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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Tonight has done nothing to move the GE2019 betting

SystemSystem Posts: 11,682
edited November 2019 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Tonight has done nothing to move the GE2019 betting

I would guess that the vast majority of those who watched the QuestionTime Special had made up their minds about the election before the evening started. But it was an important programme and will almost certainly be the toughest questioning that any of the four will face before December 12th.

Read the full story here


«13

Comments

  • Options
    dr_spyndr_spyn Posts: 11,288
    first.
  • Options
    dr_spyndr_spyn Posts: 11,288
    he time of tonight's debate was odd. How many of the potential audience would have headed for a pint after a week at work? How many were bathing their kids, reading stories when it went out?

    Plenty of tweets and headlines tonight on Corbyn's neutrality on a Brexit referendum.
  • Options
    Sounds like a made the right choice to actually go out and enjoy my evening.
  • Options
    dr_spyn said:

    he time of tonight's debate was odd. How many of the potential audience would have headed for a pint after a week at work? How many were bathing their kids, reading stories when it went out?

    Plenty of tweets and headlines tonight on Corbyn's neutrality on a Brexit referendum.

    Who the hell on a Friday night thinks you know what I must do, stay in and watch 2hrs of politicians bullshit while being shouted at by the audience.
  • Options
    nunu2nunu2 Posts: 1,453

    Sounds like a made the right choice to actually go out and enjoy my evening.

    That is always the right choice
  • Options
    eggegg Posts: 1,749
    nunu2 said:

    Sounds like a made the right choice to actually go out and enjoy my evening.

    That is always the right choice
    I watched fourth episode of watchmen earlier. It is very good
  • Options
    Labour needed a game changer - but Jezza is as stale as his Soviet state run bakery bread.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,745

    welshowl said:

    Sean_F said:

    Roger said:

    Brom said:

    Roger said:

    EVERY single question to johnson is about trust accompanied by cheers from the audience. Doesn't that say something?

    That the audience hates Boris?
    No. That that they think he's a proven liar
    The point is, Roger, nobody other than committed Labour voters, cares. Swing voters may distrust Johnson, but they fear Corbyn.
    Quite. Boris is not the Messiah he’s a naughty boy to borrow a phrase. Personally in my fantasy world Boris would bulldoze Brexit through and we’d then have 15 years of pretty centerist PM Rory Stewart ( I know, I know).

    However, I am sitting here looking at the opinion polls judging whether to send money out of the country big time ( for me ) if I judge Corbyn walking down Downing St on Dec 13 is possible. No bullshit, I’ve set it up ready to go at one command. Because I’m fucking scared. I’m sure I’m not alone.
    I am not a fan of Corbyn but I really, genuinely, find it totally incomprehensible that seemingly rational people treat the prospect of him becoming PM in such 'end of days' ways.

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off acros much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    A Corbyn-led government may not be what you'd choose life will go on, unchanged for many, a bit better for some, a bit worse for others.
    I don't see why you find that incomprehensible in the slightest, unless you are deliberately not seeing the view of the alternative side, who will be equally baffled that people worry about Boris.

    Unfortunately a short Corbyn premiership is probably necessary in order to get a referendum (and as you essentially note he cannot be as bad as people fear), but its really not much a defence to assume he will be moderated, or that it won't be as bad as people fear. It surely will not, but what does that even matter? Boris won't be as bad as people fear, Brexit won't be as bad as people fear, it doesn't mean people cannot and should not shit a brick at the prospect.

    There are people who react to every election victory of their opponents as if it is the end of days, there's really not much special about Boris or Corbyn in that occurring now as well. Claims of bafflement that people do that is just ignoring the many reasons people give, the value judgements they make, even if wrong.

    It's not incomprehensible at all, its very comprehensible. What it seems you mean is you disagree with people who hold that level of fear.

  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,233
    kle4 said:

    welshowl said:

    Sean_F said:

    Roger said:

    Brom said:

    Roger said:

    EVERY single question to johnson is about trust accompanied by cheers from the audience. Doesn't that say something?

    That the audience hates Boris?
    No. That that they think he's a proven liar
    The point is, Roger, nobody other than committed Labour voters, cares. Swing voters may distrust Johnson, but they fear Corbyn.
    Quite. Boris is not the Messiah he’s a naughty boy to borrow a phrase. Personally in my fantasy world Boris would bulldoze Brexit through and we’d then have 15 years of pretty centerist PM Rory Stewart ( I know, I know).

    However, I am sitting here looking at the opinion polls judging whether to send money out of the country big time ( for me ) if I judge Corbyn walking down Downing St on Dec 13 is possible. No bullshit, I’ve set it up ready to go at one command. Because I’m fucking scared. I’m sure I’m not alone.
    I am not a fan of Corbyn but I really, genuinely, find it totally incomprehensible that seemingly rational people treat the prospect of him becoming PM in such 'end of days' ways.

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off acros much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    A Corbyn-led government may not be what you'd choose life will go on, unchanged for many, a bit better for some, a bit worse for others.
    I don't see why you find that incomprehensible in the slightest, unless you are deliberately not seeing the view of the alternative side, who will be equally baffled that people worry about Boris.
    What about those of us who are almost equally worried about both, for exactly the same reasons?
  • Options
    eggegg Posts: 1,749
    The Tories in particular are carefully monitoring how their strategy is going down, hence they are tweaking tax policies week by week, sensibly scrapping the corporation tax cut, clarifying as aspirational the income tax giveaway. I am sure we can deduce those polices didn’t have popularity in the Labour seats they are trying to take hence the change.

    Problem is though when Boris was suckered into admitting income tax cut was just two pounds a week it bombed. The whole brexit revolution, radical overspend mood Started by leave in 2016 is not respecting the fiscal conservatism the Tory’s need to come out with.
  • Options
    Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905
    FPT

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off across much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    Labour's backbench MPs will exercise virtually no moderating influence over a Corbyn Government. They are mainly concerned with keeping their jobs. All the ones willing to genuinely challenge him, of whom there were precious few to begin with, have already left.

    The possible coalition partners are all just as useless. The Lib Dems and SNP would both sell their own grandmothers to the Pedigree Chum factory in exchange for various referendums. Plaid and the Greens are as nutty as the Labour Left or worse.

    A Labour Government under the present management would blow up the foundations of the economy in months. The violation of property rights inherent in forcing large companies to hand shares over to a state quango would do the job on its own. Why should anyone from abroad invest capital in this country, and why should anyone at home or abroad invest in a UK-listed firm, if the Government obviously feels free to confiscate whatever they want on a whim at any time?

    And the notion that the vast increases in public spending proposed by Labour can be funded painlessly for 95% of the population, simply by taxing the rich until the pips squeak and hiking business taxation, is laughable. The most well-off taxpayers are, predominantly, also the most mobile and can run away if sumptuary levels of taxation are imposed. The businesses will respond by cutting investment in the UK, sacking workers to balance the books and putting up prices to consumers. The extra revenue raised by the windfall tax proposed on oil and gas firms, for example, will simply be negated by the costs of rising petrol and domestic fuel prices for consumers, and of unemployment for the oil industry workers who'll be laid off.

    The risks inherent in a Labour Government are, at present, vastly greater than those associated with Brexit. If the Revolutionary Friends of Venezuela fall flat on their faces come December 12th then it will be a huge relief. The worse they lose, the better.
  • Options
    welshowlwelshowl Posts: 4,460

    FPT

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off across much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    Labour's backbench MPs will exercise virtually no moderating influence over a Corbyn Government. They are mainly concerned with keeping their jobs. All the ones willing to genuinely challenge him, of whom there were precious few to begin with, have already left.

    The possible coalition partners are all just as useless. The Lib Dems and SNP would both sell their own grandmothers to the Pedigree Chum factory in exchange for various referendums. Plaid and the Greens are as nutty as the Labour Left or worse.

    A Labour Government under the present management would blow up the foundations of the economy in months. The violation of property rights inherent in forcing large companies to hand shares over to a state quango would do the job on its own. Why should anyone from abroad invest capital in this country, and why should anyone at home or abroad invest in a UK-listed firm, if the Government obviously feels free to confiscate whatever they want on a whim at any time?

