UK General Election - 12th December 2019 | Con 365, Lab 203, LD 11, SNP 48, Other 23 - Tory Majority of 80

How do you intend to vote in the 2019 General Election if eligible?

  • Brexit Party

    Votes: 30 4.3%
  • Conservatives

    Votes: 73 10.6%
  • DUP

    Votes: 5 0.7%
  • Green

    Votes: 23 3.3%
  • Labour

    Votes: 355 51.4%
  • Liberal Democrats

    Votes: 58 8.4%
  • Plaid Cymru

    Votes: 3 0.4%
  • Sinn Fein

    Votes: 9 1.3%
  • SNP

    Votes: 19 2.8%
  • UKIP

    Votes: 6 0.9%
  • Independent

    Votes: 1 0.1%
  • Other (BNP, Change UK, UUP and anyone else that I have forgotten)

    Votes: 10 1.4%
  • Not voting

    Votes: 57 8.3%
  • Undecided

    Votes: 41 5.9%

  • Total voters
    690
  • Poll closed .
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If the conservatives were under a formal ehrc investigation then I suspect the other comments would also have got more traction

Doubt it personally the BBC article does not even reference the EHRC and it's largely a stick to beat Labour with sp the Conservatives can feel superior. The Tories get an easier ride from the media and most of their racism is swept under the carpet or ignored.
 
A 2050 target pretty much dignifies it as lip service at best, especially when the scientific consensus stresses that there needs to be immediate and drastic action to have any chance of tempering the effects of climate change. If people genuinely believed in the dangers then they’d be concerned with these token throwaway policies.
Why? Because someone else claimed 2030? How do you know it can be achieved in 10 years?
 
Why? Because someone else claimed 2030? How do you know it can be achieved in 10 years?

Considering the rate at which climate change is advancing it's quite clearly not good enough for a government to be vaguely promising to go net zero by 2050 without any concrete plans for how they're actually going to do so. Whether it can achieved or not is largely besides the point - we need to be doing all we can to try and tackle climate change and it's fairly evident the Tories don't see it as a key priority.
 
Their whole manifesto is cut-back because they want to avoid a repeat of the last election with the dementia tax etc. But they have been making changes. Company cars for a start. Most firms are moving to hybrid or electrical cars for their fleets because (rightly or wrongly) diesel was declared the fuel of the devil and the tax on diesel company cars has gone through the roof. It's not lip service, its action that is causing change. Now I'm not claiming the Tories are the saviours of the planet but the are not standing idly by either.

The diesel tax was about air quality due to all our breaches of the legal limits, it wasn't about Co2. Even then the actual panels that suggested these measures wanted far greater measures and it was pulled back.

I think you severely underestimate the changes needed right now if you think that counts. It's irresponsible for any party not to have concrete plans or investment in place but especially one in government.

As i said it's dubious what Boris even believes but the Tories have actual deniers as candidates and then you know we'll butter up to Trump.
 
Equally context is important as well
One party is under a formal ehrc investigation for anti-Semitism
This means the ehrc have seen enough evidence that criminal activity has probably taken place and that they believe a prosecution will probably be in the public interest.
If the conservatives were under a formal ehrc investigation then I suspect the other comments would also have got more traction

While it is valid that Labour aren't guilt-free of antisemitism within their party.
You need to put context into all forms of racism as well - for example Islamophobia just isn't given the equal treatment it should do as antisemitism.
The Muslim Council of Britain have asked the EHRC to investigate the Conservatives since 2018 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49763550
The EHRC actually gave the Tories 1 month to respond to complaints of Islamophobia in May https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...aints-ehrc-watchdog-theresa-may-a8918576.html

BJ promised to investigate Islamophobia when he was elected PM, he has since delayed the investigation.
Dozens of Conservative MP's have posted Islamophobic content online.
The list goes on & on - and that's before we get into, 'n****r in a woodpile', 'letterboxes' and windrush.
And yet - nothing has happened, why? Because Islamophobia isn't treated in the same way antisemitism is.

So yes, Labour are the only party that is under a formal EHRC investigation. However, Labour are far from the only institutionally racist political party (they all are), and discrimination against Jewish people is given priority over other forms of discrimination - in my opinion.
 
