Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Macron set to win on Sunday – politicalbetting.com

2456

Comments

  • Gary_BurtonGary_Burton Posts: 737
    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    I've been quite cautious about London all along to be honest and have said that I don't expect more than a 4% swing to Labour.

    I don't really know how things will play out in terms of anti Conservative tactical voting and churn TBH and would also expect Labour to lose ground to the Greens in some areas and maybe a bit to the LDs in Merton.

    If I had to predict I would probably predict small Tory majority in Westminster and Barnet and a small Lab majority in Wandsworth but it is possible Lab gains no councils.

    On the plus side for Labour, LDs aren't standing in every ward in some councils like Barnet however.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,662
    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
  • OllyTOllyT Posts: 5,006
    edited April 2022

    OllyT said:

    HYUFD said:

    Final Atlas poll also out and has it Macron 53% and Le Pen 47%. Ifop has it Macron 55% and Le Pen 45%.

    https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1517522363310505984?s=20&t=iRw4AyyTYd6pZ9ZF1EgRfg
    https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1517522358147465216?t=Jj_LqMKGYEA1flsbVuFnaw&s=19


    Either way it will still be a much closer runoff than 2017, even if Macron is still likely re elected

    Very few politicians do better running for re-election. It's no real surprise that Macron is polling less well than he did first time around.
    Is that true?

    In US history, POTUSs who did better 2nd time around (=13)
    > Thomas Jefferson (1800 v 1796)
    > James Monroe (1820 v 1816)
    > Andrew Jackson (1828 versus 1824)
    > Abraham Lincoln (1864 v 1860 - debatable case)
    > Ulysses Grant (1872 v 1868)
    > William McKinley (1900 v 1896)
    > Woodrow Wilson (1916 v 1912 - debatable case)
    > Franklin Roosevelt (1936 v 1932)
    > Dwight Eisenhower (1956 v 1952)
    > Richard Nixon (1972 v 1968)
    > Ronald Reagan (1984 v 1980)
    > Bill Clinton (1996 v 1992)
    > George Bush the Younger (2004 v 2000)


    On the other hand, these did worse (=12)
    > John Adams (1800 v 1796)
    > James Madison (1812 v 1808)
    > John Q Adams (1828 v 1824 - debatable case)
    > Martin Van Buren (1840 v 1836)
    > Grover Cleveland (1888 v 1884)
    > Benjamin Harrison (1892 v 1888)
    > William Taft (1912 v 1908)
    > Herbert Hoover (1932 v 1928)
    > Jimmy Carter (1980 v 1976)
    > George Bush the Elder (1992 v 1998)
    > Barack Obama (2012 v 2008)
    > Donald Trump (2020 v 216)
    Fair enough but I wasn't thinking solely in terms of USD Presidents. My impression is that that is not the case in most of Europe. Parties tend to lose ground when they are fighting an election on their record. Even in the US doesn't the party with the presidency usually lose seats in the mid terms?

    Perhaps I should have phrased my original comment more carefully. My point, in response to HYUFD, is that it is not a surprise to me that the Macron who has had 5 years in office and carried out the unpopular but necessary policies that RCS mentioned is not going to win by as big as margin as he did as a fresh-face/clean slate first time around.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,249
    kle4 said:


    Christopher Hope📝
    @christopherhope
    ·
    3h
    NEW I understand Conservative MPs have drafted post-dated no confidence letters ready to be sent to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee, on May 6, the day after the local elections.

    https://twitter.com/christopherhope/status/1517477661832105984

    That's cowardly. Either they think he should go now, or they think he should only go if the local elections go badly.
    Or that they think he can play one final role as scapegoat rather than the new one being blamed
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,894
    "Downstream your movies."

    "Tennis pitches."

    Digital, culture, media, and sport secretary Nadines Dorries proves she has no idea about digital, culture, media, or sport

    https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1517492461127577603
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,990
    Final poll (publication banned from tonight) for Sunday election in France. #Macron wins 57% to 43% for #LePen https://twitter.com/benatipsos/status/1517548795009146881/photo/1
  • ApplicantApplicant Posts: 3,379

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    No, in fact at the time of the elections the Tories had about a 3 point lead in the polls. Which is why I expected a bigger swing. That said, it's not news that Corbyn was relatively particularly popular in London.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,662
    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,793
    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,821

    Labour has won the race to stick an election leaflet through my door. They want me to vote for all three Labour candidates, which seems like a statement of the bleeding obvious but perhaps something went wrong last time.

    Tories got to ours first, back on Saturday. Labour a couple of days ago.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,662
    Right on cue here is the man that would be making massive gains for Labour

    https://twitter.com/AndyBurnhamGM/status/1517391599201927168
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,821

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,894

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    I'm not wholly convinced that Labour's positioning was bad; rather, its Brexit messaging was appalling. Saying that a recommendation should wait till after negotiation had been precisely the Conservatives' position under Cameron.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134
    Roger said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    He's extremely pro EU and there's nothing the right wing on here desire as much as the collapse of the EU. A Le Pen victory would be No 10's dream.
    That must be in the mix, yes. Personally I find it hard to understand rooting for the EU to collapse. Europe reverting to a morass of competing nationalisms - how can anybody in their right mind want that?
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559

    "Downstream your movies."

