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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Detailed data from the YouGov/ST polls finds that fewer cur

SystemSystem Posts: 11,688
edited August 2014 in General

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Detailed data from the YouGov/ST polls finds that fewer current CON voters would back party if Boris was leader

Looking at the detail in the table above we see that there’s a 5% drop amongst current CON supporters with the main beneficiary being the Lib Dems.

Read the full story here


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    SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 20,633
    edited August 2014
    BoJo has no MoJo?

    1st?
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    FPT:

    IOS said:

    SeanF

    Labour may struggle this time but it certainly isn't our ceiling. And as for the voters. It depends on where they are. If the Tories want to win a majority they need to start doing better in London and other majorish conurbations.

    Winning a majority is about building a coalition and you can't do that when effectively not trying for 10% (and growing) of the population.

    The idea of a particular ethnic vote can be a snare, not least by balkanising our politics.

    If you look at voting patterns by ethnicity, you largely see patterns of class based voting combined with generational memory. I mean voting not only on the basis of ones own social class, but also the social class of ones parents. This is true of professional people from working class families as well as being illustrated by voting patterns of ethnically derived voters.

    Labour managed to combine the cultural memory of WWC voters with a class based approach to immigrant populations. Both are at risk as generations move on and their cultural memories evolve. It is notable that Hindu and Sikh voters are more middle class and more likely to vote Tory.

    A further factor is demographics, so ethnic populations with big families tend to be more interested in issues relating to children for example child benefit. They tend to live in extended families so less bothered by issues of pensions and nursing home care.

    I am sounding a little Marxist this morning, but believe that the Tories would do better with the sort of demographic that Javid represents than that of Warsi. Appeal to to the rising BME via supporting their enterprise and freedom rather than tokenism. Similarly by supporting aspirational groups within WWC communities in the North, Wales and Scotland.
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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151
    We need to be a bit careful with the sub-samples here, this must be a difference of about 20 people.

    Still, normally if you've got some people who currently support Party X led by Y, and you remove Y, you'd expect some of them to stop supporting Party X. Boris would be doing incredibly well to lose zero of them.

    PS. The ones I wonder about are the 3% who say they intend to vote Conservative at the next election, then YouGov ask, "What if David Cameron is still leader?", and they say, "Oh, in that case I'd vote for someone else".
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    MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053
    Bojo lost his Mojo when Londoners found out that passengers fried in the summer heat in the over designed Boris bus, that has no proper air-conditioning, and has windows that are permanently closed.
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    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    No party *needs* ethnic minority votes to win a GE in the UK, just as they don't need votes in any of the Celtic nations. But they're handy.

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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    MikeK said:

    Bojo lost his Mojo when Londoners found out that passengers fried in the summer heat in the over designed Boris bus, that has no proper air-conditioning, and has windows that are permanently closed.

    Do any buses have air-conditioning? Long distance coaches, yes, but buses? I travel by bus regularly and have never been on one with it. Perhaps its a London thing, haven't been on a London bus in decades.
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    BoJo has no MoJo?

    1st?

    BoJo is someone to project your views onto. Right wingers like him so they assume he thinks the same as they do. But on issues like immigration and the living wage he's on the left of the Tory party.

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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,607
    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.
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    MaxPB said:

    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.

    Do moslems like higher taxes?

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    SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 20,633
    It is a bit of a self-defeating chain of events: "I want Boris as PM/Tory leader, therefore I'll vote Conservative, but that means that the Conservatives win the election, Cameron stays in post, so no Boris". Therefore, if you want Boris as Tory leader - vote Labour!
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    MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053
    edited August 2014

    MikeK said:

    Bojo lost his Mojo when Londoners found out that passengers fried in the summer heat in the over designed Boris bus, that has no proper air-conditioning, and has windows that are permanently closed.

    Do any buses have air-conditioning? Long distance coaches, yes, but buses? I travel by bus regularly and have never been on one with it. Perhaps its a London thing, haven't been on a London bus in decades.
    The Boris Bus was supposed to have air-conditioning; thats why the window are made not to open. Instead they have a feeble air circulation directed to the left side of the bus only. Temperature on the upper deck in last months heatwave were reported at +35C.

    http://www.boriswatch.co.uk/2014/05/17/mad-dogs-and-londoners-go-out-on-the-boris-bus/
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    volcanopetevolcanopete Posts: 2,078
    Interesting the beeb have drawn back.Maybe the polling did not substantiate their pre-conceived agenda or could they be worried they could be accused of the personal promotion of one particular candidate in what is likely to be at least a 3-way contest?-which,by the way,is being spun as Osborne v Johnson in some parts of the media.It could be the Osborne strategists are attempting to elbow Ms May out of her clear 2nd place in the betting and she had better wise up to his little boys' games.Meanwhile,Murdoch is in the court of King Boris.
    The other factor is Eddie Mair's interview with Johnson,one which was picked up by PB as outstanding,the bit that still resonates is "the nasty piece of work" question.There may well be a lot more of that to come.
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    MikeSmithsonMikeSmithson Posts: 7,382
    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Well how do they win it? One thing is that the Crosby approach could reinforce anti-CON voting.

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    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419
    Curiously, Boris replacing Dave would not only reduce the number of current Cons who would vote Con, but also the number of current Lab who would vote Lab, the number of current LDs who would vote LD and number of current UKIPs who would vote UKIP!
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    MaxPB said:

    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.

    Do moslems like higher taxes?

    No, but they are far less likely to be paying tax in the first place.
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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151
    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    I'm in two minds about this one. On the one hand the numbers just aren't that big, so as far as winning the next election goes it feels like Warsi is concern trolling.

