June 8th General Election

[Kejan]

The guy was a Tory list MSP for Argyll and Bute. Surely he's had some sherry and fancies a wind up.

[NotThePars]

5 minutes ago, DrewDon said:

I look forward to the Lib Dems somehow contriving to reinvent themselves as the 'progressive' option at this election - in England, anyway. This, of course, is despite their leader being a lily-livered homophobe and their position on the EU being absolutely everything to do with opportunism and absolutely nothing to do with deeply held principles.

I also fully expect The Guardian and suchlike, similar to 2010, to swallow it whole. 

 

They're also trumpeting the "vote Lib Dems for a REAL opposition" stuff despite Farron saying he'd go back into coalition with the Tories. 

[The_Kincardine]

3 minutes ago, DrewDon said:

I look forward to the Lib Dems somehow contriving to reinvent themselves as the 'progressive' option at this election - in England, anyway. This, of course, is despite their leader being a lily-livered homophobe and their position on the EU being absolutely everything to do with opportunism and absolutely nothing to do with deeply held principles.

I also fully expect The Guardian and suchlike, similar to 2010, to swallow it whole. 

Depending on the candidate I'm likely to vote Lib Dem this time round.  This is based on our incumbent MP being a Brexit-loving self-regarding Born Again twat who doesn't represent his mixed and colourful constituency adequately.  I expect both other One Nation Tories in High Wycombe to join me in this protest vote.

[ayrmad]

May must have found an old mandate down the back of the couch.

[Jambomo]

4 minutes ago, NotThePars said:

 

They're also trumpeting the "vote Lib Dems for a REAL opposition" stuff despite Farron saying he'd go back into coalition with the Tories. 

I suspect people will take that though. Its similar to up here, if you don't want to vote Tory and nobody can vote Labour these days, then what's left? I can't imagine Farron being much of a brake on Tory policy but if enough people believe he'll try, then they would be the only Brexit opposing choice.

[NotThePars]

Just now, Jambomo said:

I suspect people will take that though. Its similar to up here, if you don't want to vote Tory and nobody can vote Labour these days, then what's left? I can't imagine Farron being much of a brake on Tory policy but if enough people believe he'll try, then they would be the only Brexit opposing choice.

 

If people seriously think the grimaced faced geek that shares views on homosexuality with Alex Jones will be a brake on Tory policy, especially after the coalition government, then I hope the EU coordinate efforts to sink our pathetic island into the North Sea cause the game is up.

[Dunning1874]

38 minutes ago, DrewDon said:

May has nothing to gain from taking part in TV debates, IMO. She is usually somewhere between mediocre and poor at PMQs and in the HoC, so there is no need to risk underwhelming performances in live TV debates when you are so far ahead in the opinion polls only weeks before a GE. Also little to gain from giving opposition parties and leaders more airtime and a bigger platform than is strictly necessary.

Aye obviously the only damage it could really do is making the resultant Tory majority smaller, but the point stands that May's best strategy here is to campaign as little as possible, let Corbyn take all the media attention and make as much of a tit of himself as imaginable. Putting herself into a televised debate where Strugeon will destroy her on hypocrisy/indyref2, Farron will hammer her in the eyes of Remain Tories and there's a risk that Corbyn gets some coherent policy points over her too can only damage her.

Even the damage done through looking like an utter coward if a TV channel decides to go ahead with a debate with her empty chaired wouldn't be as bad as exposing her total weakness in debate in that format so avoiding it entirely, letting the media focus on hammering Corbyn rather than giving Lib Dems and SNP ammunition then taking the 100+ majority is clearly the best option from her perspective.

[Fullerene]

2 hours ago, NotThePars said:

The only chance Corbyn, Labour and the non-sociopaths have here is for the Labour Party to cut their immediate losses in Scotland and call for a progressive alliance across the UK. Let the SNP retain Scotland, work with the Northern Irish parties which fear what Brexit might mean for them and go in hard on the Tories failing Britain. The policies Corbyn's announced this past week have broad support across the country and show the Labour Party can do policy.

 

 

Unfortunately party activists tend to despise other parties that are chasing the same voters.

Also a "progressive alliance" or a "rainbow coalition" just looks like a patchwork of people who don't really like each other - up against a single united Tory party - even if there are Tories who don't really like each other either.