Considering the rate at which climate change is advancing it's quite clearly not good enough for a government to be vaguely promising to go net zero by 2050 without any concrete plans for how they're actually going to do so. Whether it can achieved or not is largely besides the point - we need to be doing all we can to try and tackle climate change and it's fairly evident the Tories don't see it as a key priority.
There has been action and results. https://www.conservatives.com/sharethefacts/2019/06/net-zero-pledge You can argue about the speed but I would suggest that the pace proposed by other parties, especially the Greens is unrealistic and costly. £100bn!
 


“That is why no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party that inflicted those bitter experiences on me. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin”
 
In years gone by it was always the received wisdom that it was the 'swing voters', in particular those in marginal constituencies, who determined the outcome of a GE.

I was never quite sure what a swing voter actually was, except perhaps those who could not make up their minds and maybe stuck their 'x' in the box for whichever candidate produced one particular thought/promise/ statement/did well on telly/ etc that they agreed with, usually at the last minute!
Surely those with a committed view of politics would not be swayed on one issue alone?

If the above is true then how will this 'swing voter' idea play out in this GE? Are we now talking of mass tactical voting perhaps shored up by social media, or are we talking about e.g. those people who voted in the Referendum, who reputedly had never voted before, being p***ed off enough to return and vote presumably since these were mostly thought to be 'leavers', for Boris's (Geronwithit/Get Brexit done) appeal. Alternatively will people who always vote Green/Plaid/etc. desert their normal voting intentions in order to 'stop Brexit', and vote Lib-dem because they know otherwise their votes are lost in the current tide of emotions.

It hardly feasible nowadays that committed Labour voters, in Jeremy's new (old style) Labour movement will swing towards anything other than Labour, regardless of what Jeremy himself says or does! Some anti Jeremy (previously) Labour stalwarts might be tempted to go somewhere else, but where, Brexit perhaps in the North, Lib-dems in the South?

Is there in fact in this GE any room, or any point, to 'swing voters', (as defined above) when its seems it will be tactical voting what might actually count?
 
Doubt it personally the BBC article does not even reference the EHRC and it's largely a stick to beat Labour with sp the Conservatives can feel superior. The Tories get an easier ride from the media and most of their racism is swept under the carpet or ignored.
wow you just dismiss the EHRC having a formal investigation (only other political paty to reach that evidence bar being the BNP) as a stick to beat labour with ... No wonder the chief rabbi feels the need to speak out
 
wow you just dismiss the EHRC having a formal investigation (only other political paty to reach that evidence bar being the BNP) as a stick to beat labour with ... No wonder the chief rabbi feels the need to speak out

Sun, as of yet the BBC doesn't even have an article out on the Muslim Council of Britain statement. The only place they are mentioned is at the very end of the Chief Rabbi's article. This is what it says:
BBC said:
The Muslim Council of Britain, which has repeatedly criticised the Conservatives for failing to address anti-Muslim prejudice amongst their members, said not enough was being done to tackle racism "whether from the left or the right".

It said British Muslims would "agree on the importance of voting with their conscience".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50552068

Would you consider that adequate, unbiased reporting of what the Muslim Council's statement actually said, with the difference simply being the existence of an EHRC investigation?

To refresh your memory, here's the Council's statement:

 
wow you just dismiss the EHRC having a formal investigation (only other political paty to reach that evidence bar being the BNP) as a stick to beat labour with ... No wonder the chief rabbi feels the need to speak out

Yeah until the findings come out, there's not much to say particularly as the Conservatives refuse to comply with the EHRC's request themselves.
 


I wonder how long it'll take the EHRC to investigate the Tories, if they do it at all
 
In years gone by it was always the received wisdom that it was the 'swing voters', in particular those in marginal constituencies, who determined the outcome of a GE.

I was never quite sure what a swing voter actually was, except perhaps those who could not make up their minds and maybe stuck their 'x' in the box for whichever candidate produced one particular thought/promise/ statement/did well on telly/ etc that they agreed with, usually at the last minute!
Surely those with a committed view of politics would not be swayed on one issue alone?