    On the other hand the Tories are clearly having a hard time putting together enough people in the same tent to win a majority, so if they're serious about a majority, they need to broaden their appeal anywhere they reasonably can. If you've got ethnic groups that are voting against Party X across the board, they probably include people who would tick a lot of "likely Party X" boxes except for their ethnicity, so they'd seem like the kind of people you should be trying hard to persuade.

    This is particularly important if you're thinking about the long term rather than just the next election, because once you've fixed the branding problem that's stopping generally conservative people from voting Conservative they should stick with you next time, unlike floating voters who aren't particularly disposed either way, who you're going to need to win over with a good campaign or a charismatic leader or whatever time after time.
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    volcanopetevolcanopete Posts: 2,078
    Sorry,wrong way round,Boris is in the court of King Rupert.
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    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419

    We need to be a bit careful with the sub-samples here, this must be a difference of about 20 people.

    Still, normally if you've got some people who currently support Party X led by Y, and you remove Y, you'd expect some of them to stop supporting Party X. Boris would be doing incredibly well to lose zero of them.

    PS. The ones I wonder about are the 3% who say they intend to vote Conservative at the next election, then YouGov ask, "What if David Cameron is still leader?", and they say, "Oh, in that case I'd vote for someone else".

    Maybe it's more that they're expecting Clegg and/or Ed to be replaced?
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,607

    MaxPB said:

    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.

    Do moslems like higher taxes?

    No idea, but changing the Tory message on Israel and softening on Iraq would repel more natural Tories than attract Muslims. Other BME voters won't be moved by any changes in these policies. I think that a harder policy in Iraq that includes air strikes would help win votes in Hendon, Golders Green, Harrow and Southall. Muslims will never vote Tory changing the message and policy to attract those votes will only ever be a vote loser for them and Warsi is kidding herself if she thinks this will ever change.
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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151

    Curiously, Boris replacing Dave would not only reduce the number of current Cons who would vote Con, but also the number of current Lab who would vote Lab, the number of current LDs who would vote LD and number of current UKIPs who would vote UKIP!

    I may be missing the implied "Well, duh" in that post, but basically if you got a box containing four trays with balls in them, and you shake the box around, you'd end up with all of the trays having fewer of their original balls in them.
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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    MikeK said:

    MikeK said:

    Bojo lost his Mojo when Londoners found out that passengers fried in the summer heat in the over designed Boris bus, that has no proper air-conditioning, and has windows that are permanently closed.

    Do any buses have air-conditioning? Long distance coaches, yes, but buses? I travel by bus regularly and have never been on one with it. Perhaps its a London thing, haven't been on a London bus in decades.
    The Boris Bus was supposed to have air-conditioning; thats why the window are made not to open. Instead they have a feeble air circulation directed to the left side of the bus only. Temperature on the upper deck in last months heatwave were reported at +35C.

    http://www.boriswatch.co.uk/2014/05/17/mad-dogs-and-londoners-go-out-on-the-boris-bus/
    Thanks for that, Mr K. I have to say it was uncomfortably hot on the bus back from the Eye Hospital last month but it never occurred to me to blame the chairman of the County Council.
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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151

    We need to be a bit careful with the sub-samples here, this must be a difference of about 20 people.

    Still, normally if you've got some people who currently support Party X led by Y, and you remove Y, you'd expect some of them to stop supporting Party X. Boris would be doing incredibly well to lose zero of them.

    PS. The ones I wonder about are the 3% who say they intend to vote Conservative at the next election, then YouGov ask, "What if David Cameron is still leader?", and they say, "Oh, in that case I'd vote for someone else".

    Maybe it's more that they're expecting Clegg and/or Ed to be replaced?
    Yeah, actually I guess it's just that the question's nudging them to think about the leaders and give more weight to them in their answers.

    But the fact that just doing that shifts 3% of the sub-sample feels like a clue that we shouldn't be taking too much notice of the way the next 5% of the sub-sample moves.
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    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.

    Do moslems like higher taxes?

    No idea, but changing the Tory message on Israel and softening on Iraq would repel more natural Tories than attract Muslims. Other BME voters won't be moved by any changes in these policies. I think that a harder policy in Iraq that includes air strikes would help win votes in Hendon, Golders Green, Harrow and Southall. Muslims will never vote Tory changing the message and policy to attract those votes will only ever be a vote loser for them and Warsi is kidding herself if she thinks this will ever change.

    Some Moslems do vote Tory. Others don't. Many don't vote at all. I doubt there's many votes in bombing Iraq, even though it may be necessary.

  • Options
    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,607

    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.

    Do moslems like higher taxes?

    No idea, but changing the Tory message on Israel and softening on Iraq would repel more natural Tories than attract Muslims. Other BME voters won't be moved by any changes in these policies. I think that a harder policy in Iraq that includes air strikes would help win votes in Hendon, Golders Green, Harrow and Southall. Muslims will never vote Tory changing the message and policy to attract those votes will only ever be a vote loser for them and Warsi is kidding herself if she thinks this will ever change.

    Some Moslems do vote Tory. Others don't. Many don't vote at all. I doubt there's many votes in bombing Iraq, even though it may be necessary.

    I think there are votes to be lost in going easy on Hamas and ISIL though which is clearly what Warsi is implying they should do to attract Muslim votes.
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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098

    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.

    Do moslems like higher taxes?