    And the notion that the vast increases in public spending proposed by Labour can be funded painlessly for 95% of the population, simply by taxing the rich until the pips squeak and hiking business taxation, is laughable. The most well-off taxpayers are, predominantly, also the most mobile and can run away if sumptuary levels of taxation are imposed. The businesses will respond by cutting investment in the UK, sacking workers to balance the books and putting up prices to consumers. The extra revenue raised by the windfall tax proposed on oil and gas firms, for example, will simply be negated by the costs of rising petrol and domestic fuel prices for consumers, and of unemployment for the oil industry workers who'll be laid off.

    The risks inherent in a Labour Government are, at present, vastly greater than those associated with Brexit. If the Revolutionary Friends of Venezuela fall flat on their faces come December 12th then it will be a huge relief. The worse they lose, the better.
    Totally agree.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667
    kle4 said:

    welshowl said:

    Sean_F said:

    Roger said:

    Brom said:

    Roger said:

    However, I am sitting here looking at the opinion polls judging whether to send money out of the country big time ( for me ) if I judge Corbyn walking down Downing St on Dec 13 is possible. No bullshit, I’ve set it up ready to go at one command. Because I’m fucking scared. I’m sure I’m not alone.
    I am not a fan of Corbyn but I really, genuinely, find it totally incomprehensible that seemingly rational people treat the prospect of him becoming PM in such 'end of days' ways.

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off acros much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    A Corbyn-led government may not be what you'd choose life will go on, unchanged for many, a bit better for some, a bit worse for others.
    I don't see why you find that incomprehensible in the slightest, unless you are deliberately not seeing the view of the alternative side, who will be equally baffled that people worry about Boris.

    Unfortunately a short Corbyn premiership is probably necessary in order to get a referendum (and as you essentially note he cannot be as bad as people fear), but its really not much a defence to assume he will be moderated, or that it won't be as bad as people fear. It surely will not, but what does that even matter? Boris won't be as bad as people fear, Brexit won't be as bad as people fear, it doesn't mean people cannot and should not shit a brick at the prospect.

    There are people who react to every election victory of their opponents as if it is the end of days, there's really not much special about Boris or Corbyn in that occurring now as well. Claims of bafflement that people do that is just ignoring the many reasons people give, the value judgements they make, even if wrong.

    It's not incomprehensible at all, its very comprehensible. What it seems you mean is you disagree with people who hold that level of fear.

    I don't want to see a Boris government for 5 years but I am not expecting it to be the end of my life as I know it, similarly Brexit (even a hard WTO terms Brexit).

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,125
    egg said:

    nunu2 said:

    Sounds like a made the right choice to actually go out and enjoy my evening.

    That is always the right choice
    I watched fourth episode of watchmen earlier. It is very good
    I still haven't quite fathomed how good it is. It might quite possibly be brilliant.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,233

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,745
    ydoethur said:

    kle4 said:

    welshowl said:

    Sean_F said:

    Roger said:

    Brom said:

    Roger said:

    EVERY single question to johnson is about trust accompanied by cheers from the audience. Doesn't that say something?

    That the audience hates Boris?
    No. That that they think he's a proven liar
    The point is, Roger, nobody other than committed Labour voters, cares. Swing voters may distrust Johnson, but they fear Corbyn.
    Quite. Boris is not the Messiah he’s a naughty boy to borrow a phrase. Personally in my fantasy world Boris would bulldoze Brexit through and we’d then have 15 years of pretty centerist PM Rory Stewart ( I know, I know).

    However, I am sitting here looking at the opinion polls judging whether to send money out of the country big time ( for me ) if I judge Corbyn walking down Downing St on Dec 13 is possible. No bullshit, I’ve set it up ready to go at one command. Because I’m fucking scared. I’m sure I’m not alone.
    I am not a fan of Corbyn but I really, genuinely, find it totally incomprehensible that seemingly rational people treat the prospect of him becoming PM in such 'end of days' ways.

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off acros much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    A Corbyn-led government may not be what you'd choose life will go on, unchanged for many, a bit better for some, a bit worse for others.
    I don't see why you find that incomprehensible in the slightest, unless you are deliberately not seeing the view of the alternative side, who will be equally baffled that people worry about Boris.
    What about those of us who are almost equally worried about both, for exactly the same reasons?
    If we're lucky we're overworrying about one, or both.

    I don't think we'll be lucky.

    And btw, this is not some kind of attmept to suggest one cannot argue one of them is worse than the other, people will disagree on that but clearly its reasonable for people with different values and priorities to measure them up differently. Where I take issue is the idea anyone could genuinely find it incomprehensible, nay, irrational, to fear the government of Boris/Corbyn to the degree people do. People tell us why all the time, and some of the reasons may be based on mistaken facts or impressions, but they are not irrational. That's just a convenient way of not having to argue.
  • Options
    welshowlwelshowl Posts: 4,460
    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.
    Yup quite a corker
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,629

    dr_spyn said:

    he time of tonight's debate was odd. How many of the potential audience would have headed for a pint after a week at work? How many were bathing their kids, reading stories when it went out?

    Plenty of tweets and headlines tonight on Corbyn's neutrality on a Brexit referendum.

    Who the hell on a Friday night thinks you know what I must do, stay in and watch 2hrs of politicians bullshit while being shouted at by the audience.
    PBers?
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,419

    kle4 said:

    welshowl said:

    Sean_F said:

    Roger said:

    Brom said:

    Roger said:

    However, I am sitting here looking at the opinion polls judging whether to send money out of the country big time ( for me ) if I judge Corbyn walking down Downing St on Dec 13 is possible. No bullshit, I’ve set it up ready to go at one command. Because I’m fucking scared. I’m sure I’m not alone.
    I am not a fan of Corbyn but I really, genuinely, find it totally incomprehensible that seemingly rational people treat the prospect of him becoming PM in such 'end of days' ways.

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off acros much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    A Corbyn-led government may not be what you'd choose life will go on, unchanged for many, a bit better for some, a bit worse for others.
    I don't see why you find that incomprehensible in the slightest, unless you are deliberately not seeing the view of the alternative side, who will be equally baffled that people worry about Boris.

    Unfortunately a short Corbyn premiership is probably necessary in order to get a referendum (and as you essentially note he cannot be as bad as people fear), but its really not much a defence to assume he will be moderated, or that it won't be as bad as people fear. It surely will not, but what does that even matter? Boris won't be as bad as people fear, Brexit won't be as bad as people fear, it doesn't mean people cannot and should not shit a brick at the prospect.

    There are people who react to every election victory of their opponents as if it is the end of days, there's really not much special about Boris or Corbyn in that occurring now as well. Claims of bafflement that people do that is just ignoring the many reasons people give, the value judgements they make, even if wrong.

    It's not incomprehensible at all, its very comprehensible. What it seems you mean is you disagree with people who hold that level of fear.

    I don't want to see a Boris government for 5 years but I am not expecting it to be the end of my life as I know it, similarly Brexit (even a hard WTO terms Brexit).
    Heck of an admission.
  • Options
    glwglw Posts: 9,549

    FPT

    Labour's backbench MPs will exercise virtually no moderating influence over a Corbyn Government. They are mainly concerned with keeping their jobs. All the ones willing to genuinely challenge him, of whom there were precious few to begin with, have already left.

    The possible coalition partners are all just as useless. The Lib Dems and SNP would both sell their own grandmothers to the Pedigree Chum factory in exchange for various referendums. Plaid and the Greens are as nutty as the Labour Left or worse.

    A Labour Government under the present management would blow up the foundations of the economy in months. The violation of property rights inherent in forcing large companies to hand shares over to a state quango would do the job on its own. Why should anyone from abroad invest capital in this country, and why should anyone at home or abroad invest in a UK-listed firm, if the Government obviously feels free to confiscate whatever they want on a whim at any time?

