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Punters unmoved by last night’s debate and the Labour manifesto launch – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 11,822
edited June 20 in General
imagePunters unmoved by last night’s debate and the Labour manifesto launch – politicalbetting.com

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  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 21,446
    edited June 13
    I actually took another nibble on the 22 on NOM this morning. It might trade.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13
    The BBC reporting on Labou manifesto continuously says but "promises x, but detail not clear"... It feels like both parties just asked ChatGPT to write their documents for them based around some buzz words.
  • Options
    SelebianSelebian Posts: 7,863
    FPT:

    Just another day on the New York subway.

    https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1800554756957708488

    "Okay no Zionists, we're good." The crowd cheers.

    Strong "Yes, we're all individuals!" vibes there.

    Wonder how many of them actually know what a Zionist is?
  • Options
    LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 16,610

    I actually took another nibble on the 22 on NOM this morning. It might trade.

    There is 33/1 available on Labour seats 300-349 which might be a better bet.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13
    Selebian said:

    FPT:

    Just another day on the New York subway.

    https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1800554756957708488

    "Okay no Zionists, we're good." The crowd cheers.

    Strong "Yes, we're all individuals!" vibes there.

    Wonder how many of them actually know what a Zionist is?
    Its repeatedly shown when these people asked simple questions like what River, what Sea, etc, absolutely clueless. That's TikTok for you, 15s soundbite is all you need. Lots of useful idiots being lead by hardcore antisemites.
  • Options
    GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,021
    I guess I’ll have to read that bloody manifesto.

    Although I’m sure it’s vague with respect to public services, it’s pretty clear what Labour’s fiscal policy will be and their planning policies also seem to be decently constructed.

    We need growth, and I actually think Reeves gets that.
  • Options
    OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,446

    Labour have won. And in all likelihood will win a supermassive landslide.

    But there’s still a huge amount of uncertainty in this election.

    1. How low will the Tories go?
    2. Can the Tories cling to 150-180-ish seats or is ELE approaching?
    3. Will there be Reform crossover? If it keeps surging how many seats can it realistically pick up?
    4. Are LDs surging or flatlining?
    5. Will the Labour vote share start with a 3 or a 4?

    Still a fascinating election.

    There are all great questions but for me there is one big question that trumps all of them: can I stay sober enough to care about any of these other questions by the time the actual results start coming in?
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 21,446
    FPT – I think undeclared subsampling might be slipping back into PB @TheScreamingEagles @rcs1000

    I'm not telling tales here, nor calling for any punishments! But is it worth reminding PBers of the rule that all subsamples must be presented as such, via the Subsample Klaxon?

    It can get confusing – and yesterday evening was thick with it!
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 64,523

    The BBC reporting on Labou manifesto continuously says but "promises x, but detail not clear"... It feels like both parties just asked ChatGPT to write their documents for them based around some buzz words.

    Labour have bravely come out as "pro-business" and "pro-worker".

    Radical stuff.
  • Options
    TazTaz Posts: 12,143
    Nigelb said:

    The BBC reporting on Labou manifesto continuously says but "promises x, but detail not clear"... It feels like both parties just asked ChatGPT to write their documents for them based around some buzz words.

    Labour have bravely come out as "pro-business" and "pro-worker".

    Radical stuff.
    Are the UNITE union upset ? If so, job done !!!!
  • Options
    noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 21,531
    Nigelb said:

    The BBC reporting on Labou manifesto continuously says but "promises x, but detail not clear"... It feels like both parties just asked ChatGPT to write their documents for them based around some buzz words.

    Labour have bravely come out as "pro-business" and "pro-worker".

    Radical stuff.
    And yet some people still claim they are continuity Tories.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 21,446
    Rail contracts expiration details here:

    http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/operators/franchises3.shtm
  • Options
    El_CapitanoEl_Capitano Posts: 4,144
    Difficult not to laugh at this one: https://x.com/tomorrowsmps/status/1801234603950104963

    “Oh dear, it seems some of these retiring Labour MPs who had peerages dangled in front of them to encourage [them to] give up their seats, didn't know that in its manifesto Labour was about to impose a new age limit for members of the Lords, of 80 at the end of each Parliament.”
  • Options
    viewcodeviewcode Posts: 19,728
    Nigelb said:

    The BBC reporting on Labou manifesto continuously says but "promises x, but detail not clear"... It feels like both parties just asked ChatGPT to write their documents for them based around some buzz words.

    Labour have bravely come out as "pro-business" and "pro-worker".

    Radical stuff.
    Pro-mom. Pro-apple-pie. For good things. Change. Starmer. Many, many Starmers.

    Good things: National Care Service
    Bad things: more online safety so we can be protected from seeing things. Generational smoking ban. I don't believe their savings plan.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 50,065
    edited June 13
    Selebian said:

    FPT:

    Just another day on the New York subway.

    https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1800554756957708488

    "Okay no Zionists, we're good." The crowd cheers.

    Strong "Yes, we're all individuals!" vibes there.

    Wonder how many of them actually know what a Zionist is?
    They're the ones who butcher Palestinians on an almost daily basis?
  • Options
    FarooqFarooq Posts: 12,143

    Selebian said:

    FPT:

    Just another day on the New York subway.

    https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1800554756957708488

    "Okay no Zionists, we're good." The crowd cheers.

    Strong "Yes, we're all individuals!" vibes there.

    Wonder how many of them actually know what a Zionist is?
    Its repeatedly shown when these people asked simple questions like what River, what Sea, etc, absolutely clueless. That's TikTok for you, 15s soundbite is all you need. Lots of useful idiots being lead by hardcore antisemites.
    It's well known we never had any problems before TikTok
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13

    I guess I’ll have to read that bloody manifesto.

    Although I’m sure it’s vague with respect to public services, it’s pretty clear what Labour’s fiscal policy will be and their planning policies also seem to be decently constructed.

    We need growth, and I actually think Reeves gets that.

    Everybody gets that we need growth. The problem is we haven't had sustained stonking growth since around 2001. Brown and what followed certainly eliminated boom and bust, we don't get any boom anymore (excluding the one post-pandemic year). Most years sub 2% growth.

    With an inflation target of 2%, if you don't even grow 2% you falling behind.

    Productivity has been a growing problem for ages. The crashes of 2008 and 2020 haven't had the effects of previous recessions where businesses had to get lean and more productive or go busto.
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,239
    Nigelb said:

    The BBC reporting on Labou manifesto continuously says but "promises x, but detail not clear"... It feels like both parties just asked ChatGPT to write their documents for them based around some buzz words.

    Labour have bravely come out as "pro-business" and "pro-worker".

    Radical stuff.
    As I understand it, they are in favour of good things and against bad things. Who can demur?
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 21,446
    edited June 13

    Rail contracts expiration details here:

    http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/operators/franchises3.shtm

    Edit: My reading is that South West would likely be the first big franchise to be nationalised under Labour (I'm not including the five franchises that are already nationalised!)
  • Options
    FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,163
    From FPT.

    Wanted to repost this as I found it so shocking.

    https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1800554756957708488

    'Okay no Zionists. We're good.' The crowd cheers.

    Gardenwalker - the comment was meant to be ironic. But I still don't think people are sufficiently horrified by all this stuff.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567
    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning
  • Options
    pm215pm215 Posts: 999

    The BBC reporting on Labou manifesto continuously says but "promises x, but detail not clear"... It feels like both parties just asked ChatGPT to write their documents for them based around some buzz words.

    As somebody who's never actually read one, how often does any political party's manifesto go into the details of what it's promising? Were they more specific and policy wonky in decades past?

  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,239

    From FPT.