    No idea, but changing the Tory message on Israel and softening on Iraq would repel more natural Tories than attract Muslims. Other BME voters won't be moved by any changes in these policies. I think that a harder policy in Iraq that includes air strikes would help win votes in Hendon, Golders Green, Harrow and Southall. Muslims will never vote Tory changing the message and policy to attract those votes will only ever be a vote loser for them and Warsi is kidding herself if she thinks this will ever change.

    Some Moslems do vote Tory. Others don't. Many don't vote at all. I doubt there's many votes in bombing Iraq, even though it may be necessary.

    I might be old fashioned but committing an act of war, and bombing is definitely an act of war, is either necessary in the national interest or it isn't. If it is judged that it is by HMG then it should be done regardless of any effect it might have on voting intentions. The idea that HMG should do or refrain from doing something in the national interest because it might upset a segment of the electorate is just wrong.
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    Y0kelY0kel Posts: 2,307
    If there are many ISIL supporting individuals left. Yet another young British man killed fighting for them in the last day or so.
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    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,320
    edited August 2014

    BoJo has no MoJo?

    1st?

    BoJo is someone to project your views onto. Right wingers like him so they assume he thinks the same as they do. But on issues like immigration and the living wage he's on the left of the Tory party.

    Everyone likes him. As an entertainer (refrained from saying clown) and breath of fresh air plus huge dose of man-of-the-people common sense dispenser. Erudite, too.

    Far far fewer people like him as a politician.
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    Is a change coming up for Vince Cable?

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2720943/Cables-fury-Nick-Clegg-allies-spread-Vince-set-quit-rumours-whispering-campaign.html

    " Well-placed sources revealed 71-year-old Business Secretary plans exit
    Vince Cable blasted claims as 'nonsense', claims he will stay to election
    Many within party say he is planning 'a Hague' and will leave in reshuffle"
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    The Tories are heading the way of the Republicans in America. A demographic time bomb is ticking against them. You simply cannot hope to gain a majority without appealing to 10% of the population - and many of the electorate who are friends with and respect that group.

    Look at London. The Tories are being squeezed out.
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,607
    IOS said:

    The Tories are heading the way of the Republicans in America. A demographic time bomb is ticking against them. You simply cannot hope to gain a majority without appealing to 10% of the population - and many of the electorate who are friends with and respect that group.

    Look at London. The Tories are being squeezed out.

    Labour are signing their long term death warrant as well by pushing for Muslim votes, it will begin tottransform the party's appeal and over time Labour will become like the Congress Party in India, loathed by the silent majority.
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    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,320
    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.

    Do moslems like higher taxes?

    No idea, but changing the Tory message on Israel and softening on Iraq would repel more natural Tories than attract Muslims. Other BME voters won't be moved by any changes in these policies. I think that a harder policy in Iraq that includes air strikes would help win votes in Hendon, Golders Green, Harrow and Southall. Muslims will never vote Tory changing the message and policy to attract those votes will only ever be a vote loser for them and Warsi is kidding herself if she thinks this will ever change.
    I think Warsi is playing out the second act of her sulk at the Tory party. The BME thing seems to be the most timely. As ever with her, she hasn't thought it through and is looking for the headline rather than the analysis.

    Good riddance.
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    felixfelix Posts: 15,124
    Warsi is clearly miffed and vindictively determined to damage Cameron. It is unedifying and inelegant and unlikely to work. No government should tailor its foreign policy to court an ethnic vote. It should seek to what is right to the best of its ability whilst acting in the national interest.
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Max

    Sadly for you the electorate at large don't show the hostility for Muslims - let alone a party that wins their support as you do. Winning ethnic minority votes and winning the white working class are not mutually exclusive aims you dolt.

    Working class white people in Tottenham care just as much about their sure start centers and local NHS services as working class black people.
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    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,320
    felix said:

    Warsi is clearly miffed and vindictively determined to damage Cameron. It is unedifying and inelegant and unlikely to work. No government should tailor its foreign policy to court an ethnic vote. It should seek to what is right to the best of its ability whilst acting in the national interest.

    Yep.
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    david_herdsondavid_herdson Posts: 17,419

    Curiously, Boris replacing Dave would not only reduce the number of current Cons who would vote Con, but also the number of current Lab who would vote Lab, the number of current LDs who would vote LD and number of current UKIPs who would vote UKIP!

    I may be missing the implied "Well, duh" in that post, but basically if you got a box containing four trays with balls in them, and you shake the box around, you'd end up with all of the trays having fewer of their original balls in them.
    But politics isn't that random - normally replacing one leader with another (actually or hypothetically) would make one party more attractive and (hence) others less so, or vice versa. That said, they're small numbers and as you said earlier, there's a strong chance that not everyone answering was paying full attention.
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,044
    O/t:

    In motorsport news, multiple-time NASCAR and sprint racing champion Tony Stewart, hit and killed another driver, Kevin ward, during a dirt track race.

    http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/aug/10/nascar-crash-tony-stewart

    From the looks of the video (which I will not link to as it is slightly graphic), Stewart might be in trouble. At the very least, safety systems need to be looked into, pronto.
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,607
    IOS said:

    Max

    Sadly for you the electorate at large don't show the hostility for Muslims - let alone a party that wins their support as you do. Winning ethnic minority votes and winning the white working class are not mutually exclusive aims you dolt.

    Working class white people in Tottenham care just as much about their sure start centers and local NHS services as working class black people.

    Today they don't, but a few more Jihad flags and anti-Semitic and anti-British chants through London and minds will begin to harden. I'm talking 10-20 years from now, not for 2015.
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    TOPPING said:

    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.

    Do moslems like higher taxes?

