The PM (or one of the grown ups in her cabinet) need to be addressing the young directly. They voted, she has ignored them, and potentially little will change. Myths will build. She needs to be humble and open, and in listening mode. She needs a young friendly policy now.
Or her replacement does.
There's nothing the Tories can do or say to win over the young. They are Jezza's now.
The only thing that will change this is when Jezza gets power and they see the true horror of what a hard left, marxist government looks like.
Snip
Where do they do this?
I'm most curious
Come on, not one conservative politician in the last seven years has made any effort to think about the morale of the public sector. Spiteful stuff like cutting holiday allowances and TCs was paired with (at times) necessary pay restrictions in the name of "modernisation" and has done precisely the opposite. Any Tory near a microphone speaks about further reform, but without any effort to reach or to the large chunk of e.g. the civil service that actively wants to modernise and hates some of the old fashioned nonsense.
It's also in the lexicon - such as referring to the private sector as the "productive" part of the economy. Activists on fora like this one assuming the public sector is a Labour block vote is also the sort of statement that quickly becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
If you don't feel like someone wants your vote, eventually you stop worrying about the argument for any of their policies in any other areas.
I don't know what you do, but one bit of rhetoric which always pisses me off is the distinction between NHS "front line staff", every one of whom is a nobler version of Florence Nightingale, and administrators who are by implication a bunch of bureaucratic jobsworths. Those promoting this vision should perform the thought experiment of imagining an operating theatre with an operation in progress, and then removing from it each element which would not be there but for administrators.
Yes. Exactly this. I won't, for obvious reasons, give too much away about what I do, but the idea that all "managers" are always bad needs challenging. As does the idea that a skilled professional (like a surgeon or a teacher) is necessarily well equipped to run a large organisation with things like HR and procurement problems (like a hospital or a big school). "Front line staff" is an utterly meaningless statement in this context.
Well there was talk in the 70's of a coup being needed... But in the end democracy sorted it out. It will do so again...
There was indeed such talk, Mr Gin - but only among extreme-right wing elderly Tories. normal people - the vast majority of the population, did not think any such thing.
Come on, not one conservative politician in the last seven years has made any effort to think about the morale of the public sector. Spiteful stuff like cutting holiday allowances and TCs was paired with (at times) necessary pay restrictions in the name of "modernisation" and has done precisely the opposite. Any Tory near a microphone speaks about further reform, but without any effort to reach or to the large chunk of e.g. the civil service that actively wants to modernise and hates some of the old fashioned nonsense.
It's also in the lexicon - such as referring to the private sector as the "productive" part of the economy. Activists on fora like this one assuming the public sector is a Labour block vote is also the sort of statement that quickly becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
If you don't feel like someone wants your vote, eventually you stop worrying about the argument for any of their policies in any other areas.
This is an excellent post. Yes, it is even in the vocabulary and the phrasing. How many teachers were pleased to hear they were part of Gove's "Blob"? (An analysis he was in many ways fundamentally right about, but nobody should have heard that word til he wrote his memoirs 30 years later!)
He's also wrong. May's still PM and their support might have helped stop Jezza.
I disagree. May is still PM but she's lost her majority - that means despite being overwhelmingly backed by tabloids she actually lost ground in this GE and had her own authority and credibility shot to pieces, despite her flaws essentially being glossed over by the Daily Mail and The Sun. Within that context of such press coverage, May should not be losing, but instead gaining ground.
Furthermore, it seems rather unlikely that they 'helped stopped Jezza.' Despite the increased negative coverage of Corbyn, in the polls which were actually right - Survation and YouGov - the Conservative poll lead continued to decrease at an incredible rate, and May's ratings nose dived while Corbyn's rose. The Mail heralded the Conservative Manifesto on its front page, describing May as leader who 'told the truth': yet that same manifesto went down terribly with the British public.
It seems clear that the tabloids are losing their influence. Cried wolf one too many times.
