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Defining legacies – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,076
edited July 4 in General
Defining legacies – politicalbetting.com

Talking about this word cloud on @TheNewsAgents earlier and the ongoing fall out from Sunak leaving D-Day early – why it doesn't seem to have shifted voting intention polls, but has dragged down Rishi Sunak's personal approval ratings instead https://t.co/eUrMgg33np pic.twitter.com/DmQbWt1dMz

Read the full story here

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Comments

  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,441
    It is the cherry on the cake.
  • mwadamsmwadams Posts: 3,544
    I think that about sums up the last decade.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,598
    Cakeism is over
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,387
    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,500
    A bit Narvik 1940.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,419
    No one ever voted Tory because of Sunak, people vote Tory despite Sunak.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 118,833
    Carnyx said:

    A bit Narvik 1940.

    David Cameron is set to be Winston Churchill or Leo Amery?
  • mwadamsmwadams Posts: 3,544
    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,016
    edited June 13
    Jonathan said:

    No one ever voted Tory because of Sunak, people vote Tory despite Sunak.

    I think you are wrong, certainly in Hindu communities.

    (On a point of pedantry, there have been few opportunities to vote at all since Sunak became PM)
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 21,890

    I need advice from the PB massive.

    Is this prediction from Guido even 'better' than that Sion Simon magnum opus?


    He was doing well until the last 6 words. If he'd gone with "the Tories for a generation" he might have been onto something.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 69,305

    I need advice from the PB massive.

    Is this prediction from Guido even 'better' than that Sion Simon magnum opus?


    Not exactly.

    The latter had a large dollop of hubris missing in Guido's temporary Truss derangement.

    It's more Leondamus than Sion Simon.
  • Peter_the_PunterPeter_the_Punter Posts: 14,262

    I need advice from the PB massive.

    Is this prediction from Guido even 'better' than that Sion Simon magnum opus?


    I don't know but i hope you washed yourself thoroughly before returning to this Site after visiting Guido's.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,500
    edited June 13

    Carnyx said:

    A bit Narvik 1940.

    David Cameron is set to be Winston Churchill or Leo Amery?
    You tell me!

    (I was thinking of the military side. Make an assault landing with fanfare, in association with the French, and then pull back in a hurry as the situation develops not necessarily to one's advantage elsewhere. But the politics, yes, I suppose it could match too ...)
  • FffsFffs Posts: 65

    I need advice from the PB massive.

    Is this prediction from Guido even 'better' than that Sion Simon magnum opus?


    No, Sion Simon still wins based on the length and sheer pretentiousness of his essay.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,441
    geoffw said:

    Cakeism is over

    Never! I will give up most things but cake is where I draw the line. To misquote Shankly some say it is a matter of life and death but it is far more important than that.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 59,354
    Jesus. That is uniformly and unequivocally horrible in every way.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 21,890
    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
  • TweedledeeTweedledee Posts: 1,405
    I don't trust word clouds because they are self-selecting; if you have nothing to say about it you say nothing and don't show up. A 5 way choice of it's utterly/somewhat disgraceful/no opinion/somewhat/utterly trivial would be much more illuminating. So would age bands, given that the under 40s haven't a clue what D Day was anyway or think it's D for Dunkirk.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,500
    DavidL said:

    geoffw said:

    Cakeism is over

    Never! I will give up most things but cake is where I draw the line. To misquote Shankly some say it is a matter of life and death but it is far more important than that.
    Having the Elephant House closed must have been a catastrophe for you ...
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,016
    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:

    Jonathan said:

    No one ever voted Tory because of Sunak, people vote Tory despite Sunak.

    I think you are wrong, certainly in Hindu communities.

    (On a point of sedentary, there have been few opportunities to vote at all since Sunak became PM)
    Did that typo make you an armchair pundit ?
    Indeed I am sitting on my Poäng at the moment...
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 69,305

    Jesus. That is uniformly and unequivocally horrible in every way.

    Well he does seem to have united the nation, so there's that.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 59,354

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    What's fascinating is that pb'er regulars seem to get regularly polled, whereas I have never been polled.

    I do live in a (historically) safe seat, and ignore unsolicited calls though. Which might have something to do with it.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,441
    Carnyx said:

    DavidL said:

    geoffw said:

    Cakeism is over

    Never! I will give up most things but cake is where I draw the line. To misquote Shankly some say it is a matter of life and death but it is far more important than that.
    Having the Elephant House closed must have been a catastrophe for you ...
    It's not been easy but the French Consulate is even nearer PH and there is an excellent Italian at the top of the Mound. Life goes on despite the hardships.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 118,833
    edited June 13

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    What's fascinating is that pb'er regulars seem to get regularly polled, whereas I have never been polled.

    I do live in a (historically) safe seat, and ignore unsolicited calls though. Which might have something to do with it.
    The pollsters will tell you I am part of several very hard to reach demographics.

    Ethnic minority, party member, working class etc.

    I also live in the most polled constituency at the 2015 general election.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 59,354

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    What's fascinating is that pb'er regulars seem to get regularly polled, whereas I have never been polled.

    I do live in a (historically) safe seat, and ignore unsolicited calls though. Which might have something to do with it.
    The pollsters will tell you I am part of several very hard to reach demographics.

    Ethnic minority, party member, working class etc.

    I also live in the most polled constituency at the 2015 general election.
    Yeah, I'm none of those.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 53,729

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    What's fascinating is that pb'er regulars seem to get regularly polled, whereas I have never been polled.