    "Tennis pitches."

    Digital, culture, media, and sport secretary Nadines Dorries proves she has no idea about digital, culture, media, or sport

    https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1517492461127577603

    "Whenever I hear the word 'culture' I want to kick a tennis ball!"
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,386
    Macron, Le Pen, Pecresse and Melenchon all go for a boat trip on the Seine.

    The boat sinks. Who is saved?

    Well, France of course.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,894
    A bit late but Happy Easter to those who celebrate Easter this weekend. Happy Earth Day too.
  • Scott_xP said:
    Seems that poll is not quite as bad as you make out in the circumstances
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208
    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    I think it's Macron's teacher-mode that makes him irritating. If you are not actually being compulsorily taught, you don't really want to be lectured, even as you would expect with teachers, he knows his stuff most of the time.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,386

    A bit late but Happy Easter to those who celebrate Easter this weekend. Happy Earth Day too.

    A belated nod to Orthodoxy?
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,662

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153

    "Downstream your movies."

    "Tennis pitches."

    Digital, culture, media, and sport secretary Nadines Dorries proves she has no idea about digital, culture, media, or sport

    https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1517492461127577603

    She looks pissed.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,627
    @francska1
    Russian state TV continues to be fixated on the UK

    Last night the country's most popular channel suggested Boris Johnson's visit to India was an attempt to revive the British Empire's 19th century "Great Game" with Russia


    https://twitter.com/francska1/status/1517526419097763840
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    I've been quite cautious about London all along to be honest and have said that I don't expect more than a 4% swing to Labour.

    I don't really know how things will play out in terms of anti Conservative tactical voting and churn TBH and would also expect Labour to lose ground to the Greens in some areas and maybe a bit to the LDs in Merton.

    If I had to predict I would probably predict small Tory majority in Westminster and Barnet and a small Lab majority in Wandsworth but it is possible Lab gains no councils.

    On the plus side for Labour, LDs aren't standing in every ward in some councils like Barnet however.
    Oi.

    I've emailed you, and you've not responded. And I've called you out on here a few times.

    Please respond, or there will be consequences.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208
    Slight quibble with the header. Le Pen very nearly didn't make it to the run-off, due to Mélenchon's surprisingly strong showing.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153
    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
    His labour market, pension and civil service reforms would generally be considered right wing though.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,083
    edited April 2022

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    He can get credit for it, it was in part down to his freshness with the public, I just don't understand why you think that is so amazing when he did still lose, and it is fatally undermined by his later leadership (and if as leader he didn't like the party's policies or positions he could have stood down) causing a reversal on an even grander scale, with a loss at 1935 levels.

    It's like getting a C+ on a test, then getting half a dozen F's and then whinging why won't people acknowledge how great that C+ was.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134
    FF43 said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    I think it's Macron's teacher-mode that makes him irritating. If you are not actually being compulsorily taught, you don't really want to be lectured, even as you would expect with teachers, he knows his stuff most of the time.
    Perhaps my biggest gripe with Macron was his pandering to Trump. Ok, he may have been seeking to 'manage' him but I didn't enjoy seeing it.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,557
    From ElectoralCalculus:

    "Local Election Poll April 2022

    Pollster Find Out Now and election experts Electoral Calculus have run a MRP poll on the upcoming district council elections on 5 May 2022.

    The poll asked residents of the 201 district and unitary councils up for election, whether and how they intended to vote on Thursday. Areas up for election include London, Scotland, Wales, parts of the north of England, and elsewhere.

    Summary
    Headlines are:

    Swing of 5pc to Labour away from Conservatives
    Labour set to gain about 800 councillors and around 20 councils
    Conservatives could lose 800 councillors but only a few councils
    Probably decreases pressure on Boris Johnson from his backbenchers"

    https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/blogs/ec_localelectionpoll_20220415.html
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,557


    Christopher Hope📝
    @christopherhope
    ·
    3h
    NEW I understand Conservative MPs have drafted post-dated no confidence letters ready to be sent to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee, on May 6, the day after the local elections.

    https://twitter.com/christopherhope/status/1517477661832105984

    In some ways nothing's changed much since 2003 when Crispin Blunt famously launched an insurgency against Iain Duncan Smith's leadership about 30 seconds after the polls closed on local election day that year.
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,331

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    Bollocks! Macron would have been a far better option than either Corbyn or Johnson, who must be the worst two candidates ever put before an electorate in a developed democracy.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208
    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
    Relations between the UK and France are as bad as they have been at any time since at least de Gaulle. I would say neither Macron nor Johnson have any great interest in improving those relations but I don't think Macron is any more anti-British than Johnson is anti-French.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559

    @francska1
    Russian state TV continues to be fixated on the UK

    Last night the country's most popular channel suggested Boris Johnson's visit to India was an attempt to revive the British Empire's 19th century "Great Game" with Russia


    https://twitter.com/francska1/status/1517526419097763840

    Lord Johnson of Bullington and Kandahar?
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,402
    Andy_JS said:

    From ElectoralCalculus:

    "Local Election Poll April 2022

    Pollster Find Out Now and election experts Electoral Calculus have run a MRP poll on the upcoming district council elections on 5 May 2022.