Evening all. I'm still trying to digest the events of the last 24 hours. I wanted the Conservatives to win but for weeks I had strong doubts that they would given the relentlessly negative media coverage and letting Corbyn hog the limelight. The votes have been counted and yes they are the largest party but it has to listen to the voters. They did not give May a ringing endorsement and I find it untenable that she and the government can carry on regardless as if the vote never happened. Things need to change and that starts with May going. If May and the government carry on as if nothing has happened then they deserve to lose next time. I don't want a Corbyn government but the current government has to change starting with May leaving her position.
Yes she has to go very soon, announce she will stay as caretaker, and change leader, which may well be Boris. I suspect it will happen very rapidly, she has lost the confidence of her party, and lost a few of her MPs, she is finished. Hope she sleeps on it and makes the right decision.
Plus it doesn't matter what official DUP policy is, or what is in any agreement. Every stupid quote, every daft past policy, every odd association will be all over the news for weeks and weeks.
I'm going to enjoy seeing all those people who airily dismissed "every stupid quote, every daft past policy, every odd association" when it related to Jezza, McDonnell and their mates get very wound up when such things can be used to "smear" (I think this now the approved word) the Tories and their "friends".
Owen Jones provided a classic example this morning.
Evening all. I'm still trying to digest the events of the last 24 hours. I wanted the Conservatives to win but for weeks I had strong doubts that they would given the relentlessly negative media coverage and letting Corbyn hog the limelight. The votes have been counted and yes they are the largest party but it has to listen to the voters. They did not give May a ringing endorsement and I find it untenable that she and the government can carry on regardless as if the vote never happened. Things need to change and that starts with May going. If May and the government carry on as if nothing has happened then they deserve to lose next time. I don't want a Corbyn government but the current government has to change starting with May leaving her position.
Yes she has to go very soon, announce she will stay as caretaker, and change leader, which may well be Boris. I suspect it will happen very rapidly, she has lost the confidence of her party, and lost a few of her MPs, she is finished. Hope she sleeps on it and makes the right decision.
Boris would not be my choice but more importantly the government has to show it has listened and changed.
Help To Buy was well intentioned but had the opposite effect of driving house prices up even further because of limited supply. The answer is to build, build, build.
A party truly serious about doing that would abolish green belts. I will be dead and buried long before that ever happens.
I'm going to enjoy seeing all those people who airily dismissed "every stupid quote, every daft past policy, every odd association" when it related to Jezza, McDonnell and their mates get very wound up when such things can be used to "smear" (I think this now the approved word) the Tories and their "friends".
Owen Jones provided a classic example this morning.
Hypocrites.
That's one of the politest words I'd use to describe them.
Honestly, what do people think the DUP are going to ask for for their support?
Jesus christ, it doesn't affect any England and Wales items, it will only come into play on UK legislation most of which if you voted Conservative you voted for in the first place.
The DUP's target is at home, and the running at Stormont, its also likely to soften elements of Brexit already and it ensures a Northern Ireland voice for an important sub plot within Brexit.
The DUP will not rock that boat on the big picture.
Plus it doesn't matter what official DUP policy is, or what is in any agreement. Every stupid quote, every daft past policy, every odd association will be all over the news for weeks and weeks.
I'm going to enjoy seeing all those people who airily dismissed "every stupid quote, every daft past policy, every odd association" when it related to Jezza, McDonnell and their mates get very wound up when such things can be used to "smear" (I think this now the approved word) the Tories and their "friends".
Owen Jones provided a classic example this morning.
Hypocrites.
Yup, it will become a mud fight....in one area where the Tories didn't have to fight as they had clear demarcation.
Not toxic, won't reflect badly on anyone making a deal with them.
Somehow not surprised that the Scottish voices are some of the most vocal about how bad an idea it is to a deal with the DUP. A long history of sectarianism and all it's associated problems especially in Glasgow but also in other towns and cities in Scotland makes people very wary of parties who divide on religious grounds.