    I do live in a (historically) safe seat, and ignore unsolicited calls though. Which might have something to do with it.
    Given how many people go out of their way to make it difficult for cold callers to get hold of them, any polling is by definition going to be much more self-selecting today than it was in the past.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,387

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    Are people who respond to polling representative of the general population (I don’t know by the way which is why I’m asking)?

    I’ve never been polled so not sure if once you have agreed to be part of a company’s polling base they keep coming back to you or they find new people each time.

    So someone who is actually bothered about spending their time responding to a pollster must be more politically engaged or bored than those who refused to take part - what is the proportion of people asked to take part who refuse v accept?

    So there are obviously weaknesses in voxpops but there must also be weaknesses in polling. Obviously the polls are fairly accurate and get more so nearer the election but the point of interest is still valid that it seems there are a good chunk of people who haven’t decided and they can make the difference between ELE or a workable majority.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,016

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    What's fascinating is that pb'er regulars seem to get regularly polled, whereas I have never been polled.

    I do live in a (historically) safe seat, and ignore unsolicited calls though. Which might have something to do with it.
    It's a simple matter to register for online polls. I am on Yougovs, but only get a political poll every few months. I am being polled every week at the moment, this may well be because I am an Undecided yet certain to vote voter. They know my previous answers over the years so can judge trends well.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    Farooq said:

    I have to say I don't find this kind of thing useful. Word clouds from questions like this, I mean. Prompting people on something that's fairly obviously a mistake is always going to generate something that looks like this.

    A more interesting question would be who is using which word. If floating voters or Tories are saying "unforgivable" it's very bad. If they are saying "unfortunate"* it not. If Labour voters are all coalescing on a Bad Word, then we're just eating empty calories and enjoying** Sunak's misfortune.

    *Because they could be responding to the media fall out. "It's unfortunate [that it's generating such bad headlines but we should move on]" versus "it's unforgivable [and I will wade through blood etc etc]"
    **Nothing wrong with this, of course. But we should know when we're wallowing and not really learning anything.

    Agree; word clouds are nonsense and say very little of use - as well as being very naff. I’m surprised they are still so popular.
  • TweedledeeTweedledee Posts: 1,405
    "UK’s first ethnic minority Prime Minister" was Disraeli, unless you are Diane.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 118,833
    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    A bit Narvik 1940.

    David Cameron is set to be Winston Churchill or Leo Amery?
    You tell me!

    (I was thinking of the military side. Make an assault landing with fanfare, in association with the French, and then pull back in a hurry as the situation develops not necessarily to one's advantage elsewhere. But the politics, yes, I suppose it could match too ...)
    Dave could be both Amery & Churchill.

    In the original version of the thread I did compare Sunak's exit as ignominious as the Dieppe Raid.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,419
    The problem for the Tories is that Sunak is not a one off. The disrespect is part of a trend, most obviously represented by the Downing Street parties.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 118,833
    Ghedebrav said:

    Farooq said:

    I have to say I don't find this kind of thing useful. Word clouds from questions like this, I mean. Prompting people on something that's fairly obviously a mistake is always going to generate something that looks like this.

    A more interesting question would be who is using which word. If floating voters or Tories are saying "unforgivable" it's very bad. If they are saying "unfortunate"* it not. If Labour voters are all coalescing on a Bad Word, then we're just eating empty calories and enjoying** Sunak's misfortune.

    *Because they could be responding to the media fall out. "It's unfortunate [that it's generating such bad headlines but we should move on]" versus "it's unforgivable [and I will wade through blood etc etc]"
    **Nothing wrong with this, of course. But we should know when we're wallowing and not really learning anything.

    Agree; word clouds are nonsense and say very little of use - as well as being very naff. I’m surprised they are still so popular.
    One of the reasons world clouds are popular (and analysed so much) is that they usually sync in with what is said by large focus groups.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 53,729
    edited June 13

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    It’s surprising that Dave let it happen to be honest. He understood the significance of the event, and would have been involved in the planning as FS.

    Perhaps they had a massive row about it, guess we’ll have to wait for Sunak’s memoir to find out.

    I’d know how to say to my boss “Sorry, but this is going to go on all day, and it’s going to be a bad look to leave early”.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 69,305
    .
    Foxy said:

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    What's fascinating is that pb'er regulars seem to get regularly polled, whereas I have never been polled.

    I do live in a (historically) safe seat, and ignore unsolicited calls though. Which might have something to do with it.
    It's a simple matter to register for online polls. I am on Yougovs, but only get a political poll every few months. I am being polled every week at the moment, this may well be because I am an Undecided yet certain to vote voter. They know my previous answers over the years so can judge trends well.
    I'm similarly signed up to Yougov, but haven't been politically polled in the last month or two.

    You could probably create a third party surge all by yourself.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 10,398
    boulay said:

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    Are people who respond to polling representative of the general population (I don’t know by the way which is why I’m asking)?

    I’ve never been polled so not sure if once you have agreed to be part of a company’s polling base they keep coming back to you or they find new people each time.

    So someone who is actually bothered about spending their time responding to a pollster must be more politically engaged or bored than those who refused to take part - what is the proportion of people asked to take part who refuse v accept?

    So there are obviously weaknesses in voxpops but there must also be weaknesses in polling. Obviously the polls are fairly accurate and get more so nearer the election but the point of interest is still valid that it seems there are a good chunk of people who haven’t decided and they can make the difference between ELE or a workable majority.
    There are phone polls and, more commonly, online panels. Phone polls dial random numbers, but the response rate of people answering the call and willing, is very low. Online panels are easier, but their membership is possibly even less representative. So, it’s difficult!
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 69,305
    Ghedebrav said:

    Farooq said:

    I have to say I don't find this kind of thing useful. Word clouds from questions like this, I mean. Prompting people on something that's fairly obviously a mistake is always going to generate something that looks like this.