    And the notion that the vast increases in public spending proposed by Labour can be funded painlessly for 95% of the population, simply by taxing the rich until the pips squeak and hiking business taxation, is laughable. The most well-off taxpayers are, predominantly, also the most mobile and can run away if sumptuary levels of taxation are imposed. The businesses will respond by cutting investment in the UK, sacking workers to balance the books and putting up prices to consumers. The extra revenue raised by the windfall tax proposed on oil and gas firms, for example, will simply be negated by the costs of rising petrol and domestic fuel prices for consumers, and of unemployment for the oil industry workers who'll be laid off.

    The risks inherent in a Labour Government are, at present, vastly greater than those associated with Brexit. If the Revolutionary Friends of Venezuela fall flat on their faces come December 12th then it will be a huge relief. The worse they lose, the better.

    Good post.

    One other thing worth bearing in mind when people inevitably point the past and previous nationalisation programmes, and the rest, is that the world has changed.

    If the UK suddenly nationalises huge swathes of the economy, starts effectively confiscating assets, and whacks up taxes, it won't be like the 40s or 50s where other countries were doing similar things. We would be essentially the only major economy doing such things, so comparitively we'd be far further out on a limb than other countries. Businesses, investors, and individuals will have plenty of options to go to elsewhere and build their factories, do their R&D, and work to make themselves better off.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,603
    ydoethur said:

    kle4 said:

    welshowl said:

    Sean_F said:

    Roger said:

    Brom said:

    Roger said:

    EVERY single question to johnson is about trust accompanied by cheers from the audience. Doesn't that say something?

    That the audience hates Boris?
    No. That that they think he's a proven liar
    The point is, Roger, nobody other than committed Labour voters, cares. Swing voters may distrust Johnson, but they fear Corbyn.
    Quite. Boris is not the Messiah he’s a naughty boy to borrow a phrase. Personally in my fantasy world Boris would bulldoze Brexit through and we’d then have 15 years of pretty centerist PM Rory Stewart ( I know, I know).

    However, I am sitting here looking at the opinion polls judging whether to send money out of the country big time ( for me ) if I judge Corbyn walking down Downing St on Dec 13 is possible. No bullshit, I’ve set it up ready to go at one command. Because I’m fucking scared. I’m sure I’m not alone.
    I am not a fan of Corbyn but I really, genuinely, find it totally incomprehensible that seemingly rational people treat the prospect of him becoming PM in such 'end of days' ways.

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off acros much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    A Corbyn-led government may not be what you'd choose life will go on, unchanged for many, a bit better for some, a bit worse for others.
    I don't see why you find that incomprehensible in the slightest, unless you are deliberately not seeing the view of the alternative side, who will be equally baffled that people worry about Boris.
    What about those of us who are almost equally worried about both, for exactly the same reasons?
    We’re screwed.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off across much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    Labour's backbench MPs will exercise virtually no moderating influence over a Corbyn Government. They are mainly concerned with keeping their jobs. All the ones willing to genuinely challenge him, of whom there were precious few to begin with, have already left.

    The possible coalition partners are all just as useless. The Lib Dems and SNP would both sell their own grandmothers to the Pedigree Chum factory in exchange for various referendums. Plaid and the Greens are as nutty as the Labour Left or worse.

    A Labour Government under the present management would blow up the foundations of the economy in months. The violation of property rights inherent in forcing large companies to hand shares over to a state quango would do the job on its own. Why should anyone from abroad invest capital in this country, and why should anyone at home or abroad invest in a UK-listed firm, if the Government obviously feels free to confiscate whatever they want on a whim at any time?

    And the notion that the vast increases in public spending proposed by Labour can be funded painlessly for 95% of the population, simply by taxing the rich until the pips squeak and hiking business taxation, is laughable. The most well-off taxpayers are, predominantly, also the most mobile and can run away if sumptuary levels of taxation are imposed. The businesses will respond by cutting investment in the UK, sacking workers to balance the books and putting up prices to consumers. The extra revenue raised by the windfall tax proposed on oil and gas firms, for example, will simply be negated by the costs of rising petrol and domestic fuel prices for consumers, and of unemployment for the oil industry workers who'll be laid off.

    The risks inherent in a Labour Government are, at present, vastly greater than those associated with Brexit. If the Revolutionary Friends of Venezuela fall flat on their faces come December 12th then it will be a huge relief. The worse they lose, the better.
    Well, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. Personally, I think it's hysterical bollocks.

    I would also add that at some stage a big swing to left is coming; not this time by the look of it but in May 2024 potentially. So you might as well get used to the idea.

    Then, after a further period, when and if the left policies prove not to be a panacea, we'll have another swing back to the right.

    Although on the grand scale (centuries) the trend is slowly leftward, I'd say.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,745
    edited November 2019


    I don't want to see a Boris government for 5 years but I am not expecting it to be the end of my life as I know it, similarly Brexit (even a hard WTO terms Brexit).

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    I don't think so either, but its not hard to understand. Most people will give him, or Boris, a fairer shake than they might even believe they will right now. Case in point, whether one likes his deal or not, or thinks he sold out to get it, a lot of people were just plain wrong to think that Boris was gunning for a no deal situation, and I was one of them. I was wrong, and so were a lot of people, the fear I had was wrong. There is a longer term risk, but that is different to what people claimed before, which was immediate crash out. So in that regard he has clearly been better than people said he would, even if he is still awful. Corbyn would have similar moments, and people will see that then.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667

    kle4 said:

    welshowl said:

    Sean_F said:

    Roger said:

    Brom said:

    Roger said:

    However, I am sitting here looking at the opinion polls judging whether to send money out of the country big time ( for me ) if I judge Corbyn walking down Downing St on Dec 13 is possible. No bullshit, I’ve set it up ready to go at one command. Because I’m fucking scared. I’m sure I’m not alone.
    I am not a fan of Corbyn but I really, genuinely, find it totally incomprehensible that seemingly rational people treat the prospect of him becoming PM in such 'end of days' ways.

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off acros much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    A Corbyn-led government may not be what you'd choose life will go on, unchanged for many, a bit better for some, a bit worse for others.
    I don't see why you find that incomprehensible in the slightest, unless you are deliberately not seeing the view of the alternative side, who will be equally baffled that people worry about Boris.

    Unfortunately a short Corbyn premiership is probably necessary in order to get a referendum (and as you essentially note he cannot be as bad as people fear), but its really not much a defence to assume he will be moderated, or that it won't be as bad as people fear. It surely will not, but what does that even matter? Boris won't be as bad as people fear, Brexit won't be as bad as people fear, it doesn't mean people cannot and should not shit a brick at the prospect.

    There are people who react to every election victory of their opponents as if it is the end of days, there's really not much special about Boris or Corbyn in that occurring now as well. Claims of bafflement that people do that is just ignoring the many reasons people give, the value judgements they make, even if wrong.

    It's not incomprehensible at all, its very comprehensible. What it seems you mean is you disagree with people who hold that level of fear.

    I don't want to see a Boris government for 5 years but I am not expecting it to be the end of my life as I know it, similarly Brexit (even a hard WTO terms Brexit).
    Heck of an admission.
    Really? In what way?
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667
    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
  • Options
    I wasn't watching, but do I gather Ms Swinson didn't exactly bring off a repeat of the Cleggasm?
  • Options
    KentRisingKentRising Posts: 2,850

    dr_spyn said:

    he time of tonight's debate was odd. How many of the potential audience would have headed for a pint after a week at work? How many were bathing their kids, reading stories when it went out?

    Plenty of tweets and headlines tonight on Corbyn's neutrality on a Brexit referendum.

    Who the hell on a Friday night thinks you know what I must do, stay in and watch 2hrs of politicians bullshit while being shouted at by the audience.
    Older retireds and they're all voting Tory anyway.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,603

    I wasn't watching, but do I gather Ms Swinson didn't exactly bring off a repeat of the Cleggasm?

    I don’t think it was that kind of program, Richard... :smile:
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667
    edited November 2019

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    I reckon the CCHQ blackops dept got in and edited that!

