Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
"Alberta is about to decide whether it wants to stay in Canada or take steps to become an independent nation.
The provincial premier, Danielle Smith, recently announced that Alberta will hold a referendum to determine its future in Canada. The question to be asked will be: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”"
Nothing will come of it. Alberta throws its toys out the pram from time to time, and it's usually about tax or the federal government interfering with its oil revenues, so fires a shot across the bows.
Ah, Scotland
(runs away and hides)
The UK government won’t allow an independence referendum there now anymore than Spain will Catalonia. The Canadian government is getting into dangerous territory allowing Alberta an independence referendum. It may have scraped a defeat of the last Quebec independence referendum but it is risky allowing Alberta one too
Shitting themselves that they would lose their golden goose.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Burnham and David Miliband standing for Labour leader, back to 2010 though difficult to see what Miliband offers different to Streeting. Burnham offers a return to an additional rate 50% of income tax as Brown had
Yes, Streeting is David Miliband. He's missing only a slightly geeky-looking younger brother in politics called Ed. Although he's a touch crisper and more pugnacious than DM imo. Also better at 'talking human'. Sorry, hate the phrase, but it's out of the bag now. In fact although he's the standard bearer of the right of the party - who I do not id with - if we look purely at ability I rate him the best that the party has. I'd probably put him 1st choice if there's a contest with him in it. Of course he wouldn't stand a chance against a Makerfield-winning Andy Burnham.
"Alberta is about to decide whether it wants to stay in Canada or take steps to become an independent nation.
The provincial premier, Danielle Smith, recently announced that Alberta will hold a referendum to determine its future in Canada. The question to be asked will be: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”"
Nothing will come of it. Alberta throws its toys out the pram from time to time, and it's usually about tax or the federal government interfering with its oil revenues, so fires a shot across the bows.
Ah, Scotland
(runs away and hides)
The UK government won’t allow an independence referendum there now anymore than Spain will Catalonia. The Canadian government is getting into dangerous territory allowing Alberta an independence referendum. It may have scraped a defeat of the last Quebec independence referendum but it is risky allowing Alberta one too
Shitting themselves that they would lose their golden goose.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
Burnham and David Miliband standing for Labour leader, back to 2010 though difficult to see what Miliband offers different to Streeting. Burnham offers a return to an additional rate 50% of income tax as Brown had
Yes, Streeting is David Miliband. He's missing only a slightly geeky-looking younger brother in politics called Ed. Although he's a touch crisper and more pugnacious than DM imo. Also better at 'talking human'. Sorry, hate the phrase, but it's out of the bag now. In fact although he's the standard bearer of the right of the party - who I do not id with - if we look purely at ability I rate him the best that the party has. I'd probably put him 1st choice if there's a contest with him in it. Of course he wouldn't stand a chance against a Makerfield-winning Andy Burnham.
He's not David Milliband, then. Also he has a better backstory.
"Alberta is about to decide whether it wants to stay in Canada or take steps to become an independent nation.
The provincial premier, Danielle Smith, recently announced that Alberta will hold a referendum to determine its future in Canada. The question to be asked will be: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”"
Nothing will come of it. Alberta throws its toys out the pram from time to time, and it's usually about tax or the federal government interfering with its oil revenues, so fires a shot across the bows.
Ah, Scotland
(runs away and hides)
Unless the Canadian federal government has a deep commitment to democracy I imagine they’re comfortable with a referendum because they think they’ll win it. Westminster otoh will not allow ‘the most powerful devolved parliament in the world’ to decide whether or not to have a referendum because they’re shitting their pants that they’d lose it.
Cameron thought the same when he allowed the EU referendum and lost it, destroying his government in the process. Referendums are ripe for populists, personally I would never allow another referendum on any issue in the UK again
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
"Alberta is about to decide whether it wants to stay in Canada or take steps to become an independent nation.
The provincial premier, Danielle Smith, recently announced that Alberta will hold a referendum to determine its future in Canada. The question to be asked will be: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”"
Nothing will come of it. Alberta throws its toys out the pram from time to time, and it's usually about tax or the federal government interfering with its oil revenues, so fires a shot across the bows.
Ah, Scotland
(runs away and hides)
Unless the Canadian federal government has a deep commitment to democracy I imagine they’re comfortable with a referendum because they think they’ll win it. Westminster otoh will not allow ‘the most powerful devolved parliament in the world’ to decide whether or not to have a referendum because they’re shitting their pants that they’d lose it.
Cameron thought the same when he allowed the EU referendum and lost it, destroying his government in the process. Referendums are ripe for populists, personally I would never allow another referendum on any issue in the UK again
"Alberta is about to decide whether it wants to stay in Canada or take steps to become an independent nation.
The provincial premier, Danielle Smith, recently announced that Alberta will hold a referendum to determine its future in Canada. The question to be asked will be: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”"
Nothing will come of it. Alberta throws its toys out the pram from time to time, and it's usually about tax or the federal government interfering with its oil revenues, so fires a shot across the bows.
Ah, Scotland
(runs away and hides)
Totally different from Scotland as Alberta ( not even a country ) is allowed to decide to have a vote, they are not held prisoner
Number of Referenda on Scottish Independence x1 Number of Referenda on Albertan Independence x0
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
Starmer took on both the left and the right and some significant vested interests in the state (e.g. pensioners, farmers, us big tech). He made powerful enemies . Couple that with unforced political errors and a relative lack of charisma and we end up where we are today.