    No idea, but changing the Tory message on Israel and softening on Iraq would repel more natural Tories than attract Muslims. Other BME voters won't be moved by any changes in these policies. I think that a harder policy in Iraq that includes air strikes would help win votes in Hendon, Golders Green, Harrow and Southall. Muslims will never vote Tory changing the message and policy to attract those votes will only ever be a vote loser for them and Warsi is kidding herself if she thinks this will ever change.
    I think Warsi is playing out the second act of her sulk at the Tory party. The BME thing seems to be the most timely. As ever with her, she hasn't thought it through and is looking for the headline rather than the analysis.

    Good riddance.
    You racist! :)
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Oh max do shut up. Muslims in this country and elsewhere aren't going to be raising Jihad flags in any number. Its just a few attention seekers.

    Anyway - can we establish that ethnic minority voters does not equal just muslims. Plenty of Indian and black voters that the Tories are like kryptonite to.
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    MaxPB said:

    IOS said:

    The Tories are heading the way of the Republicans in America. A demographic time bomb is ticking against them. You simply cannot hope to gain a majority without appealing to 10% of the population - and many of the electorate who are friends with and respect that group.

    Look at London. The Tories are being squeezed out.

    Labour are signing their long term death warrant as well by pushing for Muslim votes, it will begin tottransform the party's appeal and over time Labour will become like the Congress Party in India, loathed by the silent majority.
    Not everyone sympathetic to the Palestinians is a Muslim.
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    volcanopetevolcanopete Posts: 2,078
    IOS said:

    The Tories are heading the way of the Republicans in America. A demographic time bomb is ticking against them. You simply cannot hope to gain a majority without appealing to 10% of the population - and many of the electorate who are friends with and respect that group.

    Look at London. The Tories are being squeezed out.

    A Tory led government is set to exclude huge swathes of the Uk,the next step is to set "the other" as the enemy of the rest.Crosby is playing a very dangerous game not just for the Tory party but for the country as a whole.One only needs to how Australia treats its' minorites.

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    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850
    IOS said:

    The Tories are heading the way of the Republicans in America. A demographic time bomb is ticking against them. You simply cannot hope to gain a majority without appealing to 10% of the population - and many of the electorate who are friends with and respect that group.

    Look at London. The Tories are being squeezed out.

    The Republicans seem to be about to regain the Senate, in addition to the House and most State legislatures.

    Leaving that aside, 53% of the vote went to Right-wing parties in the Euro elections. Current polling puts them on about 46%, up from 40% at the last election. There is no evidence at all that the pool of voters the Conservatives needs in order to win power is diminishing.

    Where the Conservatives struggle is in their efforts to persuade enough Right-wing voters to support them.


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    FlightpathFlightpath Posts: 4,012

    MikeK said:

    Bojo lost his Mojo when Londoners found out that passengers fried in the summer heat in the over designed Boris bus, that has no proper air-conditioning, and has windows that are permanently closed.

    Do any buses have air-conditioning? Long distance coaches, yes, but buses? I travel by bus regularly and have never been on one with it. Perhaps its a London thing, haven't been on a London bus in decades.
    Boris did not design the air conditioning. I've been on 'conventional' buses 9and trains) in summer where the heating has been blaring out.
    Sadly this is a 'made in Britain' problem.
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Volcanopete.

    The Tories haven't won a majority in 22 years and they aren't about to win one for the next 5 at the very least.
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    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    felix said:

    Warsi is clearly miffed and vindictively determined to damage Cameron. It is unedifying and inelegant and unlikely to work. No government should tailor its foreign policy to court an ethnic vote. It should seek to what is right to the best of its ability whilst acting in the national interest.

    Exactly – although ‘vindictive’ is too strong a word for what is basically unhelpful stupidity.
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    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453

    the next step is to set "the other" as the enemy of the rest.

    Like UKIP

    Or the SNP
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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    Cameron missed a trick at the last reshuffle, Michael Nazir-Ali should have been made Foreign-Secretary, he speaks more sense than any of the current crop of politicians:

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/michaelnazirali/100282928/the-west-must-face-the-evil-that-has-revealed-itself-in-the-iraq-genocide/
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    SeanF

    The Republicans lose the house pretty much everytime. Its only because they have gerrymandered the house that they ever win a majority.
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    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850

    MaxPB said:

    AndyJS said:

    Crosby is right and Warsi is wrong. The Tories don't need EM votes to win the election.

    Warsi saying EM is code for Muslim, and Crosby saying EM is also code for Muslim. Crosby is right, the Tories don't need to adjust the message to attract Muslim votes as it will repel more of their voter base than it will attract Muslims. Getting other BME votes is well within the realm of possibility with a low tax message.

    Do moslems like higher taxes?

    Recent electoral history shows that foreign policies will shift Muslim voters. It's unlikely that the Conservatives will ever support foreign policies that Muslim voters find appealing.

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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    HurstLlama

    Using the logic deployed by the PB Tories on here that would be a disaster as 90% of the electorate would automatically be less likely to vote for the Tories....
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    MikeK said:

    Bojo lost his Mojo when Londoners found out that passengers fried in the summer heat in the over designed Boris bus, that has no proper air-conditioning, and has windows that are permanently closed.

    Do any buses have air-conditioning? Long distance coaches, yes, but buses? I travel by bus regularly and have never been on one with it. Perhaps its a London thing, haven't been on a London bus in decades.
    Boris did not design the air conditioning. I've been on 'conventional' buses 9and trains) in summer where the heating has been blaring out.
    Sadly this is a 'made in Britain' problem.
    Britain? Wright are in NI actually!
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    felixfelix Posts: 15,124
    IOS said:

    Oh max do shut up. Muslims in this country and elsewhere aren't going to be raising Jihad flags in any number. Its just a few attention seekers.