    Wanted to repost this as I found it so shocking.

    https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1800554756957708488

    'Okay no Zionists. We're good.' The crowd cheers.

    Gardenwalker - the comment was meant to be ironic. But I still don't think people are sufficiently horrified by all this stuff.

    It’s disgusting.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13

    From FPT.

    Wanted to repost this as I found it so shocking.

    https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1800554756957708488

    'Okay no Zionists. We're good.' The crowd cheers.

    Gardenwalker - the comment was meant to be ironic. But I still don't think people are sufficiently horrified by all this stuff.

    I remember a few years back when there was a bit of a fashion on some university campuses for the Zio slur to be thrown around. It was clamped down on pretty hard. Now you can chant Globalism the Intifada etc and well context you know, just a bit of fun...
  • Options
    MortimerMortimer Posts: 14,018
    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    Err, isn't rejoin the SM literally in the LD Manifesto?

    I suspect it will cost them 5-10 target seats in the Westcountry.
  • Options
    GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,021
    edited June 13

    I guess I’ll have to read that bloody manifesto.

    Although I’m sure it’s vague with respect to public services, it’s pretty clear what Labour’s fiscal policy will be and their planning policies also seem to be decently constructed.

    We need growth, and I actually think Reeves gets that.

    Everybody gets that we need growth. The problem is we haven't had sustained stonking growth since around 2001. Brown and what followed certainly eliminated boom and bust, we don't get any boom anymore (excluding the one post-pandemic year). Most years sub 2% growth.

    With an inflation target of 2%, if you don't even grow 2% you falling behind.
    I think a lot of people DON’T get that we need growth.

    Reeves does, and she recognises that within the terrible inheritance she is getting, she needs to see a reform in planning policy, an unlocking of capital investment (even if PFI is having to be considered in order to keep it off-balance sheet, and improved relations with the EU.

    We also need to avoid taxing income and unlock some of the wealth stored up in non-productive assets.

    It will be incredibly interesting to watch this play out. Also immigration policy will be fascinating, as it appears to have been used by the Tories to essentially cover up a collapse in GDP.
  • Options
    MortimerMortimer Posts: 14,018

    I guess I’ll have to read that bloody manifesto.

    Although I’m sure it’s vague with respect to public services, it’s pretty clear what Labour’s fiscal policy will be and their planning policies also seem to be decently constructed.

    We need growth, and I actually think Reeves gets that.

    Everybody gets that we need growth. The problem is we haven't had sustained stonking growth since around 2001. Brown and what followed certainly eliminated boom and bust, we don't get any boom anymore (excluding the one post-pandemic year). Most years sub 2% growth.

    With an inflation target of 2%, if you don't even grow 2% you falling behind.
    I think a lot of people DON’T get that we need growth.

    Reeves does, and she recognises that within the terrible inheritance she is getting, she needs to see a reform in planning policy, an unlocking of capital investment (even if PFI is having to be considered in order to keep it off-balance sheet, and improved relations with the EU.

    We also need to avoid taxing income and unlock some of the wealth stored up in non-productive assets.

    It will be incredibly interesting to watch this play out. Also immigration policy will be fascinating, as it appears to have been used by the Tories to essentially cover up a collapse in GDP.
    Growth is the only solution to the problem.

    However, immigration is easier so that continues to be favoured by govt after govt.

    I'd be surprised if Starmer's govt and Reeves' treasury will be any different.
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,239
    edited June 13
    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    First, I agree with you. However I have two theories:

    1) The polling shows that other things are higher priority and they have decided the better long term choice is to be in all this debates; and/or

    2) If you talk about rejoining, you get asked about the mechanism and it becomes apparent it’s almost impossible in the near future, and that our deal is long gone. You therefore force Labour to be more skeptical and make closer links less likely.
  • Options
    northern_monkeynorthern_monkey Posts: 1,591
    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I've been wondering the same thing. Go big or go home. Maybe they're stung by Swinson in 2019, but the country's view of Brexit is very different now. Then it was - and I didn't agree but hey that's life - we need to actually, to coin a phrase, get Brexit done.

    Now Brexit is done (and we know, beyond the endless unicorns, what Frost and Johnson actually delivered, how it actually works and what we've actually lost and what we haven't gained) well, a big, big chunk of people, particularly those under 65, think it is somewhat sub-optimal, to say the least.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567
    Mortimer said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    Err, isn't rejoin the SM literally in the LD Manifesto?

    I suspect it will cost them 5-10 target seats in the Westcountry.
    It really really wouldn’t.
  • Options
    TazTaz Posts: 12,143

    Difficult not to laugh at this one: https://x.com/tomorrowsmps/status/1801234603950104963

    “Oh dear, it seems some of these retiring Labour MPs who had peerages dangled in front of them to encourage [them to] give up their seats, didn't know that in its manifesto Labour was about to impose a new age limit for members of the Lords, of 80 at the end of each Parliament.”

    LOL

    Mugged off by the bright young things in charge of Labour now.

    Serves them right.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13

    I guess I’ll have to read that bloody manifesto.

    Although I’m sure it’s vague with respect to public services, it’s pretty clear what Labour’s fiscal policy will be and their planning policies also seem to be decently constructed.

    We need growth, and I actually think Reeves gets that.

    Everybody gets that we need growth. The problem is we haven't had sustained stonking growth since around 2001. Brown and what followed certainly eliminated boom and bust, we don't get any boom anymore (excluding the one post-pandemic year). Most years sub 2% growth.

    With an inflation target of 2%, if you don't even grow 2% you falling behind.
    I think a lot of people DON’T get that we need growth.

    Reeves does, and she recognises that within the terrible inheritance she is getting, she needs to see a reform in planning policy, an unlocking of capital investment (even if PFI is having to be considered in order to keep it off-balance sheet, and improved relations with the EU.

    We also need to avoid taxing income and unlock some of the wealth stored up in non-productive assets.

    It will be incredibly interesting to watch this play out. Also immigration policy will be fascinating, as it appears to have been used by the Tories to essentially cover up a collapse in GDP.
    There isn't any sign in change on that tax front. Still going to be increasing tax on incomes with the freeze in thresholds and we have very high turn over taxes for businesses.

    We will see. I am willing to give benefit of the doubt, but seems like lots of extra form filling for businesses is coming and taxes on wealth you have to be careful that you don't just crap all over people who are trying to build businesses.

    The problem lots of countries have is the big globalised businesses are massive and different beast to your sub 100 person type business. It is how to get the balance right, when the globalised business has lots of strings they can pull.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 49,204
    edited June 13
    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    Starmer's claim that he never thought Labour could win in 2019 is quite interesting in the context of his role in shaping their Brexit policy and sabotaging a softer Brexit. There's a lot that the Lib Dems could use against him if they were targetting Remain voters more expliticly.
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,239

    I guess I’ll have to read that bloody manifesto.

    Although I’m sure it’s vague with respect to public services, it’s pretty clear what Labour’s fiscal policy will be and their planning policies also seem to be decently constructed.

    We need growth, and I actually think Reeves gets that.

    Everybody gets that we need growth. The problem is we haven't had sustained stonking growth since around 2001. Brown and what followed certainly eliminated boom and bust, we don't get any boom anymore (excluding the one post-pandemic year). Most years sub 2% growth.

    With an inflation target of 2%, if you don't even grow 2% you falling behind.
    I think a lot of people DON’T get that we need growth.

    Reeves does, and she recognises that within the terrible inheritance she is getting, she needs to see a reform in planning policy, an unlocking of capital investment (even if PFI is having to be considered in order to keep it off-balance sheet, and improved relations with the EU.

    We also need to avoid taxing income and unlock some of the wealth stored up in non-productive assets.