I lived in Glasgow for 15 years and miss it a lot, but I do not fucking miss marching season one little bit.
Some English posters, I feel, have a bit of a quaint Masonic-lodge-with-bowler-hats view of the Orange Order.
Help To Buy was well intentioned but had the opposite effect of driving house prices up even further because of limited supply. The answer is to build, build, build.
A party truly serious about doing that would abolish green belts. I will be dead and buried long before that ever happens.
I actually do wonder which party is most likely to do this. The Tories would be crucified by their current voters but would gain future voters (would they arrive overnight though or over the years as the policy is felt?). It would obviously chime with the economic interests of many of the new (not New) Labour voters but I can imagine the abolition of the "green" belt may go down poorly with them at the same time.
There's some interesting discussion on Twitter about whether the Salisbury Convention that binds the Lords to supporting manifesto commitments applies to minority governments. Consensus seems to be that it doesn't.
This government is not doing anything but brexit (if it can even do that!)
But can it get the Great Repeal Bill through parliament? Can it get a majority for leaving the single market?
Does it need a majority to leave the single market? Article 50 has been triggered, the clock is ticking to March 2019 at which point the UK exits the single market when it's membership of the EU ends.
Honestly, what do people think the DUP are going to ask for for their support?
Jesus christ, it doesn't affect any England and Wales items, it will only come into play on UK legislation most of which if you voted Conservative you voted for in the first place.
The DUP's target is at home, and the running at Stormont, its also likely to soften elements of Brexit already and it ensures a Northern Ireland voice for an important sub plot within Brexit.
The DUP will not rock that boat on the big picture.
This is as powerful as they have ever been, and likely ever will be.
They would have to be monumentally stupid to take an action that leads to the collapse of this parliament, and hence their power.
Plus it doesn't matter what official DUP policy is, or what is in any agreement. Every stupid quote, every daft past policy, every odd association will be all over the news for weeks and weeks.
I'm going to enjoy seeing all those people who airily dismissed "every stupid quote, every daft past policy, every odd association" when it related to Jezza, McDonnell and their mates get very wound up when such things can be used to "smear" (I think this now the approved word) the Tories and their "friends".
Owen Jones provided a classic example this morning.
Hypocrites.
True, but it won't stop it happening.
May's behaviour today was unsurprising but disappointing. She's locked into this "stability" meme and that led her to make a decision too quickly and to make the wrong speech.
Most people know almost nothing about the cloistered world of NI politics, and May is opening that world up to scrutiny, much of which will be distorted. And that will have a price.
In theory the unionist coalition could be a long-term solution. In practice I can't see how it can be a good idea to open this can of worms.
Not toxic, won't reflect badly on anyone making a deal with them.
Somehow not surprised that the Scottish voices are some of the most vocal about how bad an idea it is to a deal with the DUP. A long history of sectarianism and all it's associated problems especially in Glasgow but also in other towns and cities in Scotland makes people very wary of parties who divide on religious grounds.
I lived in Glasgow for 15 years and miss it a lot, but I do not fucking miss marching season one little bit.
Some English posters, I feel, have a bit of a quaint Masonic-lodge-with-bowler-hats view of the Orange Order.
I have no view, like most people around Nottingham if I'm honest. The whole thing is so foreign that we know nothing about it.
Honestly, what do people think the DUP are going to ask for for their support?
Jesus christ, it doesn't affect any England and Wales items, it will only come into play on UK legislation most of which if you voted Conservative you voted for in the first place.
The DUP's target is at home, and the running at Stormont, its also likely to soften elements of Brexit already and it ensures a Northern Ireland voice for an important sub plot within Brexit.
The DUP will not rock that boat on the big picture.