    Anyway - can we establish that ethnic minority voters does not equal just muslims. Plenty of Indian and black voters that the Tories are like kryptonite to.

    I think that's waht a lot of people thought about the Nazis in the 1920s.
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    felixfelix Posts: 15,124
    OT - Two anti-Boris threads in a row - he's clearly got the left rattled and he hasn't even found a seat yet:))
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    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850
    IOS said:

    Volcanopete.

    The Tories haven't won a majority in 22 years and they aren't about to win one for the next 5 at the very least.

    Prior to 1997, Labour hadn't won a working majority for 31 years, and a majority of any sort for 23 years.
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    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,320
    felix said:

    OT - Two anti-Boris threads in a row - he's clearly got the left rattled and he hasn't even found a seat yet:))

    Cameron hopes that his "best players on the pitch" comment actually plays out without an accompanying leadership challenge. That really would spook the lefties as there is no doubt that Boris is attractive and appealing in se.
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    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850
    IOS said:

    SeanF

    The Republicans lose the house pretty much everytime. Its only because they have gerrymandered the house that they ever win a majority.

    The Republicans have often finished ahead in vote share, since 1994. As you pointed out in the last thread, it's seats that count. Labour finished 92 seats ahead of the Conservatives in England in 2005, despite winning fewer votes, a far more skewed result than any US election.

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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    @Volcanopete

    "A Tory led government is set to exclude huge swathes of the Uk"

    What on earth does that mean?
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    SeanF

    Absolutely. And it changed almost everything about the party in order to win one.

    I merely suggest that one of the thinsg the Tories need to do is grow up and not group all ethnic minorities together (or refer to them as Muslims) recognise they are an important and growing demographic and start try to appeal to them, rather than condescend and be outright hostile.


    But hey. It seems the Tories aren't that fussed about winning majorities in the future.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,028
    Luckyguy1983 (last thread) Jewish voters proved vital in winning seats like Finchley and Golders Green, Harrow East and Hendon for the Tories in 2010. UKIP voters are also the most pro Israel and the Tories need to win them back. Jewish voters may also switch to UKIP if they think Cameron is abandoning them. Muslim voters swing between the LDs and Labour and Respect on the whole which is why Miliband and Clegg are much more pro Palestinian and critical of Israel than Cameron. Most voters think both Israel and Hamas are as bad as each other, so will not change their vote on Gaza, but Muslim and Jewish voters could switch party on the issue.
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Felix - are you honestly comparing Muslims in this country with Nazi's in Germany. Jesus and the Tories wonder why they are a dieing party.

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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,607
    IOS said:

    Oh max do shut up. Muslims in this country and elsewhere aren't going to be raising Jihad flags in any number. Its just a few attention seekers.

    Anyway - can we establish that ethnic minority voters does not equal just muslims. Plenty of Indian and black voters that the Tories are like kryptonite to.

    That you think it is a small minority shows how complacent the left is about extremists in Britian.

    As for other minorities I am in complete agreement as I have said plenty of times on the website and at meet ups. The Tories need to find a way to reach black and Indian voters. They have made a lot of progress with the latter group already with Cameron and I think they need to do a lot more to appeal to black voters. I just don't believe that Warsi is correct that the Cons should follow Ed Miliband and effectively support Hamas in the Israel/Palestine conflict to woo Muslim voters.
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    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,320
    IOS said:

    SeanF

    Absolutely. And it changed almost everything about the party in order to win one.

    I merely suggest that one of the thinsg the Tories need to do is grow up and not group all ethnic minorities together (or refer to them as Muslims) recognise they are an important and growing demographic and start try to appeal to them, rather than condescend and be outright hostile.


    But hey. It seems the Tories aren't that fussed about winning majorities in the future.

    Hey I thought it was Warsi who brought up this issue?

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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    IOS said:

    HurstLlama

    Using the logic deployed by the PB Tories on here that would be a disaster as 90% of the electorate would automatically be less likely to vote for the Tories....

    Sorry, Old chap, haven't got a clue what you are talking about.
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    MaxPB said:

    IOS said:

    The Tories are heading the way of the Republicans in America. A demographic time bomb is ticking against them. You simply cannot hope to gain a majority without appealing to 10% of the population - and many of the electorate who are friends with and respect that group.

    Look at London. The Tories are being squeezed out.

    Labour are signing their long term death warrant as well by pushing for Muslim votes, it will begin tottransform the party's appeal and over time Labour will become like the Congress Party in India, loathed by the silent majority.
    Not everyone sympathetic to the Palestinians is a Muslim.
    Nor does being sympathetic to the Palestinians exclude despising the terror attacks that Hamas makes on Israel, or the internal repression of other Palestinian voices.
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    FlightpathFlightpath Posts: 4,012

    IOS said:

    The Tories are heading the way of the Republicans in America. A demographic time bomb is ticking against them. You simply cannot hope to gain a majority without appealing to 10% of the population - and many of the electorate who are friends with and respect that group.

    Look at London. The Tories are being squeezed out.

    A Tory led government is set to exclude huge swathes of the Uk,the next step is to set "the other" as the enemy of the rest.Crosby is playing a very dangerous game not just for the Tory party but for the country as a whole.One only needs to how Australia treats its' minorites.