    It will be incredibly interesting to watch this play out. Also immigration policy will be fascinating, as it appears to have been used by the Tories to essentially cover up a collapse in GDP.
    People keeping saying PFI can be off balance sheet. That’s wrong. New OECD and ONS classification rules make that really hard to achieve. These days PFI risks just being a bad deal vs. the gilt markets, unless you get genuine risk transfer, which is hard.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567
    biggles said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    First, manage with you. However I have two theories:

    1) The polling shows that other things are higher priority and they have decided the better long term choice is to be in all this debates; and/or

    2) If you talk about rejoining, you get asked about the mechanism and it becomes apparent it’s almost impossible in the near future, and that our deal is long gone. You therefore force Labour to be more skeptical and make closer links less likely.
    Both of these are feeble. However that doesn’t mean they’re wrong inasmuch as it could be Lib Dem thinking. If it is they’re even stupider than the Tories
  • Options
    No_Offence_AlanNo_Offence_Alan Posts: 4,068
    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    Because it is not being raised by voters "on the doorsteps".

  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 21,446
    Is @Leon pro Single Market again now? I lose track!
  • Options
    SelebianSelebian Posts: 7,863

    From FPT.

    Wanted to repost this as I found it so shocking.

    https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1800554756957708488

    'Okay no Zionists. We're good.' The crowd cheers.

    Gardenwalker - the comment was meant to be ironic. But I still don't think people are sufficiently horrified by all this stuff.

    I remember a few years back when there was a bit of a fashion on some university campuses for the Zio slur to be thrown around. It was clamped down on pretty hard. Now you can chant Globalism the Intifada etc and well context you know, just a bit of fun...
    Our Palestine camp has disappeared. Might be end of term or near enough, but the (varying between) 10-20 people who were there are now gone.

    From the JCR to the refectory
    We're Palestine-protestor free :smiley:
  • Options
    tpfkartpfkar Posts: 1,554
    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I can't claim to speak for anyone else, but I won't be voting Lib Dem for the first time in 20 years (and more importantly, burning shoe leather on the ground for them) and this is a big reason I've moved away from them this time.
    I suspect the territory may look very different in a couple of years time however, when the current generation who have been through the Brexit trauma start to move on. So maybe it's just too early.

  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13
    Selebian said:

    From FPT.

    Wanted to repost this as I found it so shocking.

    https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1800554756957708488

    'Okay no Zionists. We're good.' The crowd cheers.

    Gardenwalker - the comment was meant to be ironic. But I still don't think people are sufficiently horrified by all this stuff.

    I remember a few years back when there was a bit of a fashion on some university campuses for the Zio slur to be thrown around. It was clamped down on pretty hard. Now you can chant Globalism the Intifada etc and well context you know, just a bit of fun...
    Our Palestine camp has disappeared. Might be end of term or near enough, but the (varying between) 10-20 people who were there are now gone.

    From the JCR to the refectory
    We're Palestine-protestor free :smiley:
    Glastonbury soon, need to pack the camping gear up ready for that.

    To be serious, I visit a fair amount of university campuses, I don't think it was ever really a big deal in the way it was in the US.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 64,523

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I've been wondering the same thing. Go big or go home. Maybe they're stung by Swinson in 2019, but the country's view of Brexit is very different now. Then it was - and I didn't agree but hey that's life - we need to actually, to coin a phrase, get Brexit done.

    Now Brexit is done (and we know, beyond the endless unicorns, what Frost and Johnson actually delivered, how it actually works and what we've actually lost and what we haven't gained) well, a big, big chunk of people, particularly those under 65, think it is somewhat sub-optimal, to say the least.
    At the very least, they should be letting 'sources' report that they're considering it.

    And saying loudly and publicly that Brexit is a complete failure.
  • Options
    MortimerMortimer Posts: 14,018
    Leon said:

    Mortimer said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    Err, isn't rejoin the SM literally in the LD Manifesto?

    I suspect it will cost them 5-10 target seats in the Westcountry.
    It really really wouldn’t.
    Given I have spent two decades campaigning in the Westcountry, I back my experience over yours on this.

    Many, many LD voters in the Westcountry voted that way because the Tories were too pro-Europe.

    We had huge number of ld-con switchers in 2017 and 2019.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I've been wondering the same thing. Go big or go home. Maybe they're stung by Swinson in 2019, but the country's view of Brexit is very different now. Then it was - and I didn't agree but hey that's life - we need to actually, to coin a phrase, get Brexit done.

    Now Brexit is done (and we know, beyond the endless unicorns, what Frost and Johnson actually delivered, how it actually works and what we've actually lost and what we haven't gained) well, a big, big chunk of people, particularly those under 65, think it is somewhat sub-optimal, to say the least.
    Quite. And I’m a leaver - but I can also read polls

    Like this one:

    “Bring back free movement?
    56% support 22% oppose

    Partisan split
    LibDems support 85-6
    Labour support 76-11
    Conservative oppose 35-42”

    https://x.com/sundersays/status/1800776670301090153?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw

    Voters no longer care about free movement in fact they want it. So it’s another open goal for the libs - but ignored
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    tpfkar said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I can't claim to speak for anyone else, but I won't be voting Lib Dem for the first time in 20 years (and more importantly, burning shoe leather on the ground for them) and this is a big reason I've moved away from them this time.
    I suspect the territory may look very different in a couple of years time however, when the current generation who have been through the Brexit trauma start to move on. So maybe it's just too early.

    Are you telling me that Lee Majors tribute act hasn't got your motivated?
  • Options
    algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 11,254

    Difficult not to laugh at this one: https://x.com/tomorrowsmps/status/1801234603950104963

    “Oh dear, it seems some of these retiring Labour MPs who had peerages dangled in front of them to encourage [them to] give up their seats, didn't know that in its manifesto Labour was about to impose a new age limit for members of the Lords, of 80 at the end of each Parliament.”

    Is that 80 when you start or 80 when you finish?
  • Options

    Rail contracts expiration details here:

    http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/operators/franchises3.shtm

    Edit: My reading is that South West would likely be the first big franchise to be nationalised under Labour (I'm not including the five franchises that are already nationalised!)
    Oh yes please. They were fine until First Group appeared.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I'm not a Lib Dem-er, but I would certainly vote for Rejoin, so I can provide you with some possible answers.

    1. That strategy was tried in 2019 and it failed, very badly. Only idiots repeat a failing strategy.

    2. On Maslow's hierarchy of needs there are simply lots of things that are more urgent than spending years arguing about the EU again. I only know one Remainer who wants Rejoin to be a political priority, everyone else is thoroughly sick of the issue.

    3. The one thing that might rally support back to the Tories would be any hint of Rejoin. The Lib Dems are primarily after Tory seats, and even if these seats voted Remain, they will have plenty of Leave voters they don't want to scare back to the Tories. Yes, you need something to bring support to you, but you also have to make yourself non-threatening to voters who might be motivated to vote to stop you.
    So - they’re fighting the last war by mistake. That always goes well
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 19,586

    Difficult not to laugh at this one: https://x.com/tomorrowsmps/status/1801234603950104963

    “Oh dear, it seems some of these retiring Labour MPs who had peerages dangled in front of them to encourage [them to] give up their seats, didn't know that in its manifesto Labour was about to impose a new age limit for members of the Lords, of 80 at the end of each Parliament.”

    Do we have a list of Labour MPs who had peerages dangled in front of them?
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,239
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I've been wondering the same thing. Go big or go home. Maybe they're stung by Swinson in 2019, but the country's view of Brexit is very different now. Then it was - and I didn't agree but hey that's life - we need to actually, to coin a phrase, get Brexit done.