Scouring around my bookie accounts for anything I've forgotten and I think I've found quite possibly the world's worst ever 2 bets with one bookie - PaddyP:
£20 @100-1 on Lib Dems winning Buckingham in the GE (there was a short time when they were running on our local village facebook)
£10 @500-1 on NI Cons winning North Down - Lady Hermon did nearly lose but only to the DUP...
The latter was a free bet at least and the other free bet was on a match Chelsea won so there's £10 in the account which I'd forgotten.
Honestly, what do people think the DUP are going to ask for for their support?
Jesus christ, it doesn't affect any England and Wales items, it will only come into play on UK legislation most of which if you voted Conservative you voted for in the first place.
The DUP's target is at home, and the running at Stormont, its also likely to soften elements of Brexit already and it ensures a Northern Ireland voice for an important sub plot within Brexit.
The DUP will not rock that boat on the big picture.
This is as powerful as they have ever been, and likely ever will be.
They would have to be monumentally stupid to take an action that leads to the collapse of this parliament, and hence their power.
Based on my understanding, and these guys do have a strong back office operation, part of this to try to move Brexit along, part of it is self interest but they know it has a time limit.
I reckon Boris would've got a majority. Media is all that matters
I'm not so sure about that. What should really worry the Tories is, what if May actually did okay - she won Mansfield FFS! How many other Tories could have got that? The more I think about this the more I think the Tories are completely f*****.
Boris can campaign. He proved that in London twice and in the EURef. The question with him is whether he can govern.
I am thinking that this last question is rather more than a minor detail!?
No, you're not - though the question is debatable rather than resolved in the negative. In any case, the true question is whether he could govern at least as effectively as the other credible alternatives.
Help To Buy was well intentioned but had the opposite effect of driving house prices up even further because of limited supply. The answer is to build, build, build.
A party truly serious about doing that would abolish green belts. I will be dead and buried long before that ever happens.
I actually do wonder which party is most likely to do this. The Tories would be crucified by their current voters but would gain future voters (would they arrive overnight though or over the years as the policy is felt?). It would obviously chime with the economic interests of many of the new (not New) Labour voters but I can imagine the abolition of the "green" belt may go down poorly with them at the same time.
I doubt any of the current parties would do it. So we cram ever smaller and crappier houses into out cities, with tiny gardens and no useful parking, rather than do the bloody obvious and allow cities to expand.
Honestly, what do people think the DUP are going to ask for for their support?
Jesus christ, it doesn't affect any England and Wales items, it will only come into play on UK legislation most of which if you voted Conservative you voted for in the first place.
The DUP's target is at home, and the running at Stormont, its also likely to soften elements of Brexit already and it ensures a Northern Ireland voice for an important sub plot within Brexit.
The DUP will not rock that boat on the big picture.
The DUP are lower class. That's their problem
And you wonder why there is a chip on the shoulder.
It's that they are now linked to the Conservatives. Every time a vote comes up that need their support to pass the press will drag up Ulster Resistance or some other shit to embarrass the Conservatives.
Honestly, what do people think the DUP are going to ask for for their support?
Jesus christ, it doesn't affect any England and Wales items, it will only come into play on UK legislation most of which if you voted Conservative you voted for in the first place.
The DUP's target is at home, and the running at Stormont, its also likely to soften elements of Brexit already and it ensures a Northern Ireland voice for an important sub plot within Brexit.
The DUP will not rock that boat on the big picture.
This is as powerful as they have ever been, and likely ever will be.
They would have to be monumentally stupid to take an action that leads to the collapse of this parliament, and hence their power.
Based on my understanding, and these guys do have a strong back office operation, part of this to try to move Brexit along, part of it is self interest but they know it has a time limit.
It's that they are now linked to the Conservatives. Every time a vote comes up that need their support to pass the press will drag up Ulster Resistance or some other shit to embarrass the Conservatives.
This is politics 101.
If you dont like it at the start you won't like it later.