    For the avoidance of doubt:

    A Corbyn government is notgoing to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Anyone who disagrees - feel free to state your reasoning. :smile:
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,233
    edited November 2019

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,745



    Well, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. Personally, I think it's hysterical bollocks.

    I would also add that at some stage a big swing to left is coming; not this time by the look of it but in May 2024 potentially. So you might as well get used to the idea.

    Then, after a further period, when and if the left policies prove not to be a panacea, we'll have another swing back to the right.

    Although on the grand scale (centuries) the trend is slowly leftward, I'd say.

    Left and right are so broad as to be utterly meaningless as terms. A lot of the time people misuse them the same way they often use liberal, as a synonym for good, and we've seen how groups within our main parties are accused by the majority within it of not merely not being on side, but being of the opposite wing. That's how pointless the terms are.

    It's tribal horseshit, to give us all the false impression our views are more reasonable and, importantly, coherent than they are. We might as call them A or B instead of left and right. We know people change their view of a policy depending if the 'right' side proposes it, so the pretence that left or right are coherent ideologies is also just a way of controlling and manipulating people by predisposing them toward or against something.

    Clearly there are ideological positions to take on important policy issues, but I just don't think they can be categorised so simply to allow for identification of global trends on a left/right basis.

    A pleasant night to all.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,629

    Byronic said:

    Foxy said:

    Sean_F said:

    BluerBlue said:

    Jason said:

    I can see why Boris's enemies hate him so much. There seems to be a mountain of ammunition against him for many reasons, some legitimate, some not, but however he responds, he is utterly compelling in a way that none of the other politicians can reproduce. And therein lies Labour's problem with those millions of leave voters who are going to exact a bloody revenge against them. They'll hold their nose and vote for Boris in a way that millions of Tory remainers will not vote for Corbyn.

    I think it's because when people look at Boris they see a flawed human being who won't judge them, whereas Corbyn is an even more flawed human being who will...
    That's a very good point.
    Plus for all the woke mille
    Time for Joe average to take charge and the permanently woke and offended, politico brigade to shut their yaks and take our government for 5 years
    I wouldn't give a shit what he'd written if it hadn't led
    However the truly pathetic thing is the 3 and a half years of politicians and the Lawyer Boy and Gina Millers of this world doing everything they can to overturn the referendum. The Boris govt will deliver it and if, after that, they abandon the voters that put them there theyll get booted in 2024.
    If the leavers had a plan for delivering Brexit in a way that didn't fuck the economy it would have happened by now. The plan is now to fuck the economy in the first year of a five year term and spend the next four years hoping things improve. The economy is already in trouble, the flash PMI surveys for November were dire.
    I missed that earlier today. They look pretty grim.

    https://twitter.com/IHSMarkitPMI/status/1197810951506014208?s=09
    Except that the decline clearly begins in 2014, not with the Brexit vote. The whole world is headed for recession, not just us. If anything, it’s overdue.
    Until 2016 the UK PMIs were almost always above the euro area's; since 2016 they have been almost always below. But revealing that the Tory supporters are already softening us up for the Brexit recession. Or Brecession.
    Yes, all look grim, but ours are grimmest. I think there will be a nasty worldwide recession next year. Not caused by Brexit, but worsened by it.

    https://twitter.com/IHSMarkitPMI/status/1195175094252974080?s=19
  • Options
    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901

    I wasn't watching, but do I gather Ms Swinson didn't exactly bring off a repeat of the Cleggasm?

    I agree with Richard.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667

    I wasn't watching, but do I gather Ms Swinson didn't exactly bring off a repeat of the Cleggasm?

    I think she did ok but in a very tough environment.
  • Options
    OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,113
    edited November 2019
    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.
  • Options
    nunu2nunu2 Posts: 1,453
    Looking at where the Tories are holding GOTV efforts it seems like they are being very conservative about what they think should be targets. Sensible, not to get carried away.

    https://volunteer.conservatives.com
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,929

    I wasn't watching, but do I gather Ms Swinson didn't exactly bring off a repeat of the Cleggasm?

    Tough audience for the Lib Dems tonight
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667
    Foxy said:

    Byronic said:

    Foxy said:

    Sean_F said:

    BluerBlue said:

    Jason said:

    I think it's because when people look at Boris they see a flawed human being who won't judge them, whereas Corbyn is an even more flawed human being who will...
    That's a very good point.
    Plus for all the woke mille
    Time for Joe average to take charge and the permanently woke and offended, politico brigade to shut their yaks and take our government for 5 years
    I wouldn't give a shit what he'd written if it hadn't led
    However the truly pathetic thing is the 3 and a half years of politicians and the Lawyer Boy and Gina Millers of this world doing everything they can to overturn the referendum. The Boris govt will deliver it and if, after that, they abandon the voters that put them there theyll get booted in 2024.
    If the leavers had a plan for delivering Brexit in a way that didn't fuck the economy it would have happened by now. The plan is now to fuck the economy in the first year of a five year term and spend the next four years hoping things improve. The economy is already in trouble, the flash PMI surveys for November were dire.
    I missed that earlier today. They look pretty grim.

    https://twitter.com/IHSMarkitPMI/status/1197810951506014208?s=09
    Except that the decline clearly begins in 2014, not with the Brexit vote. The whole world is headed for recession, not just us. If anything, it’s overdue.
    Until 2016 the UK PMIs were almost always above the euro area's; since 2016 they have been almost always below. But revealing that the Tory supporters are already softening us up for the Brexit recession. Or Brecession.
    Yes, all look grim, but ours are grimmest. I think there will be a nasty worldwide recession next year. Not caused by Brexit, but worsened by it.

    https://twitter.com/IHSMarkitPMI/status/1195175094252974080?s=19
    I know this usually comes up at some point during a GE but could this be a good election to lose? Reasons being:

    1. We must be due a recession and it could well be a bad one.
    2. Brexit will continue to cause problems for whoever is in power. Agreeing an EU trade deal will not be straightforward.
    3. Public services are horribly over-stretched right now and that will take a lot of time and money to sort out.
  • Options
    FloaterFloater Posts: 14,195
    The conservatives will take that as a good result I would have thought
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,233

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
  • Options
    nunu2nunu2 Posts: 1,453
    nunu2 said:

    Looking at where the Tories are holding GOTV efforts it seems like they are being very conservative about what they think should be targets. Sensible, not to get carried away.

    https://volunteer.conservatives.com

    Meanwhile Labour are targetting Uxbrdge....

    https://volunteer.labour.org.uk
  • Options
    ByronicByronic Posts: 3,578
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    She’s the kind of woman who might be a passionate Corbynite or XR-er if she were British

    She fears, despises and loathes Corbyn. Because her family (not posh) suffered so much under Chavez. Including rape and death. Her Venezuelan husband encountered Corbyn on a train a few weeks go, and he went up to Jeremy to have words. Jeremy shrank away.

    We need to listen to the Venezuelan people, not to Jeremy and his pals.
  • Options
    I think the LibDems have really screwed this up by the cumulative effect of their two strategic mistakes of the campaign.

    The unconditional Revoke policy was an unforced error, but in isolation I don't think it was too serious, as I said at the time. It would have been easy to spin it subsequently as a distant aspiration given that everyone knows they haven't got a chance of a majority, and thereby to focus on the real option they might potentially have, which is to support a second referendum.

    However, they then made the second mistake, of pushing the ridiculous line that Jo Swinson seriously thought she might be PM in a few weeks' time. That compounded the first error by making it look as though they meant unconditional Revoke as a serious policy rather than as a distant aspiration. It also made them look as though they were peddling as much fantasy as Corbyn and Boris are, thereby destroying their huge potential USP of being the only sane game in town.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667
    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    She’s the kind of woman who might be a passionate Corbynite or XR-er if she were British

    She fears, despises and loathes Corbyn. Because her family (not posh) suffered so much under Chavez. Including rape and death. Her Venezuelan husband encountered Corbyn on a train a few weeks go, and he went up to Jeremy to have words. Jeremy shrank away.