    Now Brexit is done (and we know, beyond the endless unicorns, what Frost and Johnson actually delivered, how it actually works and what we've actually lost and what we haven't gained) well, a big, big chunk of people, particularly those under 65, think it is somewhat sub-optimal, to say the least.
    Quite. And I’m a leaver - but I can also read polls

    Like this one:

    “Bring back free movement?
    56% support 22% oppose

    Partisan split
    LibDems support 85-6
    Labour support 76-11
    Conservative oppose 35-42”

    https://x.com/sundersays/status/1800776670301090153?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw

    Voters no longer care about free movement in fact they want it. So it’s another open goal for the libs - but ignored
    See what happens if you ask it a different way. “Would you be happy with young Polish and Romanian men having a right to enter the U.K. at will and stay as long as they wish”?
  • Options
    stodgestodge Posts: 13,174
    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    The two propositions are different - first, the Single Market. Whether we like it or not, there is no public appetite for Freedom of Movement. We might quite like the idea of being able to study, live and work in the EU (as well as buying our holiday/retirement home in the Canarie, Andalusia or the Algarve) and that would be widely popular but it cuts both ways and there's no desire I can see for re-opening the doors to unfettered immigration from the EU. The problem I have with the Party's position on the SM is if that's what SM means. If there are alternatives short of FoM which allow for a more aligned trading relationship I would be happy for those to be explored.

    Second, re-joining the EU. We would need to know the terms on which we could re-join. The truth is the current arrangement probably works well for the EU and if re-joining meant the Euro and Schengen, we all know how such a referendum would go. The other aspect is how toxic the 2016 debate became to the extent lives were taken. Nobody wants or needs that kind of national trauma again.

    Could we make the current arrangement work better? Undoubtedly.

    We could investigate re-joining and re-forming EFTA as a trading arrangement with the EU - this might look quite attractive as a step back from political integration and a return to the original notion of the EEC as a free trade block. I suspect if the "Common Market" were put to the British public as an option it would be widely endorsed.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13
    If there is an upper limit, there should be a lower limit as well. The whole point of the HoL is a collection of wise old men and women, not somewhere you parachute your 20 something adviser into.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 21,446
    edited June 13

    Rail contracts expiration details here:

    http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/operators/franchises3.shtm

    Edit: My reading is that South West would likely be the first big franchise to be nationalised under Labour (I'm not including the five franchises that are already nationalised!)
    Oh yes please. They were fine until First Group appeared.
    Labour can make very visible easy headway on this policy by simply rebadging all the currently renationalised franchises (five, of them, I think) with the Great British Railways livery from Day 1. Then take the rest back as and when they come up for renewal in the coming years.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567
    stodge said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    The two propositions are different - first, the Single Market. Whether we like it or not, there is no public appetite for Freedom of Movement. We might quite like the idea of being able to study, live and work in the EU (as well as buying our holiday/retirement home in the Canarie, Andalusia or the Algarve) and that would be widely popular but it cuts both ways and there's no desire I can see for re-opening the doors to unfettered immigration from the EU. The problem I have with the Party's position on the SM is if that's what SM means. If there are alternatives short of FoM which allow for a more aligned trading relationship I would be happy for those to be explored.

    Second, re-joining the EU. We would need to know the terms on which we could re-join. The truth is the current arrangement probably works well for the EU and if re-joining meant the Euro and Schengen, we all know how such a referendum would go. The other aspect is how toxic the 2016 debate became to the extent lives were taken. Nobody wants or needs that kind of national trauma again.

    Could we make the current arrangement work better? Undoubtedly.

    We could investigate re-joining and re-forming EFTA as a trading arrangement with the EU - this might look quite attractive as a step back from political integration and a return to the original notion of the EEC as a free trade block. I suspect if the "Common Market" were put to the British public as an option it would be widely endorsed.
    Oh dear


    “There is no public appetite for Freedom of
    Movement”

    Bring back free movement?
    56% support 22% oppose

    Partisan split
    LibDems support 85-6
    Labour support 76-11
    Conservative oppose 35-42

    https://x.com/sundersays/status/1800776670301090153?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567
    biggles said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I've been wondering the same thing. Go big or go home. Maybe they're stung by Swinson in 2019, but the country's view of Brexit is very different now. Then it was - and I didn't agree but hey that's life - we need to actually, to coin a phrase, get Brexit done.

    Now Brexit is done (and we know, beyond the endless unicorns, what Frost and Johnson actually delivered, how it actually works and what we've actually lost and what we haven't gained) well, a big, big chunk of people, particularly those under 65, think it is somewhat sub-optimal, to say the least.
    Quite. And I’m a leaver - but I can also read polls

    Like this one:

    “Bring back free movement?
    56% support 22% oppose

    Partisan split
    LibDems support 85-6
    Labour support 76-11
    Conservative oppose 35-42”

    https://x.com/sundersays/status/1800776670301090153?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw

    Voters no longer care about free movement in fact they want it. So it’s another open goal for the libs - but ignored
    See what happens if you ask it a different way. “Would you be happy with young Polish and Romanian men having a right to enter the U.K. at will and stay as long as they wish”?
    I don’t think people care any more having seen 2.4m migrants in 3 years under the Tories. What’s free movement compared to that?
  • Options
    SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 21,270

    That Labour manifesto in full:

    Section 1

    "Careful Now!"

    Section 2

    "Down with this sort of thing"

    "Will there be any tax rises?"

    "That would be an ecumenical matter."
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    Labour has been criticised for setting out just one year’s worth of costs for its policies

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/06/13/keir-starmer-labour-manifesto-costings-for-single-year/

    Let it too late to finish their homework?
  • Options
    PJHPJH Posts: 577
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I'm not a Lib Dem-er, but I would certainly vote for Rejoin, so I can provide you with some possible answers.

    1. That strategy was tried in 2019 and it failed, very badly. Only idiots repeat a failing strategy.

    2. On Maslow's hierarchy of needs there are simply lots of things that are more urgent than spending years arguing about the EU again. I only know one Remainer who wants Rejoin to be a political priority, everyone else is thoroughly sick of the issue.

    3. The one thing that might rally support back to the Tories would be any hint of Rejoin. The Lib Dems are primarily after Tory seats, and even if these seats voted Remain, they will have plenty of Leave voters they don't want to scare back to the Tories. Yes, you need something to bring support to you, but you also have to make yourself non-threatening to voters who might be motivated to vote to stop you.
    So - they’re fighting the last war by mistake. That always goes well
    My view - it's pointless until the Tories are in favour. Otherwise we end up with the same charade as last time with the next change of government. And the EU will tell us that.
  • Options
    noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 21,531

    If there is an upper limit, there should be a lower limit as well. The whole point of the HoL is a collection of wise old men and women, not somewhere you parachute your 20 something adviser into.

    Those youngsters really have accumulated way too much political power and use it en masse to take advantage of their elders. May I suggest no-one younger than myself is allowed any influence whatsoever?
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13
    Oxford University has been forced to cancel exams after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building. The demonstrators entered the hall in the East School ahead of the scheduled exams on Thursday morning. Around six protestors were reportedly seen inside the Examination Schools carrying Palestine flags.

    6...6...f##king don't piss out, throw them out.
  • Options
    noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 21,531

    Labour has been criticised for setting out just one year’s worth of costs for its policies

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/06/13/keir-starmer-labour-manifesto-costings-for-single-year/

    Let it too late to finish their homework?

    Has anyone heard of a budget? Its apparently an antiquated thing where governments of the past used to set out tax and spending policies before they had to announce them years in advance without any firm idea of where the economy or public finances stood.
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 28,703

    I guess I’ll have to read that bloody manifesto.