Burnham and David Miliband standing for Labour leader, back to 2010 though difficult to see what Miliband offers different to Streeting. Burnham offers a return to an additional rate 50% of income tax as Brown had
Yes, Streeting is David Miliband. He's missing only a slightly geeky-looking younger brother in politics called Ed. Although he's a touch crisper and more pugnacious than DM imo. Also better at 'talking human'. Sorry, hate the phrase, but it's out of the bag now. In fact although he's the standard bearer of the right of the party - who I do not id with - if we look purely at ability I rate him the best that the party has. I'd probably put him 1st choice if there's a contest with him in it. Of course he wouldn't stand a chance against a Makerfield-winning Andy Burnham.
He's not David Milliband, then. Also he has a better backstory.
Well Mili Snr was also viewed that way by many - amplified now by the enormous advantage of not getting the opportunity to disprove it.
Yes, Streeting's backstory is really something. As strong as Rayner's arguably.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Kemi has a higher net approval rating than Starmer, Farage and Polanski though lower than Davey and Burnham
"Alberta is about to decide whether it wants to stay in Canada or take steps to become an independent nation.
The provincial premier, Danielle Smith, recently announced that Alberta will hold a referendum to determine its future in Canada. The question to be asked will be: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”"
Nothing will come of it. Alberta throws its toys out the pram from time to time, and it's usually about tax or the federal government interfering with its oil revenues, so fires a shot across the bows.
Ah, Scotland
(runs away and hides)
Totally different from Scotland as Alberta ( not even a country ) is allowed to decide to have a vote, they are not held prisoner
Number of Referenda on Scottish Independence x1 Number of Referenda on Albertan Independence x0
You are being ridiculous, Stereo. The plural of referendum is referendums.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
Keir Starmer is a lawyer, not a politician. He does not care what taking freebies looks like because he neither knows nor can imagine what it looks like. He only knows whether it is legal and it is so that's all right.
As for Kemi, she has trouble thinking on her feet and is easily riled, but I see no-one better. She is ill-served by an inept CCHQ team judging by her weekly PMQs diet of six questions about last week's cold leftover news.
The trouble is that the Miliband brothers are a bit weird and really struggle with photographs of them with food.
That banana. God.
The other trouble is the 'change' they want to see is actually deeply damaging and won't help a single person. David Milliband is currently doing to our energy provision and by extension to our economy what he did to that bacon sandwich - agonisingly ripping it apart sinew by sinew.
I think we need a ban on the word 'change' in politics. 'Change' is a totally meaningless concept. People did not 'vote for change' - a 'change' could be death squads hunting down morris dancers. People didn't vote for that. Anyone who cannot articulate pithily what specific 'change' they feel people voted for and how they plan to deliver that specific 'change' should be treated with deep mistrust. It is especially concerning when they team this unknown 'change' with 'further and faster', which means not only are they asking for a blank cheque, they're also going to take that blank cheque and introduce radical and probably unwelcome change because 'this is what people wanted'.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
With Starmer it is his belief that following the process is all that matters. Process State thinking.
To him, he’s done the right thing. To others, he’s the lawyer using the fine print in the contract to avoid responsibility.
From that comes his method of resolutely taking responsibility - he fires subordinates. After all, he was right. He followed the law or process.
With this thinking, he’s alienated the left of his party, the centre and most of the right. Not to mention the country at large.
"Alberta is about to decide whether it wants to stay in Canada or take steps to become an independent nation.
The provincial premier, Danielle Smith, recently announced that Alberta will hold a referendum to determine its future in Canada. The question to be asked will be: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”"
Nothing will come of it. Alberta throws its toys out the pram from time to time, and it's usually about tax or the federal government interfering with its oil revenues, so fires a shot across the bows.
Ah, Scotland
(runs away and hides)
Totally different from Scotland as Alberta ( not even a country ) is allowed to decide to have a vote, they are not held prisoner
Number of Referenda on Scottish Independence x1 Number of Referenda on Albertan Independence x0
They can get one when they want one, big difference and just a province, not a country. As I said they are not held in bondage.
"Alberta is about to decide whether it wants to stay in Canada or take steps to become an independent nation.
The provincial premier, Danielle Smith, recently announced that Alberta will hold a referendum to determine its future in Canada. The question to be asked will be: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”"
Nothing will come of it. Alberta throws its toys out the pram from time to time, and it's usually about tax or the federal government interfering with its oil revenues, so fires a shot across the bows.
Ah, Scotland
(runs away and hides)
Unless the Canadian federal government has a deep commitment to democracy I imagine they’re comfortable with a referendum because they think they’ll win it. Westminster otoh will not allow ‘the most powerful devolved parliament in the world’ to decide whether or not to have a referendum because they’re shitting their pants that they’d lose it.
Cameron thought the same when he allowed the EU referendum and lost it, destroying his government in the process. Referendums are ripe for populists, personally I would never allow another referendum on any issue in the UK again
Then we should have to rejoin without one.
If Labour and/or the LDs and Greens won a general election with a manifesto commitment to rejoin the EU fine. We only left the EU after the Conservatives general election win in 2019 with a manifesto commitment to leave the EU anyway, not as Leave won in 2016
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
Starmer took on both the left and the right and some significant vested interests in the state (e.g. pensioners, farmers, us big tech). He made powerful enemies . Couple that with unforced political errors and a relative lack of charisma and we end up where we are today.