If the above is true then how will this 'swing voter' idea play out in this GE? Are we now talking of mass tactical voting perhaps shored up by social media, or are we talking about e.g. those people who voted in the Referendum, who reputedly had never voted before, being p***ed off enough to return and vote presumably since these were mostly thought to be 'leavers', for Boris's (Geronwithit/Get Brexit done) appeal. Alternatively will people who always vote Green/Plaid/etc. desert their normal voting intentions in order to 'stop Brexit', and vote Lib-dem because they know otherwise their votes are lost in the current tide of emotions.

It hardly feasible nowadays that committed Labour voters, in Jeremy's new (old style) Labour movement will swing towards anything other than Labour, regardless of what Jeremy himself says or does! Some anti Jeremy (previously) Labour stalwarts might be tempted to go somewhere else, but where, Brexit perhaps in the North, Lib-dems in the South?

Is there in fact in this GE any room, or any point, to 'swing voters', (as defined above) when its seems it will be tactical voting what might actually count?

The political system is a hundred years out of date, the two major parties are at least fifty years out of date. You have poor people voting for Tories, young people voting for the oldest out of date Boomer of all. People voting for parties they don't really support for tactical reasons and swing voters who do decide the results of the election being treated as having no values. What a mess.
 


I wonder how long it'll take the EHRC to investigate the Tories, if they do it at all


So wait the EHRC aren't even responding to the MCB? I've noted that the board of commisioners doesn't have a Muslim person on it which might be a factor.
 
So wait the EHRC aren't even responding to the MCB? I've noted that the board of commisioners doesn't have a Muslim person on it which might be a factor.

Not quite, the EHRC called on the Conservatives to respond to complaints within 1 month (back in May - so it's been almost 6 months now) presumably when Boris Johnson promised to investigate internally that was seen as a 'response', since that investigation has been stalled - the MCB are calling for the EHRC to investigate independently because the Tories clearly don't prioritise it.
 
There has been action and results. https://www.conservatives.com/sharethefacts/2019/06/net-zero-pledge You can argue about the speed but I would suggest that the pace proposed by other parties, especially the Greens is unrealistic and costly. £100bn!
Considering the dire straits we’re in on account of our apathy towards tackling or attempting to reverse the deadly implications of climate change, the drastic pace or investment suggested is not only realistic, but also imperative.

Also there’s very little to suggest the Tories have taken steps to seriously address the climate issue, more so when you consider that while in power they have:
  • Continued to issue new licenses for oil drilling
  • Pushed for a third runway at Heathrow
  • Drastically scaled back onshore wind farm subsidies
  • Removed household incentives for solar installations
  • Frozen fuel duty leading to a 3% increase in emissions
  • Scrapped plans to implement the zero carbon homes standard
  • Scrapped plans for tax breaks for purchase of electric vehicles

    Hardly credentials I’d associate with taking the issues surrounding climate change seriously.
 
He's got Corbyn tonight. Not sure when BJ's on.
Yeah I think the Corbyn airs at 7:00pm but it will be on the iplayer later.

Neil might be a Thatcherite cnut but he is clearly one of the best political interviewers around.
 
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Considering the dire straits we’re in on account of our apathy towards tackling or attempting to reverse the deadly implications of climate change, the drastic pace or investment suggested is not only realistic, but also imperative.

Also there’s very little to suggest the Tories have taken steps to seriously address the climate issue, more so when you consider that while in power they have:
  • Continued to issue new licenses for oil drilling
  • Pushed for a third runway at Heathrow
  • Drastically scaled back onshore wind farm subsidies
  • Removed household incentives for solar installations
  • Frozen fuel duty leading to a 3% increase in emissions
  • Scrapped plans to implement the zero carbon homes standard
  • Scrapped plans for tax breaks for purchase of electric vehicles

    Hardly credentials I’d associate with taking the issues surrounding climate change seriously.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/07/how-green-is-britains-low-carbon-energy-supply

We ain't that bad.
 
