It seems everyone on here is now voting Conservative and praising Kemi Badenoch to the skies.
To use the gardening analogy, being cosseted in the indoor garden with the herbaceous intelligentsia and Niallus Fergusonium might be fine but she'll have to cope with the more rigorous environment of the outdoor world before long.
Her tendency to the uncosted populist pledge is a concern as is my abiding doubt whatever she says on working or not working with Reform will go out the window if the Parliamentary arithmetic means Reform plus Conservatives equals a majority. Oddly enough, I'd be more likely to vote for her if she said she would support a non-Reform Government but we all know that won't happen.
Here in Newham, fortunately, voting Conservative is about as useful as voting Lib Dem, Reform or CPA. I will vote LD for the Mayor but as I have three Council seats and one LD candidate, I have a dilemma over my other two votes which I've not resolved.
I'm obviously not Kemi's target audience, but for what it's worth - I always find her manner pleasant, and am taken aback by the relatively extreme policies that she often advocates. If I was looking for right-wing policies, would I be put off by her mild manner?
She spends too much time doom scrolling Twitter, so thinks batshit reactionary stuff is mainstream.
And yet, she is now the most popular of the major party leaders. The PB Centrist Dads getting it totally wrong. Again
I often wonder if the same Centrists Dads would be getting it totally wrong that first couple of years when David Cameron became Conservative leader and he was pictured with the huskies.. Look how many of them totally underestimated his then wing man who over saw his leadership campaign up against the then nailed on favourite David Davis. The day Theresa May became Conservative Leader and PM she and her team didn't allow George Osborne the dignity of resigning from his post as Chancellor, no he was sacked and I said that day it was her first and probable her biggest mistake. I always remember OGH agreeing with that verdict.
She didn't have an elected wing man who was as over their own brief at No11 or any other Cabinet post but also all the other departments to the extent he saw the issues with her own two key Spads at the Home Office but more importantly Michael Gove's Spad Dominic Cummings.. And he was proved right.
Theresa May's advisers that Osborne locked heads with advised her to go back on her word about calling an early election and then oversaw that disastrous manifesto and campaign leaving her a much weakened PM with no majority during the endless Parliamentary Brexit battles at Westminster until she finally throw the towel in and stepped down.
And that has been a problem for Keir Starmer too, he has been too reliant on unelected Spads and had no loyal base of elected senior Cabinet Ministers to advise him or protect him. Instead he is swinging in the wind more rudderless as he has no leadership skills or natural support base within his party, and now so weak his Cabinet and backbenchers are exploiting that and getting in their own demands while getting him to carry the can and making him look weaker by the day. And yet he keeps throwing everyone else who gets in the poltical cross fire under a bus, at some point he is going to run out of people blame and he already has no elected allies to lean on.
Osborne had plenty of faults, but he was head and shoulders above pretty well all of his successors as Chancellor.
funny then he has failed at every job he's tried since failing as Chancellor
So, big day. You should do it properly and I have. Read all the leaflets (carefully), researched the candidates, chatted to any who knocked me up, gave due weight to local issues, who's pledging to fix the crater-sized pothole near Tesco, who's best placed to pollard the trees on my road, the competing positions on the hot potato of the proposed new bus lane (I'm in the yes camp), then once fully clued up, the final step of deciding who to vote for. Which for me this time is going to be Labour.
WhenI l lived in Switzerland, I knew several couples who would set aside an evening every 3 months to go through the literature on the current referenda (which were that frequent) and decide how to vote. Recommendations from the parties were noted but not given tremendous weight, and even far-left or far-right parties with minimal support could get a sensible proposal through. Near-misses were recognised as a valid signal by the government - e.g. the 40% voting to abolish the armed forces were taken as a signal to reduce military spending. It convinced me of the value of direct democracy, though I suspect that in countries like ours unused to it, it would take time to get to that stage.
Good look to everybody voting against Reform today.
I have two pegs on my nose today as I vote PC. One peg to punish Starmer and one peg to punish Reform.
So many people in this election voting against rather than for. Once I can finally be arsed to leave home I will be voting Labour to keep out Green.
Real problem with FPTP in a multi-party system. People are getting elected but even half the people that actually voted for them don't really support them. A PR system where people can safely vote for the party they really want has to be an improvement. I don't see how FPTP survives with 5 or more parties all polling around the same amount - the next government will be dead in the water before it even starts.
The simplicity of voting in an STV system is definitely one of the attractions. The voter does not have to worry about tactical voting, or trying to guess how other people will vote. They simply rank the candidates in order of preference, as far as they are willing to go.
The prevalence of tactical voting, and the way in which it warps political campaigning and debate, is a blight on British politics.
Zack Polanski has claimed that neither Israel nor any other country has a right to exist
Why can’t he just be quiet? Bizarre strategy.
Maybe he thinks he can gain more anti-semitic votes than he loses. The strategy seemed to work (to a point) for Corbyn
On the subject of anti-semitism, would any of these images be tolerated of any other Jewish politician?
Incidentally a bizarre response to blame the Green Party for right wing press cartoons.
Perfectly ok as we have been assured on here that Polanski has a 'hooked nose'
He does though. Its tricky for cartoonists who will exaggerate features of the subject for comic effect. I'd argue Polanski's features of note are (1) his gap in his teeth and (2) a rather large nose.
We have two prominent gap-toothed party leaders now.
"In the Caribbean, gap teeth are associated with sexual allure; in West Africa, they signify wealth. In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character. A gap-toothed character was not one to be taken seriously, and they'd often be found lurking at the bottom of the social pecking order.
Gap teeth have served some people particularly well. Comedians have long played on a gap-toothed appearance to convey disingenuousness and lack of guile. This plays to the idea of flaws being funny, but in an age where gap teeth are easily fixable, uniformity has become increasingly desirable.
As Patricia Cumper discovers, retaining a gap toothed appearance now has a lot to do with allure. In France, it represents coquettishness, lustfulness and sexual naivety. Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Vanessa Paradis were all cast in the role of alluring child-women early in their careers; their uneven dentistry helped to convince.
Today, a dentist's point of view on diastema – the official term for gap teeth – would be that it's a flaw waiting to be corrected. What does it say about those who choose to retain this distinguishing characteristic in the face of bright white, even-toothed homogeny? In this playful, surprising and personal journey, Patricia unpicks the consequences and the cultural connotations of retaining the gap in her two front teeth."
Kemi also has a not insubstantial hooter. I’m sure no one would have a problem with, say, Steve Bell further enlarging it and pasting a piccaninny’s water melon smile avec gap on to her.
I thought @Casino_Royale made a very good point earlier re phones in the polling booth. That is potentially an issue for those being coerced to take a picture of their ballot paper.
However when I went to vote I noticed there were a lot more prominent notices about photographs this time and you could see if anyone was using a phone while voting. It did make the secrecy more difficult though. Without prompting my wife mentioned this on leaving the polling station.
I assume anyone who is coercing people how to vote will organise postal ballots, which of course is the real issue with our voting currently.
So, big day. You should do it properly and I have. Read all the leaflets (carefully), researched the candidates, chatted to any who knocked me up, gave due weight to local issues, who's pledging to fix the crater-sized pothole near Tesco, who's best placed to pollard the trees on my road, the competing positions on the hot potato of the proposed new bus lane (I'm in the yes camp), then once fully clued up, the final step of deciding who to vote for. Which for me this time is going to be Labour.
WhenI l lived in Switzerland, I knew several couples who would set aside an evening every 3 months to go through the literature on the current referenda (which were that frequent) and decide how to vote. Recommendations from the parties were noted but not given tremendous weight, and even far-left or far-right parties with minimal support could get a sensible proposal through. Near-misses were recognised as a valid signal by the government - e.g. the 40% voting to abolish the armed forces were taken as a signal to reduce military spending. It convinced me of the value of direct democracy, though I suspect that in countries like ours unused to it, it would take time to get to that stage.
I think rather than referenda (too time-consuming and expensive), we should explore the idea of citizen assemblies as a way of restoring health to our democracy.
Zack Polanski has claimed that neither Israel nor any other country has a right to exist
Why can’t he just be quiet? Bizarre strategy.
Maybe he thinks he can gain more anti-semitic votes than he loses. The strategy seemed to work (to a point) for Corbyn
On the subject of anti-semitism, would any of these images be tolerated of any other Jewish politician?
Incidentally a bizarre response to blame the Green Party for right wing press cartoons.
Perfectly ok as we have been assured on here that Polanski has a 'hooked nose'
He does though. Its tricky for cartoonists who will exaggerate features of the subject for comic effect. I'd argue Polanski's features of note are (1) his gap in his teeth and (2) a rather large nose.
Can’t be arsed having a long exchange about physiognomy but as I said before I don’t see a hooked nose. Nevertheless even I did, given the long, ignoble history of antisemitic cartooning I would avoid heavily exaggerating that feature of a Jewish politician.
To give you a sense of where things are heading in Hungary, two-thirds of Hungarians now want to see Viktor Orbán face trial for corruption, criminality, and malfeasance after his sixteen-year reign. https://x.com/kalmantibs/status/2052012884742336728
Reform UK have also been keen on Hungary as their template. Matt Goodwin was salivating over Orbán before.
Interesting that the latest YouGov MRP for Scotland has the Greens closer to where instinctively I thought they would be - 16 seats.
But I still think Reform will get over 20 based on anecdotal chatter from the Highlsnds/NE/West Lothian. And the SNP won’t make 60.