    Although I’m sure it’s vague with respect to public services, it’s pretty clear what Labour’s fiscal policy will be and their planning policies also seem to be decently constructed.

    We need growth, and I actually think Reeves gets that.

    Everybody gets that we need growth. The problem is we haven't had sustained stonking growth since around 2001. Brown and what followed certainly eliminated boom and bust, we don't get any boom anymore (excluding the one post-pandemic year). Most years sub 2% growth.

    With an inflation target of 2%, if you don't even grow 2% you falling behind.

    Productivity has been a growing problem for ages. The crashes of 2008 and 2020 haven't had the effects of previous recessions where businesses had to get lean and more productive or go busto.
    Except the Greens.
  • Options
    logical_songlogical_song Posts: 9,767

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    Starmer's claim that he never thought Labour could win in 2019 is quite interesting in the context of his role in shaping their Brexit policy and sabotaging a softer Brexit. There's a lot that the Lib Dems could use against him if they were targetting Remain voters more expliticly.
    If they have information on Remain voters in specific areas they could be targeting them via social media and we wouldn't know.
  • Options
    noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 21,531

    That Labour manifesto in full:

    Section 1

    "Careful Now!"

    Section 2

    "Down with this sort of thing"

    Carefulness and caution with new quick fixes used to be conservative not so long ago.
  • Options
    SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 21,270
    Something from yesterday evening...

    After the Sky sessions with Starmer & Sunak, Daisy Cooper was interviewed to give an LD perspective. Slagged off Sunak and the Tories, didn't have a bad word to say against Starmer and Labour. Explicitly said that the LDs are targetting 80 Tory seats.

    Certainly no equidistance these days.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13
    Andy_JS said:

    I guess I’ll have to read that bloody manifesto.

    Although I’m sure it’s vague with respect to public services, it’s pretty clear what Labour’s fiscal policy will be and their planning policies also seem to be decently constructed.

    We need growth, and I actually think Reeves gets that.

    Everybody gets that we need growth. The problem is we haven't had sustained stonking growth since around 2001. Brown and what followed certainly eliminated boom and bust, we don't get any boom anymore (excluding the one post-pandemic year). Most years sub 2% growth.

    With an inflation target of 2%, if you don't even grow 2% you falling behind.

    Productivity has been a growing problem for ages. The crashes of 2008 and 2020 haven't had the effects of previous recessions where businesses had to get lean and more productive or go busto.
    Except the Greens.
    Well the New Corbyn Party don't believe in the capitalist system....so things like GDP is irrelevant.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567
    PJH said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I'm not a Lib Dem-er, but I would certainly vote for Rejoin, so I can provide you with some possible answers.

    1. That strategy was tried in 2019 and it failed, very badly. Only idiots repeat a failing strategy.

    2. On Maslow's hierarchy of needs there are simply lots of things that are more urgent than spending years arguing about the EU again. I only know one Remainer who wants Rejoin to be a political priority, everyone else is thoroughly sick of the issue.

    3. The one thing that might rally support back to the Tories would be any hint of Rejoin. The Lib Dems are primarily after Tory seats, and even if these seats voted Remain, they will have plenty of Leave voters they don't want to scare back to the Tories. Yes, you need something to bring support to you, but you also have to make yourself non-threatening to voters who might be motivated to vote to stop you.
    So - they’re fighting the last war by mistake. That always goes well
    My view - it's pointless until the Tories are in favour. Otherwise we end up with the same charade as last time with the next change of government. And the EU will tell us that.
    But as retail politics it would be brilliantly effective

    How often do the Lib Dem’s get a chance to become the official opposition? Once every fifty years, if that? This is one such chance

    The Tories are stricken. Potentially fatally. Labour are riding high but they’re not popular - they offer little and starmer is boring. So their vote is super soft, even as the right is split

    So this a rare and miraculous chance to come surfing through the centre - but to do it they need some dramatic policies that appeal to floating voters

    Rejoin single market on day one and a referendum in the first term would do exactly that. I personally know several soft labour voters who would probably be persuaded by that. They are Remainers who still hate Brexit, they are deeply irritated by Starmer’s
    caution

    Yet it looks like the libs are gonna fluff their one opportunity. Because they might lose in Yeovil or whatever. Morons
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,780

    Oxford University has been forced to cancel exams after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building. The demonstrators entered the hall in the East School ahead of the scheduled exams on Thursday morning. Around six protestors were reportedly seen inside the Examination Schools carrying Palestine flags.

    6...6...f##king don't piss out, throw them out.

    I feel sorry for the students whose exams are affected by thee pro-Hamas shitheads,
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13

    Oxford University has been forced to cancel exams after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building. The demonstrators entered the hall in the East School ahead of the scheduled exams on Thursday morning. Around six protestors were reportedly seen inside the Examination Schools carrying Palestine flags.

    6...6...f##king don't piss out, throw them out.

    I feel sorry for the students whose exams are affected by thee pro-Hamas shitheads,
    Its a tiny tiny minority causing the trouble. Every single time. And they will be ok because mummy and daddy will sort them out with a opportunity with their friends business at the end of it. F##king up everybody else just trying to get ahead in life, irrelevant.
  • Options
    BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,096
    Leon said:

    biggles said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    First, manage with you. However I have two theories:

    1) The polling shows that other things are higher priority and they have decided the better long term choice is to be in all this debates; and/or

    2) If you talk about rejoining, you get asked about the mechanism and it becomes apparent it’s almost impossible in the near future, and that our deal is long gone. You therefore force Labour to be more skeptical and make closer links less likely.
    Both of these are feeble. However that doesn’t mean they’re wrong inasmuch as it could be Lib Dem thinking. If it is they’re even stupider than the Tories
    This is from the Lib Dem manifesto.

    Fix the UK’s broken relationship with Europe by following our four-stage roadmap:

    1.Taking initial unilateral steps to rebuild the relationship, starting by declaring a fundamental change in the UK’s approach and improving channels for foreign policy cooperation.

    2. Rebuilding confidence through seeking to agree partnerships or associations with EU agencies and programmes such as the European Aviation Safety Agency, Erasmus Plus, scientific programmes, climate and environment initiatives, and cooperation on defence, security and crime.

    3. Deepening the trading relationship with critical steps for the British economy, including negotiating comprehensive veterinary and plant health agreements and mutual recognition agreements.

    4. Finally, once ties of trust and friendship have been renewed, and the damage the Conservatives have caused to trade between the UK and EU has begun to be repaired, we would aim to place the UK-EU relationship on a more formal and stable footing by seeking to join the Single Market.

    All these measures will help to restore the British economy and the prosperity and opportunities of its citizens, and are also essential steps on the road to EU membership, which remains our longer-term objective.


    It's a cautious wordy approach but the objective is clear.

    It's a bit too cautious for me but I can live with it.

    I understand "doorstep issues" of NHS, COL, Crime etc but all the parties are talking about them.

    I'd like the LibDems to distinguish themselves with a snappier approach to Europe. But the direction is clear enough.
  • Options
    boulayboulay Posts: 4,703
    Leon said:

    biggles said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I've been wondering the same thing. Go big or go home. Maybe they're stung by Swinson in 2019, but the country's view of Brexit is very different now. Then it was - and I didn't agree but hey that's life - we need to actually, to coin a phrase, get Brexit done.