Back after a few days in rural Derbyshire exploring one of the other Englands - there are plenty of them.
South Derbyshire is a curious mix of wealth - Belper, Matlock and Ashbourne are prosperous towns - and less wealthy areas such as Ripley and Alfreton. None of it is East Ham and it's quite apparent quite quickly it isn't but all the places have an energy and I always return to London profoundly optimistic for England in general and the doomsayers have it all wrong (as usual).
So, to politics, and trying to pick up the threads, Andy Burnham? Well, he's no Sadiq Khan, is he? He has taken the biggest personal political gamble since Boris Johnson opted to support Leave rather than Remain in 2016. It's all been said and I won't repeat it.
My personal view on Burnham is I don't have a view on him - his campaign video was very good. Whether that makes him a Prime Minister I have my doubts - my sense is, as with most aspiring leaders, he is running away from radical ideas the closer he gets to the big black door and those hoping for change may, as they were with Starmer, going to end up disapppointed.
We've had the most dramatic local election in Newham for 20+ years and it seems Labour (who still do backroom politics well) have done a deal with the Greens - a Green is now Chair of the Council leaving the Newham Independents out in the cold (nowhere's "in the cold" today it would seem).
Further afield, are we to see some kind of "deal" in the Gulf? I imagine the oil price will fall back quickly in Asian trading this evening (our time) but as always the Devil will be in the detail - have Iran basically got control of Hormuz to the extent they can decide at a whim to stop tankers passing? Until alternative cross-desert pipelines are in place which can carry the capacity, that leaves the new (or old) regime in Tehran still in a strong position.
Well, there you go - a typically anodyne tedious return post designed to bore the you-know-whats off the usual suspects.
I feel good - but then I knew that I would, as someone once said.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
The Tories are behind Labour in the polls today. Reflect on that. For all the noise they are behind.
As a likely third or fourth party, would Badenoch serve in a Labour led coalition to keep Farage out or join Farage? My hunch is the latter. So she is no defence against Reform.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
Starmer failed on his promise to be different and govern with integrity from day one, allowed 16 plus u turns, but most egregious of all appointed Mandelson and sacked everyone but himself
Kemi will not be liked by many but that is the case with all leading politicians and politics
The question for Kemi is can she crossover with Farage and lead the moderate right by the next GE
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
I agree with you that there is an existential threat to Labour, and to be honest if their selling points are the same in many areas of policy as Reform, who cares?
Like Labour, I am not sure what the Conservatives stand for any more. They are not the Party of Butler and McMillan, however the ghosts of Griffiths and Powell might feel at home. Although they too would probably just throw their lot in with Reform.
I don't want to see the Conservative Party drop to permanent Lib Dem levels, but if your party just thinks, and without reflection and effort, that they recover simply because they are the Conservative Party you might be disappointed. Badenoch is a poor leader. You would do much, much better if your party replaced Badenoch with a relative centrist like Hunt.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
Foot had the SDP to deal with as well as Thatcher’s Tories, just as Kemi has Reform to deal with as well as Labour.
Kemi will note though that Foot kept Labour main opposition on seats and, just, on votes too ahead of the SDP. Even if the Conservative government was re elected by a landslide and remained in power for another 14 years
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
I agree with you that there is an existential threat to Labour, and to be honest if their selling points are the same in many areas of policy as Reform, who cares?
Like Labour, I am not sure what the Conservatives stand for any more. They are not the Party of Butler and McMillan, however the ghosts of Griffiths and Powell might feel at home. Although they too would probably just throw their lot in with Reform.
I don't want to see the Conservative Party drop to permanent Lib Dem levels, but if your party just thinks, and without reflection and effort, that they recover simply because they are the Conservative Party you might be disappointed. Badenoch is a poor leader. You would do much, much better if your party replaced Badenoch with a relative centrist like Hunt.
And your last sentence is not where the party is
I voted for Hunt v Johnson and do like him but he is not the future of the party
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
Keir Starmer is a lawyer, not a politician. He does not care what taking freebies looks like because he neither knows nor can imagine what it looks like. He only knows whether it is legal and it is so that's all right.
As for Kemi, she has trouble thinking on her feet and is easily riled, but I see no-one better. She is ill-served by an inept CCHQ team judging by her weekly PMQs diet of six questions about last week's cold leftover news.
You're either watching a very different PMQs to me, haven't seen it recently, or watching some sort of dire James O'Brien PMQs special. Kemi has been keen as mustard in the Commons lately. A large part of the reason why she polls significantly better than the party she leads.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Kemi has a higher net approval rating than Starmer, Farage and Polanski though lower than Davey and Burnham
Her tribe like her, the rest don’t really care at the moment because there are bigger fish to fry.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
Foot had the SDP to deal with as well as Thatcher’s Tories, just as Kemi has Reform to deal with as well as Labour
Foot at least offered an alternative prospectus to the SDP, granted it was a unelectable prospectus, but it was different. What does Badenoch offer as an alternative to Reform?
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Would you prefer a Reform Government with a parliamentary majority, or a Reform coalition with the Conservatives?
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Would you prefer a Reform Government with a parliamentary majority, or a Reform coalition with the Conservatives?
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Would you prefer a Reform Government with a parliamentary majority, or a Reform coalition with the Conservatives?