I wonder if there is a shy tendency for Reform voters ... 20 seats is perfectly plausible, 4 in some regions but may struggle for 2 in Glasgow/Edinburgh. Can't see them taking many constituencies, but could be some surprises if low turnout.
I think 16 would be nearer the upper end of Green seats, theres one or two constituencies they could have stood in and performed very well, Kelvin would be a strong chance if Patrick Harvie had stood and it was old boundaries. They'll get a seat in South, but wont get 2, most other regions should deliver 2 Greens.
Think I said 58 for SNP in the predictions contest, but can see them down to 55 or slightly lower if they don't poll well in Aberdeenshire and Highlands. I think the Tories can hang on in the south, but their list will be decimated. Less sure about Labour, not a good sign for them from Jackie Baillie yesterday
I've got Reform winning 2 constituencies (Banffshire & Buchan Coast and Ayr) plus 19 list seats. - 21 in total SNP on 60 (no list seats)
I'm really not sure where this fuss over Reform in Ayr is coming from, a few MRPs had it going to them. Carrick & Cumnock and Cunninghame south both look like they'd go to Reform before Ayr fell. Ayr is no longer the retirement home it used to be, there are more families moving there. Ref finished 3rd behind the SNP at the Ayr north by election, which should be one of their better wards. I dont think the Ayr MSP has been all that convincing, but I'd imagine she should be ok given the likely crumbling Tory vote.
Agree on Banff, thats surely their best chance of a constituency gain. Elsewhere, a lot of Reform constituency candidates have been really poor
So, big day. You should do it properly and I have. Read all the leaflets (carefully), researched the candidates, chatted to any who knocked me up, gave due weight to local issues, who's pledging to fix the crater-sized pothole near Tesco, who's best placed to pollard the trees on my road, the competing positions on the hot potato of the proposed new bus lane (I'm in the yes camp), then once fully clued up, the final step of deciding who to vote for. Which for me this time is going to be Labour.
WhenI l lived in Switzerland, I knew several couples who would set aside an evening every 3 months to go through the literature on the current referenda (which were that frequent) and decide how to vote. Recommendations from the parties were noted but not given tremendous weight, and even far-left or far-right parties with minimal support could get a sensible proposal through. Near-misses were recognised as a valid signal by the government - e.g. the 40% voting to abolish the armed forces were taken as a signal to reduce military spending. It convinced me of the value of direct democracy, though I suspect that in countries like ours unused to it, it would take time to get to that stage.
I think rather than referenda (too time-consuming and expensive), we should explore the idea of citizen assemblies as a way of restoring health to our democracy.
Citizen Assemblies will be owned and run by the outgoing elements of the middles classes - who also own and run the parties and the administrative system. Referenda don’t have that that problem. Indeed, referenda would be a good counterbalance to that problem.
Zack Polanski has claimed that neither Israel nor any other country has a right to exist
Why can’t he just be quiet? Bizarre strategy.
Maybe he thinks he can gain more anti-semitic votes than he loses. The strategy seemed to work (to a point) for Corbyn
On the subject of anti-semitism, would any of these images be tolerated of any other Jewish politician?
Incidentally a bizarre response to blame the Green Party for right wing press cartoons.
Perfectly ok as we have been assured on here that Polanski has a 'hooked nose'
He does though. Its tricky for cartoonists who will exaggerate features of the subject for comic effect. I'd argue Polanski's features of note are (1) his gap in his teeth and (2) a rather large nose.
Can’t be arsed having a long exchange about physiognomy but as I said before I don’t see a hooked nose. Nevertheless even I did, given the long, ignoble history of antisemitic cartooning I would avoid heavily exaggerating that feature of a Jewish politician.
Zack Polanski has claimed that neither Israel nor any other country has a right to exist
Why can’t he just be quiet? Bizarre strategy.
Maybe he thinks he can gain more anti-semitic votes than he loses. The strategy seemed to work (to a point) for Corbyn
On the subject of anti-semitism, would any of these images be tolerated of any other Jewish politician?
Incidentally a bizarre response to blame the Green Party for right wing press cartoons.
Perfectly ok as we have been assured on here that Polanski has a 'hooked nose'
He does though. Its tricky for cartoonists who will exaggerate features of the subject for comic effect. I'd argue Polanski's features of note are (1) his gap in his teeth and (2) a rather large nose.
Can’t be arsed having a long exchange about physiognomy but as I said before I don’t see a hooked nose. Nevertheless even I did, given the long, ignoble history of antisemitic cartooning I would avoid heavily exaggerating that feature of a Jewish politician.
It's the Telegraph one that particularly jumps out at me as bad.
Top right is the worst afaic. Looks as though it comes from the Mail - you'd have thought with its inglorious history in relation to antisemitism, it could be a little more careful.
So, big day. You should do it properly and I have. Read all the leaflets (carefully), researched the candidates, chatted to any who knocked me up, gave due weight to local issues, who's pledging to fix the crater-sized pothole near Tesco, who's best placed to pollard the trees on my road, the competing positions on the hot potato of the proposed new bus lane (I'm in the yes camp), then once fully clued up, the final step of deciding who to vote for. Which for me this time is going to be Labour.
WhenI l lived in Switzerland, I knew several couples who would set aside an evening every 3 months to go through the literature on the current referenda (which were that frequent) and decide how to vote. Recommendations from the parties were noted but not given tremendous weight, and even far-left or far-right parties with minimal support could get a sensible proposal through. Near-misses were recognised as a valid signal by the government - e.g. the 40% voting to abolish the armed forces were taken as a signal to reduce military spending. It convinced me of the value of direct democracy, though I suspect that in countries like ours unused to it, it would take time to get to that stage.
It's otoh the best system because it maximises the participation and impact of ordinary people on decisions that affect them. But otoh it's the system that most depends on having an informed judicious electorate.
So, big day. You should do it properly and I have. Read all the leaflets (carefully), researched the candidates, chatted to any who knocked me up, gave due weight to local issues, who's pledging to fix the crater-sized pothole near Tesco, who's best placed to pollard the trees on my road, the competing positions on the hot potato of the proposed new bus lane (I'm in the yes camp), then once fully clued up, the final step of deciding who to vote for. Which for me this time is going to be Labour.
WhenI l lived in Switzerland, I knew several couples who would set aside an evening every 3 months to go through the literature on the current referenda (which were that frequent) and decide how to vote. Recommendations from the parties were noted but not given tremendous weight, and even far-left or far-right parties with minimal support could get a sensible proposal through. Near-misses were recognised as a valid signal by the government - e.g. the 40% voting to abolish the armed forces were taken as a signal to reduce military spending. It convinced me of the value of direct democracy, though I suspect that in countries like ours unused to it, it would take time to get to that stage.
I think rather than referenda (too time-consuming and expensive), we should explore the idea of citizen assemblies as a way of restoring health to our democracy.
Citizen Assemblies will be owned and run by the outgoing elements of the middles classes - who also own and run the parties and the administrative system. Referenda don’t have that that problem. Indeed, referenda would be a good counterbalance to that problem.
They don't have to be, so long as they are constituted by properly representative samples of the population.
Voted. In the third building I entered. Polling card said Church Hall. Said church had a garish "Polling Station" sign on the fence. Entered. C of E coffee morning. Followed vicar's instructions down a side alley I'd never noticed before. Entered the only visible building. Preschool dance class. Finally found it round a corner. Just me and the teller and a notice warning against family voting.
Zack Polanski has claimed that neither Israel nor any other country has a right to exist
Why can’t he just be quiet? Bizarre strategy.
Maybe he thinks he can gain more anti-semitic votes than he loses. The strategy seemed to work (to a point) for Corbyn
On the subject of anti-semitism, would any of these images be tolerated of any other Jewish politician?
Incidentally a bizarre response to blame the Green Party for right wing press cartoons.
Perfectly ok as we have been assured on here that Polanski has a 'hooked nose'
He does though. Its tricky for cartoonists who will exaggerate features of the subject for comic effect. I'd argue Polanski's features of note are (1) his gap in his teeth and (2) a rather large nose.
We have two prominent gap-toothed party leaders now.
"In the Caribbean, gap teeth are associated with sexual allure; in West Africa, they signify wealth. In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character. A gap-toothed character was not one to be taken seriously, and they'd often be found lurking at the bottom of the social pecking order.
Gap teeth have served some people particularly well. Comedians have long played on a gap-toothed appearance to convey disingenuousness and lack of guile. This plays to the idea of flaws being funny, but in an age where gap teeth are easily fixable, uniformity has become increasingly desirable.
As Patricia Cumper discovers, retaining a gap toothed appearance now has a lot to do with allure. In France, it represents coquettishness, lustfulness and sexual naivety. Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Vanessa Paradis were all cast in the role of alluring child-women early in their careers; their uneven dentistry helped to convince.
Today, a dentist's point of view on diastema – the official term for gap teeth – would be that it's a flaw waiting to be corrected. What does it say about those who choose to retain this distinguishing characteristic in the face of bright white, even-toothed homogeny? In this playful, surprising and personal journey, Patricia unpicks the consequences and the cultural connotations of retaining the gap in her two front teeth."
Kemi also has a not insubstantial hooter. I’m sure no one would have a problem with, say, Steve Bell further enlarging it and pasting a piccaninny’s water melon smile avec gap on to her.
I had a quick look, and cartoonists don't seem to think her nose is worthy of exaggeration:
I was going to vote Green but I got a letter from the Lib Dem Candidate last night which changed my mind. In a hand written type face it said what he was doing for the area and what he had done.........