    So Cameron promoting the son of a Pakistani bus driver is somehow translated as 'Crosby excluding huge swathes'?
    Look at London? Why not look at the rise of UKIP which is built on the reaction to Socialists pro immigrant pro multiculturalist stance? UKIP has nothing to do with the EU anymore. iot is riding on anti immigant bigotry.
    The tories must remain centrist and the promotion of Sajid Javid typifies that. The right need to realise that splitting themselves plays to labours game.
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    MaxPB said:

    IOS said:

    The Tories are heading the way of the Republicans in America. A demographic time bomb is ticking against them. You simply cannot hope to gain a majority without appealing to 10% of the population - and many of the electorate who are friends with and respect that group.

    Look at London. The Tories are being squeezed out.

    Labour are signing their long term death warrant as well by pushing for Muslim votes, it will begin tottransform the party's appeal and over time Labour will become like the Congress Party in India, loathed by the silent majority.
    Not everyone sympathetic to the Palestinians is a Muslim.
    Nor does being sympathetic to the Palestinians exclude despising the terror attacks that Hamas makes on Israel, or the internal repression of other Palestinian voices.
    Yes you are right on that!
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    felixfelix Posts: 15,124
    IOS said:

    Felix - are you honestly comparing Muslims in this country with Nazi's in Germany. Jesus and the Tories wonder why they are a dieing party.

    No - it seems though that you've just done that. I was referring to flag-waving Jihadists and the danger they represent.
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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151
    edited August 2014


    But politics isn't that random - normally replacing one leader with another (actually or hypothetically) would make one party more attractive and (hence) others less so, or vice versa.

    Sure, and that's also what's happening here, but the effect I'm suggesting is that any change will lose some support as well as gaining some, even if there's a net gain overall. I think that's plausible if you think of pretty much any leadership transition; For example, at the time most people may have preferred Major to Thatcher or Kinnock to Foot (implying shifts from the other parties to the party making the change) but there are clearly some people who would prefer Thatcher to Major (iron, lady) or Foot to Kinnock (proper socialist, anti-EEC), and for some of them it's going to make enough difference to swing them to another party or to Don't Know / Will Not Vote.
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Topping

    She did. the Tories on here dismissed her. I merely suggest unless they want to keep losing the Tories take her advice,


    The Tories need to bring in more ethnic minority candidates and all women shortlists. They are simply too full of old white men. A electoral disaster.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,028
    Today's DM reports over 100 MPs are ready to oust Cameron in favour of Boris if he attempts to form another coalition with the LDs if the Tories are again just shy of a majority. Boris would then call a snap election and win a clear majority they believe. This poll shows the folly of that, a 1% rise under Boris compared to Cameron is virtually no difference at all and while the Tories would win some Kippers back, they would also lose a few Tory voters to the LDs
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2720896/Revealed-Tory-MPs-plot-dump-Dave-Boris-100-MPs-ready-vote-Queen-s-Speech-forcing-Prime-Minister-resign.html
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    SquareRootSquareRoot Posts: 7,095

    IOS said:

    HurstLlama

    Using the logic deployed by the PB Tories on here that would be a disaster as 90% of the electorate would automatically be less likely to vote for the Tories....

    Sorry, Old chap, haven't got a clue what you are talking about.
    I wouldn't worry too much about that, neither does IOS.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,008
    edited August 2014
    HYUFD said:

    Today's DM reports over 100 MPs are ready to oust Cameron in favour of Boris if he attempts to form another coalition with the LDs if the Tories are again just shy of a majority. Boris would then call a snap election and win a clear majority they believe. This poll shows the folly of that, a 1% rise under Boris compared to Cameron is virtually no difference at all and while the Tories would win some Kippers back, they would also lose a few Tory voters to the LDs
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2720896/Revealed-Tory-MPs-plot-dump-Dave-Boris-100-MPs-ready-vote-Queen-s-Speech-forcing-Prime-Minister-resign.html

    But the Fixed Term Parliament Act is still in force. Boris would have to convince at least the LD's (who would probably be licking their wounds anyway) and probably some other MP's that an election was necessary.
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    felixfelix Posts: 15,124
    edited August 2014
    The great thing about Boris is that he makes good headlines in the same way Farage does. As such he is an asset and Cameron recognizes this.
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    HurstLlama

    The false dichotomy presented here that trying to appeal to ethnic minority voters would cost the support of white people. Clearly nonsense but thats not the way some think.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,311
    Just idle curiosity but would there have been play in Manchester today if India had not so abjectly surrendered?
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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    They are simply too full of old white men. A electoral disaster.

    doesn't seem to be doing UKIP any harm in labour's back yard.
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    FlightpathFlightpath Posts: 4,012
    HYUFD said:

    Today's DM reports over 100 MPs are ready to oust Cameron in favour of Boris if he attempts to form another coalition with the LDs if the Tories are again just shy of a majority. Boris would then call a snap election and win a clear majority they believe. This poll shows the folly of that, a 1% rise under Boris compared to Cameron is virtually no difference at all and while the Tories would win some Kippers back, they would also lose a few Tory voters to the LDs
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2720896/Revealed-Tory-MPs-plot-dump-Dave-Boris-100-MPs-ready-vote-Queen-s-Speech-forcing-Prime-Minister-resign.html

    Over 100?
    And where did they conduct this poll? Too many Tory backbenchers are of course pretty thick - but really... to vote down your own govt on a Queens Speech? They think that is a good way to start a general election campaign?
    How absurd is the notion? How absurd is the report?
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    felixfelix Posts: 15,124
    IOS said:

    HurstLlama

    The false dichotomy presented here that trying to appeal to ethnic minority voters would cost the support of white people. Clearly nonsense but thats not the way some think.