Both sound dreadful.
Of course they do to you. A second Labour majority vs. a Labour-Green coalition are both pretty horrifying prospects to me, but I know which I'd prefer - the first.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
I agree with you that there is an existential threat to Labour, and to be honest if their selling points are the same in many areas of policy as Reform, who cares?
Like Labour, I am not sure what the Conservatives stand for any more. They are not the Party of Butler and McMillan, however the ghosts of Griffiths and Powell might feel at home. Although they too would probably just throw their lot in with Reform.
I don't want to see the Conservative Party drop to permanent Lib Dem levels, but if your party just thinks, and without reflection and effort, that they recover simply because they are the Conservative Party you might be disappointed. Badenoch is a poor leader. You would do much, much better if your party replaced Badenoch with a relative centrist like Hunt.
And your last sentence is not where the party is
I voted for Hunt v Johnson and do like him but he is not the future of the party
Without people like Hunt offering the voter clear blue water between themselves and Reform you have no Party.
Maybe the future is an absorption into Reform and at some time in the future to cleanse themselves the Reform-Conservatives drop the Reform bit. That works.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Would you prefer a Reform Government with a parliamentary majority, or a Reform coalition with the Conservatives?
Po-tat-to, po-tah-to. Most of what government does is about executive decisions in ministerial offices, not Commons votes.
Ah, but what about Coalition Dave vs. Conservative Dave, I hear you ask. Well, I suspect that the Coalition gave Cameron cover to do more of what he wanted to do against the wishes of his party. I don't think that argument applies to Nigel.
I find comments like this a bit strange to be honest.
Why? Restore Britain are white supremacists. Of course their canvas team are white.
White nationalists, not white supremacists.
Oh, thank goodness!
A distinction without a difference.
There absolutely is a difference.
White nationalists care about being the dominant racial group in their own country.
White supremacists care about being the dominant racial group in every country.
I've not ever heard that distinction. Just that supremacists believe in the, well, supremacy of their race. Whether they are content to do that in one country or expand it to others seems like a matter of individual ambition rather than being distinct from white nationalists - it doesn't seem very likely that a believe in racial dominance and supremacy would stop at the English Channel even if no international invasions were planned.
White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a race[1] and seeks to develop and maintain a white racial and national identity.[2][3][4] Many of its proponents identify with the concept of a white ethnostate.[5]
Nativism is a political policy of promoting or protecting the interests of native-born or indigenous people over those of immigrants,[1][2] including opposition to immigration.[3]
Based on those definitions Restore as a party is clearly nativist and many of its members are no doubt white nationalists. But you can argue that England should be for the ethnically English (who happen to be white) without necessarily believing that white people are superior - you just need to believe that the English are a people who deserve a country where their interests are treated as paramount.
What is ethnically English? I can understand the concept of culturally English but the English - myself included - are such a mongrel breed that the idea of a single English ethnicity seems to me to be utterly illogical. I am culturally English and that matters to me. But I would never say that TSE was less English than me, nor Kemi Badenoch, Michael Portillo, David Lammy, Sadiq Khan or anyone else who has grown up here and adheres to our mores and customs.
Is Lenny Henry less English than Jasper Carrott?
Before you start throwing around these concepts of "Englishness" you should try defining what that actually means.
Agreed, I’ve posted here before - who is more English, Rishi Sunak or Douglas Jardine? A huge amount of people in the population (ok if they knew Jardine was England Captain for body line) would immediately say he is. He was, as we all know born in India to Scottish parentage whereas Rishi was born in the UK - both had the same education for school and university.
Englishness is an idea not a bloodline or a colour.
It's only in the last couple of years I've noted the contrary view taking on a lot more prominence online.
I question myself often about my own belief system that I am a “culturist” and am I being a racist. I despise the whole Jafaican accent that has spread amongst certain sections of society, the pervasive of r urban black culture etc etc. To me there are loads of kids of all colours and backgrounds taking on this “culture” and it sucks, it’s misogynistic and homophobic. It’s dumb, basic and frankly shit. To me it’s not where it comes from - a black culture - it’s just shit and isn’t good for the general population.
I think of my black friends from school and after who are more “British” in most ways than a lot of Brits.
So I don’t care what colour or religion someone is who wants to live that “culture” I think they are arseholes. There are millions of people of all colours and religions who live in a quasi British/English idea of culture and that’s great, but I find it hard to accept people who want to live in Britain who have such an alien concept of life and then get angry when their way of life is criticised.
Does this make me racist or just human in wanting to live alongside people who want a roughly similar outlook and life to me.
Maybe I’m just a terrible person. Who knows (I am a terrible person for many reasons).
I'd keep accent and language separate from genuine cultural differences - I've noticed that lots of people find spoken English from films of the 60s quite alien (whereas it seems pretty natural to me). We need to be clear about what's important to preserve and what we might gain from cultural change. Where language reflects a homophobic and misogynistic outlook, of course that's repellent, but people change their accent just to fit in without necessarily buying into different attitudes.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
With Starmer it is his belief that following the process is all that matters. Process State thinking.
To him, he’s done the right thing. To others, he’s the lawyer using the fine print in the contract to avoid responsibility.
From that comes his method of resolutely taking responsibility - he fires subordinates. After all, he was right. He followed the law or process.
