Dont read anything into Ynys Gybi result - it is a very poor and angicised ward - classic Reform territory. It is not natural Plaid area (unlike rest of Ynys Môn). Previous councillor won by being 'not Labour'.
The winner is amazingly an ex Tory. Still trying to locate the figures
The Mike Ashley approach to politics - the (conservative) brand may have been trashed but it still has recognition. A variation of Trump picking up people from the media.
And I see Morgan McSweeney is already doing his propaganda on here, even at this early hour
Desperate times
How about playing the ball, not the man?
A beasting was inevitable as soon as Brixian strayed from pb.com orthodoxy. Imagine not wishing Starmer were dead! They might as well of said that they don't think the Ukrainian Army will be at the gates of Moscow by next weekend.
There is a perpetual trope among left wing posters on pb that pb ia dominated by angry righties*. It really isn't. You know what most people here think: just scan through the posts and do a quick tally. It's pretty balanced but with fewer Reform voters than in real life, because we're more middle class than average. I'd say this board is on average slightly more pro-Starmer than real life.
*To be fair, there is the odd angry righty who holds the opposite and equally untrue view.
The interventions of Rayner (unplanned) Hillier (unplanned) and Phillips (unplanned) all served the purpose of alerting the Front Bench in real time to the mood of the core LABOUR PARTY to change the wording of the Amendment being discussed!
Sky + Guardian reporting this.
BTW they also both report, that in a febrile atmosphere between 1 and 3pm that the Tory decision to EXTEND the Mandelson debate from 4pm to 7pm was a grave error of judgement as it took the heat out of the situation and allowed the Labour Whips and Front Bench to calm the nerves somewhat of particularly 2024 new intake MP's.
The longer the Tories and LD in particular focus on this issue the more Labour can regroup, focus on REAL POLITICS the economy, the NHS , Cost of lIVING ETC, and most interesting Reform have cottoned on to this and are focussing more pn real life than Mandelson.
Already clear evidence in the outside world that whilst the Epstein topic is being discussed by the non political bubble its as much linked to Royals as Mandelson.
I see you are getting the Centrist Dad treatment. However your (im)balance is welcome though I will most likely skip past your contributions as I do with Leon's. Citing information to support a few of your comments would be helpful as it will inform us for our betting choices.
Reform got 9% in Ynys Mon in 2024 at the general election but 16% in Wales overall, so if Reform are now winning even in Ynys Mon then Reform for most seats in the Senedd is back on
The ward in question is Ynys Gybi - Holy Island and parts of Holyhead. That's one of the poorest and most socially deprived wards in the entire UK. It doesn't even have a parish church at the moment. Given that is where almost all Reform voters in the council area will be based, perhaps with a few in Amlwch, I wouldn't read too much into it. More likely the diehard Welsh language voters just didn't turn out.
Holyhead is really grim. If I were unfortunate enough to live there, I'd vote for change too. (Although it does have South Stack RSPB reserve and chough in the fields.)
The approach is quite pleasant until you get to the town itself but that is the same for most coastal communities. Here in the south there are some gems among the rough parts. The aspirational poor such as those in Jaywick are simply looking towards those that promise them some help. They are not particularly interested in who will do it - politicians of various hues, loan sharks, drug lords etc.
With utter despair these polls tell me that Labour cannot forms sensible governments for the forceable future, so they need to go. Which of course begs the question - who then? And that’s where the despair comes in because my answer is “God knows.”
The public have become impossible to governmen (in France as well for that matter!). How on earth does any government get through to them, that we are living far beyond our means, whilst a snarling Putin is only a thousand miles away and a nutter is in the White House….
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I'd say this board is on average slightly more pro-Starmer than real life.
*To be fair, there is the odd angry righty who holds the opposite and equally untrue view.
The public have become impossible to governmen (in France as well for that matter!). How on earth does any government get through to them, that we are living far beyond our means, whilst a snarling Putin is only a thousand miles away and a nutter is in the White House….