    A more interesting question would be who is using which word. If floating voters or Tories are saying "unforgivable" it's very bad. If they are saying "unfortunate"* it not. If Labour voters are all coalescing on a Bad Word, then we're just eating empty calories and enjoying** Sunak's misfortune.

    *Because they could be responding to the media fall out. "It's unfortunate [that it's generating such bad headlines but we should move on]" versus "it's unforgivable [and I will wade through blood etc etc]"
    **Nothing wrong with this, of course. But we should know when we're wallowing and not really learning anything.

    Agree; word clouds are nonsense and say very little of use - as well as being very naff. I’m surprised they are still so popular.
    They're a bit Frank Luntz.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 118,833
    Sandpit said:

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    It’s surprising that Dave let it happen to be honest. He understood the significance of the event, and would have been involved in the planning as FS.

    Perhaps they had a massive row about it, guess we’ll have to wait for Sunak’s memoir to find out.
    Dave (and to be fair Grant Shapps) warned Sunak repeatedly about the PR disaster this would be.

    There's only so much a Foreign Secretary can do when a PM has made up his mind.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,441

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    He's nowhere near as clever as Nigel Lawson but there are certain chimes. Lawson always recognised that his skill set was most applicable to the Treasury and he was not suited for the PM chair. Sunak didn't have that insight, amongst many.
  • mwadamsmwadams Posts: 3,544

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    What's fascinating is that pb'er regulars seem to get regularly polled, whereas I have never been polled.

    I do live in a (historically) safe seat, and ignore unsolicited calls though. Which might have something to do with it.
    YouGov aside, my lack of a landline probably helps. I think of myself as "not statistically significant".
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,064
    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    I do have a grain of sympathy for him on the D Day thing. He does actually have a track record on veterans’ issues.

    That grain is vastly overwhelmed by the endless desert planet of gaffedom of course. It was an almost unbelievably stupid way to conduct himself, let alone *during an election*.

    But a grain, nonetheless.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 16,741

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    Mirror image of Boris, who loved the Being Mr Britain part of the job, but really couldn't be bothered with the Running The Country bit.

    You really need to be at least competent at both.

    (Wasn't his initial defence that he went for the British bits, and just ducked out of the events involving foreigners?)
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 118,833
    mwadams said:

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    What's fascinating is that pb'er regulars seem to get regularly polled, whereas I have never been polled.

    I do live in a (historically) safe seat, and ignore unsolicited calls though. Which might have something to do with it.
    YouGov aside, my lack of a landline probably helps. I think of myself as "not statistically significant".
    Remember there are no regular political phone pollsters apart from Ipsos.

    We've lost, inter alia, ICM, Populus, ComRes, and to a lesser extent Survation from the regular phone pollsters over the last few years.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 95,140
    Nigelb said:

    I need advice from the PB massive.

    Is this prediction from Guido even 'better' than that Sion Simon magnum opus?


    Not exactly.

    The latter had a large dollop of hubris missing in Guido's temporary Truss derangement.

    It's more Leondamus than Sion Simon.
    It was temporary in respect of Truss be he's all in on Reform, he'll be devastated if there's no crossover poll when he's been ramping it for weeks.

    I do like his daily collations of the campaign though.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,409
    edited June 13

    Sandpit said:

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    It’s surprising that Dave let it happen to be honest. He understood the significance of the event, and would have been involved in the planning as FS.

    Perhaps they had a massive row about it, guess we’ll have to wait for Sunak’s memoir to find out.
    Dave (and to be fair Grant Shapps) warned Sunak repeatedly about the PR disaster this would be.

    There's only so much a Foreign Secretary can do when a PM has made up his mind.
    You are seriously telling us that Sunak wilfully decided to return early from the D-Day commemorations *against* the advice of Foreign Secretary and former-PM Cameron? I had assumed that it was an oversight, everyone in the campaign had taken their eye off the ball.

    Sunak needs to be questioned about this - why did he override his Foreign Sec's advice?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 69,305
    Banana republic justice.

    Chiquita Found Liable for Colombia Paramilitary Killings
    https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/news/colombia-chiquita-papers/2024-06-10/chiquita-found-liable-colombia-paramilitary-killings
    Washington, D.C., June 10, 2024 – Today, an eight-member jury in West Palm Beach, Florida, found Chiquita Brands International liable for funding a violent Colombian paramilitary organization, the United Self-defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), that was responsible for major human rights atrocities during the 1990s and 2000s. The weeks-long trial featured testimony from the families of the nine victims in the case, the recollections of Colombian military officials and Chiquita executives, expert reports, and a summary of key documentary evidence produced by Michael Evans, director of the National Security Archive’s Colombia documentation project.

    “This historic ruling marks the first time that an American jury has held a major U.S. corporation liable for complicity in serious human rights abuses in another country,” according to a press release from EarthRights International, which represents victims in the case.

    In 2007, Chiquita reached a sentencing agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice in which it admitted to $1.7 million in payments to the AUC, which was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in 2001. Chiquita paid a $25 million fine for violating a U.S. anti-terrorism statute but has never before had to answer to victims of the paramilitary group it financed. In 2018, Chiquita settled separate claims brought by the families of six victims of the FARC insurgent group, which was also paid by Chiquita for many years...