    The poll asked residents of the 201 district and unitary councils up for election, whether and how they intended to vote on Thursday. Areas up for election include London, Scotland, Wales, parts of the north of England, and elsewhere.

    Summary
    Headlines are:

    Swing of 5pc to Labour away from Conservatives
    Labour set to gain about 800 councillors and around 20 councils
    Conservatives could lose 800 councillors but only a few councils
    Probably decreases pressure on Boris Johnson from his backbenchers"

    https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/blogs/ec_localelectionpoll_20220415.html

    Why?
    Were they expecting worse?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134
    edited April 2022

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    I'm not wholly convinced that Labour's positioning was bad; rather, its Brexit messaging was appalling. Saying that a recommendation should wait till after negotiation had been precisely the Conservatives' position under Cameron.
    Labour's Brexit policy for GE19 was terrible. It was the absolute worst they could have come up with apart from all the alternatives.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,402
    dixiedean said:

    Andy_JS said:

    From ElectoralCalculus:

    "Local Election Poll April 2022

    Pollster Find Out Now and election experts Electoral Calculus have run a MRP poll on the upcoming district council elections on 5 May 2022.

    The poll asked residents of the 201 district and unitary councils up for election, whether and how they intended to vote on Thursday. Areas up for election include London, Scotland, Wales, parts of the north of England, and elsewhere.

    Summary
    Headlines are:

    Swing of 5pc to Labour away from Conservatives
    Labour set to gain about 800 councillors and around 20 councils
    Conservatives could lose 800 councillors but only a few councils
    Probably decreases pressure on Boris Johnson from his backbenchers"

    https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/blogs/ec_localelectionpoll_20220415.html

    Why?
    Were they expecting worse?
    Important caveat to that poll.

    "Polling was conducted before the police fines for Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak."
  • Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    Hey John, can you tell me how the Con to Lab swing at GE2017 ranks since the war?

    Was it say more impressive than the Con to Lab swing in say 1997?
  • Boris Johnson, what a guy.

    I think about this Resolution Foundation chart a lot. This will be the first postwar Parliament when real income drops for every quintile.



    https://twitter.com/Samfr/status/1517410604235079683/photo/1
  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Posts: 1,293
    edited April 2022

    Right on cue here is the man that would be making massive gains for Labour

    https://twitter.com/AndyBurnhamGM/status/1517391599201927168

    Burnham does seem to have been courting the left of the Labour party for a time. I don't think he's plotting to do anything against Starmer in the short term, but he does seem to be positioning himself for a future contest.
    Still would need to find a seat, mind.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,561
    rcs1000 said:

    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
    His labour market, pension and civil service reforms would generally be considered right wing though.
    They might also be considered forty years overdue.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,402

    @francska1
    Russian state TV continues to be fixated on the UK

    Last night the country's most popular channel suggested Boris Johnson's visit to India was an attempt to revive the British Empire's 19th century "Great Game" with Russia


    https://twitter.com/francska1/status/1517526419097763840

    Lord Johnson of Bullington and Kandahar?
    Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond.
    Sid James in a wig in his biopic.
  • Simon Katich and Graham Ford are on the list of potential England head coaches being targeted by Rob Key, the ECB’s new managing director of men’s cricket.

    Key, who took up his post this week, is understood to want to split the head coach roles between the Test and white-ball teams and has begun making approaches to potential candidates, to encourage them to apply for one or other of the positions.

    The Times understands that Katich, the former Australia batsman who played 56 Tests, is highly regarded by Key and has already been informally sounded out. He could be a good option for either the limited-overs teams or Test side and is already an ECB employee, as the head coach of Manchester Originals in the Hundred. The 46-year-old resigned as coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL in February, after disagreeing with their strategy at the player auction, so he could be available to take up a position with England almost immediately.


    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/simon-katich-and-graham-ford-considered-for-england-head-coach-jobs-0bdh9r9ww
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,402

    Boris Johnson, what a guy.

    I think about this Resolution Foundation chart a lot. This will be the first postwar Parliament when real income drops for every quintile.



    https://twitter.com/Samfr/status/1517410604235079683/photo/1

    Which is why all predictions are guesses.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,779

    Labour has won the race to stick an election leaflet through my door. They want me to vote for all three Labour candidates, which seems like a statement of the bleeding obvious but perhaps something went wrong last time.

    Tories got to ours first, back on Saturday. Labour a couple of days ago.
    We have had leaflets from Labour (three incumbent councillors) and the Tories (not a snowball's chance in hell round here).
  • ApplicantApplicant Posts: 3,379

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    Bollocks! Macron would have been a far better option than either Corbyn or Johnson, who must be the worst two candidates ever put before an electorate in a developed democracy.
    POTUS 2016 and 2020.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,894

    rcs1000 said:

    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
    His labour market, pension and civil service reforms would generally be considered right wing though.
    They might also be considered forty years overdue.
    France does seem to be doing all right without these reforms. It has been roughly on a par with Britain for ages. Maybe it will leap ahead but I'm not holding mon breath.
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,331

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I’m happy to credit him with Brexit and Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. Will that do?
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153

    rcs1000 said:

    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
    His labour market, pension and civil service reforms would generally be considered right wing though.
    They might also be considered forty years overdue.
    They also don't go far enough.