    We need to listen to the Venezuelan people, not to Jeremy and his pals.
    You think a Corbyn government is going to lead to rapes and killings?
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,233

    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    She’s the kind of woman who might be a passionate Corbynite or XR-er if she were British

    She fears, despises and loathes Corbyn. Because her family (not posh) suffered so much under Chavez. Including rape and death. Her Venezuelan husband encountered Corbyn on a train a few weeks go, and he went up to Jeremy to have words. Jeremy shrank away.

    We need to listen to the Venezuelan people, not to Jeremy and his pals.
    You think a Corbyn government is going to lead to rapes and killings?
    That’s one outcome of destroying the economic system.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667

    I think the LibDems have really screwed this up by the cumulative effect of their two strategic mistakes of the campaign.

    The unconditional Revoke policy was an unforced error, but in isolation I don't think it was too serious, as I said at the time. It would have been easy to spin it subsequently as a distant aspiration given that everyone knows they haven't got a chance of a majority, and thereby to focus on the real option they might potentially have, which is to support a second referendum.

    However, they then made the second mistake, of pushing the ridiculous line that Jo Swinson seriously thought she might be PM in a few weeks' time. That compounded the first error by making it look as though they meant unconditional Revoke as a serious policy rather than as a distant aspiration. It also made them look as though they were peddling as much fantasy as Corbyn and Boris are, thereby destroying their huge potential USP of being the only sane game in town.

    I think you might be right there, sadly.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,745
    Apparently at least one person, in answer to the vital question of what biscuit the party leaders would be, said Boris would be a chocolate hobnob. Idiot - those are really nice, and he isn't.

    https://lordashcroftpolls.com/2019/11/its-insulting-peoples-intelligence-the-government-is-paying-so-we-are-its-so-overwhelming-i-feel-quite-sick-my-election-focus-groups-in-alyn-deeside-wrexha/
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667
    ydoethur said:

    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    She’s the kind of woman who might be a passionate Corbynite or XR-er if she were British

    She fears, despises and loathes Corbyn. Because her family (not posh) suffered so much under Chavez. Including rape and death. Her Venezuelan husband encountered Corbyn on a train a few weeks go, and he went up to Jeremy to have words. Jeremy shrank away.

    We need to listen to the Venezuelan people, not to Jeremy and his pals.
    You think a Corbyn government is going to lead to rapes and killings?
    That’s one outcome of destroying the economic system.
    Which of Labour's policies do you think lead to the destruction of our economic system?
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    FloaterFloater Posts: 14,195

    FPT

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off across much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    Labour's backbench MPs will exercise virtually no moderating influence over a Corbyn Government. They are mainly concerned with keeping their jobs. All the ones willing to genuinely challenge him, of whom there were precious few to begin with, have already left.

    The possible coalition partners are all just as useless. The Lib Dems and SNP would both sell their own grandmothers to the Pedigree Chum factory in exchange for various referendums. Plaid and the Greens are as nutty as the Labour Left or worse.

    A Labour Government under the present management would blow up the foundations of the economy in months. The violation of property rights inherent in forcing large companies to hand shares over to a state quango would do the job on its own. Why should anyone from abroad invest capital in this country, and why should anyone at home or abroad invest in a UK-listed firm, if the Government obviously feels free to confiscate whatever they want on a whim at any time?

    And the notion that the vast increases in public spending proposed by Labour can be funded painlessly for 95% of the population, simply by taxing the rich until the pips squeak and hiking business taxation, is laughable. The most well-off taxpayers are, predominantly, also the most mobile and can run away if sumptuary levels of taxation are imposed. The businesses will respond by cutting investment in the UK, sacking workers to balance the books and putting up prices to consumers. The extra revenue raised by the windfall tax proposed on oil and gas firms, for example, will simply be negated by the costs of rising petrol and domestic fuel prices for consumers, and of unemployment for the oil industry workers who'll be laid off.

    The risks inherent in a Labour Government are, at present, vastly greater than those associated with Brexit. If the Revolutionary Friends of Venezuela fall flat on their faces come December 12th then it will be a huge relief. The worse they lose, the better.
    Well said
  • Options
    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    I agree with you up to a point. Corbyn/McDonnell/Milne are not the people I would have chosen to head the Labour party - in fact I voted against Corbyn twice - and their ideas are not bold enough. But the first step is to break with Thatcherite dogma and to get some money into public services and infrastructure investment and transforming the economy to face climate change, and the manifesto has good policies on that. The alternative is Brexit, which is just Thatcherism 2.0 cynically marketed to the victims of Thatcherism 1.0.
  • Options
    TudorRoseTudorRose Posts: 1,662
    nunu2 said:

    Looking at where the Tories are holding GOTV efforts it seems like they are being very conservative about what they think should be targets. Sensible, not to get carried away.

    https://volunteer.conservatives.com

    Carshalton seems an odd choice. Yes, it was close-ish last time but the LibDems are on the rise in London (aren't they?).
  • Options
    ozymandiasozymandias Posts: 1,503
    Papers going heavy with the “neutral” comment tomorrow. Can’t see that doing Corbyn any good.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,233

    ydoethur said:

    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    She’s the kind of woman who might be a passionate Corbynite or XR-er if she were British

    She fears, despises and loathes Corbyn. Because her family (not posh) suffered so much under Chavez. Including rape and death. Her Venezuelan husband encountered Corbyn on a train a few weeks go, and he went up to Jeremy to have words. Jeremy shrank away.

    We need to listen to the Venezuelan people, not to Jeremy and his pals.
    You think a Corbyn government is going to lead to rapes and killings?
    That’s one outcome of destroying the economic system.
    Which of Labour's policies do you think lead to the destruction of our economic system?
    How about borrowing money they can’t pay back to meet current account spending they haven’t properly costed and printing money to make up the difference?
  • Options
    ByronicByronic Posts: 3,578

    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    She’s the kind of woman who might be a passionate Corbynite or XR-er if she were British

    She fears, despises and loathes Corbyn. Because her family (not posh) suffered so much under Chavez. Including rape and death. Her Venezuelan husband encountered Corbyn on a train a few weeks go, and he went up to Jeremy to have words. Jeremy shrank away.

    We need to listen to the Venezuelan people, not to Jeremy and his pals.
    You think a Corbyn government is going to lead to rapes and killings?
    Yes.
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,125

    I think the LibDems have really screwed this up by the cumulative effect of their two strategic mistakes of the campaign.

    The unconditional Revoke policy was an unforced error, but in isolation I don't think it was too serious, as I said at the time. It would have been easy to spin it subsequently as a distant aspiration given that everyone knows they haven't got a chance of a majority, and thereby to focus on the real option they might potentially have, which is to support a second referendum.

    However, they then made the second mistake, of pushing the ridiculous line that Jo Swinson seriously thought she might be PM in a few weeks' time. That compounded the first error by making it look as though they meant unconditional Revoke as a serious policy rather than as a distant aspiration. It also made them look as though they were peddling as much fantasy as Corbyn and Boris are, thereby destroying their huge potential USP of being the only sane game in town.

    Both errors were pointed out here as such - immediately .

    The LibDems really needed to get a committee of pb.com members to "guide" them.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,233

    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    I agree with you up to a point. Corbyn/McDonnell/Milne are not the people I would have chosen to head the Labour party - in fact I voted against Corbyn twice - and their ideas are not bold enough. But the first step is to break with Thatcherite dogma and to get some money into public services and infrastructure investment and transforming the economy to face climate change, and the manifesto has good policies on that. The alternative is Brexit, which is just Thatcherism 2.0 cynically marketed to the victims of Thatcherism 1.0.
    Really?

    Have you read it?

    And are you interested in this bridge I have for sale?
  • Options
    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901

    I think the LibDems have really screwed this up by the cumulative effect of their two strategic mistakes of the campaign.

    The unconditional Revoke policy was an unforced error, but in isolation I don't think it was too serious, as I said at the time. It would have been easy to spin it subsequently as a distant aspiration given that everyone knows they haven't got a chance of a majority, and thereby to focus on the real option they might potentially have, which is to support a second referendum.

