Westminster Politics

Do you know what pisses me off.
The government so called Levelling Up has all been focused on The North.
And Sunak today is promising the vast bulk of the money he claims to be saving £36 billions on..... The North.

Well I don't live in The North.
And I have heard absolutely nothing from this government about the West Country.
Never do.
We obviously don't count do we.
We have an atrocious public transport system.
And an atrocious road system.
Why is he promising a Tram system for Leeds.
Good luck to Leeds.
But why not a Tram system for Bristol.

The answer is obvious.
Sunak knows that the Red Wall seats the Tories won in the last election are at serious risk.
But the West Country is an increasing stronghold for the Liberals. And hopefully Labour as well.
 
If they can cancel their flagship transport project and break their election manifesto commitment by doing so, then why would anybody take them at their word about future plans and further promises?

As Bush once said,






They are dead in the North with this.
 
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Apparently, under the new scheme announced today, the government has pledged to extend Manchester's tram network to Manchester Airport. Nice idea on paper, but in reality, we've had trams going to the airport for more than nine years. A big clue for them should have been that those trams pass the G-Mex, where their conference was taking place, every twenty minutes.
 
Herman Toothrot said:
Apparently, under the new scheme announced today, the government has pledged to extend Manchester's tram network to Manchester Airport. Nice idea on paper, but in reality, we've had trams going to the airport for more than nine years. A big clue for them should have been that those trams pass the G-Mex, where their conference was taking place, every twenty minutes.
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Every 12 minutes, actually. Absolutely clueless people.
 
I love this quote from an unnamed cabinet minister: “What we need to do is stop being so shit and then people will see how shit the Labour party is. But we need to stop being so shit first”
 
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I feel like there was something else that Sunak announced during his speech...
 
I cannot recognize the country I lived in for 7 years. I know the Tory elite and the City didn't care for the north of England other than for work force but the ease with which they just cancel important infrastructure projects for the region still astonishes me.
 
Reform, Greens, and Lib Dems, polling collectively at same level ~ as Tories. After next poll, very possible that they overtake them. When the post-conference fall hits. With Reform, the right, or far right, has 31%. Could fall below 25%. Reform is a non-entity after this cycle. Disillusioned Tory voters not going to Labour will mostly go to Lib Dems (some, country types, will go to Greens, remarkably, as a protest vote). Then the nutcases will go to Reform (Braverman courting that vote). Point being, the mandate is there to move away from the far-right nonsense entirely. Has been for a year or two straight. If it were proportional representation, you'd be looking at a parliament with a list of Tories you could count off in a quick rollcall shared with the other minor parties. Something, PR, which if not this cycle has to be put on the paper, manifesto, next cycle.

If you look at the history of vote distribution in the UK, the only party PR doesn't work for is the Tory party (the way seats are set up, boundaries, and all that nonsense). '17 would have been a Labour-Lib government (SNP might have problems with it owing to the boundaries in Scotland and general disproportionate number of MPs per hundred thousand voters at Westminster).
 
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So, will the tories be able to loot the treasury again, and give their rich friends one final gift before they are probably, and hopefully, booted out of office?
 
Herman Toothrot said:
Surely this gives Labour room to be bolder. The centre ground is now all but abandoned by The Tories, they can occupy it, and not just that bit right of David Cameron, but that bit to the left of Tony Blair. They cannot drag the centre any closer to these Tory psychopaths, we cannot pretend this is normal.

Be bold and go for it, Keir. You're clean through and only Onana is in between you and the goal.
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This is key. This country is full of good people. Many of them voted Tory for a bunch of dumb or disgusting reasons. You don’t have to meet them centre-right to collect their votes. They’ll vote Labour or Lib Dem to remove Tories. Do that from a progressive position, not some stupid centrist massive broad tent.

If a coalition with the Lib Dems is in the offing, you’d better be sure to have some big ticket left wing policies that you can horse trade and possibly dilute a little. Doing it from the middle will just see nothing change.
 
RoyH1 said:
I cannot recognize the country I lived in for 7 years. I know the Tory elite and the City didn't care for the north of England other than for work force but the ease with which they just cancel important infrastructure projects for the region still astonishes me.
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It’s just so fecking stupid. I’m not necessarily pro HS2 as a project, but fully behind a decades long project that sees high speed rail that connects the entire UK. Get to Cardiff, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds in an Acceptable amount of time, for acceptable amounts of money.

Soooo many jobs. Soooo much money to big corporations. How can a Tory finance guy not structure and sell that in a way that works? It was such an easy win.

It’s utterly mad.
 
Talking about the comparisons between Enoch Powell and Bravermans speeches. I recall this clip of someone cutting Powell down to size.

 
I don't understand the calculation of the Braverman comment. Who is she supposed to win over with this? Those who agree multiculturalism has failed will surely count her and Sunak as part of that failure.

Are there large amounts of UK voters who are somehow on the fence about multiculturalism, and will now flock to the tories because of these comments?

I actually don't think I understand the dynamics of British politics at all. How can you rule for 13(?) years and then, with a straight face, act like you're now finally about to commence the work that needs to be done? Just beyond belief.
 
pierrethesnack said:
I don't understand the calculation of the Braverman comment. Who is she supposed to win over with this? Those who agree multiculturalism has failed will surely count her and Sunak as part of that failure.

Are there large amounts of UK voters who are somehow on the fence about multiculturalism, and will now flock to the tories because of these comments?

I actually don't think I understand the dynamics of British politics at all. How can you rule for 13(?) years and then, with a straight face, act like you're now finally about to commence the work that needs to be done? Just beyond belief.
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I think they're seen as "some of the good ones". It's similar to Trump ranting about the elites when he's a billionaire New Yorker. Them being the very group they demonise doesn't seem to matter. If anything, Braverman and Pattell seem to have been chosen for their jobs because they can't be accused of racism as easily as the average posh white man and they make their supporters feel better about themselves because they validate their concerns about people like them.

That's why I think they're failing so badly. It's obvious they can't "stop the boats" and can't do anything about immigration. Even if you were far right, why bother voting for them?
 
pierrethesnack said:
I don't understand the calculation of the Braverman comment. Who is she supposed to win over with this? Those who agree multiculturalism has failed will surely count her and Sunak as part of that failure.

Are there large amounts of UK voters who are somehow on the fence about multiculturalism, and will now flock to the tories because of these comments?

I actually don't think I understand the dynamics of British politics at all. How can you rule for 13(?) years and then, with a straight face, act like you're now finally about to commence the work that needs to be done? Just beyond belief.
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As a person in my early 70s, I don't understand it either if I am honest.

History tells us that the UK is an inherently centre right voting country. With the Tories winning the majority of elections. Only Tony Blair and Harold Wilson have won GEs in the last few generations.

So the Tories can pretty much do what they like and still be electable, unlike Labour.
 
pierrethesnack said:
I don't understand the calculation of the Braverman comment. Who is she supposed to win over with this? Those who agree multiculturalism has failed will surely count her and Sunak as part of that failure.

Are there large amounts of UK voters who are somehow on the fence about multiculturalism, and will now flock to the tories because of these comments?

I actually don't think I understand the dynamics of British politics at all. How can you rule for 13(?) years and then, with a straight face, act like you're now finally about to commence the work that needs to be done? Just beyond belief.
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She wants to be the next leader after they lose the election, talking to the Tory members.
 
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