Your voting intentions

[AndyAudi]

Timothy Bucktu said:

And there are people who think voting makes a difference, or who they vote for makes any difference...it doesn't of course, but I guess having an optimistic outlook is a good thing.

I think voting makes a difference to how things are handled as they occur.
Whatever party, it’s damn difficult to present a list of things they are going to do & stick to it as the future is largely unknown & unpredictable.

Future politics is like the weather in my eyes, it’s reasonable to expect usual seasonality & plan for things round that. When to save for holidays or a set of winter tyres etc. But inevitably when you get a rubbish summer or mild winter there’s someone telling you when they booked the trip last year the place/weather was better & your winter tyres were a waste of money. Plus a few others mentioning climate change & spotting “patterns”

Re comments “they’re all the same” etc
I personally feel a lot of that is down to the perception of how they behave in Houses of Parliament, in what appears to be an outdated & old fashioned pantomime.
I do often question the need for the Scottish Parliament but it does feel a better more relatable environment watching on the TV.

[Kermit power]

thepeoplespal said:

I want to see manifestos addressing:

The rampant corruption of MPs and Lords needs to be addressed and prosecuted.

Strict limits for ministers not to be able to use time in office to benefit themselves for 5+ years after leaving office.

Remove the bksks limits on us plebs trying to open up a bank account for our local football and wee old peoples clubs, especially when Russian and foreign money has never been questioned.

Let me get a bloomin GP appointment.

Allow councils to replace council housing and dramatically improve soundproofing, so everyone can have a good neighbour. With unemployed who help build their own flats and houses given priority.

Make work pay, so stop the dodgy tapers where people pay 60%+ and more effective tax rates.

Fund achools so the cream of our society are happy to be teachers using Finland as possible model given happiness and PISA education scores.

We need more kids not less with a target of at least 2.1 replacement level, so no disincentives for rich or poor families to have kids - every child should get child benefit and child care until we are well past 3.0 replacement kids per UK female as we have a demographic time bomb.

Need Surestart back again, that was just starting to work when it was cruelly gutted of funding

Fix my bloody potholes

Fund proper documentation and project analysis of what we would do better the next time in the public sector to stop us constantly reinventing the wheel and making the same mistakes time and time again, all while private companies take the public sector for a ride again and again.

None of this is likely to happen, but understand this I don't want tax cuts, I want a proper functioning society with proper services.

I'd mostly vote for that.

Personally I'm not fussed about the GP part because ours provides an excellent service already. Other than that, two things I'd like to see are...

1. Proportional Representation. Half of MPs are elected for (larger than they are now) constituencies with the other half being allocated from party lists to retain both local and nationally proportionate representation and any (and I do mean any) party with at least 2.5% of the national vote get represented in parliament.

2. Decent pay for MPs. I'd say £250k each for MPs and £350k for Ministers and £500k for members of the cabinet, coupled with that time restriction on benefiting from their time in parliament.

Of course lots of people will look at the current shower and scream about paying them that much money, but the whole point is that you wouldn't be paying most of them that much because you'd attract better candidates!

[CivicDuties]

Newc said:

I won't vote Conservative again until they actually turn up at the polls as a Conservative party rather than wannabe Lib Dems.

That's right, because the LibDems, had they been in government, would have:

1 - Left the EU, SM and CU, and refused to reconsider the decision
2 - Attempted to implement the Rwanda policy
3 - Blocked migrant care workers from bringing children and family with them
4 - Prorogued Parliament unlawfully and lied to the Queen about it
5 - Implemented Liz Truss's lunatic right wing economic policies

I could go on. Yeah, sure the current Conservatives are just center left LibDems in disguise...

[Evanivitch]

CivicDuties said:

Newc said:

I won't vote Conservative again until they actually turn up at the polls as a Conservative party rather than wannabe Lib Dems.

That's right, because the LibDems, had they been in government, would have:

1 - Left the EU, SM and CU, and refused to reconsider the decision
2 - Attempted to implement the Rwanda policy
3 - Blocked migrant care workers from bringing children and family with them
4 - Prorogued Parliament unlawfully and lied to the Queen about it
5 - Implemented Liz Truss's lunatic right wing economic policies

I could go on. Yeah, sure the current Conservatives are just center left LibDems in disguise...

A truly bizarre comment, I agree.

[bitchstewie]

Apparently Tice was doing the media round for Reform bleating on about the Conservatives having "socialist" policies.

Utterly bonkers.

[JagLover]

CivicDuties said:

3 - Blocked migrant care workers from bringing children and family with them

The current government (2019-24) first drastically loosened immigration restrictions following the GE win and then tried desperately to row back somewhat as the net migration numbers came in at a rate never seen before.

Overall it was probably the most permissive government for immigration in our recent history, exceeding that of New Labour.

