresses me. The only time Labour have made an impression in recent times is when they appealed to the centre ground. Corbyn's policies appeal to my slightly left leaning tendencies but I don't think they hit with the majority and his unlikeability (is that a word?) just compounds this. It would be nice to be wrong but recent times suggest otherwise.

That's just not true. Centre politics is dead.

When was the last time Labour got a majority with a centre based manifesto? And Conservatives? The Conservatives only scraped a majority last time because they promised an EU referendum

Politics in this country is completely broken, so now is as good a time as to break away from what you're supposed to do, and do what you believe in. Otherwise we will be stuck in this broken capitalist vote for who you hate the least system for eternity.

That won't earn you a majority either, but it's a chance of left wing parties forming a coalition and potentially changing the voting system in the process.

I am not sure that the Conservatives managed a majority because they promised an EU referendum. The vast majority of the public didn't give a gooseberry fool before 2016. And those that did voted UKIP, they went from 900,000 votes in 2010 to almost 4million in 2015. Whereas the Tories went from 10.7million to 11.3million.

It's also wrong to say centre politics are dead, the Lib Dems are looking like picking up a lot more votes at the next election. The split at the moment seems to be less traditional left/right and more Remain/Leave.

[Drumstick]

Token mention of proportional representation.

[BID0]

The republic’s future glorious leader Caroline Lucas on a progressive coalition



Sounds like we might be strawberry floated

[Ecno]

The republic’s future glorious leader Caroline Lucas on a progressive coalition



Sounds like we might be strawberry floated

The majority of seats the Lib Dems want to win back are the ones that David Cameron won in 2015, as well as some remain leaning Tory shires. The chance of winning these back is massively diminished by Jo Swinson saying they'd support a Jeremy Corbyn government.

[KK]

Jeremy Corbyn’s policy chief resigns ‘after losing faith in Labour leader’s ability to win election’

Andrew Fisher steps down with reported attack on ‘lack of professionalism, competence and human decency’ at top of party as allies plan for life after Corbyn

One of Jeremy Corbyn's closest aides has resigned, after reportedly saying he did not believe the Labour leader would win the next general election.

Policy chief Andrew Fisher announced he was quitting last Saturday, according to The Sunday Times, which said it had obtained a memo in which he told colleagues: "I no longer have faith we can succeed."

Mr Fisher, who wrote Labour's last election manifesto, is reported to have denounced Mr Corbyn's team for their "lack of professionalism, competence and human decency".

He is also said to have bemoaned a "blizzard of lies and excuses" and claimed a "class war" had gripped the upper echelons of the party.

A Labour source declined to comment on "staffing matters", but Mr Fisher issued a statement confirming his resignation late on Saturday.

He said he wanted to prioritise his wife and young son after four years of the "long hours, stresses and strains that inevitably come from working in this high pressure environment".

"I will stay for any autumn general election, but will be leaving by the end of the year," Mr Fisher added.

His resignation will be a significant blow to Mr Corbyn, who himself is claimed to be planning to stand down because he feels under "incredible pressure".

Meanwhile, reports say the Labour leader's allies have begun making succession plans after the party has "passed the high-water mark of Corbynism".

Momentum founder Jon Lansman's shock bid to topple Tom Watson on Friday has been seen as an attempt to ensure the deputy leader would not automatically take on temporarily leadership of the party if Mr Corbyn steps down.

"It looks like they've concluded that Corbyn is going to go and they are just lining up the succession," one MP told The Observer

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 15091.html

[Meep]

Watson could not become leader without people leaving the party in droves.

[Moggy]

twitter.com/SunApology/status/1176030499732631552

[KK]

Political fall-out of Thomas Cook going under:

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said the government should have bailed out Thomas Cook.

“When this crisis started I said to the government that they should intervene if only to stabilise the situation while a real plan for the future of the company could be addressed,” he tells the BBC.

“I think the government should have been willing to do more, intervene and stabilise the situation and allow a long-term plan to develop.”

“To just stand to one side and watch this number of jobs go and to so many holidaymakers have their holidays ruined is not good government,” he adds.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed that the repatriation of Thomas Cook customers - known as Operation Matterhorn - will cost the taxpayer around £100m.

He tells the BBC's Today programme: "We know that the Monarch rescue was about £50m. We know that this is about 50% bigger."

[Moggy]

Thomas Cook is a difficult one. I feel for the employees and holidaymakers but at the same time it’s an utterly dead business model. Bailing it out now will only mean this happens again in the near future.