  • CleitophonCleitophon Posts: 465
    edited June 13
    The key takehome from the D-Day debacle is that the vast majority of the electorate like to see britain along side neighbours and allies affirming its international commitment..... a britain at the heart of the western international community honouring that heritage.... basically the opposite of free wheeling go it alone brexiteerism. I saw Marr's piece in the New Statesman talking about rejoining the single market

    "But the country has already changed its mind about his rotten Brexit deal, and there would be no opportunity like Labour’s first 18 months to improve relations with the giant market on our doorstep. As the EU grapples with the problem of enlargement to its east and populism at home, the notion of a more flexible, less monolithic EU of concentric or interlocking circles is growing in potency."

    https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2024/06/what-historic-labour-keir-starmer-win-mean-britain-election-andrew-marr

    What I am looking for in Labour's manifesto is silence on the EU - that will (ironically) be a huge indicator to me where things are going. It will be a carte blance on EU trading relations and security agreements.

    Sunak's actions on leaving the D-Day celebrations were very much a tacit expression of inward looking, isolationist ethos of the populist right, and its time has come.... I seriously think the country is turning a corner on brexit going into the next parliament.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 95,140

    Ghedebrav said:

    Farooq said:

    I have to say I don't find this kind of thing useful. Word clouds from questions like this, I mean. Prompting people on something that's fairly obviously a mistake is always going to generate something that looks like this.

    A more interesting question would be who is using which word. If floating voters or Tories are saying "unforgivable" it's very bad. If they are saying "unfortunate"* it not. If Labour voters are all coalescing on a Bad Word, then we're just eating empty calories and enjoying** Sunak's misfortune.

    *Because they could be responding to the media fall out. "It's unfortunate [that it's generating such bad headlines but we should move on]" versus "it's unforgivable [and I will wade through blood etc etc]"
    **Nothing wrong with this, of course. But we should know when we're wallowing and not really learning anything.

    Agree; word clouds are nonsense and say very little of use - as well as being very naff. I’m surprised they are still so popular.
    One of the reasons world clouds are popular (and analysed so much) is that they usually sync in with what is said by large focus groups.
    It's also just visually grabbing to have a cluster of words with "idiot" or whatever in large font in the middle. Adds nothing but looks like it does.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,409

    I need advice from the PB massive.

    Is this prediction from Guido even 'better' than that Sion Simon magnum opus?


    The excellence of that will never fade.
  • mwadamsmwadams Posts: 3,544
    edited June 13
    FF43 said:

    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?

    "Ridiculous" or not, it is something that has struck a chord with people (which is why the media worries it to death).

    I think it is because

    1) Sunak was supposed to be representing us all, and people didn't like how he did that it; so something abstract becomes personal
    2) It reifies a general sense people had about him anyway (arrogant, self-interested, no empathy)

    and, if you are a Tory activist

    3) It was an unforced error - they chose that schedule and didn't allow for events to overrun; then when they did, they made the wrong call. Any doubts you had about the campaign in weeks 1 and 2 were reinforced; another hit to morale.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 95,140

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    Mirror image of Boris, who loved the Being Mr Britain part of the job, but really couldn't be bothered with the Running The Country bit.

    You really need to be at least competent at both.

    (Wasn't his initial defence that he went for the British bits, and just ducked out of the events involving foreigners?)
    Perhaps the pair should have kept working together.
  • pm215pm215 Posts: 1,106
    DavidL said:

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    He's nowhere near as clever as Nigel Lawson but there are certain chimes. Lawson always recognised that his skill set was most applicable to the Treasury and he was not suited for the PM chair. Sunak didn't have that insight, amongst many.
    Or maybe he did but he also thought "jeez, look at who else is running, I might not be great at the job but I'm pretty sure I'll be better than them"...
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 22,227
    geoffw said:

    Cakeism is over

    Finally a winner on the war on drugs!
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,202
    After what Stephen Moffat just said about Jesus on Radio 4, he should be cancelled.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,251
    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    I did not see last night's interviews but gather from Rory & Alastair on TRIP that Rishi did not use the £2,000 tax line. It may be that party polling has shown it was badly received.
  • mwadamsmwadams Posts: 3,544

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    Mirror image of Boris, who loved the Being Mr Britain part of the job, but really couldn't be bothered with the Running The Country bit.

    You really need to be at least competent at both.

    (Wasn't his initial defence that he went for the British bits, and just ducked out of the events involving foreigners?)
    It's Jim Hacker's first day in number 10. There's lots you could do, some things you might want to do, but nothing you *have* to do. Unless you act as a surrogate-Chancellor of the Exchequer, you are more like an Exec Chair than an MD.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 53,729
    mwadams said:

    FF43 said:

    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?

    "Ridiculous" or not, it is something that has struck a chord with people (which is why the media worries it to death).

    I think it is because

    1) Sunak was supposed to be representing us all, and people didn't like how he did that it; so something abstract becomes personal
    2) It reifies a general sense people had about him anyway (arrogant, self-interested, no empathy)

    and, if you are a Tory activist

    3) It was an unforced error - they chose that schedule and didn't allow for events to overrun; then when they did, they made the wrong call. Any doubts you had about the campaign in weeks 1 and 2 were reinforced; another hit to morale.
    His reason for leaving was a non-urgent pre-record with ITV. Why on Earth anyone would think that was more important, than the live meeting of a dozen heads of government and heads of state, at a commemoration event for WWII, is totally bewildering.

    As I said at the time, ITV jump to the PM’s schedule, not the other way around. If he’d said he was available at 3am, then there would have been a studio full of people waiting for him at 2am, and nothing more would have been said on the subject.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 95,140
    edited June 13
    FF43 said:

    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?