He then said "The Green Party are not targetting this area. They are working hard on other parts as they know in your area the Lib Dems have the best chance of beating Labour which is why you won't have heard from them".
The postal vote stuff up here was confusing for my not-well-up-on-modern-life mother. So I helped her vote - what she needs to do with the actual ballots, what needs folding and inserting into what, how to stick it down and which way round into the envelope etc.
Happy for refuk to report "family voting" to the Electoral Commission and use me as an example. Have already fed back to my friend who works there...
So, big day. You should do it properly and I have. Read all the leaflets (carefully), researched the candidates, chatted to any who knocked me up, gave due weight to local issues, who's pledging to fix the crater-sized pothole near Tesco, who's best placed to pollard the trees on my road, the competing positions on the hot potato of the proposed new bus lane (I'm in the yes camp), then once fully clued up, the final step of deciding who to vote for. Which for me this time is going to be Labour.
WhenI l lived in Switzerland, I knew several couples who would set aside an evening every 3 months to go through the literature on the current referenda (which were that frequent) and decide how to vote. Recommendations from the parties were noted but not given tremendous weight, and even far-left or far-right parties with minimal support could get a sensible proposal through. Near-misses were recognised as a valid signal by the government - e.g. the 40% voting to abolish the armed forces were taken as a signal to reduce military spending. It convinced me of the value of direct democracy, though I suspect that in countries like ours unused to it, it would take time to get to that stage.
Zack Polanski has claimed that neither Israel nor any other country has a right to exist
Why can’t he just be quiet? Bizarre strategy.
Maybe he thinks he can gain more anti-semitic votes than he loses. The strategy seemed to work (to a point) for Corbyn
On the subject of anti-semitism, would any of these images be tolerated of any other Jewish politician?
Incidentally a bizarre response to blame the Green Party for right wing press cartoons.
Perfectly ok as we have been assured on here that Polanski has a 'hooked nose'
He does though. Its tricky for cartoonists who will exaggerate features of the subject for comic effect. I'd argue Polanski's features of note are (1) his gap in his teeth and (2) a rather large nose.
We have two prominent gap-toothed party leaders now.
"In the Caribbean, gap teeth are associated with sexual allure; in West Africa, they signify wealth. In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character. A gap-toothed character was not one to be taken seriously, and they'd often be found lurking at the bottom of the social pecking order.
Gap teeth have served some people particularly well. Comedians have long played on a gap-toothed appearance to convey disingenuousness and lack of guile. This plays to the idea of flaws being funny, but in an age where gap teeth are easily fixable, uniformity has become increasingly desirable.
As Patricia Cumper discovers, retaining a gap toothed appearance now has a lot to do with allure. In France, it represents coquettishness, lustfulness and sexual naivety. Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Vanessa Paradis were all cast in the role of alluring child-women early in their careers; their uneven dentistry helped to convince.
Today, a dentist's point of view on diastema – the official term for gap teeth – would be that it's a flaw waiting to be corrected. What does it say about those who choose to retain this distinguishing characteristic in the face of bright white, even-toothed homogeny? In this playful, surprising and personal journey, Patricia unpicks the consequences and the cultural connotations of retaining the gap in her two front teeth."
"In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character."
That is a terrible misreading of Chaucers depiction of The Wife of Bath. She was neither poor (distinctly middle-class), idiotic (she was a successful textile merchant) nor especially devious - married first at 12, she then too a more pragmatic role of using marriage to get herself a better quality of life from her subsequent husbands.
Was the intent to paint Kemi as poor/idiotic/devious?
Zack Polanski has claimed that neither Israel nor any other country has a right to exist
Why can’t he just be quiet? Bizarre strategy.
Maybe he thinks he can gain more anti-semitic votes than he loses. The strategy seemed to work (to a point) for Corbyn
On the subject of anti-semitism, would any of these images be tolerated of any other Jewish politician?
Incidentally a bizarre response to blame the Green Party for right wing press cartoons.
Perfectly ok as we have been assured on here that Polanski has a 'hooked nose'
He does though. Its tricky for cartoonists who will exaggerate features of the subject for comic effect. I'd argue Polanski's features of note are (1) his gap in his teeth and (2) a rather large nose.
We have two prominent gap-toothed party leaders now.
"In the Caribbean, gap teeth are associated with sexual allure; in West Africa, they signify wealth. In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character. A gap-toothed character was not one to be taken seriously, and they'd often be found lurking at the bottom of the social pecking order.
Gap teeth have served some people particularly well. Comedians have long played on a gap-toothed appearance to convey disingenuousness and lack of guile. This plays to the idea of flaws being funny, but in an age where gap teeth are easily fixable, uniformity has become increasingly desirable.
As Patricia Cumper discovers, retaining a gap toothed appearance now has a lot to do with allure. In France, it represents coquettishness, lustfulness and sexual naivety. Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Vanessa Paradis were all cast in the role of alluring child-women early in their careers; their uneven dentistry helped to convince.
Today, a dentist's point of view on diastema – the official term for gap teeth – would be that it's a flaw waiting to be corrected. What does it say about those who choose to retain this distinguishing characteristic in the face of bright white, even-toothed homogeny? In this playful, surprising and personal journey, Patricia unpicks the consequences and the cultural connotations of retaining the gap in her two front teeth."
"In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character."
That is a terrible misreading of Chaucers depiction of The Wife of Bath. She was neither poor (distinctly middle-class), idiotic (she was a successful textile merchant) nor especially devious - married first at 12, she then too a more pragmatic role of using marriage to get herself a better quality of life from her subsequent husbands.
Was the intent to paint Kemi as poor/idiotic/devious?
It's from 2015 - it's not about Kemi. It's just a thing I found with Google...
It seems everyone on here is now voting Conservative and praising Kemi Badenoch to the skies.
To use the gardening analogy, being cosseted in the indoor garden with the herbaceous intelligentsia and Niallus Fergusonium might be fine but she'll have to cope with the more rigorous environment of the outdoor world before long.
Her tendency to the uncosted populist pledge is a concern as is my abiding doubt whatever she says on working or not working with Reform will go out the window if the Parliamentary arithmetic means Reform plus Conservatives equals a majority. Oddly enough, I'd be more likely to vote for her if she said she would support a non-Reform Government but we all know that won't happen.
Here in Newham, fortunately, voting Conservative is about as useful as voting Lib Dem, Reform or CPA. I will vote LD for the Mayor but as I have three Council seats and one LD candidate, I have a dilemma over my other two votes which I've not resolved.
I'm obviously not Kemi's target audience, but for what it's worth - I always find her manner pleasant, and am taken aback by the relatively extreme policies that she often advocates. If I was looking for right-wing policies, would I be put off by her mild manner?
She spends too much time doom scrolling Twitter, so thinks batshit reactionary stuff is mainstream.
And yet, she is now the most popular of the major party leaders. The PB Centrist Dads getting it totally wrong. Again
I often wonder if the same Centrists Dads would be getting it totally wrong that first couple of years when David Cameron became Conservative leader and he was pictured with the huskies.. Look how many of them totally underestimated his then wing man who over saw his leadership campaign up against the then nailed on favourite David Davis. The day Theresa May became Conservative Leader and PM she and her team didn't allow George Osborne the dignity of resigning from his post as Chancellor, no he was sacked and I said that day it was her first and probable her biggest mistake. I always remember OGH agreeing with that verdict.
She didn't have an elected wing man who was as over their own brief at No11 or any other Cabinet post but also all the other departments to the extent he saw the issues with her own two key Spads at the Home Office but more importantly Michael Gove's Spad Dominic Cummings.. And he was proved right.
Theresa May's advisers that Osborne locked heads with advised her to go back on her word about calling an early election and then oversaw that disastrous manifesto and campaign leaving her a much weakened PM with no majority during the endless Parliamentary Brexit battles at Westminster until she finally throw the towel in and stepped down.
And that has been a problem for Keir Starmer too, he has been too reliant on unelected Spads and had no loyal base of elected senior Cabinet Ministers to advise him or protect him. Instead he is swinging in the wind more rudderless as he has no leadership skills or natural support base within his party, and now so weak his Cabinet and backbenchers are exploiting that and getting in their own demands while getting him to carry the can and making him look weaker by the day. And yet he keeps throwing everyone else who gets in the poltical cross fire under a bus, at some point he is going to run out of people blame and he already has no elected allies to lean on.
Osborne had plenty of faults, but he was head and shoulders above pretty well all of his successors as Chancellor.
funny then he has failed at every job he's tried since failing as Chancellor
So, big day. You should do it properly and I have. Read all the leaflets (carefully), researched the candidates, chatted to any who knocked me up, gave due weight to local issues, who's pledging to fix the crater-sized pothole near Tesco, who's best placed to pollard the trees on my road, the competing positions on the hot potato of the proposed new bus lane (I'm in the yes camp), then once fully clued up, the final step of deciding who to vote for. Which for me this time is going to be Labour.
WhenI l lived in Switzerland, I knew several couples who would set aside an evening every 3 months to go through the literature on the current referenda (which were that frequent) and decide how to vote. Recommendations from the parties were noted but not given tremendous weight, and even far-left or far-right parties with minimal support could get a sensible proposal through. Near-misses were recognised as a valid signal by the government - e.g. the 40% voting to abolish the armed forces were taken as a signal to reduce military spending. It convinced me of the value of direct democracy, though I suspect that in countries like ours unused to it, it would take time to get to that stage.
I think rather than referenda (too time-consuming and expensive), we should explore the idea of citizen assemblies as a way of restoring health to our democracy.