[Newc]

CivicDuties said:

Newc said:

I won't vote Conservative again until they actually turn up at the polls as a Conservative party rather than wannabe Lib Dems.

That's right, because the LibDems, had they been in government, would have:

1 - Left the EU, SM and CU, and refused to reconsider the decision
2 - Attempted to implement the Rwanda policy
3 - Blocked migrant care workers from bringing children and family with them
4 - Prorogued Parliament unlawfully and lied to the Queen about it
5 - Implemented Liz Truss's lunatic right wing economic policies

I could go on. Yeah, sure the current Conservatives are just center left LibDems in disguise...

Alternatively
1 Followed through on a manifesto commitment and stuck with it
2 Offered the only practical solution - offshore processing - to illegal immigration
3 Published quite clear rules about how visas would be granted and then enforced them
4 Understood that Parliament is the supreme legislative body in the UK and its actions are not subject to the whims of unelected judges or ceremonial monarchs
5 Offered an alternative economic vision which upset all the fans of the status quo happily suckling on the teat of the state

But it wasn't all good. For instance

1 Introduced green policies with top down targets (net zero) rather than setting a goal and allowing the market to work out a path.
2 Failed to reform the planning regs to allow new housing
3 Failed to control both illegal and legal immigration
4 Didn't meaningfully deregulate any industry
5 Raised taxes

You know, just like the Lib Dems.

[CivicDuties]

Newc said:

CivicDuties said:

Newc said:

I won't vote Conservative again until they actually turn up at the polls as a Conservative party rather than wannabe Lib Dems.

That's right, because the LibDems, had they been in government, would have:

1 - Left the EU, SM and CU, and refused to reconsider the decision
2 - Attempted to implement the Rwanda policy
3 - Blocked migrant care workers from bringing children and family with them
4 - Prorogued Parliament unlawfully and lied to the Queen about it
5 - Implemented Liz Truss's lunatic right wing economic policies

I could go on. Yeah, sure the current Conservatives are just center left LibDems in disguise...

Alternatively
1 Followed through on a manifesto commitment and stuck with it
2 Offered the only practical solution - offshore processing - to illegal immigration
3 Published quite clear rules about how visas would be granted and then enforced them
4 Understood that Parliament is the supreme legislative body in the UK and its actions are not subject to the whims of unelected judges or ceremonial monarchs
5 Offered an alternative economic vision which upset all the fans of the status quo happily suckling on the teat of the state

But it wasn't all good. For instance

1 Introduced green policies with top down targets (net zero) rather than setting a goal and allowing the market to work out a path.
2 Failed to reform the planning regs to allow new housing
3 Failed to control both illegal and legal immigration
4 Didn't meaningfully deregulate any industry
5 Raised taxes

You know, just like the Lib Dems.

Great spin, Mr Campbell. What the Tories actually did in List 1 Point 4 is capture Parliament's sovereignty for the Executive branch of Government, and capture the capacity of our Constitution to hold the Executive branch of Government to account. I agree we shouldn't have a ceremonical monarch, or hereditary Head of State of any kind, though. Claiming the Conservatives don't deregulate anything is a bit bizarre when the country is literally swimming in its own excrement. There's your market for you. Bonfire of Regulations, isn't that what the nice Mr Rees-Mogg would like?

[bitchstewie]

Unfortunately some people will never accept that closing down Parliament, the thing they claim to care so deeply about, so it can't hold you to account and you can do what you want unopposed is the very opposite of democracy.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

James6112 said:

Jordie Barretts sock said:

I'm guessing Starmer will do his best to keep Lammy and Rayner away from the press. They could lose far more votes than gain quite easily.

Page 1 of BBC news right now
You’re wrong on both counts.

I refer the honourable gentleman to the post I made earlier.

She's not speaking. She's just the eye candy for the hard or thinking. She's incapable of debate. You only have to see that famous piece where Andrew Neil took her apart.

[119]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

James6112 said:

Jordie Barretts sock said:

I'm guessing Starmer will do his best to keep Lammy and Rayner away from the press. They could lose far more votes than gain quite easily.

Page 1 of BBC news right now
You’re wrong on both counts.

I refer the honourable gentleman to the post I made earlier.

She's not speaking. She's just the eye candy for the hard or thinking. She's incapable of debate. You only have to see that famous piece where Andrew Neil took her apart.

To be fair, Labour party members do make for good entertainment.

[Evanivitch]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

I refer the honourable gentleman to the post I made earlier.

She's not speaking. She's just the eye candy for the hard or thinking. She's incapable of debate. You only have to see that famous piece where Andrew Neil took her apart.

Ah the misogynistic views of PH rise again.

[Dagnir]

Kermit power said:

I won't be voting Tory again in a hurry, but I just can't relate to that degree of negativity about the country.