    I honestly don't think it was a big deal. A silly thing to do politically but really not significant as to his character or something. It was just a bit dumb.

    But he's an unpopular man and it's been seized upon, it seems to have encapsulated all the reasons people don't like him. His overwrought apologies show it was and is hitting him hard including with remaining supporters.

    Politics can be rough and he'll have to hope history is kinder to him as the electorate won't be.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,409

    After what Stephen Moffat just said about Jesus on Radio 4, he should be cancelled.

    Helpful post. Thanks.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,500

    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    A bit Narvik 1940.

    David Cameron is set to be Winston Churchill or Leo Amery?
    You tell me!

    (I was thinking of the military side. Make an assault landing with fanfare, in association with the French, and then pull back in a hurry as the situation develops not necessarily to one's advantage elsewhere. But the politics, yes, I suppose it could match too ...)
    Dave could be both Amery & Churchill.

    In the original version of the thread I did compare Sunak's exit as ignominious as the Dieppe Raid.
    Well, the Canadians and French, and some Americans, were involved in Rutter/Jubilee, so I'm surprised you didn't stick with it!
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,387

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    I did not see last night's interviews but gather from Rory & Alastair on TRIP that Rishi did not use the £2,000 tax line. It may be that party polling has shown it was badly received.
    Maybe the Tories were waiting for Labour’s manifesto before venturing back into the tax battle. Now they can formulate attacks based on what Labour are saying having already planted a fake seed in people’s heads. It’s all they’ve really got now so have to just throw shit around for the next couple of weeks to save a many seats as possible.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,016
    Nigelb said:

    .

    Foxy said:

    mwadams said:

    boulay said:

    Interesting voxpop on R4 from their roaming the country series. Today they were in Redcar and it was surprising how many of the people they played interviews with had no idea how they were going to vote on the day.

    There was one lady v pro Sunak, another wanting change, another wanting a protest vote so was going with reform but otherwise everyone else was “I really just don’t know” and many saying they didn’t know for the first time ever ahead of an election.

    I wonder if this is the same across the whole country in real life and could it be that people who respond to polls largely feel obliged to give an answer (yes there are Don’t Knows) as they are en engaged in polling but largely there is still quite a lot to play for so over the next couple of weeks the Tories can go big on “Labour Tax Rises” and reduce the losses.

    That is precisely the difference between a broadcaster's vox pops (people prepared to talk to a journo on camera) v. a statistically sound polling methodology.

    It's not the polling that is going to be more at variance with the actual result.
    It's almost as if the sort of person who wanders aimlessly around the town centre on a working day is not representative of the wider population.
    What's fascinating is that pb'er regulars seem to get regularly polled, whereas I have never been polled.

    I do live in a (historically) safe seat, and ignore unsolicited calls though. Which might have something to do with it.
    It's a simple matter to register for online polls. I am on Yougovs, but only get a political poll every few months. I am being polled every week at the moment, this may well be because I am an Undecided yet certain to vote voter. They know my previous answers over the years so can judge trends well.
    I'm similarly signed up to Yougov, but haven't been politically polled in the last month or two.

    You could probably create a third party surge all by yourself.
    One thing I notice is that I get given the names and parties for my constituency now, previously it was national intention. I think this means that behind the national headline figures is a lot of data on tactical voting intention.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 16,741

    Sandpit said:

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    It’s surprising that Dave let it happen to be honest. He understood the significance of the event, and would have been involved in the planning as FS.

    Perhaps they had a massive row about it, guess we’ll have to wait for Sunak’s memoir to find out.
    Dave (and to be fair Grant Shapps) warned Sunak repeatedly about the PR disaster this would be.

    There's only so much a Foreign Secretary can do when a PM has made up his mind.
    You are seriously telling us that Sunak wilfully decided to return early from the D-Day commemorations *against* the advice of Foreign Secretary and former-PM Cameron? I had assumed that it was an oversight, everyone in the campaign had taken their eye off the ball.

    Sunak needs to be questioned about this - why did he override his Foreign Sec's advice?
    There's that speech Number Two gives at the end of the first Austin Powers movie:

    But you, like an idiot, wanted to take over the world. And you don't realize there is no world anymore. It's only corporations.

    Suspect that's closer to Rishi's worldview than is comfortable. In Goodwin-speak, the Conservatives may appeal to Somewheres, but they are run by and for Anywheres.

    Which is one of the reasons for the fracture.

  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,508
    kle4 said:

    FF43 said:

    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?

    I honestly don't think it was a big deal. A silly thing to do politically but really not significant as to his character or something.

    But he's an unpopular man and it's been seized upon, it seems to have encapsulated all the reasons people don't like him. His overwrought apologies show it was and is hitting him hard including with remaining supporters.

    Politics can be rough and he'll have to hope history is kinder to him as the electorate won't be.
    It speaks to his mindset and political instincts. He attended the "British" event, but not the allied event.

    Twat.

    Labour recognised the significance and lobbied to be included.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,500
    Ghedebrav said:

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    I do have a grain of sympathy for him on the D Day thing. He does actually have a track record on veterans’ issues.

    That grain is vastly overwhelmed by the endless desert planet of gaffedom of course. It was an almost unbelievably stupid way to conduct himself, let alone *during an election*.

    But a grain, nonetheless.
    Yet a grain against the sand-dune of previous Tory rundown and neglect.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 53,729

    After what Stephen Moffat just said about Jesus on Radio 4, he should be cancelled.

    Unless he was inciting violence or causing mass panic, then no, he shouldn’t be cancelled.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 51,994

    I need advice from the PB massive.