    Now Brexit is done (and we know, beyond the endless unicorns, what Frost and Johnson actually delivered, how it actually works and what we've actually lost and what we haven't gained) well, a big, big chunk of people, particularly those under 65, think it is somewhat sub-optimal, to say the least.
    Quite. And I’m a leaver - but I can also read polls

    Like this one:

    “Bring back free movement?
    56% support 22% oppose

    Partisan split
    LibDems support 85-6
    Labour support 76-11
    Conservative oppose 35-42”

    https://x.com/sundersays/status/1800776670301090153?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw

    Voters no longer care about free movement in fact they want it. So it’s another open goal for the libs - but ignored
    See what happens if you ask it a different way. “Would you be happy with young Polish and Romanian men having a right to enter the U.K. at will and stay as long as they wish”?
    I don’t think people care any more having seen 2.4m migrants in 3 years under the Tories. What’s free movement compared to that?
    Someone needs to move the country to a contributory benefits system first if they want rejoin to be overwhelmingly acceptable, well the free movement part.

    If we had had a contributory benefit system in the first place then Brexit wouldn’t have won because a lot of the stories, factual or not, about people coming over and sending all the benefits back etc etc, wouldn’t have existed and fewer people would be irritated by free movement.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13
    boulay said:

    Leon said:

    biggles said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I've been wondering the same thing. Go big or go home. Maybe they're stung by Swinson in 2019, but the country's view of Brexit is very different now. Then it was - and I didn't agree but hey that's life - we need to actually, to coin a phrase, get Brexit done.

    Now Brexit is done (and we know, beyond the endless unicorns, what Frost and Johnson actually delivered, how it actually works and what we've actually lost and what we haven't gained) well, a big, big chunk of people, particularly those under 65, think it is somewhat sub-optimal, to say the least.
    Quite. And I’m a leaver - but I can also read polls

    Like this one:

    “Bring back free movement?
    56% support 22% oppose

    Partisan split
    LibDems support 85-6
    Labour support 76-11
    Conservative oppose 35-42”

    https://x.com/sundersays/status/1800776670301090153?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw

    Voters no longer care about free movement in fact they want it. So it’s another open goal for the libs - but ignored
    See what happens if you ask it a different way. “Would you be happy with young Polish and Romanian men having a right to enter the U.K. at will and stay as long as they wish”?
    I don’t think people care any more having seen 2.4m migrants in 3 years under the Tories. What’s free movement compared to that?
    Someone needs to move the country to a contributory benefits system first if they want rejoin to be overwhelmingly acceptable, well the free movement part.

    If we had had a contributory benefit system in the first place then Brexit wouldn’t have won because a lot of the stories, factual or not, about people coming over and sending all the benefits back etc etc, wouldn’t have existed and fewer people would be irritated by free movement.
    The problem is if any politician tried that now you get the full on sob stories filling the media of all the edge cases that don't qualify for things or those benefits are slashed by 90% and can't afford anything.

    No politician is brave enough to do this.

    Ultimately, if you are going to have very high level of immigration, the system isn't sustainable unless you do move to such an approach.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567
    Barnesian said:

    Leon said:

    biggles said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    First, manage with you. However I have two theories:

    1) The polling shows that other things are higher priority and they have decided the better long term choice is to be in all this debates; and/or

    2) If you talk about rejoining, you get asked about the mechanism and it becomes apparent it’s almost impossible in the near future, and that our deal is long gone. You therefore force Labour to be more skeptical and make closer links less likely.
    Both of these are feeble. However that doesn’t mean they’re wrong inasmuch as it could be Lib Dem thinking. If it is they’re even stupider than the Tories
    This is from the Lib Dem manifesto.

    Fix the UK’s broken relationship with Europe by following our four-stage roadmap:

    1.Taking initial unilateral steps to rebuild the relationship, starting by declaring a fundamental change in the UK’s approach and improving channels for foreign policy cooperation.

    2. Rebuilding confidence through seeking to agree partnerships or associations with EU agencies and programmes such as the European Aviation Safety Agency, Erasmus Plus, scientific programmes, climate and environment initiatives, and cooperation on defence, security and crime.

    3. Deepening the trading relationship with critical steps for the British economy, including negotiating comprehensive veterinary and plant health agreements and mutual recognition agreements.

    4. Finally, once ties of trust and friendship have been renewed, and the damage the Conservatives have caused to trade between the UK and EU has begun to be repaired, we would aim to place the UK-EU relationship on a more formal and stable footing by seeking to join the Single Market.

    All these measures will help to restore the British economy and the prosperity and opportunities of its citizens, and are also essential steps on the road to EU membership, which remains our longer-term objective.


    It's a cautious wordy approach but the objective is clear.

    It's a bit too cautious for me but I can live with it.

    I understand "doorstep issues" of NHS, COL, Crime etc but all the parties are talking about them.

    I'd like the LibDems to distinguish themselves with a snappier approach to Europe. But the direction is clear enough.
    It’s far too weak

    It needs to be their first and biggest policy and it needs to be much more immediate and dramatic not “waffle waffle waffle long term blah blah”. Shout it out loudly and make sure people know the libs will have us in the single market on day 1 and a new vote in the first term

    Yeah it’s a gamble. But the prize is enormous
  • Options
    LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 16,610
    edited June 13

    Oxford University has been forced to cancel exams after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building. The demonstrators entered the hall in the East School ahead of the scheduled exams on Thursday morning. Around six protestors were reportedly seen inside the Examination Schools carrying Palestine flags.

    6...6...f##king don't piss out, throw them out.

    I feel sorry for the students whose exams are affected by thee pro-Hamas shitheads,
    No way that six people, unless they're heavily armed, should be able to disrupt exams. The university administration is being incredibly weak and allowing itself to be walked over.

    £27,750 in tuition fees for a degree and six people can cause your exam to be cancelled? That's a joke.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 64,523
    Tory candidate tells BBC election bet was 'huge error of judgement'
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GwQW3KW3DCc
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 49,204
    https://x.com/nigel_farage/status/1801237506408452108

    Tonight on Channel 4 at 7.55pm, the Reform Party will release one of the most exciting Party Election Broadcasts ever produced.

    I’m amazed it even got past compliance, but we did it.

    You won’t want to miss this.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13

    Oxford University has been forced to cancel exams after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building. The demonstrators entered the hall in the East School ahead of the scheduled exams on Thursday morning. Around six protestors were reportedly seen inside the Examination Schools carrying Palestine flags.

    6...6...f##king don't piss out, throw them out.

    I feel sorry for the students whose exams are affected by thee pro-Hamas shitheads,
    No way that six people, unless they're heavily armed, should be able to disrupt exams. The university administration is being incredibly weak and allowing itself to be walked over.

    £27,750 in tuition fees for a degree and six people can cause your exam to be cancelled? That's a joke.
    There was video at the baseball the other day. No f##king around, dickhead runs on the field, tasered straight away.

    I am still very disappointed that when the eco-fascists ran on the Twickers pitch that one of the security guards got to a protestor before Manu Tuilagi did, who had sprinted 20 yards to intercept them.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567

    Oxford University has been forced to cancel exams after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building. The demonstrators entered the hall in the East School ahead of the scheduled exams on Thursday morning. Around six protestors were reportedly seen inside the Examination Schools carrying Palestine flags.

    6...6...f##king don't piss out, throw them out.

    I feel sorry for the students whose exams are affected by thee pro-Hamas shitheads,
    No way that six people, unless they're heavily armed, should be able to disrupt exams. The university administration is being incredibly weak and allowing itself to be walked over.

    £27,750 in tuition fees for a degree and six people can cause your exam to be cancelled? That's a joke.
    Oxford have failed to prosecute the posh eco loon who vandalised that portrait. They are completely wet
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13

    https://x.com/nigel_farage/status/1801237506408452108

    Tonight on Channel 4 at 7.55pm, the Reform Party will release one of the most exciting Party Election Broadcasts ever produced.

    I’m amazed it even got past compliance, but we did it.

    You won’t want to miss this.