    But you have to give him some credit: Sarkozy promised reforms and then bottled it; and the Hollande took things in the wrong direction.

    Macron has been the only French President to actually make meaningful reforms to one of the most rigid and fucked up labour markets in the world.

    Now, if he could bite the bullet and reduce the social charges that limit the employment of the less skilled, I'd be really impressed.
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,331

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    How often do you need to be told that Labour lost in 2017?
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,662

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I’m happy to credit him with Brexit and Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. Will that do?
    Yes if your aim were to prove my point

    Thanks
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153
    Both Wordle and Quordle were pretty easy today.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,662
    edited April 2022

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    Hey John, can you tell me how the Con to Lab swing at GE2017 ranks since the war?

    Was it say more impressive than the Con to Lab swing in say 1997?
    Best Con to Lab swing in last 24 years and counting
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,779

    Boris Johnson, what a guy.

    I think about this Resolution Foundation chart a lot. This will be the first postwar Parliament when real income drops for every quintile.



    https://twitter.com/Samfr/status/1517410604235079683/photo/1

    Thatcher really did make the rich richer and the poor poorer, and we've been living with the consequences ever since. As for the "we're all in it together" of the coalition government... clearly the top 5% didn't get the memo.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,386

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    Hey John, can you tell me how the Con to Lab swing at GE2017 ranks since the war?

    Was it say more impressive than the Con to Lab swing in say 1997?
    Best Con to Lab swing in last 24 years and counting
    It was the *only* such swing in the last 24 years.

    So that's not much of an achievement, is it?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,663
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
    His labour market, pension and civil service reforms would generally be considered right wing though.
    They might also be considered forty years overdue.
    They also don't go far enough.

    But you have to give him some credit: Sarkozy promised reforms and then bottled it; and the Hollande took things in the wrong direction.

    Macron has been the only French President to actually make meaningful reforms to one of the most rigid and fucked up labour markets in the world.

    Now, if he could bite the bullet and reduce the social charges that limit the employment of the less skilled, I'd be really impressed.
    As has been pointed out elsewhere, France doesn't seem to have done too badly over the past 40 years with its 'most rigid and fucked up labour market'.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134
    edited April 2022
    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    FF43 said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    I think it's Macron's teacher-mode that makes him irritating. If you are not actually being compulsorily taught, you don't really want to be lectured, even as you would expect with teachers, he knows his stuff most of the time.
    Perhaps my biggest gripe with Macron was his pandering to Trump. Ok, he may have been seeking to 'manage' him but I didn't enjoy seeing it.
    But again these things are relative. Le Pen actively supported Trump before and after his election. She is ideologically Trumpist.
    Yes, of course. The French me would have no problem voting for Macron in this run-off. I cannot abide "Country Great Again" Populism even if sometimes its leaders throw in some economic rhetoric - or even policy - that superficially appeals.
  • Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    Hey John, can you tell me how the Con to Lab swing at GE2017 ranks since the war?

    Was it say more impressive than the Con to Lab swing in say 1997?
    Best Con to Lab swing in last 24 years and counting
    You've gone all HYUFD and shifted the goalposts, you were talking about post war records.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,835

    @francska1
    Russian state TV continues to be fixated on the UK

    Last night the country's most popular channel suggested Boris Johnson's visit to India was an attempt to revive the British Empire's 19th century "Great Game" with Russia


    https://twitter.com/francska1/status/1517526419097763840

    Lord Johnson of Bullington and Kandahar?
    Bullingdon with a d, if one might be so bold. Bullington is out in the wilds of Lincolnshire.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,662

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    How often do you need to be told that Labour lost in 2017?
    But got the largest increase in vote since WW2 and the biggest swing to Lab in the 21st Century
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,331
    Applicant said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    Bollocks! Macron would have been a far better option than either Corbyn or Johnson, who must be the worst two candidates ever put before an electorate in a developed democracy.
    POTUS 2016 and 2020.
    Also nonsense. Deeply flawed as they both were and are, Clinton and Biden were infinitely preferable to Johnson/ Corbyn.
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,331

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    How often do you need to be told that Labour lost in 2017?
    But got the largest increase in vote since WW2 and the biggest swing to Lab in the 21st Century
    Are those the criteria you need to meet to win an election and form a government?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,663

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    How often do you need to be told that Labour lost in 2017?
    But got the largest increase in vote since WW2 and the biggest swing to Lab in the 21st Century
    How did it go next time?
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,662
    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    How often do you need to be told that Labour lost in 2017?
    But got the largest increase in vote since WW2 and the biggest swing to Lab in the 21st Century
    Largest increase in votes is meaningless is you don't account for population increase.
    Largest increase in percentage points would be more interesting, but Corbyn did not achieve that.
    Largest increase in Percentage points for Labour in the 21st Century he did I believe in 2017.