Citizen Assemblies will be owned and run by the outgoing elements of the middles classes - who also own and run the parties and the administrative system. Referenda don’t have that that problem. Indeed, referenda would be a good counterbalance to that problem.
They don't have to be, so long as they are constituted by properly representative samples of the population.
I'm a big fan of citizen assemblies, but all forms of participatory politics have the same issue - that some people find it easier to participate than others. Generally it is easier for people in professional/office jobs (or retired) to get the time off work to participate. In Ireland - where they've generally been quite positive* - meetings of citizen assemblies have tended to be scheduled for the weekend, which is more problematic for shift-workers, those working in retail/hospitality, those with parenting responsibilities, etc.
* Irish governments seem to have cooled on the use of citizen assemblies now that the more recent ones made recommendations they were uncomfortable with, instead of recommending what they wanted to do already.
Meanwhile, in "maybe Kemi does have some flaws" tittle-tattle,
NEW: Tory source responds to David Gauke being nominated for a knighthood by Labour
"Kemi absolutely livid Labour nominated Gauke. She wouldn't have him anywhere near any list. Starmer even snuck it through a random honours committee to stop Kemi vetoing it."
Interesting that the latest YouGov MRP for Scotland has the Greens closer to where instinctively I thought they would be - 16 seats.
But I still think Reform will get over 20 based on anecdotal chatter from the Highlsnds/NE/West Lothian. And the SNP won’t make 60.
I wonder if there is a shy tendency for Reform voters ... 20 seats is perfectly plausible, 4 in some regions but may struggle for 2 in Glasgow/Edinburgh. Can't see them taking many constituencies, but could be some surprises if low turnout.
I think 16 would be nearer the upper end of Green seats, theres one or two constituencies they could have stood in and performed very well, Kelvin would be a strong chance if Patrick Harvie had stood and it was old boundaries. They'll get a seat in South, but wont get 2, most other regions should deliver 2 Greens.
Think I said 58 for SNP in the predictions contest, but can see them down to 55 or slightly lower if they don't poll well in Aberdeenshire and Highlands. I think the Tories can hang on in the south, but their list will be decimated. Less sure about Labour, not a good sign for them from Jackie Baillie yesterday
I've got Reform winning 2 constituencies (Banffshire & Buchan Coast and Ayr) plus 19 list seats. - 21 in total SNP on 60 (no list seats)
I'm really not sure where this fuss over Reform in Ayr is coming from, a few MRPs had it going to them. Carrick & Cumnock and Cunninghame south both look like they'd go to Reform before Ayr fell. Ayr is no longer the retirement home it used to be, there are more families moving there. Ref finished 3rd behind the SNP at the Ayr north by election, which should be one of their better wards. I dont think the Ayr MSP has been all that convincing, but I'd imagine she should be ok given the likely crumbling Tory vote.
Agree on Banff, thats surely their best chance of a constituency gain. Elsewhere, a lot of Reform constituency candidates have been really poor
I plumped for Ayr based on the MRPs and chats with a few work colleagues from the area. But yes, it's a punt not a guarantee.
Meanwhile, in "maybe Kemi does have some flaws" tittle-tattle,
NEW: Tory source responds to David Gauke being nominated for a knighthood by Labour
"Kemi absolutely livid Labour nominated Gauke. She wouldn't have him anywhere near any list. Starmer even snuck it through a random honours committee to stop Kemi vetoing it."
Isn't it just a routine bauble to say thanks for his prisons review?
No one ever said she wasn't mean spirited. While Theresa was dancing through the wheat fields she was ruining the life chances of a fellow pupil by getting him expelled for cheating.
Interesting that the latest YouGov MRP for Scotland has the Greens closer to where instinctively I thought they would be - 16 seats.
But I still think Reform will get over 20 based on anecdotal chatter from the Highlsnds/NE/West Lothian. And the SNP won’t make 60.
I wonder if there is a shy tendency for Reform voters ... 20 seats is perfectly plausible, 4 in some regions but may struggle for 2 in Glasgow/Edinburgh. Can't see them taking many constituencies, but could be some surprises if low turnout.
I think 16 would be nearer the upper end of Green seats, theres one or two constituencies they could have stood in and performed very well, Kelvin would be a strong chance if Patrick Harvie had stood and it was old boundaries. They'll get a seat in South, but wont get 2, most other regions should deliver 2 Greens.
Think I said 58 for SNP in the predictions contest, but can see them down to 55 or slightly lower if they don't poll well in Aberdeenshire and Highlands. I think the Tories can hang on in the south, but their list will be decimated. Less sure about Labour, not a good sign for them from Jackie Baillie yesterday
I've got Reform winning 2 constituencies (Banffshire & Buchan Coast and Ayr) plus 19 list seats. - 21 in total SNP on 60 (no list seats)
I'm really not sure where this fuss over Reform in Ayr is coming from, a few MRPs had it going to them. Carrick & Cumnock and Cunninghame south both look like they'd go to Reform before Ayr fell. Ayr is no longer the retirement home it used to be, there are more families moving there. Ref finished 3rd behind the SNP at the Ayr north by election, which should be one of their better wards. I dont think the Ayr MSP has been all that convincing, but I'd imagine she should be ok given the likely crumbling Tory vote.
Agree on Banff, thats surely their best chance of a constituency gain. Elsewhere, a lot of Reform constituency candidates have been really poor
There’s always a risk in interpreting MRPs at a constituency level, even if overall they get it right. E.g. Edinburgh Northern going LD - will that bit of Almond (Silverknowes & Muirhouse) really swing it away from the SNP? Seems unlikely to me, I’d have thought that was the most SNP part of the ward.
Obviously Trinity and Inverleith are pretty posh, but even then the Greens and SNP pick up half their councillors. Going to be really interesting which party left-wing voters go for.
Meanwhile, in "maybe Kemi does have some flaws" tittle-tattle,
NEW: Tory source responds to David Gauke being nominated for a knighthood by Labour
"Kemi absolutely livid Labour nominated Gauke. She wouldn't have him anywhere near any list. Starmer even snuck it through a random honours committee to stop Kemi vetoing it."
Meanwhile, in "maybe Kemi does have some flaws" tittle-tattle,
NEW: Tory source responds to David Gauke being nominated for a knighthood by Labour
"Kemi absolutely livid Labour nominated Gauke. She wouldn't have him anywhere near any list. Starmer even snuck it through a random honours committee to stop Kemi vetoing it."
Isn't it just a routine bauble to say thanks for his prisons review?
No one ever said she wasn't mean spirited. While Theresa was dancing through the wheat fields she was ruining the life chances of a fellow pupil by getting him expelled for cheating.
So, big day. You should do it properly and I have. Read all the leaflets (carefully), researched the candidates, chatted to any who knocked me up, gave due weight to local issues, who's pledging to fix the crater-sized pothole near Tesco, who's best placed to pollard the trees on my road, the competing positions on the hot potato of the proposed new bus lane (I'm in the yes camp), then once fully clued up, the final step of deciding who to vote for. Which for me this time is going to be Labour.
WhenI l lived in Switzerland, I knew several couples who would set aside an evening every 3 months to go through the literature on the current referenda (which were that frequent) and decide how to vote. Recommendations from the parties were noted but not given tremendous weight, and even far-left or far-right parties with minimal support could get a sensible proposal through. Near-misses were recognised as a valid signal by the government - e.g. the 40% voting to abolish the armed forces were taken as a signal to reduce military spending. It convinced me of the value of direct democracy, though I suspect that in countries like ours unused to it, it would take time to get to that stage.
It's otoh the best system because it maximises the participation and impact of ordinary people on decisions that affect them. But otoh it's the system that most depends on having an informed judicious electorate.
It does make the electorate more informed and judicious, in my experience - if you are encouraged to take a view on various issues every 3 months, you really have to engage (and admittedly only about 40-50% do), whereas voting for a party now and then is something which positively encourages you not to bother to think. I really liked the fact that people would consider voting for a proposal from a party that they'd never consider supporting as a party - conversely, it gave supporters of small parties a chance to exert real influence if they put forward a good idea in moderate form.
I don't think it's especially expensive. The real "cost" is that the influence of parties is reduced to an advisory function, plus actually trying to implement the ideas of the electorate. As with any change, it's against the interest of whoever wins a majority under the current system.
Just had a late on the day leaflet drop from Reform. Two hours too late im afraid, guys. Im guessing low 30s to 35% will take my ward with Ref, Con and LD all very active here. Con 60% plus last time (but in 2021 when they polled 40% plus regularly nationally) This ought to be one of the better end of Conservative wards in Norfolk so if they arent close or winning it might be a very very bad night for them in Norfolk
Interesting that the latest YouGov MRP for Scotland has the Greens closer to where instinctively I thought they would be - 16 seats.
But I still think Reform will get over 20 based on anecdotal chatter from the Highlsnds/NE/West Lothian. And the SNP won’t make 60.
I wonder if there is a shy tendency for Reform voters ... 20 seats is perfectly plausible, 4 in some regions but may struggle for 2 in Glasgow/Edinburgh. Can't see them taking many constituencies, but could be some surprises if low turnout.
I think 16 would be nearer the upper end of Green seats, theres one or two constituencies they could have stood in and performed very well, Kelvin would be a strong chance if Patrick Harvie had stood and it was old boundaries. They'll get a seat in South, but wont get 2, most other regions should deliver 2 Greens.
