Just to interject. The conservatives have traditionally held the entire “right” side of the electorate to themselves. The left is split between labour, SNP, Plaid, greens and so on. Liberals grab a bit in the middle but would lean on them grabbing a little more of left of centre (usually).
So we end up with this bizarre situation with the conservatives winning seats by having less votes than the total of the others put together.
That’s why we bang on about voting for the local candidate that is best placed to beat the Tories. A vote anywhere else generally means a better chance of a Tory win.
The upshot then is our governments are very narrow.
Furlough supporters were largely on the centre/left, not sure they were a big voice within the conservative party, particularly the part where Sunak gets his support from.
This is one of the interesting things about the position Sunak and the Tories are in - Ever since Sunak ran for the leadership he has barely ever spoken positively about delivering the furlough. One of the few things he can legitimately claim credit for and be given wide praise for and yet those within his own party attack him for it because of the impact on national debt (or their views on government spending), so he can’t use it even though he is trying to make this election about him rather than his party.
When doing good things that people like becomes toxic within your own party. See Trump and the Covid vaccine (not that he really did anything to make it happen, but something like that happens on your watch you’re entitled to run on it).
Labour will clearly win and will have a huge mandate from the public. But their ability to bring dramatic change will be small, as the coffers are bare. They will be attacked as soon as they are in government for not pulling a rabbit out of the hat.
There should be two goals is Labour when it gets into power.
The first is proportional representation this would change the landscape of the UK and moderate extremes.
The second is punish those responsible for corruption and abuse. Imagine them immediately going after the water companies pumping shit into rivers, or those tory peers who have made a millions from PPE, closed non dom loop holes, or made tax affairs of MPs public record.
Over the last 14 years people have forgotten what normal looks like. A scandal that would have brought down governments of yesteryear just another week. Bringing back decency, accountability and transparency does not need money and would go far in restoring trust and confidence.
It will be a landslide for Labour yes, perhaps even worse for Tory than 97.
But Im still not content, sorry. If Labour can only get elected once the Tories are in collapse, its a case of Hobsons choice isnt it?
As I tried to post earlier, Labour are not famed for huge successes, or economic stability, granted they gave us the welfare state, but that was 75 yrs ago, and you can’t live off that. There’s nothing of note in between bar perhaps Blair up to Iraq 2003. Its hackneyed, but Labour are synonymous with bust; and if you hadn’t noticed there is a chance of crash in the west, whom better to oversee it?!
Starmer will inject respect to the system and probity, as he is used to taking a firm principled line being ex-DPP, but just how far will he go? My feeling is he will be very tough on law and order.
But the political offering now is shabby and it concerns me we are devoid of leaders and its the right thing to ask.
I think they will be able to pull some rabbits out of the hat to get the ball rolling quickl, and may even get lucky with the economy getting stronger. The government has been able to get its recent budgets through on the basis of things happening down the road (whether or not it actually does i.e fuel duty rises which never actually get introduced). Labour might do something similar.
Labours policies for example have an element of spend to save - i.e more staff/over time in NHS to get waiting lists down and people back into work/ off benefit.
Or another example clear asylum application backlogs quicker, and proper housing rather than hotels - also reducing pressure on local authorites to house them if they immediately become homeless when leaving asylum system.
Labours policies also include setting up a sovereign fund and i think a green bank to help fund the net zero push.
This is a very sensible perspective, Maria. Ultimately Labour are the only serious option to remove the incompetents who have been wrecking the UK for at least a decade.
The rut that countries find themselves in due to the policy of the previous party can’t be addressed within one term by the succeeding party. They may never be addressed in that regard too , especially if the rot has set in far too much.
The very definition of trying to buy votes. Still, you’d have to be incredibly stupid to think that £2m per annum is going to help your town get levelled up.
Someone must have found the bottom of one of Jeremy Hunts black holes to come up with £6bn from a tax avoidance crackdown.
I bet the cost of the crackdown will far outway the benefits. Absolute nutters, #BringbackTruss,!
I’d be surprised if the offer had any affect now. These areas have probably already turned against the Conservatives because they werent given the funding they expected after the last election. Can they be sure that they will get it after the next one - and will it also be available from other parties.