With this thinking, he’s alienated the left of his party, the centre and most of the right. Not to mention the country at large.
I seem to have received a number of answers to my implied question .... what has Starmer done wrong? And most of them I would agree with. I've never thought he'd be a good PM; he hasn't the vision. I've said before, if he had to come into politics after his legal career, then Attorney General or, on the evidence we now have, Foreign Secretary. What I don't understand, as I said, is the visceral hatred for him from, in particular, Reform. Unless it's a deliberate attempt to deflect attention from their leaders peccadillos, both great and small
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Would you prefer a Reform Government with a parliamentary majority, or a Reform coalition with the Conservatives?
Both sound dreadful.
Of course they do to you. A second Labour majority vs. a Labour-Green coalition are both pretty horrifying prospects to me, but I know which I'd prefer - the first.
At the moment both of those options sound dreadful too.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Would you prefer a Reform Government with a parliamentary majority, or a Reform coalition with the Conservatives?
Po-tat-to, po-tah-to. Most of what government does is about executive decisions in ministerial offices, not Commons votes.
Ah, but what about Coalition Dave vs. Conservative Dave, I hear you ask. Well, I suspect that the Coalition gave Cameron cover to do more of what he wanted to do against the wishes of his party. I don't think that argument applies to Nigel.
I think that answer strains credibility. There would be a coalition agreement. Even if most decisions were taken in ministerial offices, several of those ministers would be Tory. To have no preference seems odd.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
It is a good morning too if you like heat which I confess I do.
SKS has been absolutely mullered in the past few weeks.
1. Mandelson decision blows up and exposes cynicism, lack of grip and poor judgement 2. Bucketload of heartland seats lost to Reform at the Locals 3. Donald Trump's nonsense blats out emerging good news on the economy
He could probably have survived one of these, maybe even two, but not all three.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
With Starmer it is his belief that following the process is all that matters. Process State thinking.
To him, he’s done the right thing. To others, he’s the lawyer using the fine print in the contract to avoid responsibility.
From that comes his method of resolutely taking responsibility - he fires subordinates. After all, he was right. He followed the law or process.
With this thinking, he’s alienated the left of his party, the centre and most of the right. Not to mention the country at large.
I seem to have received a number of answers to my implied question .... what has Starmer done wrong? And most of them I would agree with. I've never thought he'd be a good PM; he hasn't the vision. I've said before, if he had to come into politics after his legal career, then Attorney General or, on the evidence we now have, Foreign Secretary. What I don't understand, as I said, is the visceral hatred for him from, in particular, Reform. Unless it's a deliberate attempt to deflect attention from their leaders peccadillos, both great and small
He was in the room when the two most beloved figures of recent British politics- St Jeremy and St Boris destroyed themselves. In both cases, he had a bit part in their downfall, but only a bit part.
That's a lot of people hating you before you even start.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Would you prefer a Reform Government with a parliamentary majority, or a Reform coalition with the Conservatives?
Po-tat-to, po-tah-to. Most of what government does is about executive decisions in ministerial offices, not Commons votes.
Ah, but what about Coalition Dave vs. Conservative Dave, I hear you ask. Well, I suspect that the Coalition gave Cameron cover to do more of what he wanted to do against the wishes of his party. I don't think that argument applies to Nigel.
I think that answer strains credibility. There would be a coalition agreement. Even if most decisions were taken in ministerial offices, several of those ministers would be Tory. To have no preference seems odd.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
With Starmer it is his belief that following the process is all that matters. Process State thinking.
To him, he’s done the right thing. To others, he’s the lawyer using the fine print in the contract to avoid responsibility.
From that comes his method of resolutely taking responsibility - he fires subordinates. After all, he was right. He followed the law or process.
With this thinking, he’s alienated the left of his party, the centre and most of the right. Not to mention the country at large.
I seem to have received a number of answers to my implied question .... what has Starmer done wrong? And most of them I would agree with. I've never thought he'd be a good PM; he hasn't the vision. I've said before, if he had to come into politics after his legal career, then Attorney General or, on the evidence we now have, Foreign Secretary. What I don't understand, as I said, is the visceral hatred for him from, in particular, Reform. Unless it's a deliberate attempt to deflect attention from their leaders peccadillos, both great and small
The only Reform voter I know barely acknowledges Starmer as an individual - he seems to group the non-Reform political parties as The Old System. And includes the Greens in that.
The trouble is that the Miliband brothers are a bit weird and really struggle with photographs of them with food.
That banana. God.
The other trouble is the 'change' they want to see is actually deeply damaging and won't help a single person. David Milliband is currently doing to our energy provision and by extension to our economy what he did to that bacon sandwich - agonisingly ripping it apart sinew by sinew.
I think we need a ban on the word 'change' in politics. 'Change' is a totally meaningless concept. People did not 'vote for change' - a 'change' could be death squads hunting down morris dancers. People didn't vote for that. Anyone who cannot articulate pithily what specific 'change' they feel people voted for and how they plan to deliver that specific 'change' should be treated with deep mistrust. It is especially concerning when they team this unknown 'change' with 'further and faster', which means not only are they asking for a blank cheque, they're also going to take that blank cheque and introduce radical and probably unwelcome change because 'this is what people wanted'.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Would you prefer a Reform Government with a parliamentary majority, or a Reform coalition with the Conservatives?
Po-tat-to, po-tah-to. Most of what government does is about executive decisions in ministerial offices, not Commons votes.