Think I said 58 for SNP in the predictions contest, but can see them down to 55 or slightly lower if they don't poll well in Aberdeenshire and Highlands. I think the Tories can hang on in the south, but their list will be decimated. Less sure about Labour, not a good sign for them from Jackie Baillie yesterday
I've got Reform winning 2 constituencies (Banffshire & Buchan Coast and Ayr) plus 19 list seats. - 21 in total SNP on 60 (no list seats)
I'm really not sure where this fuss over Reform in Ayr is coming from, a few MRPs had it going to them. Carrick & Cumnock and Cunninghame south both look like they'd go to Reform before Ayr fell. Ayr is no longer the retirement home it used to be, there are more families moving there. Ref finished 3rd behind the SNP at the Ayr north by election, which should be one of their better wards. I dont think the Ayr MSP has been all that convincing, but I'd imagine she should be ok given the likely crumbling Tory vote.
Agree on Banff, thats surely their best chance of a constituency gain. Elsewhere, a lot of Reform constituency candidates have been really poor
There’s always a risk in interpreting MRPs at a constituency level, even if overall they get it right. E.g. Edinburgh Northern going LD - will that bit of Almond (Silverknowes & Muirhouse) really swing it away from the SNP? Seems unlikely to me, I’d have thought that was the most SNP part of the ward.
Obviously Trinity and Inverleith are pretty posh, but even then the Greens and SNP pick up half their councillors. Going to be really interesting which party left-wing voters go for.
So much of this depends on relative turnout. Edin Northern going LD is a stretch I think. Reform could do quite well in the North East, but will fall well short if the SNP vote holds up.
Good look to everybody voting against Reform today.
Such petty small minded self-harming bollocks. You'd rather give power to Polanski's lot. Makes me want to vote Reform to be honest, though that would still be allowing your witless drivel to influence me in some form.
The postal vote stuff up here was confusing for my not-well-up-on-modern-life mother. So I helped her vote - what she needs to do with the actual ballots, what needs folding and inserting into what, how to stick it down and which way round into the envelope etc.
Happy for refuk to report "family voting" to the Electoral Commission and use me as an example. Have already fed back to my friend who works there...
At a recent council by-election postal vote opening sessions one of the Postal Votes returned was from the previous election 9 months ago. I wondered how long it had been sitting in the sorting office.
Meanwhile, in "maybe Kemi does have some flaws" tittle-tattle,
NEW: Tory source responds to David Gauke being nominated for a knighthood by Labour
"Kemi absolutely livid Labour nominated Gauke. She wouldn't have him anywhere near any list. Starmer even snuck it through a random honours committee to stop Kemi vetoing it."
Isn't it just a routine bauble to say thanks for his prisons review?
No one ever said she wasn't mean spirited. While Theresa was dancing through the wheat fields she was ruining the life chances of a fellow pupil by getting him expelled for cheating.
Not a very nice person I would say
So people should be allowed to cheat, then?
You might enjoy 'Les Miserables' though you could need help with redemption bit
Good look to everybody voting against Reform today.
Such petty small minded self-harming bollocks. You'd rather give power to Polanski's lot. Makes me want to vote Reform to be honest, though that would still be allowing your witless drivel to influence me in some form.
Meanwhile, in "maybe Kemi does have some flaws" tittle-tattle,
NEW: Tory source responds to David Gauke being nominated for a knighthood by Labour
"Kemi absolutely livid Labour nominated Gauke. She wouldn't have him anywhere near any list. Starmer even snuck it through a random honours committee to stop Kemi vetoing it."
Isn't it just a routine bauble to say thanks for his prisons review?
No one ever said she wasn't mean spirited. While Theresa was dancing through the wheat fields she was ruining the life chances of a fellow pupil by getting him expelled for cheating.
Not a very nice person I would say
So people should be allowed to cheat, then?
You might enjoy 'Les Miserables' though you could need help with redemption bit
I'm perfectly happy with my view of redemption. Should you report a crime if you see one?
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Fourth power law. There’s been a very significant increase in LGV mileage on minor roads - once upon at time you’d have one Royal Mail van go round, now it’s endless Amazon.
Interesting that the latest YouGov MRP for Scotland has the Greens closer to where instinctively I thought they would be - 16 seats.
But I still think Reform will get over 20 based on anecdotal chatter from the Highlsnds/NE/West Lothian. And the SNP won’t make 60.
I wonder if there is a shy tendency for Reform voters ... 20 seats is perfectly plausible, 4 in some regions but may struggle for 2 in Glasgow/Edinburgh. Can't see them taking many constituencies, but could be some surprises if low turnout.
I think 16 would be nearer the upper end of Green seats, theres one or two constituencies they could have stood in and performed very well, Kelvin would be a strong chance if Patrick Harvie had stood and it was old boundaries. They'll get a seat in South, but wont get 2, most other regions should deliver 2 Greens.
Think I said 58 for SNP in the predictions contest, but can see them down to 55 or slightly lower if they don't poll well in Aberdeenshire and Highlands. I think the Tories can hang on in the south, but their list will be decimated. Less sure about Labour, not a good sign for them from Jackie Baillie yesterday
I've got Reform winning 2 constituencies (Banffshire & Buchan Coast and Ayr) plus 19 list seats. - 21 in total SNP on 60 (no list seats)
I'm really not sure where this fuss over Reform in Ayr is coming from, a few MRPs had it going to them. Carrick & Cumnock and Cunninghame south both look like they'd go to Reform before Ayr fell. Ayr is no longer the retirement home it used to be, there are more families moving there. Ref finished 3rd behind the SNP at the Ayr north by election, which should be one of their better wards. I dont think the Ayr MSP has been all that convincing, but I'd imagine she should be ok given the likely crumbling Tory vote.
Agree on Banff, thats surely their best chance of a constituency gain. Elsewhere, a lot of Reform constituency candidates have been really poor
There’s always a risk in interpreting MRPs at a constituency level, even if overall they get it right. E.g. Edinburgh Northern going LD - will that bit of Almond (Silverknowes & Muirhouse) really swing it away from the SNP? Seems unlikely to me, I’d have thought that was the most SNP part of the ward.
Obviously Trinity and Inverleith are pretty posh, but even then the Greens and SNP pick up half their councillors. Going to be really interesting which party left-wing voters go for.
Rowling lives adjacently I think, she’ll have been firing out Expelliarmus Natus Transitus spells 24/7, or funding whichever Yoon party she’s currently adopted as a cat’s paw.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
Got to say that austerity and the delayed repairs that that created has created a massive problem at the moment. I have 1 sane and 1 rather insane route into town and the insane route is the one I’m taking as I don’t fancy a new alloy
Interesting that the latest YouGov MRP for Scotland has the Greens closer to where instinctively I thought they would be - 16 seats.
But I still think Reform will get over 20 based on anecdotal chatter from the Highlsnds/NE/West Lothian. And the SNP won’t make 60.
I wonder if there is a shy tendency for Reform voters ... 20 seats is perfectly plausible, 4 in some regions but may struggle for 2 in Glasgow/Edinburgh. Can't see them taking many constituencies, but could be some surprises if low turnout.
I think 16 would be nearer the upper end of Green seats, theres one or two constituencies they could have stood in and performed very well, Kelvin would be a strong chance if Patrick Harvie had stood and it was old boundaries. They'll get a seat in South, but wont get 2, most other regions should deliver 2 Greens.
Think I said 58 for SNP in the predictions contest, but can see them down to 55 or slightly lower if they don't poll well in Aberdeenshire and Highlands. I think the Tories can hang on in the south, but their list will be decimated. Less sure about Labour, not a good sign for them from Jackie Baillie yesterday
I've got Reform winning 2 constituencies (Banffshire & Buchan Coast and Ayr) plus 19 list seats. - 21 in total SNP on 60 (no list seats)
I'm really not sure where this fuss over Reform in Ayr is coming from, a few MRPs had it going to them. Carrick & Cumnock and Cunninghame south both look like they'd go to Reform before Ayr fell. Ayr is no longer the retirement home it used to be, there are more families moving there. Ref finished 3rd behind the SNP at the Ayr north by election, which should be one of their better wards. I dont think the Ayr MSP has been all that convincing, but I'd imagine she should be ok given the likely crumbling Tory vote.
Agree on Banff, thats surely their best chance of a constituency gain. Elsewhere, a lot of Reform constituency candidates have been really poor
There’s always a risk in interpreting MRPs at a constituency level, even if overall they get it right. E.g. Edinburgh Northern going LD - will that bit of Almond (Silverknowes & Muirhouse) really swing it away from the SNP? Seems unlikely to me, I’d have thought that was the most SNP part of the ward.
Obviously Trinity and Inverleith are pretty posh, but even then the Greens and SNP pick up half their councillors. Going to be really interesting which party left-wing voters go for.
Interesting that the latest YouGov MRP for Scotland has the Greens closer to where instinctively I thought they would be - 16 seats.
But I still think Reform will get over 20 based on anecdotal chatter from the Highlsnds/NE/West Lothian. And the SNP won’t make 60.
I wonder if there is a shy tendency for Reform voters ... 20 seats is perfectly plausible, 4 in some regions but may struggle for 2 in Glasgow/Edinburgh. Can't see them taking many constituencies, but could be some surprises if low turnout.
I think 16 would be nearer the upper end of Green seats, theres one or two constituencies they could have stood in and performed very well, Kelvin would be a strong chance if Patrick Harvie had stood and it was old boundaries. They'll get a seat in South, but wont get 2, most other regions should deliver 2 Greens.