    However, they then made the second mistake, of pushing the ridiculous line that Jo Swinson seriously thought she might be PM in a few weeks' time. That compounded the first error by making it look as though they meant unconditional Revoke as a serious policy rather than as a distant aspiration. It also made them look as though they were peddling as much fantasy as Corbyn and Boris are, thereby destroying their huge potential USP of being the only sane game in town.

    Swinson believed her own hype. It was an error from an inexperienced leader. That said she does offer an alternative to those who dislike Boris and Corbyn.
  • Options
    BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,667
    edited November 2019
    Is the Tory manifesto still expected on Sunday?
  • Options
    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    I agree with you up to a point. Corbyn/McDonnell/Milne are not the people I would have chosen to head the Labour party - in fact I voted against Corbyn twice - and their ideas are not bold enough. But the first step is to break with Thatcherite dogma and to get some money into public services and infrastructure investment and transforming the economy to face climate change, and the manifesto has good policies on that. The alternative is Brexit, which is just Thatcherism 2.0 cynically marketed to the victims of Thatcherism 1.0.
    Really?

    Have you read it?

    And are you interested in this bridge I have for sale?
    Do you have a bridge shop?
  • Options
    wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 6,934
    TudorRose said:

    nunu2 said:

    Looking at where the Tories are holding GOTV efforts it seems like they are being very conservative about what they think should be targets. Sensible, not to get carried away.

    https://volunteer.conservatives.com

    Carshalton seems an odd choice. Yes, it was close-ish last time but the LibDems are on the rise in London (aren't they?).
    UK elect have it falling on their latest update. Interesting. Tom Brake will surely hold on?
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,233
    Jonathan said:

    I think the LibDems have really screwed this up by the cumulative effect of their two strategic mistakes of the campaign.

    The unconditional Revoke policy was an unforced error, but in isolation I don't think it was too serious, as I said at the time. It would have been easy to spin it subsequently as a distant aspiration given that everyone knows they haven't got a chance of a majority, and thereby to focus on the real option they might potentially have, which is to support a second referendum.

    However, they then made the second mistake, of pushing the ridiculous line that Jo Swinson seriously thought she might be PM in a few weeks' time. That compounded the first error by making it look as though they meant unconditional Revoke as a serious policy rather than as a distant aspiration. It also made them look as though they were peddling as much fantasy as Corbyn and Boris are, thereby destroying their huge potential USP of being the only sane game in town.

    Swinson believed her own hype. It was an error from an inexperienced leader. That said she does offer an alternative to those who dislike Boris and Corbyn.
    Well, to some of them. Not all of us. Something to do with this silly remain alliance which gives me a choice between the Tories, Labour or Labourlite.

    And on that note of exasperation, good night.
  • Options
    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    ydoethur said:

    Jonathan said:

    I think the LibDems have really screwed this up by the cumulative effect of their two strategic mistakes of the campaign.

    The unconditional Revoke policy was an unforced error, but in isolation I don't think it was too serious, as I said at the time. It would have been easy to spin it subsequently as a distant aspiration given that everyone knows they haven't got a chance of a majority, and thereby to focus on the real option they might potentially have, which is to support a second referendum.

    However, they then made the second mistake, of pushing the ridiculous line that Jo Swinson seriously thought she might be PM in a few weeks' time. That compounded the first error by making it look as though they meant unconditional Revoke as a serious policy rather than as a distant aspiration. It also made them look as though they were peddling as much fantasy as Corbyn and Boris are, thereby destroying their huge potential USP of being the only sane game in town.

    Swinson believed her own hype. It was an error from an inexperienced leader. That said she does offer an alternative to those who dislike Boris and Corbyn.
    Well, to some of them. Not all of us. Something to do with this silly remain alliance which gives me a choice between the Tories, Labour or Labourlite.

    And on that note of exasperation, good night.
    You appear to be seeking to buy a.bridge.
  • Options
    EPGEPG Posts: 6,007

    I think the LibDems have really screwed this up by the cumulative effect of their two strategic mistakes of the campaign.

    The unconditional Revoke policy was an unforced error, but in isolation I don't think it was too serious, as I said at the time. It would have been easy to spin it subsequently as a distant aspiration given that everyone knows they haven't got a chance of a majority, and thereby to focus on the real option they might potentially have, which is to support a second referendum.

    However, they then made the second mistake, of pushing the ridiculous line that Jo Swinson seriously thought she might be PM in a few weeks' time. That compounded the first error by making it look as though they meant unconditional Revoke as a serious policy rather than as a distant aspiration. It also made them look as though they were peddling as much fantasy as Corbyn and Boris are, thereby destroying their huge potential USP of being the only sane game in town.

    There's little evidence that these mattered, as opposed to the predictable pattern that they always lose support during election campaigns.
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    ByronicByronic Posts: 3,578
    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    Also, the tech revolution. AI, VR, AR. drones, etc. All these will upturn society quite soon

    All of which is yet another reason not to vote for Jeremy. He wants to equip us to function decently, if poorly, as an egalitarian country facing the 1970s.

    We face the 2070s. He’s a fucking century out of date.
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    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    Indeed, if we wanted to be truly radical, we'd look at reshaping our economy to be truly sustainable and supportive of a happy, healthy life. That would entail an end to consumerism, to judging status by accumulation of wealth, and to fixating on GDP growth, and a switch to more appropriate metrics such as physical and mental health, a sense of value and purpose within society and community, and access to ways to better ourselves in ways of our own choosing.

    Now that would be radical, green and sustainable. We might drop down the GDP tables, or we might not.
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    Papers going heavy with the “neutral” comment tomorrow. Can’t see that doing Corbyn any good.

    Oh no, it's a stroke of brilliance by Our Jez, who together with Diane has divined that with the country being divided 50% Leave and 50% Remain, there's a huge Neutral group of 180% just waiting to be won over! :lol:
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    So Sturgeon standing down Q2 2020 - if only there was a market to bet on it.
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    TudorRoseTudorRose Posts: 1,662

    ydoethur said:

    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    She’s the kind of woman who might be a passionate Corbynite or XR-er if she were British

    She fears, despises and loathes Corbyn. Because her family (not posh) suffered so much under Chavez. Including rape and death. Her Venezuelan husband encountered Corbyn on a train a few weeks go, and he went up to Jeremy to have words. Jeremy shrank away.

    We need to listen to the Venezuelan people, not to Jeremy and his pals.
    You think a Corbyn government is going to lead to rapes and killings?
    That’s one outcome of destroying the economic system.
    Which of Labour's policies do you think lead to the destruction of our economic system?
    Well, John McDonnell has said that it's his job to overthrow capitalism so I think that might be a good place to start looking.
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    And of course the third inexplicable error the LibDems have made is to repeat the Tories' 2017 blunder, by trying to make this an election about the leader personally ('Jo Swinson's LibDems'). That can work if you've got an appealing leader, like Ruth Davidson was for the SCons, but it backfires badly if your leader isn't up to it or worse still is actively off-putting to your target voters.
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    CookieCookie Posts: 11,448
    edited November 2019
    Byronic said:

    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    She’s the kind of woman who might be a passionate Corbynite or XR-er if she were British

    She fears, despises and loathes Corbyn. Because her family (not posh) suffered so much under Chavez. Including rape and death. Her Venezuelan husband encountered Corbyn on a train a few weeks go, and he went up to Jeremy to have words. Jeremy shrank away.

    We need to listen to the Venezuelan people, not to Jeremy and his pals.
    You think a Corbyn government is going to lead to rapes and killings?
    Yes.
    They already have the army of thugs. At the moment it's just intimidation of those they see as enemies. Which, by the way, is one reason I don't see sane Labour MPs keeping Corbyn in check.
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    TudorRoseTudorRose Posts: 1,662

    TudorRose said:

    nunu2 said:

    Looking at where the Tories are holding GOTV efforts it seems like they are being very conservative about what they think should be targets. Sensible, not to get carried away.

    https://volunteer.conservatives.com

    Carshalton seems an odd choice. Yes, it was close-ish last time but the LibDems are on the rise in London (aren't they?).
    UK elect have it falling on their latest update. Interesting. Tom Brake will surely hold on?
    He has every other time they've predicted he would lose!
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    LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 15,255

    I think the LibDems have really screwed this up by the cumulative effect of their two strategic mistakes of the campaign.