    Is this prediction from Guido even 'better' than that Sion Simon magnum opus?


    He is probably even further off beam in his expectations of Farage....
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 69,305

    After what Stephen Moffat just said about Jesus on Radio 4, he should be cancelled.

    What did he say ?
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,282
    Sandpit said:

    mwadams said:

    FF43 said:

    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?

    "Ridiculous" or not, it is something that has struck a chord with people (which is why the media worries it to death).

    I think it is because

    1) Sunak was supposed to be representing us all, and people didn't like how he did that it; so something abstract becomes personal
    2) It reifies a general sense people had about him anyway (arrogant, self-interested, no empathy)

    and, if you are a Tory activist

    3) It was an unforced error - they chose that schedule and didn't allow for events to overrun; then when they did, they made the wrong call. Any doubts you had about the campaign in weeks 1 and 2 were reinforced; another hit to morale.
    His reason for leaving was a non-urgent pre-record with ITV. Why on Earth anyone would think that was more important, than the live meeting of a dozen heads of government and heads of state, at a commemoration event for WWII, is totally bewildering.

    As I said at the time, ITV jump to the PM’s schedule, not the other way around. If he’d said he was available at 3am, then there would have been a studio full of people waiting for him at 2am, and nothing more would have been said on the subject.
    Putting that to one side.
    I've no idea why he's doing an interview a week ahead anyways. The agenda has moved on. There's the possibility of events like the Manchester bombing. The interview was pre-manifesto, broadcast post manifesto.
    On that level alone it seems a bizarre decision.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,508
    @NatashaC

    NEW: Nigel Farage reveals he'd be happy to lead a Conservative-Reform merged party...

    Suggestions slapped down by Tories across the party including PM...
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 62,381
    Good morning

    Sunak looked defeated last night no doubt from the fallout over his DDay antics and, apparently, immediately following the event he got on a plane arriving in Italy at 1.00am for the G7 meeting which I expect he will be the last to leave

    I may be wrong but I detect that he may be receiving some sympathy, and in any respect the mental strain on him and his family must be colossal and for as poor as he is, he just cannot leave behind the Johnson and Truss disasters and the only consolation is that it will be over in three weeks

    Mind you Starmer was also poor last night, with the audience openly laughing at his 'father was a toolmaker', he was called a robot, and the audience member who heckled Sunak later said that neither Sunak or Starmer have the answers for the NHS

    However, he is going to be PM 3 weeks tomorrow and then the real test begins for him, labour, the country and of course the future role of the conservative party in our politics
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 27,672
    Scott_xP said:

    kle4 said:

    FF43 said:

    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?

    I honestly don't think it was a big deal. A silly thing to do politically but really not significant as to his character or something.

    But he's an unpopular man and it's been seized upon, it seems to have encapsulated all the reasons people don't like him. His overwrought apologies show it was and is hitting him hard including with remaining supporters.

    Politics can be rough and he'll have to hope history is kinder to him as the electorate won't be.
    It speaks to his mindset and political instincts. He attended the "British" event, but not the allied event.

    Twat.

    Labour recognised the significance and lobbied to be included.
    So Team Rishi could have banished Starmer back to Blighty without all the palm pressing? Surely that of itself was a massive blunder.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 22,120
    edited June 13
    Good morning everyone - and thank you for the header.

    Nadine Dorries lost for words ... when asked on Times Radio by Andrew Neil:

    "What is the difference between the Tory Campaign and the Bataan Death March?"

    https://youtu.be/m6eI3L44AIE?t=7

  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    dixiedean said:

    Sandpit said:

    mwadams said:

    FF43 said:

    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?

    "Ridiculous" or not, it is something that has struck a chord with people (which is why the media worries it to death).

    I think it is because

    1) Sunak was supposed to be representing us all, and people didn't like how he did that it; so something abstract becomes personal
    2) It reifies a general sense people had about him anyway (arrogant, self-interested, no empathy)

    and, if you are a Tory activist

    3) It was an unforced error - they chose that schedule and didn't allow for events to overrun; then when they did, they made the wrong call. Any doubts you had about the campaign in weeks 1 and 2 were reinforced; another hit to morale.
    His reason for leaving was a non-urgent pre-record with ITV. Why on Earth anyone would think that was more important, than the live meeting of a dozen heads of government and heads of state, at a commemoration event for WWII, is totally bewildering.

    As I said at the time, ITV jump to the PM’s schedule, not the other way around. If he’d said he was available at 3am, then there would have been a studio full of people waiting for him at 2am, and nothing more would have been said on the subject.
    Putting that to one side.
    I've no idea why he's doing an interview a week ahead anyways. The agenda has moved on. There's the possibility of events like the Manchester bombing. The interview was pre-manifesto, broadcast post manifesto.
    On that level alone it seems a bizarre decision.
    Rishi’s Razor applies. He is crap at politics.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,500

    mwadams said:

    FF43 said:

    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?

    "Ridiculous" or not, it is something that has struck a chord with people (which is why the media worries it to death).

    I think it is because

    1) Sunak was supposed to be representing us all, and people didn't like how he did that it; so something abstract becomes personal
    2) It reifies a general sense people had about him anyway (arrogant, self-interested, no empathy)

    and, if you are a Tory activist

    3) It was an unforced error - they chose that schedule and didn't allow for events to overrun; then when they did, they made the wrong call. Any doubts you had about the campaign in weeks 1 and 2 were reinforced; another hit to morale.
    The irony is those most vexed are of the Tory fold. Those of us who don't really understand the kerfuffle and will give Rishi an almost free pass were never likely to vote for him in the first place.
    That's the objective elegance of it. If one takes those things seriously - and there are several good reasons - then it's astounding. If it's all above one's head then it's doubly astounding he should screw up in such a way as to upset his target demographic.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,202

    I need advice from the PB massive.