Think I said 58 for SNP in the predictions contest, but can see them down to 55 or slightly lower if they don't poll well in Aberdeenshire and Highlands. I think the Tories can hang on in the south, but their list will be decimated. Less sure about Labour, not a good sign for them from Jackie Baillie yesterday
I've got Reform winning 2 constituencies (Banffshire & Buchan Coast and Ayr) plus 19 list seats. - 21 in total SNP on 60 (no list seats)
I'm really not sure where this fuss over Reform in Ayr is coming from, a few MRPs had it going to them. Carrick & Cumnock and Cunninghame south both look like they'd go to Reform before Ayr fell. Ayr is no longer the retirement home it used to be, there are more families moving there. Ref finished 3rd behind the SNP at the Ayr north by election, which should be one of their better wards. I dont think the Ayr MSP has been all that convincing, but I'd imagine she should be ok given the likely crumbling Tory vote.
Agree on Banff, thats surely their best chance of a constituency gain. Elsewhere, a lot of Reform constituency candidates have been really poor
There’s always a risk in interpreting MRPs at a constituency level, even if overall they get it right. E.g. Edinburgh Northern going LD - will that bit of Almond (Silverknowes & Muirhouse) really swing it away from the SNP? Seems unlikely to me, I’d have thought that was the most SNP part of the ward.
Obviously Trinity and Inverleith are pretty posh, but even then the Greens and SNP pick up half their councillors. Going to be really interesting which party left-wing voters go for.
Rowling lives adjacently I think, she’ll have been firing out Expelliarmus Natus Transitus spells 24/7, or funding whichever Yoon party she’s currently adopted as a cat’s paw.
She does, enormous hedge outside her place in Barnton. Cycle past it regularly on way to the gravel in Dalmeny.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Some patches of road round my way have a yellow 'high friction surface' on them. This seems to wear far slower than bare tarmac, one patch has been in place for over 25 years and has only minor wear and no pot holes. It's also amazingly grippy in the wet.
Labour doesn’t need to worry about the left flank, it is Reform.
Oh yes it does. That is a major driver of the Green vote. My son lives in Brixton and is voting Green in the Locals specifically to give Starmer a kicking, motivated by Gaza and other Culture War issues. He isn't particularly green on other issues, notably he is fond of bargain city breaks with low cost airlines.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Fourth power law. There’s been a very significant increase in LGV mileage on minor roads - once upon at time you’d have one Royal Mail van go round, now it’s endless Amazon.
+ catastrophic LA finances, obviously
Sure, 4th power law. My recent experience (in Ireland, obvs) is that minor roads are fine. LGVs still aren't heavy enough to do nearly as much damage as HGVs. The minor roads that deteriorate are those the co-op milk tankers have to navigate to get to milking yards.
But any road with regular HGV traffic is continually falling apart. I'm sure heavier rain in Ireland makes it worse here. The substrate of the road is less stable for starters, and large amounts of a road surface can disappear in one rain storm.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
Every time my car has gone in for a service, timing belt, MOT or whatever my garage has replaced at least one link, spring, arm or joint so I can understand your friends' vote.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Isn't it also something to do with the increasing weight of many modern tanks cars?
I see Marcus North (Australian) has been appointed as chief England selector. I now think I have a chance for the next Ashes squad (last innings was 29, batting at 4 for my village 3rd XI)...
It seems everyone on here is now voting Conservative and praising Kemi Badenoch to the skies.
To use the gardening analogy, being cosseted in the indoor garden with the herbaceous intelligentsia and Niallus Fergusonium might be fine but she'll have to cope with the more rigorous environment of the outdoor world before long.
Her tendency to the uncosted populist pledge is a concern as is my abiding doubt whatever she says on working or not working with Reform will go out the window if the Parliamentary arithmetic means Reform plus Conservatives equals a majority. Oddly enough, I'd be more likely to vote for her if she said she would support a non-Reform Government but we all know that won't happen.
Here in Newham, fortunately, voting Conservative is about as useful as voting Lib Dem, Reform or CPA. I will vote LD for the Mayor but as I have three Council seats and one LD candidate, I have a dilemma over my other two votes which I've not resolved.
I'm obviously not Kemi's target audience, but for what it's worth - I always find her manner pleasant, and am taken aback by the relatively extreme policies that she often advocates. If I was looking for right-wing policies, would I be put off by her mild manner?
Hi Nick. I’m very taken by Kemi’s manner too. I’m not that sure of her political beliefs. What are a few of the relatively extreme policies that have surprised you and which presumably you disagree with? Ta.
Zack Polanski has claimed that neither Israel nor any other country has a right to exist
Why can’t he just be quiet? Bizarre strategy.
Maybe he thinks he can gain more anti-semitic votes than he loses. The strategy seemed to work (to a point) for Corbyn
On the subject of anti-semitism, would any of these images be tolerated of any other Jewish politician?
Incidentally a bizarre response to blame the Green Party for right wing press cartoons.
Perfectly ok as we have been assured on here that Polanski has a 'hooked nose'
He does though. Its tricky for cartoonists who will exaggerate features of the subject for comic effect. I'd argue Polanski's features of note are (1) his gap in his teeth and (2) a rather large nose.
We have two prominent gap-toothed party leaders now.
"In the Caribbean, gap teeth are associated with sexual allure; in West Africa, they signify wealth. In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character. A gap-toothed character was not one to be taken seriously, and they'd often be found lurking at the bottom of the social pecking order.
Gap teeth have served some people particularly well. Comedians have long played on a gap-toothed appearance to convey disingenuousness and lack of guile. This plays to the idea of flaws being funny, but in an age where gap teeth are easily fixable, uniformity has become increasingly desirable.
As Patricia Cumper discovers, retaining a gap toothed appearance now has a lot to do with allure. In France, it represents coquettishness, lustfulness and sexual naivety. Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Vanessa Paradis were all cast in the role of alluring child-women early in their careers; their uneven dentistry helped to convince.
Today, a dentist's point of view on diastema – the official term for gap teeth – would be that it's a flaw waiting to be corrected. What does it say about those who choose to retain this distinguishing characteristic in the face of bright white, even-toothed homogeny? In this playful, surprising and personal journey, Patricia unpicks the consequences and the cultural connotations of retaining the gap in her two front teeth."
"In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character."
That is a terrible misreading of Chaucers depiction of The Wife of Bath. She was neither poor (distinctly middle-class), idiotic (she was a successful textile merchant) nor especially devious - married first at 12, she then too a more pragmatic role of using marriage to get herself a better quality of life from her subsequent husbands.
Was the intent to paint Kemi as poor/idiotic/devious?
It's from 2015 - it's not about Kemi. It's just a thing I found with Google...
'Gat-toothed' implied sensuality, but I think in a glam rather than erotic way. If you read Chaucer's Wife of Bath as licentious, you're reading it wrong.
Interesting that the latest YouGov MRP for Scotland has the Greens closer to where instinctively I thought they would be - 16 seats.
But I still think Reform will get over 20 based on anecdotal chatter from the Highlsnds/NE/West Lothian. And the SNP won’t make 60.
I wonder if there is a shy tendency for Reform voters ... 20 seats is perfectly plausible, 4 in some regions but may struggle for 2 in Glasgow/Edinburgh. Can't see them taking many constituencies, but could be some surprises if low turnout.
I think 16 would be nearer the upper end of Green seats, theres one or two constituencies they could have stood in and performed very well, Kelvin would be a strong chance if Patrick Harvie had stood and it was old boundaries. They'll get a seat in South, but wont get 2, most other regions should deliver 2 Greens.
Think I said 58 for SNP in the predictions contest, but can see them down to 55 or slightly lower if they don't poll well in Aberdeenshire and Highlands. I think the Tories can hang on in the south, but their list will be decimated. Less sure about Labour, not a good sign for them from Jackie Baillie yesterday
I've got Reform winning 2 constituencies (Banffshire & Buchan Coast and Ayr) plus 19 list seats. - 21 in total SNP on 60 (no list seats)
I'm really not sure where this fuss over Reform in Ayr is coming from, a few MRPs had it going to them. Carrick & Cumnock and Cunninghame south both look like they'd go to Reform before Ayr fell. Ayr is no longer the retirement home it used to be, there are more families moving there. Ref finished 3rd behind the SNP at the Ayr north by election, which should be one of their better wards. I dont think the Ayr MSP has been all that convincing, but I'd imagine she should be ok given the likely crumbling Tory vote.
Agree on Banff, thats surely their best chance of a constituency gain. Elsewhere, a lot of Reform constituency candidates have been really poor
There’s always a risk in interpreting MRPs at a constituency level, even if overall they get it right. E.g. Edinburgh Northern going LD - will that bit of Almond (Silverknowes & Muirhouse) really swing it away from the SNP? Seems unlikely to me, I’d have thought that was the most SNP part of the ward.
Obviously Trinity and Inverleith are pretty posh, but even then the Greens and SNP pick up half their councillors. Going to be really interesting which party left-wing voters go for.
So much of this depends on relative turnout. Edin Northern going LD is a stretch I think. Reform could do quite well in the North East, but will fall well short if the SNP vote holds up.
BBC is sui generis, the rest of the North East is a lot less Reform curious. I think the Lib Dems will pick up if the the SNP are down. If the Tories are also down, then the voter flow could be fairly chaotic though.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Isn't it also something to do with the increasing weight of many modern tanks cars?
Which is completely unrelated to the road tax, sorry VED formulae.
I see Marcus North (Australian) has been appointed as chief England selector. I now think I have a chance for the next Ashes squad (last innings was 29, batting at 4 for my village 3rd XI)...