    The unconditional Revoke policy was an unforced error, but in isolation I don't think it was too serious, as I said at the time. It would have been easy to spin it subsequently as a distant aspiration given that everyone knows they haven't got a chance of a majority, and thereby to focus on the real option they might potentially have, which is to support a second referendum.

    However, they then made the second mistake, of pushing the ridiculous line that Jo Swinson seriously thought she might be PM in a few weeks' time. That compounded the first error by making it look as though they meant unconditional Revoke as a serious policy rather than as a distant aspiration. It also made them look as though they were peddling as much fantasy as Corbyn and Boris are, thereby destroying their huge potential USP of being the only sane game in town.

    It shouldn't really matter when the alternatives are Johnson and Corbyn.
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    olmolm Posts: 125

    FPT

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off across much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    Labour's backbench MPs will exercise virtually no moderating influence over a Corbyn Government. They are mainly concerned with keeping their jobs. All the ones willing to genuinely challenge him, of whom there were precious few to begin with, have already left.

    The possible coalition partners are all just as useless. The Lib Dems and SNP would both sell their own grandmothers to the Pedigree Chum factory in exchange for various referendums. Plaid and the Greens are as nutty as the Labour Left or worse.

    A Labour Government under the present management would blow up the foundations of the economy in months. The violation of property rights inherent in forcing large companies to hand shares over to a state quango would do the job on its own. Why should anyone from abroad invest capital in this country, and why should anyone at home or abroad invest in a UK-listed firm, if the Government obviously feels free to confiscate whatever they want on a whim at any time?

    And the notion that the vast increases in public spending proposed by Labour can be funded painlessly for 95% of the population, simply by taxing the rich until the pips squeak and hiking business taxation, is laughable. The most well-off taxpayers are, predominantly, also the most mobile and can run away if sumptuary levels of taxation are imposed. The businesses will respond by cutting investment in the UK, sacking workers to balance the books and putting up prices to consumers. The extra revenue raised by the windfall tax proposed on oil and gas firms, for example, will simply be negated by the costs of rising petrol and domestic fuel prices for consumers, and of unemployment for the oil industry workers who'll be laid off.

    The risks inherent in a Labour Government are, at present, vastly greater than those associated with Brexit. If the Revolutionary Friends of Venezuela fall flat on their faces come December 12th then it will be a huge relief. The worse they lose, the better.
    It's unreasonable to equate nationalisation of natural monopolies to 'blowing up the economy' 'on it's own'. These public services, use public resources and are relied up on by all, built by public money, consent for the public.

    Pretend competition in natural monopolies combined with the necessary intense regulation and, often, subsidisation, is unfairly distorted towards the enrichment of private shareholders.




  • Options
    Jonathan said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    I agree with you up to a point. Corbyn/McDonnell/Milne are not the people I would have chosen to head the Labour party - in fact I voted against Corbyn twice - and their ideas are not bold enough. But the first step is to break with Thatcherite dogma and to get some money into public services and infrastructure investment and transforming the economy to face climate change, and the manifesto has good policies on that. The alternative is Brexit, which is just Thatcherism 2.0 cynically marketed to the victims of Thatcherism 1.0.
    Really?

    Have you read it?

    And are you interested in this bridge I have for sale?
    Do you have a bridge shop?
    Selbridges, Oxford Street.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,745

    TudorRose said:

    nunu2 said:

    Looking at where the Tories are holding GOTV efforts it seems like they are being very conservative about what they think should be targets. Sensible, not to get carried away.

    https://volunteer.conservatives.com

    Carshalton seems an odd choice. Yes, it was close-ish last time but the LibDems are on the rise in London (aren't they?).
    UK elect have it falling on their latest update. Interesting. Tom Brake will surely hold on?
    Looking at the seat, an dhow he has never had a majority of more than 5200, I am amazed he held on in 2015 and 2017, a really good achievement - far safer LD seats were lost in 2015, and even some of the 2015 held seats were lost in 2017.
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited November 2019
    I should say I yet again received Lib Dem propaganda. It is literally daily. I wonder if they really are just targeting a very small number of seats really hard?
  • Options

    Jonathan said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    I agree with you up to a point. Corbyn/McDonnell/Milne are not the people I would have chosen to head the Labour party - in fact I voted against Corbyn twice - and their ideas are not bold enough. But the first step is to break with Thatcherite dogma and to get some money into public services and infrastructure investment and transforming the economy to face climate change, and the manifesto has good policies on that. The alternative is Brexit, which is just Thatcherism 2.0 cynically marketed to the victims of Thatcherism 1.0.
    Really?

    Have you read it?

    And are you interested in this bridge I have for sale?
    Do you have a bridge shop?
    Selbridges, Oxford Street.
    Very good!
  • Options
    JasonJason Posts: 1,614

    Papers going heavy with the “neutral” comment tomorrow. Can’t see that doing Corbyn any good.

    All those millions of Labour leave voters are most certainly not neutral.
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    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,626

    I should say I yet again received Lib Dem propaganda. I wonder if they really are just targeting a very small number of seats really hard?

    I think so. I haven't had anything from them yet and they lost their deposit here last time (despite coming second in 2010).
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited November 2019
    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    Also, the tech revolution. AI, VR, AR. drones, etc. All these will upturn society quite soon

    All of which is yet another reason not to vote for Jeremy. He wants to equip us to function decently, if poorly, as an egalitarian country facing the 1970s.

    We face the 2070s. He’s a fucking century out of date.
    I haven't checked....are they planning on banning driver-less trains as proposed in 2017? While the world is building driver-less cars, Corbyn wants to put drivers on the DLR...about as much use an elevator attendants.
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    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,153

    I think the LibDems have really screwed this up by the cumulative effect of their two strategic mistakes of the campaign.

    The unconditional Revoke policy was an unforced error, but in isolation I don't think it was too serious, as I said at the time. It would have been easy to spin it subsequently as a distant aspiration given that everyone knows they haven't got a chance of a majority, and thereby to focus on the real option they might potentially have, which is to support a second referendum.

    However, they then made the second mistake, of pushing the ridiculous line that Jo Swinson seriously thought she might be PM in a few weeks' time. That compounded the first error by making it look as though they meant unconditional Revoke as a serious policy rather than as a distant aspiration. It also made them look as though they were peddling as much fantasy as Corbyn and Boris are, thereby destroying their huge potential USP of being the only sane game in town.

    Both errors were pointed out here as such - immediately .

    The LibDems really needed to get a committee of pb.com members to "guide" them.
    They could be called the Brown Owls.
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    FloaterFloater Posts: 14,195
    A good article on Labours proposed 4 day week

    http://hurryupharry.org/2019/11/22/no-free-lunch/
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    dodradedodrade Posts: 595
    nunu2 said:

    nunu2 said:

    Looking at where the Tories are holding GOTV efforts it seems like they are being very conservative about what they think should be targets. Sensible, not to get carried away.

    https://volunteer.conservatives.com

    Meanwhile Labour are targetting Uxbrdge....

    https://volunteer.labour.org.uk
    I think Boris is safe now there is a split in the Lord Buckethead vote.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lord-buckethead-count-binface-uxbridge-south-ruislip-general-election-boris-johnson-a9204681.html
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    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    "Reader, I married her." :)
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    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,629
    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    Attlee had a tough time to be in government, and built the modern welfare state, but his nationalisation and industrial policy was a significant factor in the postwar decline of British industry.

    There are many things that are cachectic after a decade of austerity, which carried on 5 years too long, but spending money on nationalising snail mail is a daft priority. Social Care, Mental Health, and Environment all should also be ahead in that queue.
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited November 2019
    Floater said:

    A good article on Labours proposed 4 day week

    http://hurryupharry.org/2019/11/22/no-free-lunch/

    One thing I don't think has been picked up on (and is it costed?). Not just the 4 day week requiring loads more fireman, policeman complete with cost of state funded pension etc, but what about all these industries that Jezza is going to nationalize.