There's some interesting discussion on Twitter about whether the Salisbury Convention that binds the Lords to supporting manifesto commitments applies to minority governments. Consensus seems to be that it doesn't.
This government is not doing anything but brexit (if it can even do that!)
But can it get the Great Repeal Bill through parliament? Can it get a majority for leaving the single market?
Does it need a majority to leave the single market? Article 50 has been triggered, the clock is ticking to March 2019 at which point the UK exits the single market when it's membership of the EU ends.
Exactly. Yesterday's result made a Crash Brexit - i.e. leaving with no deal at all - much more likely.
May will go soon enough, she is just being used as a human shield.
I'm beginning to feel sorry for her.
Don't. She failed in the objective when there was a good chance of succeeding. I'm sure she has capabilities but the British public don't go for people too distant. They can live with you being posh but they don't do pretentious and they don't do distant.
Not toxic, won't reflect badly on anyone making a deal with them.
Somehow not surprised that the Scottish voices are some of the most vocal about how bad an idea it is to a deal with the DUP. A long history of sectarianism and all it's associated problems especially in Glasgow but also in other towns and cities in Scotland makes people very wary of parties who divide on religious grounds.
I lived in Glasgow for 15 years and miss it a lot, but I do not fucking miss marching season one little bit.
Some English posters, I feel, have a bit of a quaint Masonic-lodge-with-bowler-hats view of the Orange Order.
I know that the Scottish Tories will not want to be openly associated with the Orange order even if the will be a number of people in Scotland who are members of both. I really won't want to transport NI politics over to the west coast of Scotland. Also it certainly would make Douglas Ross's other job a lot harder for him!
May will go soon enough, she is just being used as a human shield.
Her plan will be to get though the next 10 days until the negotiations start. At that point, it's a 'you can't change leader in the middle of negotiations' narrative.
She's ridden out the first 24 hours, she will carry on until 2019 now imho. But as soon as brexits done, that's it. Brexit will wholly consume her:
It's that they are now linked to the Conservatives. Every time a vote comes up that need their support to pass the press will drag up Ulster Resistance or some other shit to embarrass the Conservatives.
This is politics 101.
Plus this at a stroke neutralises potential alliances with the SNP, vague threats of a "coalition of chaos" and Corbyn's link to the IRA as attack lines in another election.
Mrs May is desperate to retoxify the Tory brand isn't she?
The D U fucking P.
We've done a deal with the party of Sammy 'The gays are poofs and perverts' Wilson.
Trust me in 2015 English voters weren't keen on sending their money to Scotland, they won't be happy about sending English money to Northern Ireland.
What has Northern Ireland ever done for England except brought terrorism to the mainland ?
Mrs May needs to be deposed before she fatally damages the Tories, if she already hasn't.
Biggest issue raised on my knocking up yesterday? Disability cuts. Osborne did quite enough as chancellor 15-16 to retoxify the brand all on his own.
How do you propose to get to 326?
But Mrs May knows so much better than the posh boys?
Well there are two very simple ways of getting to 326
1) Don't break your word and call a snap election and lose your majority
or
2) Fight a good general election campaign.
May is a stain on the Tory power, and the sooner she is removed the better.
Changing the subject old bean.
I know you're angry - we all are. But now we have 318/19, we have to form a government....
For the last year you've been banging on how awful the posh boys were and how brilliant Mrs May was.
Suck it up, your girl has been proven to be the pound shop Gordon Brown I warned you she'd be.
Gordon Brown NEVER got most seats and most votes at a General Election.
Not clear why from TSE's perspective May is "your girl" (for most values of "your") . I believe TSE is a tory party member, unlike me, which surely makes T May his girl vis a vis non-members?