    Is this prediction from Guido even 'better' than that Sion Simon magnum opus?


    My advice is, let’s start with what Guido really is all about. If we take him at his own words (under oath?) at the Levison Enquiry, it’s not an ideological right leaning thing, it’s a Irish Nationalist set out on a mission to destroy the English. Take him at face value, this snippet you post there is 110% knowingly “on mission.”

    Then there is the likely truth he employs an office full of diggers to dig up dirt, on the basis dirt can be financial gold. They are panning for gold. The whole operation is/also is as well the mission, a money making scheme, that’s likely given him a heated pool at home, perhaps even a decent golf handicap meaning he’s made it in life.

    Hope this helps.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 53,729

    Good morning

    Sunak looked defeated last night no doubt from the fallout over his DDay antics and, apparently, immediately following the event he got on a plane arriving in Italy at 1.00am for the G7 meeting which I expect he will be the last to leave

    I may be wrong but I detect that he may be receiving some sympathy, and in any respect the mental strain on him and his family must be colossal and for as poor as he is, he just cannot leave behind the Johnson and Truss disasters and the only consolation is that it will be over in three weeks

    Mind you Starmer was also poor last night, with the audience openly laughing at his 'father was a toolmaker', he was called a robot, and the audience member who heckled Sunak later said that neither Sunak or Starmer have the answers for the NHS

    However, he is going to be PM 3 weeks tomorrow and then the real test begins for him, labour, the country and of course the future role of the conservative party in our politics

    Perhaps I watch too much comedy, but my immediate reaction to:

    “My father was a toolmaker”

    would be:

    “Well yes, clearly he was”
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,025
    Scott_xP said:

    @NatashaC

    NEW: Nigel Farage reveals he'd be happy to lead a Conservative-Reform merged party...

    Suggestions slapped down by Tories across the party including PM...

    Will be tricky for Nigel to lead the Tories when he once again fails to win a seat in Westminster 😂
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,500
    edited June 13
    MattW said:

    Good morning everyone - and thank you for the header.

    Nadine Dorries lost for words ... when asked on Times Radio by Andrew Neil:

    "What is the difference between the Tory Campaign and the Bataan Death March?"

    https://youtu.be/m6eI3L44AIE?t=7

    Would she know what the BDM was, in fairness? It's a bit niche by now. Edit: not everyone is into military history.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 51,994
    Scott_xP said:

    @NatashaC

    NEW: Nigel Farage reveals he'd be happy to lead a Conservative-Reform merged party...

    Suggestions slapped down by Tories across the party including PM...

    "Fuck off, Farage" is a nice chant....
  • fox327fox327 Posts: 369
    Sandpit said:

    Sunak has always felt that the public ceremonial side of his job, and the time consumed by foreign affairs, was a bit of a waste of his time; what he likes doing is numerical analysis and modelling.

    Fair enough, but that's deeply politically inept for a Prime Minister - especially in an election campaign.

    It’s surprising that Dave let it happen to be honest. He understood the significance of the event, and would have been involved in the planning as FS.

    Perhaps they had a massive row about it, guess we’ll have to wait for Sunak’s memoir to find out.

    I’d know how to say to my boss “Sorry, but this is going to go on all day, and it’s going to be a bad look to leave early”.
    Perhaps Dave and others "knew" all along that it would turn out badly, and still said nothing?
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,082
    The main problem with the D-Day debacle is that it undermines any attempt to frame Starmer or Labour unpatriotic.

    And provided lots of momentum to Farage just days after he decided to stand.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,387

    Good morning

    Sunak looked defeated last night no doubt from the fallout over his DDay antics and, apparently, immediately following the event he got on a plane arriving in Italy at 1.00am for the G7 meeting which I expect he will be the last to leave

    I may be wrong but I detect that he may be receiving some sympathy, and in any respect the mental strain on him and his family must be colossal and for as poor as he is, he just cannot leave behind the Johnson and Truss disasters and the only consolation is that it will be over in three weeks

    Mind you Starmer was also poor last night, with the audience openly laughing at his 'father was a toolmaker', he was called a robot, and the audience member who heckled Sunak later said that neither Sunak or Starmer have the answers for the NHS

    However, he is going to be PM 3 weeks tomorrow and then the real test begins for him, labour, the country and of course the future role of the conservative party in our politics

    He would probably be best dropping the “my father was a toolmaker” schtick now as it’s becoming an internet joke with memes about it. He doesn’t need to do it as they are going to win so why bother giving people ammo to mock you.
  • ToryJimToryJim Posts: 4,152
    This is an interesting and hilarious thread about the French election. The French centre right seems to following a script by Armandon Ianucci. It’s bonkers.

    https://x.com/rnaudbertrand/status/1801114239572328663?s=46
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,419
    Three more weeks. Three!
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 22,227
    GIN1138 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @NatashaC

    NEW: Nigel Farage reveals he'd be happy to lead a Conservative-Reform merged party...

    Suggestions slapped down by Tories across the party including PM...

    Will be tricky for Nigel to lead the Tories when he once again fails to win a seat in Westminster 😂
    Could say the same about 80% of Tory MPs.....
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,508

    Scott_xP said:

    @NatashaC

    NEW: Nigel Farage reveals he'd be happy to lead a Conservative-Reform merged party...

    Suggestions slapped down by Tories across the party including PM...