Ah, but what about Coalition Dave vs. Conservative Dave, I hear you ask. Well, I suspect that the Coalition gave Cameron cover to do more of what he wanted to do against the wishes of his party. I don't think that argument applies to Nigel.
I think that answer strains credibility. There would be a coalition agreement. Even if most decisions were taken in ministerial offices, several of those ministers would be Tory. To have no preference seems odd.
Ask Nick Clegg how well the Coalition Agreement worked for him and his party and what his voters wanted after 2010.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
With Starmer it is his belief that following the process is all that matters. Process State thinking.
To him, he’s done the right thing. To others, he’s the lawyer using the fine print in the contract to avoid responsibility.
From that comes his method of resolutely taking responsibility - he fires subordinates. After all, he was right. He followed the law or process.
With this thinking, he’s alienated the left of his party, the centre and most of the right. Not to mention the country at large.
I seem to have received a number of answers to my implied question .... what has Starmer done wrong? And most of them I would agree with. I've never thought he'd be a good PM; he hasn't the vision. I've said before, if he had to come into politics after his legal career, then Attorney General or, on the evidence we now have, Foreign Secretary. What I don't understand, as I said, is the visceral hatred for him from, in particular, Reform. Unless it's a deliberate attempt to deflect attention from their leaders peccadillos, both great and small
The only Reform voter I know barely acknowledges Starmer as an individual - he seems to group the non-Reform political parties as The Old System. And includes the Greens in that.
Everyone is locked in their bubbles getting angry and confused that the rest of the world doesn’t see what’s obvious to them. Worryingly the next step is to start questioning reality blaming conspiracies.
The trouble is that the Miliband brothers are a bit weird and really struggle with photographs of them with food.
That banana. God.
The other trouble is the 'change' they want to see is actually deeply damaging and won't help a single person. David Milliband is currently doing to our energy provision and by extension to our economy what he did to that bacon sandwich - agonisingly ripping it apart sinew by sinew.
I think we need a ban on the word 'change' in politics. 'Change' is a totally meaningless concept. People did not 'vote for change' - a 'change' could be death squads hunting down morris dancers. People didn't vote for that. Anyone who cannot articulate pithily what specific 'change' they feel people voted for and how they plan to deliver that specific 'change' should be treated with deep mistrust. It is especially concerning when they team this unknown 'change' with 'further and faster', which means not only are they asking for a blank cheque, they're also going to take that blank cheque and introduce radical and probably unwelcome change because 'this is what people wanted'.
1st para nonsense. 2nd para spot on.
I'm still trying to imagine David Milliband eating a bacon sandwich..😏
The trouble is that the Miliband brothers are a bit weird and really struggle with photographs of them with food.
That banana. God.
The other trouble is the 'change' they want to see is actually deeply damaging and won't help a single person. David Milliband is currently doing to our energy provision and by extension to our economy what he did to that bacon sandwich - agonisingly ripping it apart sinew by sinew.
I think we need a ban on the word 'change' in politics. 'Change' is a totally meaningless concept. People did not 'vote for change' - a 'change' could be death squads hunting down morris dancers. People didn't vote for that. Anyone who cannot articulate pithily what specific 'change' they feel people voted for and how they plan to deliver that specific 'change' should be treated with deep mistrust. It is especially concerning when they team this unknown 'change' with 'further and faster', which means not only are they asking for a blank cheque, they're also going to take that blank cheque and introduce radical and probably unwelcome change because 'this is what people wanted'.
1st para nonsense. 2nd para spot on.
I'm still trying to imagine David Milliband eating a bacon sandwich..😏
Heavyweight political analysis at it's best.... "Did you see how he held a banana?"
And people are surprised at the state of the country when that's the level of debate by politically engaged voters.
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Does Kemi have appeal outside her own tribe? No.
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
Give it time - there is 3 years to GE 29
Give what time? Badenoch is going to do a 180 and start to try to appeal to voters outside her core? I think you might be blind to how tribal her approach has been, because it speaks to you. Perhaps understandable given the dire circumstances she faces, the first opposition leader since Foot not to benefit from an unpopular government. She has to shore up the base.
It is not only her 85% approval amongst her supporters but she beats Starmer by +8 and Farage by +15 as best PM
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
That argument needs a robust cordon sanitaire between the Conservatives and Reform. The sort of thing that is just about holding in Germany. It means saying, clearly and repeatedly, that the grift, incompetence and some of the policies of Reform are beyond the pale. That, however bad they are in other ways, parties of the centre and left are preferable.
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Would you prefer a Reform Government with a parliamentary majority, or a Reform coalition with the Conservatives?
Both sound dreadful.
Of course they do to you. A second Labour majority vs. a Labour-Green coalition are both pretty horrifying prospects to me, but I know which I'd prefer - the first.
Yes, but a Conservative majority government wasn't one of the choices. How would you pick between Labour/Green coalition and a Green government ?
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
I agree with you that there is an existential threat to Labour, and to be honest if their selling points are the same in many areas of policy as Reform, who cares?
Like Labour, I am not sure what the Conservatives stand for any more. They are not the Party of Butler and McMillan, however the ghosts of Griffiths and Powell might feel at home. Although they too would probably just throw their lot in with Reform.