    On top of the eye watering amount to do so (if we really believe Marxist McDonnell will pay fair market rate), there will also be automatic 5%+ payrises, much bigger pensions and benefits pot that the state has to pay for.
  • Options
    FloaterFloater Posts: 14,195

    I should say I yet again received Lib Dem propaganda. It is literally daily. I wonder if they really are just targeting a very small number of seats really hard?

    We had another Lib Dem leaflet today -unfortunately for him we have already told Martin he will not be getting our votes.

  • Options
    nico67nico67 Posts: 4,502

    Papers going heavy with the “neutral” comment tomorrow. Can’t see that doing Corbyn any good.

    I can’t see it hurting him much . Most Labour voters know he’s trying to juggle both Remainers and Leavers . It depends how Labour play this , if you say you want to be neutral and not pick sides so as to be able to bring the country back together.

    I’m a staunch Labour Remainer and could care less if Corbyn remains neutral , indeed I welcome it .
  • Options
    ozymandiasozymandias Posts: 1,503
    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    I think a Corbyn government will be like running the hot tap for a bit when your bath has got too cold. You wouldn't want to fill the whole bath with scalding water, but when you've let the bath get way too cold you can't heat it up with lukewarm water. In other words, Thatcherism has run its course, the country is in a mess, it needs a radical change of direction and bold ideas. I wouldn't want that project brought fully to fruition. But rehashed Blairism won't bring us out of the rut we are in.
    But it's all academic anyway. The Tories will win the election handsomely and it will be full steam ahead for a WTO Brexit in 2021.

    The point is, none of Corbyn’s ideas are bold. They are essentially reheats of failed twentieth century ideas. None of them are plausible, convincing or even frankly very useful. There is a reason why intelligent people discarded them literally decades ago.

    We could do with radical reshaping of economy and society, but none of our politicians have the least idea how to do it. Ultimately climate change will probably force it on them, but it’s unlikely any existing party or possibly system of government will survive the trauma.
    Attlee had a tough time to be in government, and built the modern welfare state, but his nationalisation and industrial policy was a significant factor in the postwar decline of British industry.

    There are many things that are cachectic after a decade of austerity, which carried on 5 years too long, but spending money on nationalising snail mail is a daft priority. Social Care, Mental Health, and Environment all should also be ahead in that queue.
    Exactly.

    The result of having to pander to Labours corrupt, outdated, Regressive, undemocratic Union paymasters.

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    ByronicByronic Posts: 3,578
    Flashy5 said:

    So Sturgeon standing down Q2 2020 - if only there was a market to bet on it.

    Because of the Salmond trial? I’ve always thought SNP hubris would eventually be tamed, quite severely. That might be the means.
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    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 4,975

    Byronic said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    People should try to keep a sense of proportion, that's all I am saying. A Corbyn government is gong to be akin to the Russian Revolution or the rise of the Nazis.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for Freudian slip of the 21st century.

    Haha yes well, you knew what I meant!
    Well, I will admit it was perhaps not quite as good as the moment Corbyn said as a good democrat he would never prorogue Parliament.

    What he meant of course was he would never misuse prerogative powers as Johnson had.

    What he said was he would abolish elections.

    Incidentally I do not expect a Corbyn government to be like War Communism under Lenin. However, there is a distinct possibility their policies would lead to a Venezuela outcome. Indeed, as we have fewer natural resources than Venezuela we are considerably more vulnerable to the graft, greed and mismanagement of Socialism than they are.
    I have recently got to know a young, smart, politically aware Venezuelan lady. Maria.
    "Reader, I married her." :)
    Say it loud and it’s music playing
    Say it soft and it’s almost like praying
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    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,125
    kle4 said:

    Apparently at least one person, in answer to the vital question of what biscuit the party leaders would be, said Boris would be a chocolate hobnob. Idiot - those are really nice, and he isn't.

    https://lordashcroftpolls.com/2019/11/its-insulting-peoples-intelligence-the-government-is-paying-so-we-are-its-so-overwhelming-i-feel-quite-sick-my-election-focus-groups-in-alyn-deeside-wrexha/

    We need to get a photo op of blokey workmen in hard hats, with a sign saying

    WE ❤ CHOCOLATE HOBNOBS
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    Flashy5 said:

    twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1197946315835158529?s=21

    There are more Jews that will vote Jezza than Sun readers. I remember when big tent Tony was popular among that demographic.
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    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    Floater said:

    A good article on Labours proposed 4 day week

    http://hurryupharry.org/2019/11/22/no-free-lunch/

    Thanks. I had not thought of certain jobs as been paid to be somewhere for some period of time, but it makes a lot of sense.
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    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,745
    dodrade said:

    nunu2 said:

    nunu2 said:

    Looking at where the Tories are holding GOTV efforts it seems like they are being very conservative about what they think should be targets. Sensible, not to get carried away.

    https://volunteer.conservatives.com

    Meanwhile Labour are targetting Uxbrdge....

    https://volunteer.labour.org.uk
    I think Boris is safe now there is a split in the Lord Buckethead vote.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lord-buckethead-count-binface-uxbridge-south-ruislip-general-election-boris-johnson-a9204681.html
    I've not read such a mess of identity and infighting since the collapse of the ironically named Left Unity. Lord Buckethead is no longer Lord Buckethead apparently.
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    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,125
    nunu2 said:

    Looking at where the Tories are holding GOTV efforts it seems like they are being very conservative about what they think should be targets. Sensible, not to get carried away.

    https://volunteer.conservatives.com

    Doesn't seem to be much excitement expected in the SW now. Camborne has an invite, and our Totnes canvassing dates are in there - I suspect so that folks can give a little cheer when Wollaston loses and think "Yep - I helped make that happen...".
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    olmolm Posts: 125

    FPT

    Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn as PM will never be able to implement anything more more left-wing than the kind of social democracy seen on and off across much of western Europe since the war. He will be moderated by rebel soft-left Labour MPs, not to mention his almost certain need to bring along coalition partners.

    Labour's backbench MPs will exercise virtually no moderating influence over a Corbyn Government. They are mainly concerned with keeping their jobs. All the ones willing to genuinely challenge him, of whom there were precious few to begin with, have already left.

    The possible coalition partners are all just as useless. The Lib Dems and SNP would both sell their own grandmothers to the Pedigree Chum factory in exchange for various referendums. Plaid and the Greens are as nutty as the Labour Left or worse.

    A Labour Government under the present management would blow up the foundations of the economy in months. The violation of property rights inherent in forcing large companies to hand shares over to a state quango would do the job on its own. Why should anyone from abroad invest capital in this country, and why should anyone at home or abroad invest in a UK-listed firm, if the Government obviously feels free to confiscate whatever they want on a whim at any time?

    And the notion that the vast increases in public spending proposed by Labour can be funded painlessly for 95% of the population, simply by taxing the rich until the pips squeak and hiking business taxation, is laughable. The most well-off taxpayers are, predominantly, also the most mobile and can run away if sumptuary levels of taxation are imposed. The businesses will respond by cutting investment in the UK, sacking workers to balance the books and putting up prices to consumers. The extra revenue raised by the windfall tax proposed on oil and gas firms, for example, will simply be negated by the costs of rising petrol and domestic fuel prices for consumers, and of unemployment for the oil industry workers who'll be laid off.

    The risks inherent in a Labour Government are, at present, vastly greater than those associated with Brexit. If the Revolutionary Friends of Venezuela fall flat on their faces come December 12th then it will be a huge relief. The worse they lose, the better.
    Also, it's not that dramatic when a company changes hands - workers, managers, systems, resources, continue on as before, with gradual changes. Only senior execs and shareholders change.

    Shareholders speculate and risk in return for potential profit. The risks they take in public utilities are clearly different then, say, funding a manufacturing/PR company.
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