How we fare in comparison to others isn't an objective benchmark of how much we should be doing, we still score poorly in regards to carbon emissions. A lot of the factors in that article owe largely to initiatives carried out by international energy companies in spite of the government's efforts to cut back on renewable subsidies and other green initiatives. The fact of the matter is the government's track record in the last decade has suggested they don't consider climate initiatives a priority and have opted to curb the much needed initiatives, often resorting to quietly cancelling the very same plans they've initially proposed as a means of lip service.

Its akin to suggesting that the record levels of child poverty in this country "aint that bad" if we compare ourselves to other countries across the globe, ignoring the fact we're doing little to nothing to reverse or halt the trend or are even exacerbating the issue altogether.
 
Quick reminder that today is the last day to register to vote...if you're registered, check with your family/friends/work colleagues to see if they are.
 
How we fare in comparison to others isn't an objective benchmark of how much we should be doing, we still score poorly in regards to carbon emissions. A lot of the factors in that article owe largely to initiatives carried out by international energy companies in spite of the government's efforts to cut back on renewable subsidies and other green initiatives. The fact of the matter is the government's track record in the last decade has suggested they don't consider climate initiatives a priority and have opted to curb the much needed initiatives, often resorting to quietly cancelling the very same plans they've initially proposed as a means of lip service.

Its akin to suggesting that the record levels of child poverty in this country "aint that bad" if we compare ourselves to other countries across the globe, ignoring the fact we're doing little to nothing to reverse or halt the trend or are even exacerbating the issue altogether.
Totally reject the highlighted bit. :(
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/all-the-worlds-carbon-emissions-in-one-chart/
 
Quick reminder that today is the last day to register to vote...if you're registered, check with your family/friends/work colleagues to see if they are.

Aye this poll highlights the importance of people registering to vote:

 
What does weightings mean?

In this case I imagine it is demographic weightings. So they add more emphasis from the contribution from the poll of groups that are more likely to turn out in higher numbers e.g. Boomers and less from groups with low turnouts like Students.
 
The electoral reform saying since the election was called 2.8 million have registered to vote and 2/3 of them are under 35 (1.86mil).
 
The trouble with that infographic is it doesn't take into account factors such as population GDP, industrialisation, and the fact its merely a snapshot of carbon emissions, not an indication about legislation or trends. You take those factors into consideration and you learn of the disconcerting realisation that the UK is now the G7's biggest net importer of CO2 emissions per capita

Besides, we were debating government efforts and legislative initiatives to tackle the crisis - something the Tories have evidently been lacklustre with when taking into account their tangible (in)actions instead of their public sentiments. And assuming you're someone who is a) genuinely concerned about the impending catastrophic climate implications and b) agree with the overwhelming scientific and empirical consensus that action needs to be taken drastically and immediately, then I cannot see how you'd conclude that the Tories have done enough or are planning to do enough to assuage these concerns.
 
The electoral reform saying since the election was called 2.8 million have registered to vote and 2/3 of them are under 35 (1.86mil).

Indeed and look at the voting demographics from 2017:

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politic...06/13/how-britain-voted-2017-general-election

This is quite a strange election in a lot of ways and i'll be surprised if the polls are accurate.

Can see the live registration stats here:

https://www.gov.uk/performance/register-to-vote

14k people online at the moment.

Are these stats the most impressive part of our actual government :lol:

People in the UK under 40 odd have been done over pretty bad, compared to earlier generations after WW2. When you think about it...., university was free before 1997 and house prices to earnings ratio was less than half now. Not sure how anyone can expect younger voters to just accept that?

Something fundamentally broken with our economic system since the 90s imo.
 
Predictably Trumpian:

Boris Johnson ‘to curb legal challenges over Brexit’ in extraordinary attack on the courts
The Independent said:
It reads: “We will ensure that judicial review is available to protect the rights of the individuals against an overbearing state, while ensuring that it is not abused to conduct politics by another means or to create needless delays.”

The accusation that the courts were “abused to conduct politics by another means” has echoes of the notorious headline in one right-wing tabloid that judges had shown themselves to be “enemies of the people”.
 
Isn't this because we don't have the natural resources that other countries do and we import a lot of energy or am I missing something?
That's one way of looking at it, you could also make the case that the gap between consumption and production suggests the UK isn't doing enough with renewable incentives to lessen emissions consumption.
 
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