UK General Discussion

[You kip if you want to...]

14 Tories have written to 1922 asking for a leadership contest apparently.

[Leftbehind]

All bark and no bite then.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

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This is, of course, true. He doesn't. It's all out in the open now. Arsehole should resign now. Better, be cuffed.

[YL]

14 Tories have written to 1922 asking for a leadership contest apparently.

They need 46 (15% of the parliamentary party) to trigger a confidence vote (like the one which brought down IDS) so still some way off.

No idea how the Lib Dems would react.

[You kip if you want to...]

Shapps has said the Tories will select candidates based on the existing boundaries. Make of that what you will.

[Leftbehind]

How much has been pissed up the wall on this review, then?

[You kip if you want to...]

How much has been pissed up the wall on this review, then?

Too much.

Ah well, one step closer to Number 10 for Ed I suppose.

[Silent Hunter]

Simon Harwood sacked by Met Police

The dismissal was the maximum penalty they could have given - loss of pension requires the Home Secretary to get involved, if I recall correctly.

[Silent Hunter]

Nick Clegg "singing"

[You kip if you want to...]

The apology. How is this man in politics? He's an utter joke!

[ViaActiva]

Indeed, he's devoid of any political credibility. Why the Liberal Democrats haven't ditched him yet is a mystery to me.

[Leftbehind]

Indeed, he's devoid of any political credibility. Why the Liberal Democrats haven't ditched him yet is a mystery to me.

So the coalition contamination is restricted to him - so they can replace him just before the next election and claim a new start/different direction.

[ViaActiva]

I'm not saying that the contamination is restricted to him, I certainly think that the Liberal Democrats as a party are going to be relegated to the margins of the British politics. But getting rid of him now and making someone like Cable or Farron leader would help slightly.

[Leftbehind]

If you read my comment with "They're doing it..." in front, you'll see my meaning, as you misunderstood my comment. They're hoping to restrict the toxicity to Clegg, in a hope they can replace him and not get crucified in the next election. Replacing him with Cable and Farron now would probably just make them unpopular as well, reinforcing an 'it's the party and not the leader' message, as they're unlikely to radically change the direction of the coalition or undo any of their past mistakes (partly thanks to Clegg leaving them in such a weak position, beholden to the Tories). 

[You kip if you want to...]

The idea that Cable or Farron (especially Farron) would do better is completely wrong anyway.

[ViaActiva]

Why? Clegg is completely ruined in the minds of the public, but if you look at the polls, Cable is still relatively popular. The Liberal Democrats are still going to go lose a lot of seats in the next election, but with someone other than Clegg they could do slightly better.

[You kip if you want to...]

Why? Clegg is completely ruined in the minds of the public, but if you look at the polls, Cable is still relatively popular. The Liberal Democrats are still going to go lose a lot of seats in the next election, but with someone other than Clegg they could do slightly better.

Cable's still a pretty unknown entity to most normal voters. Anyone new would be easily tarred with the same brush as Clegg. And on tuition fees, Cable voted for the rise and it was his department that was in charge of it.

[YL]

Nick Clegg "singing"

This one is good too.

Any versions of Andrew Mitchell talking to the police yet?

[Leftbehind]

Why? Clegg is completely ruined in the minds of the public, but if you look at the polls, Cable is still relatively popular. The Liberal Democrats are still going to go lose a lot of seats in the next election, but with someone other than Clegg they could do slightly better.

That's why they won't replace him with Cable et al until the coalitions done with. So they can release a new social democratic manifesto in time for the electioneering period and pretend it's a clean break.

This one is good too.

Fantastic! Blows everything else out of the water, in fact.

[ViaActiva]

Well yeah I guess that a break in 2014 would be a better strategy. It will be interesting to see if Clegg puts up a fight.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Clegg's approval ratings are now at approximately minus sixty trillion.

[You kip if you want to...]

Clegg's approval ratings are now at approximately minus sixty trillion.

That high?

[You kip if you want to...]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/09/23/jon-cruddas-labour-policy-chief-lib-dems-have-done-good-in-government_n_1907159.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

Wow, no.

[Leftbehind]

Labour seriously need to sort out their strategy.

Anyway, there's been a fair bit of polling over the weekend:

Survation CON 29% (-1), LAB 41% (+1), LDEM 10% (n/c), UKIP 12%.
YouGov     CON 34% (-1), LAB 43% (+2), LDEM 8% (-1), UKIP 8%.
Opinium     CON 30% (-2), LAB 42% (+2), LDEM 8% (-2), UKIP 10%.
ComRes     CON 35% (+2), LAB 39% (-3), LDEM 10% (n/c), UKIP 8%.

The YouGov also had some hypotheticals:

Under Cameron, Miliband, Clegg
LAB 41%, CON 34%, LDEM 9%, OTH 16%

Under Cameron, Miliband, Cable
LAB 39%, CON 34%, LDEM 12%, OTH 16%

Under Johnson, Miliband, Clegg
CON 38%, LAB 38%, LDEM 9%, OTH 15%

Under Johnson, Miliband, Cable
CON 39%, LAB 35%, LDEM 11%, OTH 15%

[Leftbehind]

...and behind the pack:

TNS BMRB: CON 28% (-3), LAB 44% (+1), LDEM 8% (-1), OTH 19% (+2)