    "Fuck off, Farage" is a nice chant....
    If only you had said that in 2016, eh?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,409
    edited June 13
    Scott_xP said:

    @NatashaC

    NEW: Nigel Farage reveals he'd be happy to lead a Conservative-Reform merged party...

    Suggestions slapped down by Tories across the party including PM...

    Bring it on - that would limit RefCon to 25% max imo.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 31,640
    FPT
    Heathener said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    DougSeal said:

    Leon said:

    MikeL said:

    Heathener said:

    People Polling drops

    Lab 39
    Con 19
    Reform 17

    https://x.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1800960821763178604

    Apologies if this was mentioned ages ago

    Changes:

    Lab 39 (-7)
    Con 19 (-1)
    Ref 17 (+3)
    That is a MASSIVE drop in Labour VI. I said a couple of days ago they will be nervous at the slide and was decried on here, they will be more than nervous now
    No. They won’t. I decried you then and I decry you now. This is a PP reversion to the mean from the stupid LAB VI they had before.
    Of course, dear. You’re not nervous at all
    What kind of numbers do you think Labour could drift out too, and (presumably) the Tories gain, to bring the majority into question?

    I'm sure if we Baxter them it will still bring a sizeable Labour majority
    I honestly have no idea, does anyone? Reform could continue their rise - or fall back. Labour could continue to slide, or surge again

    it’s a long campaign and neither of the big parties has much enthusiasm behind them, but the Tories are viscerally hated and Labour are merely tolerated as an alternative - for now

    If I was in the Lib Dems I would be shouting loudly about Single Market membership immediately to peel off Labour Remainers, and then also a promise of referendum on Rejoin in a few years. That would be cat in the pigeons territory and could upend everything

    I’ve no idea why they aren’t slotting this open goal
    I will shit my boxers with pleasure if Labour slip into the 30s on the night.

    Probably the one pleasure I will get. It will set off all sorts of internal recriminations and legitimacy questions, which will dog SKS for his whole time in office.
    This is disingenuous, as well as untrue.

    One of the reasons Labour are, or may, poll sub 40 (I think it will be 37-39.5%) is because there’s a much more savvy anti-tory vote now. I’m a case in point but just one of millions. I want to vote Labour, naturally, but I’m voting LibDem to unseat the tory MP.

    So make up whatever discourse you want on the night if that makes you happy but it won’t be objective truth.
    37% would be a pretty underwhelming 4 point increase on the last election.
  • TweedledeeTweedledee Posts: 1,405

    Ghedebrav said:

    Farooq said:

    I have to say I don't find this kind of thing useful. Word clouds from questions like this, I mean. Prompting people on something that's fairly obviously a mistake is always going to generate something that looks like this.

    A more interesting question would be who is using which word. If floating voters or Tories are saying "unforgivable" it's very bad. If they are saying "unfortunate"* it not. If Labour voters are all coalescing on a Bad Word, then we're just eating empty calories and enjoying** Sunak's misfortune.

    *Because they could be responding to the media fall out. "It's unfortunate [that it's generating such bad headlines but we should move on]" versus "it's unforgivable [and I will wade through blood etc etc]"
    **Nothing wrong with this, of course. But we should know when we're wallowing and not really learning anything.

    Agree; word clouds are nonsense and say very little of use - as well as being very naff. I’m surprised they are still so popular.
    One of the reasons world clouds are popular (and analysed so much) is that they usually sync in with what is said by large focus groups.
    But I imagine "large focus groups" as mindless pile-ons, like the witch burning episode in the Holy Grail, and not that illuminating about what people think in the solitude of the polling booth.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 16,741
    Sandpit said:

    mwadams said:

    FF43 said:

    The D Day thing is ridiculous though. So Sunak opted out of a second event having attended the first. Is it really apocalyptic?

    "Ridiculous" or not, it is something that has struck a chord with people (which is why the media worries it to death).

    I think it is because

    1) Sunak was supposed to be representing us all, and people didn't like how he did that it; so something abstract becomes personal
    2) It reifies a general sense people had about him anyway (arrogant, self-interested, no empathy)

    and, if you are a Tory activist

    3) It was an unforced error - they chose that schedule and didn't allow for events to overrun; then when they did, they made the wrong call. Any doubts you had about the campaign in weeks 1 and 2 were reinforced; another hit to morale.
    His reason for leaving was a non-urgent pre-record with ITV. Why on Earth anyone would think that was more important, than the live meeting of a dozen heads of government and heads of state, at a commemoration event for WWII, is totally bewildering.

    As I said at the time, ITV jump to the PM’s schedule, not the other way around. If he’d said he was available at 3am, then there would have been a studio full of people waiting for him at 2am, and nothing more would have been said on the subject.
    I don't think that was the reason. I think Rishi's D Day plans were in his diary before the election date was a scam on a PPS's betting slip.

    He didn't stay because he didn't want to stay.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 31,640
    ToryJim said:

    This is an interesting and hilarious thread about the French election. The French centre right seems to following a script by Armandon Ianucci. It’s bonkers.

    https://x.com/rnaudbertrand/status/1801114239572328663?s=46

    They're polling the dizzy heights of between 6.5% and 9% at the moment.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,409
    GIN1138 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @NatashaC

    NEW: Nigel Farage reveals he'd be happy to lead a Conservative-Reform merged party...

    Suggestions slapped down by Tories across the party including PM...

    Will be tricky for Nigel to lead the Tories when he once again fails to win a seat in Westminster 😂
    Unless the Tories also end up with zero seats of course ;-)
This discussion has been closed.