    Does it contain a soundtrack of Songs from the Hitler Youth?

    I thought it was very funny when they interviewed the legal council that South Park keep on retainer. Every week, can we say x, no that could be very tricky, but you can say y. But that is surely worse....
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13
    Leon said:

    Oxford University has been forced to cancel exams after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building. The demonstrators entered the hall in the East School ahead of the scheduled exams on Thursday morning. Around six protestors were reportedly seen inside the Examination Schools carrying Palestine flags.

    6...6...f##king don't piss out, throw them out.

    I feel sorry for the students whose exams are affected by thee pro-Hamas shitheads,
    No way that six people, unless they're heavily armed, should be able to disrupt exams. The university administration is being incredibly weak and allowing itself to be walked over.

    £27,750 in tuition fees for a degree and six people can cause your exam to be cancelled? That's a joke.
    Oxford have failed to prosecute the posh eco loon who vandalised that portrait. They are completely wet
    It all started when they failed to kick out the drugged up Cenotaph swinger because his dad was famous.
  • Options
    BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 19,525
    Does anyone know the details of Labour's proposed planning reforms?

    All I can see on BBC is that "planning is at the heart of reforms" but then silence on what those reforms are?

    Our planning system and NIMBYism is the biggest barrier to growth and development in this country. But as far as reforms are concerned, I'll believe it when I see it.
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 28,703
    I remain of the view that Labour will probably get slightly less than 40% and the Tories at least 25%. Not sure about the other parties, or the size of the majority though. The electoral calculators say a Lab maj of 200 seats but it may not work out like that.
  • Options
    DumbosaurusDumbosaurus Posts: 313
    Sunak is now >1.5 to win in Richmond.

    This seems out of line with other markets, particularly when it'll be a divided opposition. Electoral Calculus has it as about 53rd safest Tory seat iirc. So I'm on.

    But it's also something that should surely be a story in itself. The market thinks there's a 1/3rd chance the current PM loses his seat! Talk about a Portillo moment!
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 21,446

    https://x.com/nigel_farage/status/1801237506408452108

    Tonight on Channel 4 at 7.55pm, the Reform Party will release one of the most exciting Party Election Broadcasts ever produced.

    I’m amazed it even got past compliance, but we did it.

    You won’t want to miss this.

    Does it contain a soundtrack of Songs from the Hitler Youth?

    I thought it was very funny when they interviewed the legal council that South Park keep on retainer. Every week, can we say x, no, but you can say y. But that is surely worse....
    Or Tomorrow Belongs To Me?
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 21,446

    Oxford University has been forced to cancel exams after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building. The demonstrators entered the hall in the East School ahead of the scheduled exams on Thursday morning. Around six protestors were reportedly seen inside the Examination Schools carrying Palestine flags.

    6...6...f##king don't piss out, throw them out.

    I feel sorry for the students whose exams are affected by thee pro-Hamas shitheads,
    No way that six people, unless they're heavily armed, should be able to disrupt exams. The university administration is being incredibly weak and allowing itself to be walked over.

    £27,750 in tuition fees for a degree and six people can cause your exam to be cancelled? That's a joke.
    Well 99.9% of exams go undisrupted. Stationing a dozen burly blokes outside every exam hall in the country would be... expensive.
  • Options
    MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 26,117

    Does anyone know the details of Labour's proposed planning reforms?

    All I can see on BBC is that "planning is at the heart of reforms" but then silence on what those reforms are?

    Our planning system and NIMBYism is the biggest barrier to growth and development in this country. But as far as reforms are concerned, I'll believe it when I see it.

    If they dick about with planning, making conditions less stringent, I'm voting LD.
  • Options
    Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 3,537

    Sunak is now >1.5 to win in Richmond.

    This seems out of line with other markets, particularly when it'll be a divided opposition. Electoral Calculus has it as about 53rd safest Tory seat iirc. So I'm on.

    But it's also something that should surely be a story in itself. The market thinks there's a 1/3rd chance the current PM loses his seat! Talk about a Portillo moment!

    omg, i thought you meant Richmond on Thames!!
  • Options
    PJHPJH Posts: 577
    Leon said:

    PJH said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    I'm not a Lib Dem-er, but I would certainly vote for Rejoin, so I can provide you with some possible answers.

    1. That strategy was tried in 2019 and it failed, very badly. Only idiots repeat a failing strategy.

    2. On Maslow's hierarchy of needs there are simply lots of things that are more urgent than spending years arguing about the EU again. I only know one Remainer who wants Rejoin to be a political priority, everyone else is thoroughly sick of the issue.

    3. The one thing that might rally support back to the Tories would be any hint of Rejoin. The Lib Dems are primarily after Tory seats, and even if these seats voted Remain, they will have plenty of Leave voters they don't want to scare back to the Tories. Yes, you need something to bring support to you, but you also have to make yourself non-threatening to voters who might be motivated to vote to stop you.
    So - they’re fighting the last war by mistake. That always goes well
    My view - it's pointless until the Tories are in favour. Otherwise we end up with the same charade as last time with the next change of government. And the EU will tell us that.
    But as retail politics it would be brilliantly effective

    How often do the Lib Dem’s get a chance to become the official opposition? Once every fifty years, if that? This is one such chance

    The Tories are stricken. Potentially fatally. Labour are riding high but they’re not popular - they offer little and starmer is boring. So their vote is super soft, even as the right is split

    So this a rare and miraculous chance to come surfing through the centre - but to do it they need some dramatic policies that appeal to floating voters

    Rejoin single market on day one and a referendum in the first term would do exactly that. I personally know several soft labour voters who would probably be persuaded by that. They are Remainers who still hate Brexit, they are deeply irritated by Starmer’s
    caution

    Yet it looks like the libs are gonna fluff their one opportunity. Because they might lose in Yeovil or whatever. Morons
    Actually, as a pissed off remainer, I agree with you, but I can see why going into the election they didn't want to push it. And a change of course now might win extra votes, but fewer potential seats. After all the game is FPTP, not what % you get nationally.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 78,005
    edited June 13
    You don't think Reform would be crazy enough to do a PPB with exerts from Tommy Robinson "documentaries"?
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,239

    Leon said:

    Barnesian said:

    Leon said:

    biggles said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    First, manage with you. However I have two theories:

    1) The polling shows that other things are higher priority and they have decided the better long term choice is to be in all this debates; and/or

    2) If you talk about rejoining, you get asked about the mechanism and it becomes apparent it’s almost impossible in the near future, and that our deal is long gone. You therefore force Labour to be more skeptical and make closer links less likely.
    Both of these are feeble. However that doesn’t mean they’re wrong inasmuch as it could be Lib Dem thinking. If it is they’re even stupider than the Tories
    This is from the Lib Dem manifesto.

    Fix the UK’s broken relationship with Europe by following our four-stage roadmap:

    1.Taking initial unilateral steps to rebuild the relationship, starting by declaring a fundamental change in the UK’s approach and improving channels for foreign policy cooperation.

    2. Rebuilding confidence through seeking to agree partnerships or associations with EU agencies and programmes such as the European Aviation Safety Agency, Erasmus Plus, scientific programmes, climate and environment initiatives, and cooperation on defence, security and crime.

    3. Deepening the trading relationship with critical steps for the British economy, including negotiating comprehensive veterinary and plant health agreements and mutual recognition agreements.

    4. Finally, once ties of trust and friendship have been renewed, and the damage the Conservatives have caused to trade between the UK and EU has begun to be repaired, we would aim to place the UK-EU relationship on a more formal and stable footing by seeking to join the Single Market.

    All these measures will help to restore the British economy and the prosperity and opportunities of its citizens, and are also essential steps on the road to EU membership, which remains our longer-term objective.