Despite ending marginally up on the election, most of the bets I tipped on PB.com weren't very good. For a more rounded admission I've gone through all my bets and present:
Best Bet: Con > 10 Scottish seats @ 14/1 (which someone else (TSE?) tipped) Worst Bet: Lab < 200 seats @ 1/4 (and a hefty stake...) Best Loser: LD < 11 seats @ 14/1 Worst Winner: Likely to be 'YouGov to show a Lab lead in 2017' @ 5/1
Her plan will be to get though the next 10 days until the negotiations start. At that point, it's a 'you can't change leader in the middle of negotiations' narrative.
She's ridden out the first 24 hours, she will carry on until 2019 now imho. But as soon as brexits done, that's it. Brexit will wholly consume her:
If the trouble that led to Rifkind resigning had happened a few weeks earlier, wouldn't Boris have been MP for Kensington - in which case the big story now would have been him losing his seat.
Seem to recall he chose Uxbridge as his seat, then just afterwards Rifkind resigned and everyone said he would have much preferred to have had Kensington due to its location.
Having totted up my bets. A 14/60 hit rate. PBers tips on the Scottish seats and Ynys Mon saved my bacon. Down about £50 overall.
I've totted up mine too. Lost on overall majority - I traded out but still lost. Won several hundreds on Tories > 10 seats in Scotland, High Peak at 12/1, Ceridigion at 13/2. Also won on Richmond Park (unfortunately), Twickenham and St Ives. A few small constituency losers. Up over £700 overall.
It's that they are now linked to the Conservatives. Every time a vote comes up that need their support to pass the press will drag up Ulster Resistance or some other shit to embarrass the Conservatives.
This is politics 101.
Plus this at a stroke neutralises potential alliances with the SNP, vague threats of a "coalition of chaos" and Corbyn's link to the IRA as attack lines in another election.
Just how many current Conservative voters will vote Corbyn of the back of this? 10%, 5%?
May will go soon enough, she is just being used as a human shield.
Her plan will be to get though the next 10 days until the negotiations start. At that point, it's a 'you can't change leader in the middle of negotiations' narrative.
She's ridden out the first 24 hours, she will carry on until 2019 now imho. But as soon as brexits done, that's it. Brexit will wholly consume her:
There's not much difference between the appeal of May and Cameron, overall. One of them won 306 and 330 seats, the other won 318.
Osborne though, is about as popular as AIDS.
I can see him having a few years off out of Westminster for political rehabilitation - he could detox like Portillo or Ed Balls. Would let Brexit pass by, which might help too, since if the issue is still live he would not go down well with Leave voters. I think he really needs to go on a "journey" for a proper rehab, but he seems far too smug for that.
He could go back to Westminster after that, but to what avail? There are lots of people, especially non-metropolitan types, public sector workers, families with disabled people and so on who viscerally hate his guts.
Funny because all the anecdotes suggest he is a smashing chap in person. But there are people I know who detest him with a fervour I have not even seen for other hate-figures Blair or Hunt or Salmond.
It's that they are now linked to the Conservatives. Every time a vote comes up that need their support to pass the press will drag up Ulster Resistance or some other shit to embarrass the Conservatives.
This is politics 101.
Plus this at a stroke neutralises potential alliances with the SNP, vague threats of a "coalition of chaos" and Corbyn's link to the IRA as attack lines in another election.
Just how many current Conservative voters will vote Corbyn of the back of this? 10%, 5%?
It's a load of shit. People don't equate the DUP with the IRA. If Dave or George cut a deal with the DUP, they'd be praised here for their brilliant political skills.
Philip May really needs to have a long talk with his wife.
She is simply not thinking straight.
She is damaging her party and the country and herself if she carries on like this.
I don't think she's up to it.
I detest the rage and hatred towards for her not being Dave or George, who also proved to be not up to it.
She cannot do Brexit.
She asked for a mandate. She did not get it. The EU know that. We know that. The Tories know that.
If the Tories do not act, they will add cowardice to the arrogance, stupidity, complacency and hubris they have displayed. Someone surely must see that. Surely?
Not toxic, won't reflect badly on anyone making a deal with them.
