General Election 2017 | Cabinet reshuffle: Hunt re-appointed Health Secretary for record third time

How do you intend to vote in the 2017 General Election if eligible?

  • Conservatives

    Votes: 80 14.5%

  • Labour

    Votes: 322 58.4%

  • Lib Dems

    Votes: 57 10.3%

  • Green

    Votes: 20 3.6%

  • SNP

    Votes: 13 2.4%

  • UKIP

    Votes: 29 5.3%

  • Independent

    Votes: 3 0.5%

  • Plaid Cymru

    Votes: 2 0.4%

  • Sinn Fein

    Votes: 11 2.0%

  • Other (UUP, DUP, BNP, and anyone else I have forgotten)

    Votes: 14 2.5%
  • Total voters
    551
  • Poll closed .
It's a gamble worth taking for Corbyn. He'd have to have a car crash for the bad publicity to outweigh May running away.

Can't see the Greens and the SNP piling in too hard on him and you'd hope Paul Nuttall, who is trying to win back UKIP voters from the Conservatives, will be going after them.
 
Raees said:
Its a calculated risk but worth taking. Most of the people there are liberal, so conservatives will be outnumbered and if they overattack labour, lessens chances of a progressive alliance. Also May not being there covers Corbyn, because he can say at least I attended and tried to defend my policies.. where was she?

Also childcare gaffe apart, he has come across pretty clued up and I think the fire is burning right now, he wants it badly and he's going in for the kill.

He might feck up, but who cares.. no regrets.
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To quote the man himself - ''Here we...here we...here we fecking go.
 
I don't think it will turn out well for Labour tonight. Not because I expect Corbyn to perform badly -- I think he'll do well. But because I think the Tories have calculated that in the absence of May, the other parties (esp. Farron) will all turn on Corbyn and it'll be a blood bath. Instead of the focus being on May and the Tories failures, it'll be petty squabbling over who Corbyn has appeared with, etc.

That and the papers will tear him apart him tomorrow.
 
NinjaFletch said:
It's a gamble worth taking for Corbyn. He'd have to have a car crash for the bad publicity to outweigh May running away.

Can't see the Greens and the SNP piling in too hard on him and you'd hope Paul Nuttall, who is trying to win back UKIP voters from the Conservatives, will be going after them.
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Ordinarily he'd have to have a car crash but with every major paper and news outlet in the country backing May, he could get slaughtered for anything.

Still, aside from Rudd miserably falling to pieces, which won't happen as she's quite competent, this is a lose/lose situation for the Tories. If Rudd does very well it just highlights how crap May is. The gamble they've taken is that May is far enough ahead in the polls to act like a sovereign instead of a politician. I hope it backfires.
 
Phil Jones Face said:
I don't think it will turn out well for Labour tonight. Not because I expect Corbyn to perform badly -- I think he'll do well. But because I think the Tories have calculated that in the absence of May, the other parties (esp. Farron) will all turn on Corbyn and it'll be a blood bath. Instead of the focus being on May and the Tories failures, it'll be petty squabbling over who Corbyn has appeared with, etc.

That and the papers will tear him apart him tomorrow.
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For once I'm not sure they will. There's been a lot of talk about a progressive alliance even if its not formalized. The SNP know what is at stake, and that Labour are much more likely to give them a referendum.
 
Phil Jones Face said:
I don't think it will turn out well for Labour tonight. Not because I expect Corbyn to perform badly -- I think he'll do well. But because I think the Tories have calculated that in the absence of May, the other parties (esp. Farron) will all turn on Corbyn and it'll be a blood bath. Instead of the focus being on May and the Tories failures, it'll be petty squabbling over who Corbyn has appeared with, etc.

That and the papers will tear him apart him tomorrow.
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I really doubt it. The SNP and the Greens have been positive towards Corbyn whenever they've spoken of him (Green's will have a dig about the environment but that's it I think). The SNP want Labour to split the unionist vote in Scotland and the Greens are realistic enough to know there's only a handful of constituencies they can win in.

Farron's the wild card, but I don't think any of the parties see him as a threat.

Mciahel Goodman said:
Ordinarily he'd have to have a car crash but with every major paper and news outlet in the country backing May, he could get slaughtered for anything.