This might bemuse some on here, but my pencil will hover briefly over the SCon box, simply because they’ve pledged to abolish LBTT.
It’s a disastrous tax for the economy, fertility rate, housing market and my personal finances. But their policy on cycle lanes (distilled from bots on Facebook) then immediately disqualifies them.
Off topic, I have one of the most pleasant polling stations to vote in in the country. It is at the local cricket club: it is possible to vote, then go upstairs for a reasonably well-kept and reasonably priced pint of real ale and a low-key conversation while catching an only-vaguely-interested eye over whatever cricket is happening beneath the setting sun, or else sitting on a comfy seat looking at whatever is exciting Sky Sports today. Even so, I'm only 70% sure I'll bother. If that's true for reasonaly-engaged me with such a fine polling station, it's no wonder turnout is unimpressive.
Real ale and cricket? Pleasant? Is this a parody account?
Cookie will be crossdressing as an old maid as he pauses to cast his vote while cycling to communion.
Those living at the other end of the road to Cookie get to vote, watched over by Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, Chorlton and the Wheelies, and their friends in our polling station.
It seems everyone on here is now voting Conservative and praising Kemi Badenoch to the skies.
To use the gardening analogy, being cosseted in the indoor garden with the herbaceous intelligentsia and Niallus Fergusonium might be fine but she'll have to cope with the more rigorous environment of the outdoor world before long.
Her tendency to the uncosted populist pledge is a concern as is my abiding doubt whatever she says on working or not working with Reform will go out the window if the Parliamentary arithmetic means Reform plus Conservatives equals a majority. Oddly enough, I'd be more likely to vote for her if she said she would support a non-Reform Government but we all know that won't happen.
Here in Newham, fortunately, voting Conservative is about as useful as voting Lib Dem, Reform or CPA. I will vote LD for the Mayor but as I have three Council seats and one LD candidate, I have a dilemma over my other two votes which I've not resolved.
I'm obviously not Kemi's target audience, but for what it's worth - I always find her manner pleasant, and am taken aback by the relatively extreme policies that she often advocates. If I was looking for right-wing policies, would I be put off by her mild manner?
Hi Nick. I’m very taken by Kemi’s manner too. I’m not that sure of her political beliefs. What are a few of the relatively extreme policies that have surprised you and which presumably you disagree with? Ta.
“British ICE” shortly before they shot two people in the head. “Bomb Iran” shortly before the world economy collapses.
So, big day. You should do it properly and I have. Read all the leaflets (carefully), researched the candidates, chatted to any who knocked me up, gave due weight to local issues, who's pledging to fix the crater-sized pothole near Tesco, who's best placed to pollard the trees on my road, the competing positions on the hot potato of the proposed new bus lane (I'm in the yes camp), then once fully clued up, the final step of deciding who to vote for. Which for me this time is going to be Labour.
WhenI l lived in Switzerland, I knew several couples who would set aside an evening every 3 months to go through the literature on the current referenda (which were that frequent) and decide how to vote. Recommendations from the parties were noted but not given tremendous weight, and even far-left or far-right parties with minimal support could get a sensible proposal through. Near-misses were recognised as a valid signal by the government - e.g. the 40% voting to abolish the armed forces were taken as a signal to reduce military spending. It convinced me of the value of direct democracy, though I suspect that in countries like ours unused to it, it would take time to get to that stage.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Fourth power law. There’s been a very significant increase in LGV mileage on minor roads - once upon at time you’d have one Royal Mail van go round, now it’s endless Amazon.
+ catastrophic LA finances, obviously
Sure, 4th power law. My recent experience (in Ireland, obvs) is that minor roads are fine. LGVs still aren't heavy enough to do nearly as much damage as HGVs. The minor roads that deteriorate are those the co-op milk tankers have to navigate to get to milking yards.
But any road with regular HGV traffic is continually falling apart. I'm sure heavier rain in Ireland makes it worse here. The substrate of the road is less stable for starters, and large amounts of a road surface can disappear in one rain storm.
Funny but the complete opposite here. Roads looked after by central government are broadly fine.
The fourth power law is why I’m so sanctimonious while cycling around Edinburgh.
Zack Polanski has claimed that neither Israel nor any other country has a right to exist
Why can’t he just be quiet? Bizarre strategy.
Maybe he thinks he can gain more anti-semitic votes than he loses. The strategy seemed to work (to a point) for Corbyn
On the subject of anti-semitism, would any of these images be tolerated of any other Jewish politician?
Incidentally a bizarre response to blame the Green Party for right wing press cartoons.
Perfectly ok as we have been assured on here that Polanski has a 'hooked nose'
He does though. Its tricky for cartoonists who will exaggerate features of the subject for comic effect. I'd argue Polanski's features of note are (1) his gap in his teeth and (2) a rather large nose.
We have two prominent gap-toothed party leaders now.
"In the Caribbean, gap teeth are associated with sexual allure; in West Africa, they signify wealth. In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character. A gap-toothed character was not one to be taken seriously, and they'd often be found lurking at the bottom of the social pecking order.
Gap teeth have served some people particularly well. Comedians have long played on a gap-toothed appearance to convey disingenuousness and lack of guile. This plays to the idea of flaws being funny, but in an age where gap teeth are easily fixable, uniformity has become increasingly desirable.
As Patricia Cumper discovers, retaining a gap toothed appearance now has a lot to do with allure. In France, it represents coquettishness, lustfulness and sexual naivety. Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Vanessa Paradis were all cast in the role of alluring child-women early in their careers; their uneven dentistry helped to convince.
Today, a dentist's point of view on diastema – the official term for gap teeth – would be that it's a flaw waiting to be corrected. What does it say about those who choose to retain this distinguishing characteristic in the face of bright white, even-toothed homogeny? In this playful, surprising and personal journey, Patricia unpicks the consequences and the cultural connotations of retaining the gap in her two front teeth."
"In historical fiction, gap teeth signified poverty, idiocy or deviousness, as with Geoffrey Chaucer's wife of bath character."
That is a terrible misreading of Chaucers depiction of The Wife of Bath. She was neither poor (distinctly middle-class), idiotic (she was a successful textile merchant) nor especially devious - married first at 12, she then too a more pragmatic role of using marriage to get herself a better quality of life from her subsequent husbands.
Was the intent to paint Kemi as poor/idiotic/devious?
It's from 2015 - it's not about Kemi. It's just a thing I found with Google...
'Gat-toothed' implied sensuality, but I think in a glam rather than erotic way. If you read Chaucer's Wife of Bath as licentious, you're reading it wrong.
Bit early in the day for this, but in South Africa it is indeed considerd erotic, after a slightly disturbing fashion:
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Isn't it also something to do with the increasing weight of many modern tanks cars?
That won't help, but is really very marginal. The legal limit on axle weight for an HGV in Britain is 10,500kg, while that of even a monstrous vehicle like the Cybertruck is only ~1,500kg. Because road wear is proportional to the fourth power of the axle weight, it means that one HGV produces as much road wear as 2,401 Cybertrucks.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Isn't it also something to do with the increasing weight of many modern tanks cars?
While increasing vehicle weights probably play a part, I think the main cause is lack of funding. When I was younger, people used to worry about where all the money would come from to care for my large cohort in its old age. Now that I'm older, we know the answer: the ballooning budget for adult social care is being paid by decimating the budget for everything else, including road maintenance.
Good look to everybody voting against Reform today.
Such petty small minded self-harming bollocks. You'd rather give power to Polanski's lot. Makes me want to vote Reform to be honest, though that would still be allowing your witless drivel to influence me in some form.
We've seen what happened in Hungary, and what it took for them to get rid of Orban, and don't want that over here. No thanks to British ICE and Farage and his cronies controlling the media and courts.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Isn't it also something to do with the increasing weight of many modern tanks cars?
While increasing vehicle weights probably play a part, I think the main cause is lack of funding. When I was younger, people used to worry about where all the money would come from to care for my large cohort in its old age. Now that I'm older, we know the answer: the ballooning budget for adult social care is being paid by decimating the budget for everything else, including road maintenance.
Short term approach too - shoddy fixes that last a week or two rather than a proper fix.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Fourth power law. There’s been a very significant increase in LGV mileage on minor roads - once upon at time you’d have one Royal Mail van go round, now it’s endless Amazon.
+ catastrophic LA finances, obviously
Sure, 4th power law. My recent experience (in Ireland, obvs) is that minor roads are fine. LGVs still aren't heavy enough to do nearly as much damage as HGVs. The minor roads that deteriorate are those the co-op milk tankers have to navigate to get to milking yards.
But any road with regular HGV traffic is continually falling apart. I'm sure heavier rain in Ireland makes it worse here. The substrate of the road is less stable for starters, and large amounts of a road surface can disappear in one rain storm.
Funny but the complete opposite here. Roads looked after by central government are broadly fine.
The fourth power law is why I’m so sanctimonious while cycling around Edinburgh.
I may have a different definition of minor road to you. None of the roads around here are the responsibility of central government, so they'd all be minor roads on your reckoning.
This might bemuse some on here, but my pencil will hover briefly over the SCon box, simply because they’ve pledged to abolish LBTT.
It’s a disastrous tax for the economy, fertility rate, housing market and my personal finances. But their policy on cycle lanes (distilled from bots on Facebook) then immediately disqualifies them.
If the SNP hold BBC then that twat Swinney will foam on about a mandate for independence and do Nothing At All in government again whilst blaming the English.
If the fukers take BBC then we get associated with *that*, albeit with comedy as people then get to witness precisely how their policies on energy fucks us and how their policies on fishing fucks us.