    Thanks for highlighting another of his achievements
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134
    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.
    Imagine if Corbyn had stood aside afterwards. Imagine the legacy he could have left for the hard left in this country if he'd left a heroic loser. But no, he fucked it totally, for which he has my eternal gratitude.
    I thought you were a Hard Left Social Democrat like me, no? :smile:
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,793
    Farooq said:

    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
    I didn't describe him as centre-right.
    I think the fact that people on the left see him as right wing, and people on the right see him as left wing, is probably a fair indicator that he's in about the right place.
    Sorry, on re-reading I have replied to kinabalu on your reply to his comment.
  • Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,821
    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
  • Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    I think most people credit Corbyn for his huge influence on the 2019 general election result. And rightly so.
    But not his gains in 2017 or 2018 strange that

    Also you dont think "Getting Brexit Done" and Labours stupid positioning on it were at all relevant?
    Corbyn lost in 2017 as well...
    Thanks for proving my point that most PBers are incapable of giving Corbyn credit for anything especially the 2017GE largest increase in vote since WW2
    How often do you need to be told that Labour lost in 2017?
    But got the largest increase in vote since WW2 and the biggest swing to Lab in the 21st Century
    Largest increase in votes is meaningless is you don't account for population increase.
    Largest increase in percentage points would be more interesting, but Corbyn did not achieve that.
    Largest increase in Percentage points for Labour in the 21st Century he did I believe in 2017.

    Thanks for highlighting another of his achievements
    Bit disappointing to get that kind of increase and still end up so far short of a majority.

    Here's what Corbyn used to say about Labour leaders who finished so far behind.


  • kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    A story I heard was that the Tories had the attacks lined up but the terror attacks in Manchester and London so close to election day put the kibosh on them.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134

    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    Because he wasn't monstered to quite the usual extent for a Labour leader not called Tony Blair, you mean.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134
    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
    I didn't describe him as centre-right.
    I think the fact that people on the left see him as right wing, and people on the right see him as left wing, is probably a fair indicator that he's in about the right place.
    Sorry, on re-reading I have replied to kinabalu on your reply to his comment.
    Well that won't do!
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,249
    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    A close friend of mine knows him well (and has negotiated with him extensively on multiple occasions).

    “Odious and untrustworthy” was his description.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134
    Cyclefree said:

    I have to say that I am bored with Partygate and Tory MPs' endless fannying about over the leadership.

    It's not that I don't want Johnson gone. I never wanted him in power in the first place. So can't vote for the Tories. Labour don't fill me with any enthusiasm at all. The Lib Dems are invisible.

    I have received my postal vote. The only campaigning there has been has been from the local Tory and has been solely focused on local issues, of which there are plenty and really quite important for the local area.

    I can't see anything get any better for a while - either nationally or internationally. So I may retire - Candide-like - to cultivate my garden and give up on politics for a bit. My tulip bed has been admired by BBC's Gardener's World and if that isn't an achievement to make a girl swoon with joy I don't know what is.

    Are you and your tulip bed going to feature on the actual programme?
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,249

    Scott_xP said:

    This is what Boris Johnson said of BYOB event:

    “When I went out into that garden I thought that I was attending a work event.”

    Reports that 30/40 people turned up, incl PM & wife Carrie who drank G&T & brought friends fr outside No 10, & there were tables laden w food & drinks.

    https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1517539336614563847

    I missed this last night:


    Channel 4 News
    @Channel4News
    · 22h
    "If it turned out the building you preside over... attracted more fixed penalty notices than any location or event in the history of lockdown - might that be a cause for resignation?"

    That was @GaryGibbonC4's question to Boris Johnson over lockdown parties at No 10.
    Sure.

    But the building received precisely zero fixed penalty notices…
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    A close friend of mine knows him well (and has negotiated with him extensively on multiple occasions).

    “Odious and untrustworthy” was his description.
    How does that compare with Johnson?
  • Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,821
    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    Because he wasn't monstered to quite the usual extent for a Labour leader not called Tony Blair, you mean.
    No need for monstering, his own disgusting record was quite enough, as we found as soon as voters woke up to it.

    The other thing about 2017 - now largely forgotten - was the absolutely vile and personal campaign against Theresa May that Labour (through proxies, mainly Momentum) ran on social media. It was quite extraordinarily unpleasant, but because it was aimed mainly at youngsters and was done on social media through videos which were then shared, it didn't really get noticed in the mainstream media.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,249

    Scott_xP said:

    This is what Boris Johnson said of BYOB event:

    “When I went out into that garden I thought that I was attending a work event.”

    Reports that 30/40 people turned up, incl PM & wife Carrie who drank G&T & brought friends fr outside No 10, & there were tables laden w food & drinks.

    https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1517539336614563847

    If Carrie brought friends then it cannot possibly have been a work event as Johnson tells us.

    Non-colleagues attendance must absolutely be the definition of a non-work event i.e. a social occassion.

    Not that a work "event" existed at the time as a vehicle for having a party with colleagues. There was no such arrangement in the laws.

    Lillico made an interesting point yesterday (based on Baker's speech): lockdowns went on far too long in part because those running the country were not actually effected by them so they had no idea how depressed and miserable people were becoming. They basically carried on as normal except the pub was closed.
    Theoretically you could have Carrie and her friends at one table and her husband and his employees at another & then you are having two separate events in a shared space?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Cookie said:

    Farooq said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    It's a snowball effect. A few who carry a torch for whoever is farthest to the right criticise him in vague/personal terms. A body of soft-right sheep hear the repetitious criticism and have their atoms excited by it but can't articulate why.