Still, aside from Rudd miserably falling to pieces, which won't happen as she's quite competent, this is a lose/lose situation for the Tories. If Rudd does very well it just highlights how crap May is. The gamble they've taken is that May is far enough ahead in the polls to act like a sovereign instead of a politician. I hope it backfires.
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Didn't seem to have much effect after the last one when they tried it. It's easy to draw a Trump esque comparison with Corbyn; we know that whatever he says or does the MSM will hammer him for it, but it no longer seems to have an effect. Over the weekend I've been back at home and out of my University bubble, and it is noticeable that it's not just Labour supporters who think Corbyn is getting treated unfairly by the press.
 
Dare we hope? Imagine! A Labour majority and this *unt out. What a cause for celebration that would be!

 
At the same time, Corbyn's already no-showed at one debate and has decided to do this one on the day of it.
 
Tonight's debate should start with 6 of them standing there & one 'empty chair' - as they call it. Then Rudd has to walk on to take her place up. For a fair representation kinda thing.
 
Ubik said:
At the same time, Corbyn's already no-showed at one debate and has decided to do this one on the day of it.
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True but May hasn't show up at all and even her "public appearances" are closed off to anyone other than those who will cheer her. For someone whose entire public image is based around how strong she is, she isn't half frightened of being taken to account. Then again, she always found a way to shirk responsibility when she was, by all accounts, a useless home secretary.
 
montpelier said:
Tonight's debate should start with 6 of them standing there & one 'empty chair' - as they call it. Then Rudd has to walk on to take her place up. For a fair representation kinda thing.
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Making my bingo card right now. One square has "Rudd will say May isn't there because she's busy running the country and getting us the best deal for Brexit."
 
Regardless of what happens tonight, May not being there reflects badly on her.
 
Kentonio said:
That's not exactly saying much though. (was about to make a very tasteless joke, but managed to filter myself for once.. :lol:)
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It's not only that she is better relative to a wilting May, but rather that Rudd is genuinely capable in that sort of environment.


Ubik said:
She's definitely better, trouble is that this obviously reflects badly on May even aside from her refusing to turn up.
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Initially, perhaps, but once the policy exchanges start flying its importance will diminish somewhat. Most importantly for the Conservatives tonight, is the need to go on the attack in the debate (which the Home Sec will be good at). Sure, the character/judgement of Corbyn was a worthy target, but the economy and Brexit should be the focus from here-on (the Labour manifesto is dubious in both regards).


Smores said:
She is but its telling that when they're refocusing on Brexit the person they put forward is the home secretary.

They don't even trust their Brexit Secretary or Foreign Secretary enough to go on a televised debate.
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I'm not sure that's quite fair on Davis, given that his ministry isn't one of the principal offices of state.
 
Mr Pigeon said:
True but May hasn't show up at all and even her "public appearances" are closed off to anyone other than those who will cheer her. For someone whose entire public image is based around how strong she is, she isn't half frightened of being taken to account. Then again, she always found a way to shirk responsibility when she was, by all accounts, a useless home secretary.
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She definitely looks bad, but I'm just not sure of the mileage Corbyn can get out of it himself by grandstanding. Ed was saying similar things to Cameron in 2015 without much success and he turned up to all the debates, but then Cameron was at least comfortable enough in his own skin to get away with it.
 
Ubik said:
She definitely looks bad, but I'm just not sure of the mileage Corbyn can get out of it himself by grandstanding. Ed was saying similar things to Cameron in 2015 without much success and he turned up to all the debates, but then Cameron was at least comfortable enough in his own skin to get away with it.
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True, Labour won't get a bump in the ratings because of it and it would appear petty to bash on about it - and this for me is part of the frustration. I have no issue with the Tories, and I'm not exactly a Labour stalwart (was an SNP voter before), however what I would like to see is a balanced media. Hammond gets his HS2 figures wrong by £20Bn? The Guardian, Mirror and Independent are the only three to report it. Corbyn can't tell an interviewer how much his childcare plan will cost? Mass media front page headlines and top news story on the BBC website. Until all of our politicians, regardless of party, start being scrutinized in the same then there's little hope of the truth from these sort of debates coming out.

The biggest con of this election is how many people have been persuaded that Theresa May is fit for her position. She's utterly incompetent and her track record of gaffs is just the tip of the iceberg.
 
Just saw this on the guardian liveblog

May is now taking questions from workers at the factory.