    So why is Labour talking about restricting immigration now having let it rip after 1997? Why is UKIP doing so well in some of their old heartlands? are you suggesting that UKIP are hoovering up the Muslim vote? You need to get a grip.
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    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    HYUFD said:

    Today's DM reports over 100 MPs are ready to oust Cameron in favour of Boris if he attempts to form another coalition with the LDs if the Tories are again just shy of a majority. Boris would then call a snap election and win a clear majority they believe. This poll shows the folly of that, a 1% rise under Boris compared to Cameron is virtually no difference at all and while the Tories would win some Kippers back, they would also lose a few Tory voters to the LDs
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2720896/Revealed-Tory-MPs-plot-dump-Dave-Boris-100-MPs-ready-vote-Queen-s-Speech-forcing-Prime-Minister-resign.html

    But the Fixed Term Parliament Act is still in force. Boris would have to convince at least the LD's (who would probably be licking their wounds anyway) and probably some other MP's that an election was necessary.
    Yep. Far better to allow Boris to be exposed to the dilemmas of government until any honeymoon period is over, then vote for an election.

    It presumes of course that Boris becomes leader, which is far from certain.
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    FlightpathFlightpath Posts: 4,012
    And PS
    'Today's DM reports over 100 MPs are ready to oust Cameron in favour of Boris' -- Such a policy is beyond the power of the MPs. They can only set up an election for the membership to give a final decision on. They cannot 'select' Boris.
    So another absurdity about the report.
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Felix

    All UKIP have done in Labour heartlands is coalesce anti Labour votes around them. Labour is still the most supported party amongst D & E voters by a long way.
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Taffys

    Number of UKIP MPs = 0

    Some electoral success.
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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    The false dichotomy presented here that trying to appeal to ethnic minority voters would cost the support of white people

    The labour result in 2015 will tell us if its a false dichotomy or not.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,008
    IOS said:

    Taffys

    Number of UKIP MPs = 0

    Some electoral success.

    Is that your opinion of the situation after May 2015?
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Taffys

    Labour lost support for a number of reasons. I doubt in the top 20 was "it tried to win Muslim votes"

    I am amazed this is even a necessary conversation. Labour only just got beat at the last election in terms of seats. Despite a feck off big recession and 13 years of government. If the Tories want to change this state of affairs it needs do to change a few things about themselves.

    Less men, more women - Bring in AWS
    More ethinic minority MPs
    A hell of a lot less posh middle aged white people
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    OldKingCole

    Certainly will be when it comes to the number of MPs UKIP has north of the Watford gap. I can only see Farage winning.
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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151
    edited August 2014

    And PS
    'Today's DM reports over 100 MPs are ready to oust Cameron in favour of Boris' -- Such a policy is beyond the power of the MPs. They can only set up an election for the membership to give a final decision on. They cannot 'select' Boris.
    So another absurdity about the report.

    The traditional tactic is to plot and scheme to make sure the alternative choice is somebody the membership would have to be stark raving bonkers off their nuts to vote for.

    (Admittedly this has been known to backfire and end up with the membership actually picking that person...)
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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    I don't know. When I was growing up I was taught to treat everyone as an individual and to lump people together because of their colour or religion or whatever was just plain wrong. That was on a council estate in Wandsworth.

    Now I have so-called progressives like IOS telling me that It is not only right but it is also proper to treat people as homogeneous groups. That all Muslims, for example, think along certain lines and that policies should be tailored to court groups and not people.

    IOS may be correct in terms of today's politics but if he is then I am sorry because then we have lost our way. Moreover, I am never going to conform. I refuse to see people grouped by stereotypes, I bloody well will not do it.

    One of my clients was chap called Kieran, a fairly successful business man, with a nice house and a very nice family that he worked hard for. He had a lot in common with another client called Max. They thought along very similar lines and had very similar concerns. Kieran is the son of a Ugandan-Asian who arrive in this country with bugger all after being kicked out by Idi Amin. Max is the youngest son of an old English family which has held the same land for centuries.

    No. The view that IOS espouses is really no different from that of Hitler and his gang in the twenties and thirties. Once you assign people to groups and stereotype the group then you can start blaming the group and the people stop being people. It is wrong.
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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    edited August 2014
    I doubt in the top 20 was "it tried to win Muslim votes"

    I very much doubt that question has ever been asked, and I also very much doubt anyone would ever admit that was their motivation for not voting labour, even if it were true.

    Still, I suppose its good for the confidence of you and your party that you have not been in the least bit shaken or tempted to change course by what happened in Rotherham, Sunderland, Grimsby etc.

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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,988
    edited August 2014
    Good afternoon, everyone.

    Pissing it down in Yorkshire.

    Mr. IOS, it's not so very long ago that Labour peer Lord Ahmed was threatening to summon an angry horde of 10,000 if a Dutch politician showed a film, and even more recent was the very civilised and reasonable march through London, where friendly placards with messages such as "Death to the West" and "Behead those who insult Islam" were present in large numbers.

    Edited extra bit: just read about the report of 500 being buried alive by ISIS.

    I'd say it's unbelievable... but after they crucified children, it isn't.
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    GrandioseGrandiose Posts: 2,323

    HYUFD said:

    Today's DM reports over 100 MPs are ready to oust Cameron in favour of Boris if he attempts to form another coalition with the LDs if the Tories are again just shy of a majority. Boris would then call a snap election and win a clear majority they believe. This poll shows the folly of that, a 1% rise under Boris compared to Cameron is virtually no difference at all and while the Tories would win some Kippers back, they would also lose a few Tory voters to the LDs
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2720896/Revealed-Tory-MPs-plot-dump-Dave-Boris-100-MPs-ready-vote-Queen-s-Speech-forcing-Prime-Minister-resign.html

    But the Fixed Term Parliament Act is still in force. Boris would have to convince at least the LD's (who would probably be licking their wounds anyway) and probably some other MP's that an election was necessary.
    Never ask a Tory MP to elucidate a grand plan. The political reality is far more important.