[BerwickMad]

I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I could see Labour maybe regaining East Lothian with the right candidate. George Kerevan is hardly popular in theres a lot of annoyance with the SNP over local issues. I can also see them holding onto Edinburgh South.

Berwickshire will go Tory. I can see them picking up 4-6 on top of their current seat. Lib Dems with maybe a couple on top of their existing one.

In England the most interesting thing will be how well the Lib Dems do as they've played everything correctly post-referendum. Also, how bad will it get for Labour.

[paranoid android]

Here's what happened to the mug c***s that voted Conservative last time:

Each to their own, though.

[Pride_of_the_Clyde]

I'll very happily be corrected on this but it seems like there is very little for the SNP to gain in this situation.

[Jambomo]

 
If people seriously think the grimaced faced geek that shares views on homosexuality with Alex Jones will be a brake on Tory policy, especially after the coalition government, then I hope the EU coordinate efforts to sink our pathetic island into the North Sea cause the game is up.

Whilst I agree with you, people do sometimes vote on their constituent rather than the party leader. Surely if Brexit and Trump have taught us anything it's that people will believe anything and nothing is impossible anymore.

[Mr.Bojangles]

13 minutes ago, Pride_of_the_Clyde said:

I'll very happily be corrected on this but it seems like there is very little for the SNP to gain in this situation.

A similar outing to last time will be a mandate for a new Independece referendum. 

[NotThePars]

14 minutes ago, Jambomo said:

 

Whilst I agree with you, people do sometimes vote on their constituent rather than the party leader. Surely if Brexit and Trump have taught us anything it's that people will believe anything and nothing is impossible anymore.

 

 

Oh no I'm not disagreeing that it can happen I'm just lamenting the state of people who will be suckered in by the Lib Dems again.

[DrewDon]

4 minutes ago, Dunning1874 said:

Aye obviously the only damage it could really do is making the resultant Tory majority smaller, but the point stands that May's best strategy here is to campaign as little as possible, let Corbyn take all the media attention and make as much of a tit of himself as imaginable. Putting herself into a televised debate where Strugeon will destroy her on hypocrisy/indyref2, Farron will hammer her in the eyes of Remain Tories and there's a risk that Corbyn gets some coherent policy points over her too can only damage her.

Even the damage done through looking like an utter coward if a TV channel decides to go ahead with a debate with her empty chaired wouldn't be as bad as exposing her total weakness in debate in that format so avoiding it entirely, letting the media focus on hammering Corbyn rather than giving Lib Dems and SNP ammunition then taking the 100+ majority is clearly the best option from her perspective.

Agreed. It might be slightly more of a risk if May didn't have evidence from 2015 to call upon. Miliband and Labour spent so much time banging on about Cameron's position on the live debates; at the end of the day, though, it just resulted in Labour obsessing over procedure at the expense of policies. I would not completely put it past Corbyn to repeat those mistakes and fall into the same trap a couple of years down the line, mind.

[The_Kincardine]

2 minutes ago, NotThePars said:

 

Oh no I'm not disagreeing that it can happen I'm just lamenting the state of people who will be suckered in by the Lib Dems again.

'again' is unnecessary as is 'suckered'.  They are the only credible protest vote for we Remain Tories.

[Jambomo]

 
Oh no I'm not disagreeing that it can happen I'm just lamenting the state of people who will be suckered in by the Lib Dems again.

I know, pretty sad.

[zidane's child]

I just wish the rest of the UK would see for what she is, a cold and dull coward who isn't fit to run the country.

In true Tory style, there will be a back bench rebellion if she doesn't deliver on Brexit regardless of the majority they will have.

[Granny Danger]

Been out for a walk and kept trying to work out what May thinks she will get out of this.

It won't make her negotiations with Europe any easier; the Tory hardliners will still be there and won't back down; the Tory remainers will still be there arguing their corner.

Does she really need a bigger majority to get the final deal done?  Am I missing something or looking at it too simplistically?

[Bully Wee Villa]

The Tory "hardliners" may still be there, but with a 100+ majority she can do what she likes.

 

My worry is she has called an election so as to be able to force through the most Daily Mail-friendly, vile form of Brexit without having to worry about protest votes from the few Tory MPs who aren't total arseholes.