UK General Discussion Thread: mayy lmao

[Phony Moderate]

In not entirely shocking news, Douglas Carswell is resigning from UKIP.

Funny he doesn't think he floor crossing requires a by election now...

To be fair, he's not exactly floor-crossing - being a one-man party band in parliament is arguably little different to being an indie in practice.

Good luck holding Clacton on a libertarian platform lmao.

One of my earliest holidays was in Clacton - 1999 I believe. I don't recall much pot-smoking or Ayn Rand-reading going on, although I was only 5 at the time.

[Phony Moderate]

YouGov poll asking people about things that could be reinstated following Brexit: http://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/tl8kg6q3i9/InternalResults_170222_AfterBrexit_W.pdf

Death penalty at 36% support...must be the lowest ever, surely?

[Phony Moderate]

Surprised that Brown wasn't lower considering that would have been Jan-Feb of 2009, in the heights of the financial crisis.

Brown actually handled the financial crisis well - probably the high point of his premiership in fact. The expenses scandal and general gaffes really doomed him.

[Phony Moderate]

YouGov have polled London

Key take aways is that Corbyn's Labour are down 7% on the GE, so are doing just as bad in London as everywhere else in the country (it's supposed his heartland), and Lib Dems have doubled their support.

And lol at the 18-24 years olds cross tab - 61% Labour; and Tories equal with the Lib Dems on 15%

Sadiq Khan is also very popular.

I don't think London is yet to have an unpopular mayor; Boris Johnson always had impressive ratings and Ken Livingstone was done for via the general unpopularity of Labour rather than via any personal unpopularity.

[Phony Moderate]

I fail to understand how anyone other than Corbyn true believers can support Labour at this point. They are completely incompetent, utterly divided and unable to do even the simplest things right.

Because millions of ordinary people in this country see (understandably) a Labour government of any kind as being preferable to a Tory one. You have to understand that party loyalties here are much stronger here than in North America; Liverpool doesn't elect Labour MPs by 70% majorities and then elect a Tory council and mayor the following year unless something along the lines of a world war took place in between.

And the "Corbyn true believers" are actually less supportive of and loyal to Labour than the Labour base at large.

[Phony Moderate]

I know several students who didn't vote Labour in 2015 because of the policy of cutting fees to 6k. Their reasoning was little more than "I had to pay 9k, so why should the next lot have it cheaper."

[Phony Moderate]

May to make an unscheduled statement from Downing Street at 11:15AM (i.e. within the next half an hour), with speculation that she could be calling a snap general election.

[Phony Moderate]

Snap general election on June 8th according to multiple sources.

[Phony Moderate]

Theresa May was almost guaranteed to have nearly two terms as PM, so why likely shorten that time by calling an early election? A very plausible explanation, which the markets seem to be rooting for, is that she's (finally?) facing reality on Brexit and wants to go for a soft(ish) Brexit and have a comfortable majority without any troublesome rebel backbenchers.

Another one is that she is worried about certain investigations regarding expenses in the 2015 election.

[Phony Moderate]

Dennis Skinner will be the Father of the House after this election. Haha

Which reminds me: will the Tories finally launch another coup attempt against Bercow following the election?

I'm reminded because the Father of the House oversees speakership elections.

[Phony Moderate]

Dennis Skinner will be the Father of the House after this election. Haha

Which reminds me: will the Tories finally launch another coup attempt against Bercow following the election?

I'm reminded because the Father of the House oversees speakership elections.

Assuming Bercow is actually outset what's next for him? The backbenches? Seems tricky, given once a Speaker, former or not, you are no longer member of any party. Immediate kick upstairs to the Lords?

Probably to the Lords and a by-election in Buckingham.