    It's a cautious wordy approach but the objective is clear.

    It's a bit too cautious for me but I can live with it.

    I understand "doorstep issues" of NHS, COL, Crime etc but all the parties are talking about them.

    I'd like the LibDems to distinguish themselves with a snappier approach to Europe. But the direction is clear enough.
    It’s far too weak

    It needs to be their first and biggest policy and it needs to be much more immediate and dramatic not “waffle waffle waffle long term blah blah”. Shout it out loudly and make sure people know the libs will have us in the single market on day 1 and a new vote in the first term

    Yeah it’s a gamble. But the prize is enormous
    I am so old I can remember when you called anyone who talked about rejoining the Single Market traitors.
    Awful behaviour. You should never attack people for being idiots.
  • Options

    Sunak is now >1.5 to win in Richmond.

    This seems out of line with other markets, particularly when it'll be a divided opposition. Electoral Calculus has it as about 53rd safest Tory seat iirc. So I'm on.

    But it's also something that should surely be a story in itself. The market thinks there's a 1/3rd chance the current PM loses his seat! Talk about a Portillo moment!

    That's people betting with their heart, not their head. 1.5 is excellent value.
  • Options
    No_Offence_AlanNo_Offence_Alan Posts: 4,068
    Leon said:

    Barnesian said:

    Leon said:

    biggles said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    First, manage with you. However I have two theories:

    1) The polling shows that other things are higher priority and they have decided the better long term choice is to be in all this debates; and/or

    2) If you talk about rejoining, you get asked about the mechanism and it becomes apparent it’s almost impossible in the near future, and that our deal is long gone. You therefore force Labour to be more skeptical and make closer links less likely.
    Both of these are feeble. However that doesn’t mean they’re wrong inasmuch as it could be Lib Dem thinking. If it is they’re even stupider than the Tories
    This is from the Lib Dem manifesto.

    Fix the UK’s broken relationship with Europe by following our four-stage roadmap:

    1.Taking initial unilateral steps to rebuild the relationship, starting by declaring a fundamental change in the UK’s approach and improving channels for foreign policy cooperation.

    2. Rebuilding confidence through seeking to agree partnerships or associations with EU agencies and programmes such as the European Aviation Safety Agency, Erasmus Plus, scientific programmes, climate and environment initiatives, and cooperation on defence, security and crime.

    3. Deepening the trading relationship with critical steps for the British economy, including negotiating comprehensive veterinary and plant health agreements and mutual recognition agreements.

    4. Finally, once ties of trust and friendship have been renewed, and the damage the Conservatives have caused to trade between the UK and EU has begun to be repaired, we would aim to place the UK-EU relationship on a more formal and stable footing by seeking to join the Single Market.

    All these measures will help to restore the British economy and the prosperity and opportunities of its citizens, and are also essential steps on the road to EU membership, which remains our longer-term objective.


    It's a cautious wordy approach but the objective is clear.

    It's a bit too cautious for me but I can live with it.

    I understand "doorstep issues" of NHS, COL, Crime etc but all the parties are talking about them.

    I'd like the LibDems to distinguish themselves with a snappier approach to Europe. But the direction is clear enough.
    It’s far too weak

    It needs to be their first and biggest policy and it needs to be much more immediate and dramatic not “waffle waffle waffle long term blah blah”. Shout it out loudly and make sure people know the libs will have us in the single market on day 1 and a new vote in the first term

    Yeah it’s a gamble. But the prize is enormous
    That's not how FPTP works, more votes does not necessarily mean more seats.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 115,852

    You don't think Reform would be crazy enough to do a PPB with exerts from Tommy Robinson "documentaries"?

    I'm expecting the Sunak isn't British bullshit that Farage was foghorning the other day.
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    LeonLeon Posts: 49,567

    Leon said:

    Barnesian said:

    Leon said:

    biggles said:

    Leon said:

    This is a genuine question. Can a Lib Dem pb-er explain to me why their party isn’t going all out for “rejoin the single market immediately!” And “we will offer a rejoin referendum in our first term”

    Everyone knows the libs are pro-EU so it’s hardly gonna put off likely voters. At the same time polls show great Brexit regret and a desire to rejoin and even a swing in favour of free movement

    So this seems like an easy way for the libs to grab millions of votes - at a time of great volatility - and possibly overtake the Tories and become the official opposition. Chances like this happen once in a century. You could argue it’s a gamble (I don’t believe it is) but even then it’s a gamble with a massive prize

    Yet they’re not doing it?

    Why?

    This is a sincere query. I don’t understand their positioning

    First, manage with you. However I have two theories:

    1) The polling shows that other things are higher priority and they have decided the better long term choice is to be in all this debates; and/or

    2) If you talk about rejoining, you get asked about the mechanism and it becomes apparent it’s almost impossible in the near future, and that our deal is long gone. You therefore force Labour to be more skeptical and make closer links less likely.
    Both of these are feeble. However that doesn’t mean they’re wrong inasmuch as it could be Lib Dem thinking. If it is they’re even stupider than the Tories
    This is from the Lib Dem manifesto.

    Fix the UK’s broken relationship with Europe by following our four-stage roadmap:

    1.Taking initial unilateral steps to rebuild the relationship, starting by declaring a fundamental change in the UK’s approach and improving channels for foreign policy cooperation.

    2. Rebuilding confidence through seeking to agree partnerships or associations with EU agencies and programmes such as the European Aviation Safety Agency, Erasmus Plus, scientific programmes, climate and environment initiatives, and cooperation on defence, security and crime.

    3. Deepening the trading relationship with critical steps for the British economy, including negotiating comprehensive veterinary and plant health agreements and mutual recognition agreements.

    4. Finally, once ties of trust and friendship have been renewed, and the damage the Conservatives have caused to trade between the UK and EU has begun to be repaired, we would aim to place the UK-EU relationship on a more formal and stable footing by seeking to join the Single Market.

    All these measures will help to restore the British economy and the prosperity and opportunities of its citizens, and are also essential steps on the road to EU membership, which remains our longer-term objective.


    It's a cautious wordy approach but the objective is clear.

    It's a bit too cautious for me but I can live with it.

    I understand "doorstep issues" of NHS, COL, Crime etc but all the parties are talking about them.

    I'd like the LibDems to distinguish themselves with a snappier approach to Europe. But the direction is clear enough.
    It’s far too weak

    It needs to be their first and biggest policy and it needs to be much more immediate and dramatic not “waffle waffle waffle long term blah blah”. Shout it out loudly and make sure people know the libs will have us in the single market on day 1 and a new vote in the first term

    Yeah it’s a gamble. But the prize is enormous
    I am so old I can remember when you called anyone who talked about rejoining the Single Market traitors.
    As you are recuperating from that nasty op I shall overlook your lack of acuity. I am not saying I personally would vote for any of this - I am still a brexiteer and would vote leave tomorrow

    However I am also fascinated by politics - as we all are on here - and I can spot a massive political opportunity when it is going begging. And that’s what I see here

    Oh well. If the libs have a lack of ambition and are happy just to claw back five or ten seats so be it, that is their destiny
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    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 21,446

    Does anyone know the details of Labour's proposed planning reforms?

    All I can see on BBC is that "planning is at the heart of reforms" but then silence on what those reforms are?

    Our planning system and NIMBYism is the biggest barrier to growth and development in this country. But as far as reforms are concerned, I'll believe it when I see it.

    If they dick about with planning, making conditions less stringent, I'm voting LD.
    You've been slagging Labour off daily on here for the past two years, at least. Nobody thought for a minute you were ever going to vote for them anyway.
This discussion has been closed.