    One or two people actually have a clue and give a fuck about French politics and offer more specific criticism, but it's mostly heat with very little light on here with regards to Macron.
    He seems - to put it mildly - not to like us very much. Look at the way he behaved over Astra Zeneca, for example, or Jersey. It goes above and beyond jostling fir advantage between countries - it seems - from this vantage point - to be a genuine and deeply held dislike, of a de Gaulle-type intensity. Hard to be too keen on him in those circumstances.

    I wouldn't describe him as centre-right, either. He seems as keen on a big state as any other socialist, though he is less redistributive.
    His labour market, pension and civil service reforms would generally be considered right wing though.
    They might also be considered forty years overdue.
    They also don't go far enough.

    But you have to give him some credit: Sarkozy promised reforms and then bottled it; and the Hollande took things in the wrong direction.

    Macron has been the only French President to actually make meaningful reforms to one of the most rigid and fucked up labour markets in the world.

    Now, if he could bite the bullet and reduce the social charges that limit the employment of the less skilled, I'd be really impressed.
    You'd agree with my 'centre right' description then?
  • FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,826


    Christopher Hope📝
    @christopherhope
    ·
    3h
    NEW I understand Conservative MPs have drafted post-dated no confidence letters ready to be sent to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee, on May 6, the day after the local elections.

    https://twitter.com/christopherhope/status/1517477661832105984

    I'd wait until at least 9 May. When we might see what Vlad has planned. Given Scholz's eccentric behaviour I'd hold back on making a change for now.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,662

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    Because he wasn't monstered to quite the usual extent for a Labour leader not called Tony Blair, you mean.
    No need for monstering, his own disgusting record was quite enough, as we found as soon as voters woke up to it.

    The other thing about 2017 - now largely forgotten - was the absolutely vile and personal campaign against Theresa May that Labour (through proxies, mainly Momentum) ran on social media. It was quite extraordinarily unpleasant, but because it was aimed mainly at youngsters and was done on social media through videos which were then shared, it didn't really get noticed in the mainstream media.

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    Because he wasn't monstered to quite the usual extent for a Labour leader not called Tony Blair, you mean.
    No need for monstering, his own disgusting record was quite enough, as we found as soon as voters woke up to it.

    The other thing about 2017 - now largely forgotten - was the absolutely vile and personal campaign against Theresa May that Labour (through proxies, mainly Momentum) ran on social media. It was quite extraordinarily unpleasant, but because it was aimed mainly at youngsters and was done on social media through videos which were then shared, it didn't really get noticed in the mainstream media.
    Yeah Corbyn never had any vile and personal campaign against him did he.

    Oh but in your view that was OK?

    Find me any personal attack on any Tory Politician by Corbyn

    Wont hold my breath
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,874
    Evening all :)

    Definite chill outside but plenty of heat keeping PB warm to toasty.

    On topic, apart from Odoxa, the polls have continued to slowly increase Macron's lead. I predicted 57-43 earlier in the week and that's about where I am.

    Don't forget Slovenia also votes on Sunday and the showdown between Janez Jansa and Robert Golob might make for fascinating viewing on Sunday evening.
  • Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,821


    Yeah Corbyn never had any vile and personal campaign against him did he.

    Oh but in your view that was OK?

    Find me any personal attack on any Tory Politician by Corbyn

    Wont hold my breath

    You don't need to hold your breath, just read my post.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,432

    @francska1
    Russian state TV continues to be fixated on the UK

    Last night the country's most popular channel suggested Boris Johnson's visit to India was an attempt to revive the British Empire's 19th century "Great Game" with Russia


    https://twitter.com/francska1/status/1517526419097763840

    It's very peculiar isn't it? Their Foreign Secretary is obsessed.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,663

    Scott_xP said:

    This is what Boris Johnson said of BYOB event:

    “When I went out into that garden I thought that I was attending a work event.”

    Reports that 30/40 people turned up, incl PM & wife Carrie who drank G&T & brought friends fr outside No 10, & there were tables laden w food & drinks.

    https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1517539336614563847

    If Carrie brought friends then it cannot possibly have been a work event as Johnson tells us.

    Non-colleagues attendance must absolutely be the definition of a non-work event i.e. a social occassion.

    Not that a work "event" existed at the time as a vehicle for having a party with colleagues. There was no such arrangement in the laws.

    Lillico made an interesting point yesterday (based on Baker's speech): lockdowns went on far too long in part because those running the country were not actually effected by them so they had no idea how depressed and miserable people were becoming. They basically carried on as normal except the pub was closed.
    Theoretically you could have Carrie and her friends at one table and her husband and his employees at another & then you are having two separate events in a shared space?
    Like that happened.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,249
    FF43 said:

    kinabalu said:

    Roger said:

    Poor France. A worse choice of leader than Britain had in 2019 or the US had in 2020.

    What's he done to offend you? Too right wing?
    It's interesting to ponder the root of anti-Macron sentiment over here. If you're left wing it makes sense - the guy is a centre right politician who forces leftist voters to vote for him to keep the far right out. That's annoying. But most of it seems to come from people who are themselves well right of centre in their politics. So I conclude it's not about his politics it's about the man. But what about the man? I'm not sure, and won't pretend to be, but I sense it might have something to do with him being French.
    A close friend of mine knows him well (and has negotiated with him extensively on multiple occasions).