Q: There is no doubt that, just as Churchill was needed during world war two, you are needed now. But I am worried you are going to take away our freedoms with your policy with regard to British viewers. People not involved in terrorism will end up being investigated. I have a problem with that.
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Definitely the kind of thing a random factory worker would say :lol:
 
Phil Jones Face said:
I don't think it will turn out well for Labour tonight. Not because I expect Corbyn to perform badly -- I think he'll do well. But because I think the Tories have calculated that in the absence of May, the other parties (esp. Farron) will all turn on Corbyn and it'll be a blood bath. Instead of the focus being on May and the Tories failures, it'll be petty squabbling over who Corbyn has appeared with, etc.

That and the papers will tear him apart him tomorrow.
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I don't understand the need for all of them to pile on Corbyn, (especially if polls are to be believed) with the exception of UKIP, they all have an interest in stopping a Tory majority win.

It would make more sense if they all debated as normally, but hammered home the point that the leader of the party in power has opted not to debate, so that be a consistent & unified message across all parties. Piling on Corbyn wont gain them any more votes.
 
NinjaFletch said:
What is happening to Farage?

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He's a massive dick, but you can't help but think he has some set of principles.May has been a shambles.

Either that or he's doing Nuttall's job of actually fighting the Tories.
 
Nick 0208 Ldn said:
Initially, perhaps, but once the policy exchanges start flying its importance will diminish somewhat. Most importantly for the Conservatives tonight, is the need to go on the attack in the debate (which the Home Sec will be good at). Sure, the character/judgement of Corbyn was a worthy target, but the economy and Brexit should be the focus from here-on (the Labour manifesto is dubious in both regards).
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Good job the Conservative manifesto is so clear on both of these /s
 
altodevil86 said:
He's a massive dick, but you can't help but think he has some set of principles.May has been a shambles.

Either that or he's doing Nuttall's job of actually fighting the Tories.
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Despite every fibre of my being disagreeing with what he stands for, I can't help but like Farage. He'd be great down the pub.
 
esmufc07 said:
Despite every fibre of my being disagreeing with what he stands for, I can't help but like Farage. He'd be great down the pub.
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He fought for something he truly believed in, for right or wrong and regardless of opinions if more politicians were as convinced and convicted we'd probably have a much better government and country on the whole. Farage is no fool and see's Corbyn probably in a similar ilk to himself, a man of conviction, despite political differences*

*To put it lightly that is.
 
Untied said:
Good job the Conservative manifesto is so clear on both of these /s
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It is clearer than Labour on Brexit, and doesn't do a great deal with regard to the economy. The latter was a whopping error, from both an electoral and presentation standpoint. May would make for an downright appalling estate agent that's for sure.

But then you've got Labour who have gone too far the other way, with unspecified billions on renationalisations, 11bn on free uni tuition, and corporate rates going up at precisely the wrong moment. Not to mention the benefits balls-up, although the Tories are themselves culpable in that quarter.
 
Dobba said:
Corbyn needs to say "I'd like to speak with your manager" if Rudd starts getting personal.
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"First of all, I'd like to welcome all the fellow party leaders for coming to the debate tonight. And Amber Rudd. Although, to be fair, she has a better chance of leading the Tories by the end of the year than Theresa May does."

Would get a laugh or two...
 
Adzzz said:
He fought for something he truly believed in, for right or wrong and regardless of opinions if more politicians were as convinced and convicted we'd probably have a much better government and country on the whole. Farage is no fool and see's Corbyn probably in a similar ilk to himself, a man of conviction, despite political differences*

*To put it lightly that is.
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I would agree with this assessment, Adam.
 
Adzzz said:
He fought for something he truly believed in, for right or wrong and regardless of opinions if more politicians were as convinced and convicted we'd probably have a much better government and country on the whole. Farage is no fool and see's Corbyn probably in a similar ilk to himself, a man of conviction, despite political differences*

*To put it lightly that is.
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Nah, Farage is an absolute cock. He may have believed in Brexit but he never actually had any conceivable plan for how Britain was going to look afterwards. He's a populist ideologue who pushed for something to happen in spite of having no conception of the aftermath, partly because he knew he wouldn't need to be involved anyway. Now he's managed to build himself a big media profile after years of earning money in a political setup he criticised for years, mainly because he got booted out on his arse every time he tried to get elected here.
 
altodevil86 said:
he's doing Nuttall's job of actually fighting the Tories.
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This. He knows that UKIP threaten to be swallowed up by the Tory vote. They tried attacking Labour as a strategy up until this election, now they're going after the Tories.
 
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