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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    No. The view that IOS espouses is really no different from that of Hitler and his gang in the twenties and thirties. Once you assign people to groups and stereotype the group then you can start blaming the group and the people stop being people. It is wrong.


    Is this some sort of sick joke! I am simply point out how anyone - politicians or otherwise - should develop a marketing strategy - and that is through breaking the electorate up into groups. The Tories here are doing this and drawing the conclusion that they simply shouldn't bother.

    But hey this is PB where you get compared to Hitler for suggesting that the Tories need to engage and try and win ethnic minority voters.

    Lunacy.
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    MaxPB said:

    IOS said:

    Oh max do shut up. Muslims in this country and elsewhere aren't going to be raising Jihad flags in any number. Its just a few attention seekers.

    Anyway - can we establish that ethnic minority voters does not equal just muslims. Plenty of Indian and black voters that the Tories are like kryptonite to.

    That you think it is a small minority shows how complacent the left is about extremists in Britian.

    As for other minorities I am in complete agreement as I have said plenty of times on the website and at meet ups. The Tories need to find a way to reach black and Indian voters. They have made a lot of progress with the latter group already with Cameron and I think they need to do a lot more to appeal to black voters. I just don't believe that Warsi is correct that the Cons should follow Ed Miliband and effectively support Hamas in the Israel/Palestine conflict to woo Muslim voters.

    Miliband is not supporting Hamas. That's a pretty vile thing to say. He seems to be saying the same kind of thing as a growing number of Tory MPs.

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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098
    IOS said:

    No. The view that IOS espouses is really no different from that of Hitler and his gang in the twenties and thirties. Once you assign people to groups and stereotype the group then you can start blaming the group and the people stop being people. It is wrong.


    Is this some sort of sick joke! I am simply point out how anyone - politicians or otherwise - should develop a marketing strategy - and that is through breaking the electorate up into groups. The Tories here are doing this and drawing the conclusion that they simply shouldn't bother.

    But hey this is PB where you get compared to Hitler for suggesting that the Tories need to engage and try and win ethnic minority voters.

    Lunacy.

    No IOS, you get held up because you seem to want to put people into groups that you can stereotype. What is the difference between thinking that all people of a certain religion will respond to a certain policy, to saying that all people of a certain colour have a natural sense of rhythm (and a weakness outside the off-stump)? Once you are off down the stereotype road, which is where you seem to want to go, then you are on the same road as Hitler and his gang.
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,607

    MaxPB said:

    IOS said:

    Oh max do shut up. Muslims in this country and elsewhere aren't going to be raising Jihad flags in any number. Its just a few attention seekers.

    Anyway - can we establish that ethnic minority voters does not equal just muslims. Plenty of Indian and black voters that the Tories are like kryptonite to.

    That you think it is a small minority shows how complacent the left is about extremists in Britian.

    As for other minorities I am in complete agreement as I have said plenty of times on the website and at meet ups. The Tories need to find a way to reach black and Indian voters. They have made a lot of progress with the latter group already with Cameron and I think they need to do a lot more to appeal to black voters. I just don't believe that Warsi is correct that the Cons should follow Ed Miliband and effectively support Hamas in the Israel/Palestine conflict to woo Muslim voters.

    Miliband is not supporting Hamas. That's a pretty vile thing to say. He seems to be saying the same kind of thing as a growing number of Tory MPs.

    He is calling for an arms embargo to Israel and for the government to pull our support until they lay down their arms. He has picked his side and that side is the opposite to Israel. However you try and dress it up official Labour policy is to oppose Israel and that means supporting the enemy which is Hamas. That is motivated by holding onto the Muslim vote that they lost in 2005.
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    edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,151

    Now I have so-called progressives like IOS telling me that It is not only right but it is also proper to treat people as homogeneous groups. That all Muslims, for example, think along certain lines and that policies should be tailored to court groups and not people.

    IOS may be correct in terms of today's politics but if he is then I am sorry because then we have lost our way. Moreover, I am never going to conform. I refuse to see people grouped by stereotypes, I bloody well will not do it.

    This is OK as long as you don't have to do any kind of political strategy or marketing or other human-related data analysis.

    However, if you do, one thing you should be asking is why people of particular ethnicities think on similar lines and have similar concerns to people who vote Conservative, but tend not to vote Conservative themselves. This may be a branding problem - eg they think the Conservatives are hostile to their ethnicity even though they're not really. But it may also be that there are some things that Conservatives, given the underlying values that they presumably share with these voters, are currently doing wrong, and it's people of those ethnicities who are paying attention to it.
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Hurst

    Er what do you think any marketing organisation does. It profiles groups and creates a message and narrative. Political parties should do this. As ethinic minorities will define themselves as such it makes sense to communicate in a language that shows you respect and understand that. But when it comes to policies - as I said earlier - the working class black man from tottenham cares just as much about the local NHS services and sure start as his white working class neighbour.

    The Tories cannot communicate with either of these groups and positively alienate the first. If the Tories show no interest or desire in changing this then they will never ever win a majority again.

    Warsi is right.
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    MaxPB would do well as a BJP activist in India :)
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    IOSIOS Posts: 1,450
    Max

    Milibands position is going to be motivated by his values - and particularly that of his mother. They have both long campaigned for a secure Palestinian state along a viable secular Jewish state.
This discussion has been closed.