    “Odious and untrustworthy” was his description.
    How does that compare with Johnson?
    Johnson just a jerk.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,134


    Christopher Hope📝
    @christopherhope
    ·
    3h
    NEW I understand Conservative MPs have drafted post-dated no confidence letters ready to be sent to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee, on May 6, the day after the local elections.

    https://twitter.com/christopherhope/status/1517477661832105984

    I'd wait until at least 9 May. When we might see what Vlad has planned. Given Scholz's eccentric behaviour I'd hold back on making a change for now.
    Yes. If it's Nuclear Holocaust, Johnson may as well stay. But anything short of that, it's worth getting rid.

    Although needless to say the man himself doesn't agree. Latest thoughts from him on Ukraine -

    "The war is likely to last until it's too late to replace me before the General Election."
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,386


    Yeah Corbyn never had any vile and personal campaign against him did he.

    Oh but in your view that was OK?

    Find me any personal attack on any Tory Politician by Corbyn

    Wont hold my breath

    You don't need to hold your breath, just read my post.
    As Corbyn himself said, there are some stupid people out there.

    (Yes, I still think he said 'stupid people' not 'stupid woman.')
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,249

    Scott_xP said:

    This is what Boris Johnson said of BYOB event:

    “When I went out into that garden I thought that I was attending a work event.”

    Reports that 30/40 people turned up, incl PM & wife Carrie who drank G&T & brought friends fr outside No 10, & there were tables laden w food & drinks.

    https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1517539336614563847

    If Carrie brought friends then it cannot possibly have been a work event as Johnson tells us.

    Non-colleagues attendance must absolutely be the definition of a non-work event i.e. a social occassion.

    Not that a work "event" existed at the time as a vehicle for having a party with colleagues. There was no such arrangement in the laws.

    Lillico made an interesting point yesterday (based on Baker's speech): lockdowns went on far too long in part because those running the country were not actually effected by them so they had no idea how depressed and miserable people were becoming. They basically carried on as normal except the pub was closed.
    Theoretically you could have Carrie and her friends at one table and her husband and his employees at another & then you are having two separate events in a shared space?
    Like that happened.
    Almost certainly not.

    Although I do recall from the balcony photo that Carrie & her friends were at a separate table with Boris
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,835

    Scott_xP said:

    This is what Boris Johnson said of BYOB event:

    “When I went out into that garden I thought that I was attending a work event.”

    Reports that 30/40 people turned up, incl PM & wife Carrie who drank G&T & brought friends fr outside No 10, & there were tables laden w food & drinks.

    https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1517539336614563847

    If Carrie brought friends then it cannot possibly have been a work event as Johnson tells us.

    Non-colleagues attendance must absolutely be the definition of a non-work event i.e. a social occassion.

    Not that a work "event" existed at the time as a vehicle for having a party with colleagues. There was no such arrangement in the laws.

    Lillico made an interesting point yesterday (based on Baker's speech): lockdowns went on far too long in part because those running the country were not actually effected by them so they had no idea how depressed and miserable people were becoming. They basically carried on as normal except the pub was closed.
    Theoretically you could have Carrie and her friends at one table and her husband and his employees at another & then you are having two separate events in a shared space?
    Like that happened.
    Almost certainly not.

    Although I do recall from the balcony photo that Carrie & her friends were at a separate table with Boris
    Are you defining 'friends' as 'those at the table'? Bit circular.

    IIRC there was at least one senior aide/civil servant at the table as well.
  • NorthofStokeNorthofStoke Posts: 1,758

    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    Plus the assumption among many that the Tories were going to win handsomely ( a lot of the electorate would not notice the late swings) so that some people could indulge in Corbyn mania assuming that responsible adults would rescue them from the consequences of their vote. Like you I was astonished at the lack of scrutiny and also lack of attack from the Tory official campaign - they must have decided that negative campaigning would be counterproductive. Not so when too many thought Corbyn a harmless sincere anti-politician. Lib Dems also foolishly concentrated on exclusively attacking the Tories - they would be much better placed if they attacked both major parties hard.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,912

    Applicant said:

    Interesting London polling.

    Exclusive: Labour set to maintain advantage over Tories in London as PM's personal ratings in capital drop

    Labour looks set to maintain their huge advantage over the Conservatives in London in next month's local elections as Boris Johnson's personal ratings in his former fiefdom drop sharply.

    An exclusive poll for Sky News by Opinium suggests Labour would win 45% of the popular vote compared to 25% for the Conservatives, enough to ensure Keir Starmer's party maintain most of their power base in the city halls in the capital.

    However this is a comparatively small advance on 2018 when London councils were last out for election and when Jeremy Corbyn's Labour was capitalising on Tory Brexit chaos meaning Labour won 44% of the vote and the Tories got 29%.

    This means they may not gain many extra seats compared to 2018 when the capital's voters last elected their councillors.


    Tories, LDs and Greens all look about right to me.

    Labour only up 1% in London on 2018 would be a somewhat poor result though but this is the most credible looking London local election poll that I've seen.

    2.5% swing since 2018 seems rather lower than I would have expected.
    Thats because you like most PBers give Corbyn no credit for anything.