I don't want to see the Conservative Party drop to permanent Lib Dem levels, but if your party just thinks, and without reflection and effort, that they recover simply because they are the Conservative Party you might be disappointed. Badenoch is a poor leader. You would do much, much better if your party replaced Badenoch with a relative centrist like Hunt.
And your last sentence is not where the party is
I voted for Hunt v Johnson and do like him but he is not the future of the party
In that case you are not interested in the case for a traditional One Nation Conservative Party, which is your route to re-election. You are supporting a Reform -lite party and in some policy areas not even that "lite". Why not just go for the full-fat real thing?
Got to be honest... this isn't a brilliant poll for Labour, if they are reliant on Restore trying to get over the line. It's like the frog relying on the scorpion. Mind you, the Tories being on 2% is absolutely pathetic. Nice one Kemi.
Makerfield is only the 29th Reform target seat, Labour could lose Makerfield and still have an overall majority. So if Reform fail to win it, even due to Restore, that would be a disaster for Farage.
Makerfield has never been won by the Conservatives so there won’t be players there anyway
Have the Conservative Party actually given up on around 300 seats.
They never gave up like this before under any leadership.
It's lazy It lacks vision It stinks of arrogance
That Kemi is not going in hard to win Bootle is lazy, lacking in vision, stinks of arrogance? Bugger off.
That the Tories are still competing in 350 seats will come as a shock to those who have been reading the Party its Last Rites since before 2024. Remember those posters on here claiming there was a real chance the Tories would come out the 2024 election with zero seats? Some of us remember who thery were. Not exactly a credit to the reputation of political betting, eh?
Good morning
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
Good morning one and all. I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought. (or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
With Starmer it is his belief that following the process is all that matters. Process State thinking.
To him, he’s done the right thing. To others, he’s the lawyer using the fine print in the contract to avoid responsibility.
From that comes his method of resolutely taking responsibility - he fires subordinates. After all, he was right. He followed the law or process.
With this thinking, he’s alienated the left of his party, the centre and most of the right. Not to mention the country at large.
I seem to have received a number of answers to my implied question .... what has Starmer done wrong? And most of them I would agree with. I've never thought he'd be a good PM; he hasn't the vision. I've said before, if he had to come into politics after his legal career, then Attorney General or, on the evidence we now have, Foreign Secretary. What I don't understand, as I said, is the visceral hatred for him from, in particular, Reform. Unless it's a deliberate attempt to deflect attention from their leaders peccadillos, both great and small
Accidental Chinese intelligence asset Reid has resurfaced, on a topic that is gripping the nation (well, a tiny percentage of it). I wonder what the women-only spaces situation is on HM submarines?
Joani Reid MP @JoaniReid · 22 May The law is clear. Women-only spaces must mean women-only spaces.
John Swinney should stop hiding behind process and implement the EHRC guidance across Scotland’s public sector.
Women and girls should not have to wait for the SNP to find the courage to accept reality.
Accidental Chinese intelligence asset Reid has resurfaced, on a topic that is gripping the nation (well, a tiny percentage of it). I wonder what the women-only spaces situation is on HM submarines?
Joani Reid MP @JoaniReid · 22 May The law is clear. Women-only spaces must mean women-only spaces.
John Swinney should stop hiding behind process and implement the EHRC guidance across Scotland’s public sector.
Women and girls should not have to wait for the SNP to find the courage to accept reality.
It’s interesting how the Process State has jumped on the cause of enforcing this judgement.
I suppose it is a combination of a Supreme Court judgement = unquestionable rules, cost of enforcement born by the organisations, not the regulators and the fact that it is small issue. Compared to removing all the rapists from the police.
Comments
While labour tears itself apart it seems it's all about Kemi and the conservatives polling in a seat they would never win, and where their vote will go tactically either to Reform or Labour, which in my case would be Labour as the perfect result for me would be the end of Starmer's premiership and a bloody nose to Farage
The first requirement for the conservatives is to have a leader who polls well and that is undeniable the case with Kemi
The next requirement is to develop policies and take the fight to labour as they come into the post Starmer world of crisis with no money, and a party unable to contemplate radical change not only to benefits, but to pay for defence, and to revolutionise the way we allow youth unemployment at the high levels we are now experiencing
The fact Kemi is 'catnip' to some who wouldn't vote for her is hardly of importance to her mps and supporters who have her at 85% approval
She is less like Blair, Cameron or Thatcher and more like Corbyn, Milliband and Hague. All popular with their own supporters.
Read into that what you will.
https://x.com/AJamesMcCarthy/status/2058418457700380946
Also he has a better backstory.
I really don't understand this visceral dislike of Starmer. He was an idiot to take the 'charitable' donations of clothing etc at the start of his premiership; one would have thought, as a former senior Civil Servant he would have run a mile at the very thought.
(or am I being naive?)
Kemi I don't like very much ..... too shrill, and seems to forget her part in the shambles which were the two previous administrations.
I doubt those attacking Kemi want Farage but that is the likely consequence if she fails
Number of Referenda on Albertan Independence x0
Yes, Streeting's backstory is really something. As strong as Rayner's arguably.
As for Kemi, she has trouble thinking on her feet and is easily riled, but I see no-one better. She is ill-served by an inept CCHQ team judging by her weekly PMQs diet of six questions about last week's cold leftover news.