Somehow not surprised that the Scottish voices are some of the most vocal about how bad an idea it is to a deal with the DUP. A long history of sectarianism and all it's associated problems especially in Glasgow but also in other towns and cities in Scotland makes people very wary of parties who divide on religious grounds.
I lived in Glasgow for 15 years and miss it a lot, but I do not fucking miss marching season one little bit.
Some English posters, I feel, have a bit of a quaint Masonic-lodge-with-bowler-hats view of the Orange Order.
I have no view, like most people around Nottingham if I'm honest. The whole thing is so foreign that we know nothing about it.
It's only understood in NI Scotland and Liverpool, I tried to joke that signing "the sash" would be compulsory on our new bank holiday on 12/7 to be met by odd looks of complete lake of understanding. Some have said TM does not know her unionists but I wonder if that is actually true and canto differentiate between DUP and UUP
Stoke South Walsall North Mansfield NE Derbyshire Middlesbrough South Copeland (by-election win)
Four of them, plus near misses in NewcastleUL and Ashfield, are in the north midlands area which has been good for the Conservatives in recent elections.
Sinn Fein says Tory/DUP alliance is in contravention of terms of Good Friday Agreement.
That is balls because its simply voting on key issues, thats like saying if the DUP voted in Parliament alongside the Conservatives for Article 50 thats in Breach of the Good Friday Agreement.
Got news Sinn Fein, uncle Tony is no longer there run over and soothe yer brows.
It's that they are now linked to the Conservatives. Every time a vote comes up that need their support to pass the press will drag up Ulster Resistance or some other shit to embarrass the Conservatives.
This is politics 101.
Plus this at a stroke neutralises potential alliances with the SNP, vague threats of a "coalition of chaos" and Corbyn's link to the IRA as attack lines in another election.
Just how many current Conservative voters will vote Corbyn of the back of this? 10%, 5%?
It's a load of shit. People don't equate the DUP with the IRA. If Dave or George cut a deal with the DUP, they'd be praised here for their brilliant political skills.
Well fortunately they didn't need to so we'll never know. Your views are coloured by your hatred of anyone ideologically impure on Europe.
Comments
To be fair Theresa May warned of coalition of chaos propped up by extremist terrorist sympathisers. She just didn't say she'd be leading it.
What sort of people did you mix with?
Furthermore, it seems rather unlikely that they 'helped stopped Jezza.' Despite the increased negative coverage of Corbyn, in the polls which were actually right - Survation and YouGov - the Conservative poll lead continued to decrease at an incredible rate, and May's ratings nose dived while Corbyn's rose. The Mail heralded the Conservative Manifesto on its front page, describing May as leader who 'told the truth': yet that same manifesto went down terribly with the British public.
It seems clear that the tabloids are losing their influence. Cried wolf one too many times.
I suspect it will happen very rapidly, she has lost the confidence of her party, and lost a few of her MPs, she is finished. Hope she sleeps on it and makes the right decision.
Owen Jones provided a classic example this morning.
Hypocrites.
Jesus christ, it doesn't affect any England and Wales items, it will only come into play on UK legislation most of which if you voted Conservative you voted for in the first place.
The DUP's target is at home, and the running at Stormont, its also likely to soften elements of Brexit already and it ensures a Northern Ireland voice for an important sub plot within Brexit.
The DUP will not rock that boat on the big picture.
Some English posters, I feel, have a bit of a quaint Masonic-lodge-with-bowler-hats view of the Orange Order.
They would have to be monumentally stupid to take an action that leads to the collapse of this parliament, and hence their power.
May's behaviour today was unsurprising but disappointing. She's locked into this "stability" meme and that led her to make a decision too quickly and to make the wrong speech.
Most people know almost nothing about the cloistered world of NI politics, and May is opening that world up to scrutiny, much of which will be distorted. And that will have a price.
In theory the unionist coalition could be a long-term solution. In practice I can't see how it can be a good idea to open this can of worms.