    And May 2018 was not down to "Tory Brexit Chaos" either
    They give him credit for destroying the chance of winning the election and helping to get Brexit over the line. He was Farage's biggest helper. All that attention and he he did nothing to help the cause of Remaining in the EU. If Starmer manages to rebuild the Party he'll be a genius because after the wrecking ball that was Corbyn it was an almost impossible task.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,821
    I dedicate these Bar charts to @bigjohnowls

    image
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    Because he wasn't monstered to quite the usual extent for a Labour leader not called Tony Blair, you mean.
    No need for monstering, his own disgusting record was quite enough, as we found as soon as voters woke up to it.

    The other thing about 2017 - now largely forgotten - was the absolutely vile and personal campaign against Theresa May that Labour (through proxies, mainly Momentum) ran on social media. It was quite extraordinarily unpleasant, but because it was aimed mainly at youngsters and was done on social media through videos which were then shared, it didn't really get noticed in the mainstream media.

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    Because he wasn't monstered to quite the usual extent for a Labour leader not called Tony Blair, you mean.
    No need for monstering, his own disgusting record was quite enough, as we found as soon as voters woke up to it.

    The other thing about 2017 - now largely forgotten - was the absolutely vile and personal campaign against Theresa May that Labour (through proxies, mainly Momentum) ran on social media. It was quite extraordinarily unpleasant, but because it was aimed mainly at youngsters and was done on social media through videos which were then shared, it didn't really get noticed in the mainstream media.
    Yeah Corbyn never had any vile and personal campaign against him did he.

    Oh but in your view that was OK?

    Find me any personal attack on any Tory Politician by Corbyn

    Wont hold my breath
    Well, there was that time he called Theresa May a “stupid woman”

    https://news.sky.com/story/jeremy-corbyn-clearly-used-phrase-stupid-woman-team-of-lip-readers-tell-sky-news-11586172
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,759

    I dedicate these Bar charts to @bigjohnowls

    image

    Trains. Stick to trains. There you are wonderful.
  • Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,821

    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    Plus the assumption among many that the Tories were going to win handsomely ( a lot of the electorate would not notice the late swings) so that some people could indulge in Corbyn mania assuming that responsible adults would rescue them from the consequences of their vote. Like you I was astonished at the lack of scrutiny and also lack of attack from the Tory official campaign - they must have decided that negative campaigning would be counterproductive. Not so when too many thought Corbyn a harmless sincere anti-politician. Lib Dems also foolishly concentrated on exclusively attacking the Tories - they would be much better placed if they attacked both major parties hard.
    Yes, all good points, plus one has to acknowledge what an utter hash Theresa May made of presenting the Tory programme, with a manifesto that seemed to have been designed to lose votes and which her own ministers and MPs hadn't been shown until the last minute. It really was a spectacular screw-up, in fact I can't really think of any election campaign by one of the two main parties which was as bad except for Michael Foot's classic of 1983.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,716
    Carnyx said:

    Scott_xP said:

    This is what Boris Johnson said of BYOB event:

    “When I went out into that garden I thought that I was attending a work event.”

    Reports that 30/40 people turned up, incl PM & wife Carrie who drank G&T & brought friends fr outside No 10, & there were tables laden w food & drinks.

    https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1517539336614563847

    If Carrie brought friends then it cannot possibly have been a work event as Johnson tells us.

    Non-colleagues attendance must absolutely be the definition of a non-work event i.e. a social occassion.

    Not that a work "event" existed at the time as a vehicle for having a party with colleagues. There was no such arrangement in the laws.

    Lillico made an interesting point yesterday (based on Baker's speech): lockdowns went on far too long in part because those running the country were not actually effected by them so they had no idea how depressed and miserable people were becoming. They basically carried on as normal except the pub was closed.
    Theoretically you could have Carrie and her friends at one table and her husband and his employees at another & then you are having two separate events in a shared space?
    Like that happened.
    Almost certainly not.

    Although I do recall from the balcony photo that Carrie & her friends were at a separate table with Boris
    Are you defining 'friends' as 'those at the table'? Bit circular.

    IIRC there was at least one senior aide/civil servant at the table as well.
    is the photo of Carrie and friends with Johnson actually the 15th May event not the 20th May BYOB event?
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,894

    kinabalu said:



    I'm with you on this. Corbyn's GE17 result was a genuine achievement. It can't all be explained away as down to Brexit and mistakes made by Mrs May. Some of it, yes, the result flattered him, just as the GE19 result did the opposite, but in 2017 there was widespread enthusiasm both for the man and the policies.

    Only because he had a virtually free ride from the press, and almost zero effort by the Tories to ensure voters knew what he was like. (I kept waiting for the attacks to start, and they never came - it was absolutely weird). So I don't think many voters understood just how odious and anti-British he is, and they were voting for someone on whom they had projected completely false impressions. Luckily by 2019 the scales had to a large extent fallen from the eyes of the voters.
    A story I heard was that the Tories had the attacks lined up but the terror attacks in Manchester and London so close to election day put the kibosh on them.
    I've said before that probably the most significant events in the 2017 election were the two terrorist outrages but most people, even on here, seem to forget they happened during the election campaign.
This discussion has been closed.