Which leaves the Tories. They ran the SNP close last time, and the thing few people want to talk about is the exodus of SNP votes from poor / working areas to the fukers. So the Tories it is, cycle lane policy or not. And having read their candidate's leaflet I thought it was practically identical to my own 2024 GE leaflet. So...t
This might bemuse some on here, but my pencil will hover briefly over the SCon box, simply because they’ve pledged to abolish LBTT.
It’s a disastrous tax for the economy, fertility rate, housing market and my personal finances. But their policy on cycle lanes (distilled from bots on Facebook) then immediately disqualifies them.
If the SNP hold BBC then that twat Swinney will foam on about a mandate for independence and do Nothing At All in government again whilst blaming the English.
If the fukers take BBC then we get associated with *that*, albeit with comedy as people then get to witness precisely how their policies on energy fucks us and how their policies on fishing fucks us.
Which leaves the Tories. They ran the SNP close last time, and the thing few people want to talk about is the exodus of SNP votes from poor / working areas to the fukers. So the Tories it is, cycle lane policy or not. And having read their candidate's leaflet I thought it was practically identical to my own 2024 GE leaflet. So...t
Labour doesn’t need to worry about the left flank, it is Reform.
If Labour just got back the voters it lost to the Greens or are currently DNV it would have enough support to win the next election. It's giving Glasman a time of day - and failing to understand voters who haven't voted for you since 05, aren't your voters anymore - which is a big reason why Labour is in a mess.
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Isn't it also something to do with the increasing weight of many modern tanks cars?
That won't help, but is really very marginal. The legal limit on axle weight for an HGV in Britain is 10,500kg, while that of even a monstrous vehicle like the Cybertruck is only ~1,500kg. Because road wear is proportional to the fourth power of the axle weight, it means that one HGV produces as much road wear as 2,401 Cybertrucks.
Met police arrest man over theft of Morgan McSweeney’s phone
Suspect, 28, is accused of selling the device that belonged to Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff and contained WhatsApp messages about Peter Mandelson
“ Just took my 93yr grandmother to vote, she’s registered blind. In a very loud voice she said, “which box for Islamism and bigger boobs?” A cheer went up from the waiting voters.”
Met police arrest man over theft of Morgan McSweeney’s phone
Suspect, 28, is accused of selling the device that belonged to Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff and contained WhatsApp messages about Peter Mandelson
Met police arrest man over theft of Morgan McSweeney’s phone
Suspect, 28, is accused of selling the device that belonged to Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff and contained WhatsApp messages about Peter Mandelson
Well judging by my friends any party that wants to win needs to fix the potholes. It's literally the only issue anyone gives a fuck about.
There seems to have been distressingly little advance in materials science to improve the durability of road surfaces over the last few decades. That, or increasing lorry traffic has demolished any gains made.
Isn't it also something to do with the increasing weight of many modern tanks cars?
That won't help, but is really very marginal. The legal limit on axle weight for an HGV in Britain is 10,500kg, while that of even a monstrous vehicle like the Cybertruck is only ~1,500kg. Because road wear is proportional to the fourth power of the axle weight, it means that one HGV produces as much road wear as 2,401 Cybertrucks.
Comments
The prevalence of tactical voting, and the way in which it warps political campaigning and debate, is a blight on British politics.
However when I went to vote I noticed there were a lot more prominent notices about photographs this time and you could see if anyone was using a phone while voting. It did make the secrecy more difficult though. Without prompting my wife mentioned this on leaving the polling station.
I assume anyone who is coercing people how to vote will organise postal ballots, which of course is the real issue with our voting currently.
Lesson with reminder leaflets: Say the date, unless delivering on the day when you can say 'Today'.
Never say 'Tomorrow' as some plonker will deliver late and remember it can sit in the letter box over night.
Agree on Banff, thats surely their best chance of a constituency gain. Elsewhere, a lot of Reform constituency candidates have been really poor
Polling card said Church Hall. Said church had a garish "Polling Station" sign on the fence. Entered. C of E coffee morning. Followed vicar's instructions down a side alley I'd never noticed before. Entered the only visible building. Preschool dance class.
Finally found it round a corner. Just me and the teller and a notice warning against family voting.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/sep/30/ben-jennings-kemi-badenoch-views-maternity-pay-cartoon
(The depiction of the single mother is arguably more offensive in this one...)
Here's another:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/sep/30/ben-jennings-kemi-badenoch-views-maternity-pay-cartoon
I think the lesson here is that The Guardian need Steve Bell back, because these cartoons are shit.
Bonus Sun cartoon. Rishi with a big nose, Kemi with a small one:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/25563539/kemi-badenoch-backs-rishi-sunak-rocking-sinking-ship/
Not sure how our dog voted. Monster Raving Loony is the obvious choice, or anyone offering free chicken.
He then said "The Green Party are not targetting this area. They are working hard on other parts as they know in your area the Lib Dems have the best chance of beating Labour which is why you won't have heard from them".
Clever marketing.
Happy for refuk to report "family voting" to the Electoral Commission and use me as an example. Have already fed back to my friend who works there...
That is a terrible misreading of Chaucers depiction of The Wife of Bath. She was neither poor (distinctly middle-class), idiotic (she was a successful textile merchant) nor especially devious - married first at 12, she then too a more pragmatic role of using marriage to get herself a better quality of life from her subsequent husbands.
Was the intent to paint Kemi as poor/idiotic/devious?
* Irish governments seem to have cooled on the use of citizen assemblies now that the more recent ones made recommendations they were uncomfortable with, instead of recommending what they wanted to do already.
NEW: Tory source responds to David Gauke being nominated for a knighthood by Labour
"Kemi absolutely livid Labour nominated Gauke. She wouldn't have him anywhere near any list. Starmer even snuck it through a random honours committee to stop Kemi vetoing it."
https://bsky.app/profile/jaheale.bsky.social/post/3mlat4brhkk25
Isn't it just a routine bauble to say thanks for his prisons review?
Not a very nice person I would say
Political Betting: Will it be ‘Starmageddon’ for Labour in the Local Elections?
https://dailysceptic.org/2026/05/07/political-betting-will-it-be-starmageddon-for-labour-in-the-local-elections/
Obviously Trinity and Inverleith are pretty posh, but even then the Greens and SNP pick up half their councillors. Going to be really interesting which party left-wing voters go for.
It does seem to have been handed out absurdly easily in recent years.
am
I don't think it's especially expensive. The real "cost" is that the influence of parties is reduced to an advisory function, plus actually trying to implement the ideas of the electorate. As with any change, it's against the interest of whoever wins a majority under the current system.
Im guessing low 30s to 35% will take my ward with Ref, Con and LD all very active here. Con 60% plus last time (but in 2021 when they polled 40% plus regularly nationally)
This ought to be one of the better end of Conservative wards in Norfolk so if they arent close or winning it might be a very very bad night for them in Norfolk
Edin Northern going LD is a stretch I think.
Reform could do quite well in the North East, but will fall well short if the SNP vote holds up.
+ catastrophic LA finances, obviously
But I assume this stuff is expensive.
But any road with regular HGV traffic is continually falling apart. I'm sure heavier rain in Ireland makes it worse here. The substrate of the road is less stable for starters, and large amounts of a road surface can disappear in one rain storm.
tankscars?It’s a disastrous tax for the economy, fertility rate, housing market and my personal finances. But their policy on cycle lanes (distilled from bots on Facebook) then immediately disqualifies them.
Confirmed our 2 votes
Canvassed again just now
GOTV by local conservatives
It wasn’t well regarded at the time but is now considered a classic.
The fourth power law is why I’m so sanctimonious while cycling around Edinburgh.
https://www.medindia.net/news/oral-sex-or-peer-pressure-how-a-sexual-myth-has-made-being-toothless-fashionable-in-cape-town-59114-1.htm
Road wear is almost completely about HGVs.
Can confirm polling is "brisk" !
Lots of booze and snacks on standby for tonights festivities... See you later!
Three times as well!
If the fukers take BBC then we get associated with *that*, albeit with comedy as people then get to witness precisely how their policies on energy fucks us and how their policies on fishing fucks us.
Which leaves the Tories. They ran the SNP close last time, and the thing few people want to talk about is the exodus of SNP votes from poor / working areas to the fukers. So the Tories it is, cycle lane policy or not. And having read their candidate's leaflet I thought it was practically identical to my own 2024 GE leaflet. So...t
If the fukers take BBC then we get associated with *that*, albeit with comedy as people then get to witness precisely how their policies on energy fucks us and how their policies on fishing fucks us.
Which leaves the Tories. They ran the SNP close last time, and the thing few people want to talk about is the exodus of SNP votes from poor / working areas to the fukers. So the Tories it is, cycle lane policy or not. And having read their candidate's leaflet I thought it was practically identical to my own 2024 GE leaflet. So...t
Reform here are fixing pot holes and doing fine. In spite of Rochdale claiming Reform in Durham are a Poor council.
The first meeting of the new Green Council
Suspect, 28, is accused of selling the device that belonged to Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff and contained WhatsApp messages about Peter Mandelson
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/morgan-mcsweeney-phone-theft-police-arrest-5hp6prkf6
“ Just took my 93yr grandmother to vote, she’s registered blind. In a very loud voice she said, “which box for Islamism and bigger boobs?” A cheer went up from the waiting voters.”
https://x.com/realdangliebitz/status/2052282256136302761?s=61
Wonder if they’re feeling okay.
Next they’ll be trying to stop shoplifting.