I think we need a ban on the word 'change' in politics. 'Change' is a totally meaningless concept. People did not 'vote for change' - a 'change' could be death squads hunting down morris dancers. People didn't vote for that. Anyone who cannot articulate pithily what specific 'change' they feel people voted for and how they plan to deliver that specific 'change' should be treated with deep mistrust. It is especially concerning when they team this unknown 'change' with 'further and faster', which means not only are they asking for a blank cheque, they're also going to take that blank cheque and introduce radical and probably unwelcome change because 'this is what people wanted'.
To him, he’s done the right thing. To others, he’s the lawyer using the fine print in the contract to avoid responsibility.
From that comes his method of resolutely taking responsibility - he fires subordinates. After all, he was right. He followed the law or process.
With this thinking, he’s alienated the left of his party, the centre and most of the right. Not to mention the country at large.
Back after a few days in rural Derbyshire exploring one of the other Englands - there are plenty of them.
South Derbyshire is a curious mix of wealth - Belper, Matlock and Ashbourne are prosperous towns - and less wealthy areas such as Ripley and Alfreton. None of it is East Ham and it's quite apparent quite quickly it isn't but all the places have an energy and I always return to London profoundly optimistic for England in general and the doomsayers have it all wrong (as usual).
So, to politics, and trying to pick up the threads, Andy Burnham? Well, he's no Sadiq Khan, is he? He has taken the biggest personal political gamble since Boris Johnson opted to support Leave rather than Remain in 2016. It's all been said and I won't repeat it.
My personal view on Burnham is I don't have a view on him - his campaign video was very good. Whether that makes him a Prime Minister I have my doubts - my sense is, as with most aspiring leaders, he is running away from radical ideas the closer he gets to the big black door and those hoping for change may, as they were with Starmer, going to end up disapppointed.
We've had the most dramatic local election in Newham for 20+ years and it seems Labour (who still do backroom politics well) have done a deal with the Greens - a Green is now Chair of the Council leaving the Newham Independents out in the cold (nowhere's "in the cold" today it would seem).
Further afield, are we to see some kind of "deal" in the Gulf? I imagine the oil price will fall back quickly in Asian trading this evening (our time) but as always the Devil will be in the detail - have Iran basically got control of Hormuz to the extent they can decide at a whim to stop tankers passing? Until alternative cross-desert pipelines are in place which can carry the capacity, that leaves the new (or old) regime in Tehran still in a strong position.
Well, there you go - a typically anodyne tedious return post designed to bore the you-know-whats off the usual suspects.
I feel good - but then I knew that I would, as someone once said.
As a likely third or fourth party, would Badenoch serve in a Labour led coalition to keep Farage out or join Farage? My hunch is the latter. So she is no defence against Reform.
Kemi will not be liked by many but that is the case with all leading politicians and politics
The question for Kemi is can she crossover with Farage and lead the moderate right by the next GE
Like Labour, I am not sure what the Conservatives stand for any more. They are not the Party of Butler and McMillan, however the ghosts of Griffiths and Powell might feel at home. Although they too would probably just throw their lot in with Reform.
I don't want to see the Conservative Party drop to permanent Lib Dem levels, but if your party just thinks, and without reflection and effort, that they recover simply because they are the Conservative Party you might be disappointed. Badenoch is a poor leader. You would do much, much better if your party replaced Badenoch with a relative centrist like Hunt.
Kemi will note though that Foot kept Labour main opposition on seats and, just, on votes too ahead of the SDP. Even if the Conservative government was re elected by a landslide and remained in power for another 14 years
I voted for Hunt v Johnson and do like him but he is not the future of the party
It may be me missing it, but I'm not hearing that. I'm mostly not seeing it in the arrangements coming out of this month's council elections, either. As an increasingly lapsed Conservative wet, there's no way I'm voting for a party that might, however reluctantly, bring Reform into government.
Maybe the future is an absorption into Reform and at some time in the future to cleanse themselves the Reform-Conservatives drop the Reform bit. That works.
Ah, but what about Coalition Dave vs. Conservative Dave, I hear you ask. Well, I suspect that the Coalition gave Cameron cover to do more of what he wanted to do against the wishes of his party. I don't think that argument applies to Nigel.
What I don't understand, as I said, is the visceral hatred for him from, in particular, Reform. Unless it's a deliberate attempt to deflect attention from their leaders peccadillos, both great and small
SKS has been absolutely mullered in the past few weeks.
1. Mandelson decision blows up and exposes cynicism, lack of grip and poor judgement
2. Bucketload of heartland seats lost to Reform at the Locals
3. Donald Trump's nonsense blats out emerging good news on the economy
He could probably have survived one of these, maybe even two, but not all three.
That's a lot of people hating you before you even start.
Don’t you just love the internet ?
NEW THREAD
And people are surprised at the state of the country when that's the level of debate by politically engaged voters.
How would you pick between Labour/Green coalition and a Green government ?
Joani Reid MP
@JoaniReid
·
22 May
The law is clear. Women-only spaces must mean women-only spaces.
John Swinney should stop hiding behind process and implement the EHRC guidance across Scotland’s public sector.
Women and girls should not have to wait for the SNP to find the courage to accept reality.
https://x.com/JoaniReid/status/2057827828301791611?s=20
I suppose it is a combination of a Supreme Court judgement = unquestionable rules, cost of enforcement born by the organisations, not the regulators and the fact that it is small issue. Compared to removing all the rapists from the police.
Your classic bike shedding?