£20 @100-1 on Lib Dems winning Buckingham in the GE (there was a short time when they were running on our local village facebook)
£10 @500-1 on NI Cons winning North Down - Lady Hermon did nearly lose but only to the DUP...
The latter was a free bet at least and the other free bet was on a match Chelsea won so there's £10 in the account which I'd forgotten.
Yay!
There was a constituency which included the name Kensington won by Labour in these elections:
1945
1950
1951
1955
1959
1964
1966
1970
1997
2001
2005
And for Kensington on the red column there's Stoke S, Derbyshire NE and Mansfield in the blue.
You and Pulpstar could do a victory tour of Dronfield one night
...like Labour
"We'll never be mastered
By no Orange bastard"
In future, when we say LOL on PB we'll have to clarify whether we mean Laugh Out Loud or Loyal Orange Lodge.
It's that they are now linked to the Conservatives. Every time a vote comes up that need their support to pass the press will drag up Ulster Resistance or some other shit to embarrass the Conservatives.
This is politics 101.
Con 314
Lab 266
SNP 34
LD 14
It's the header on the previous thread.
Osborne though, is about as popular as AIDS.
She is simply not thinking straight.
She is damaging her party and the country and herself if she carries on like this.
Also it certainly would make Douglas Ross's other job a lot harder for him!
She's ridden out the first 24 hours, she will carry on until 2019 now imho. But as soon as brexits done, that's it. Brexit will wholly consume her:
https://twitter.com/Alconcalcia/status/873155829494689793
Despite ending marginally up on the election, most of the bets I tipped on PB.com weren't very good. For a more rounded admission I've gone through all my bets and present:
Best Bet: Con > 10 Scottish seats @ 14/1 (which someone else (TSE?) tipped)
Worst Bet: Lab < 200 seats @ 1/4 (and a hefty stake...)
Best Loser: LD < 11 seats @ 14/1
Worst Winner: Likely to be 'YouGov to show a Lab lead in 2017' @ 5/1
She can't negotiate a lunch order at this point.
She would get laughed out of the room in Brussels
Seem to recall he chose Uxbridge as his seat, then just afterwards Rifkind resigned and everyone said he would have much preferred to have had Kensington due to its location.
I detest the rage and hatred towards for her not being Dave or George, who also proved to be not up to it.
This cannot endure.
Won several hundreds on Tories > 10 seats in Scotland, High Peak at 12/1, Ceridigion at 13/2. Also won on Richmond Park (unfortunately), Twickenham and St Ives. A few small constituency losers. Up over £700 overall.
Stoke South
Walsall North
Mansfield
NE Derbyshire
Middlesbrough South
Copeland (by-election win)
He could go back to Westminster after that, but to what avail? There are lots of people, especially non-metropolitan types, public sector workers, families with disabled people and so on who viscerally hate his guts.
Funny because all the anecdotes suggest he is a smashing chap in person. But there are people I know who detest him with a fervour I have not even seen for other hate-figures Blair or Hunt or Salmond.
Sold CON MAJ over 99 and Bought LAB SEATS 285 plus
wish i'd put more on but will pay for horse racing tomorrow.
I'm sick I didn't end up going for Hallam but would have lost the equivalent on Thurrock being a LAB gain.
She asked for a mandate. She did not get it. The EU know that. We know that. The Tories know that.
If the Tories do not act, they will add cowardice to the arrogance, stupidity, complacency and hubris they have displayed. Someone surely must see that. Surely?
Most of Scotland was one big toss-up!
Net vote loser.
Sinn Fein says Tory/DUP alliance is in contravention of terms of Good Friday Agreement.
But, I think others would have struggled to do better.
People are sick of austerity. I don't see any easy way around this.
Got news Sinn Fein, uncle Tony is no longer there run over and soothe yer brows.
https://twitter.com/stovies5/status/873283697935503360