Sure, the gutter press and ttter tell me that my country is overrun by immigrants, I'm paying 103% of my salary in tax and the only reason my wife and daughter haven't both been raped by an Asian grooming gang yet today is because their council-funded luxury minibus broke an axle in a 4 foot deep pothole on the way here, but in reality I've been able to keep hold of a well paid job (the odd year over £150k, but not often), am on track for a comfortable retirement by the time I'm 60 and have had no complaints about the service we've received from the NHS.

I absolutely recognise that plenty of people do have really stty lives, but I think there are a load more who aren't happy unless they're whining about how crap everything is!

Unfortunately this kind of thinking is precisely the problem.

I'm not criticising you, as its perfectly understandable to want to look after yourself and your family but it's the "I'm ok in my bubble" is both a symptom and a cause of this country's issues.

We use to have a national spirit, we used to be proud of being British. We used to want to stick together to protect our country and preserve our wonderful way of life.

Most of that is simply gone. Our societal cohesion has been obliterated. Our trust in our fellow citizens is utterly eroded. So many have been convinced that we're a terrible country with an immoral past.

It has been heartbreaking to watch unfold. To watch so many people willingly destroy what has made us great, whilst preaching that they're the ones doing the right thing, is beyond maddening and truly detestable.

(Not all that applies to the poster I'm replying to btw!)


Anyway...Britain is over. Wonderful history. We shaped the modern world but we're simply not that Britain anymore.

[S600BSB]

bhstewie said:

Unfortunately some people will never accept that closing down Parliament, the thing they claim to care so deeply about, so it can't hold you to account and you can do what you want unopposed is the very opposite of democracy.

Hopefully the public will be reminded of that fact during the campaign. A truly awful moment in our history.

Interesting that Simon Case in his evidence to the Covid Inquiry yesterday described Boris Johnson’s regime as “the worst governing ever seen”.

We need change.

[Dagnir]

Kermit power said:

In the perfect scenario, we'll wake up on July 5th to find that the Tories have 130 seats with 20% of the total vote and Reform have no seats at all with 21% of the total vote.

Then let's see anyone try to sustain the lie that FPTP gives us anything even remotely close to fair elections!

Agreed!

[Dagnir]

768 said:

Timothy Bucktu said:

jshell said:

Starmer says he'd choose Davos and WEF over Westminster. Seems a bit strange to me...


https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1793544149821...

And there are people who think voting makes a difference, or who they vote for makes any difference...it doesn't of course, but I guess having an optimistic outlook is a good thing.

That was a shocker of an answer.

And yet the globalist snowball gathers pace as it heads towards us.....


Truly baffling how some people support this.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

Evanivitch said:

Ah the misogynistic views of PH rise again.

Not at all. My original comment included Lammy as well. It is not misogynistic to describe Angela Rayner as unintelligent. She is as thick as a plank. She left school with more children than qualifications. That tells you all you need to know.

[Rocket.]

Crippo said:

Timothy Bucktu said:

jshell said:

Starmer says he'd choose Davos and WEF over Westminster. Seems a bit strange to me...


https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1793544149821...

And there are people who think voting makes a difference, or who they vote for makes any difference...it doesn't of course, but I guess having an optimistic outlook is a good thing.

That’s the problem, no matter who you vote for the Government always get back in. The Country is run by Quangos and Civil Servants. The NHS is run by NHS bosses, the police is run by Police Chief Constables, the Courts are a law unto themselves and are constantly interfering in Political decisions. So when we vote to take back control for example the Government collective ignore that and import even more people because they are beholden to their beliefs and what they think is best. Brexit was hugely about controlling our borders and reducing immigration. What did we get? Massive increases in immigration and our population is growing at a massive rate…..the problems this brings are absolutely massive and the politians are still telling us we need it and it’s good for us.
So what’s the point in voting for the same 2 Teams? Passing the baton from one set to the other that are largely in agreement about all of the important issues and doing nothing to address them, whilst they argue where the deck chairs should be positions…port side or Starboard.

Agree with the above we are just trapped voting (or not) for what we think is the least worst option who are just beholden to the Civil service anyway, it's just a gradual decline into bankruptcy and Argentina style mess, interestingly they now have had enough and trying a different approach but we have a way to go yet it, it has to get worse before it can get better.

[SWoll]

S600BSB said:

Hopefully the public will be reminded of that fact during the campaign. A truly awful moment in our history.

Interesting that Simon Case in his evidence to the Covid Inquiry yesterday described Boris Johnson’s regime as “the worst governing ever seen”.

We need change.

Did Starmer immediately stand up and say "hold my pint"?

Modern politicians are almost entirely just different shades of st. Not defending the Tories in any way as have nothing but disgust for them and have never voted blue in my 30 years as a member of the electorate, but does anyone really thiink things would have been better had Labour been in charge during that period?

I wouldn't trust most of them to run a village hall, let alone a country.

[boyse7en]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Evanivitch said:

Ah the misogynistic views of PH rise again.

Not at all. My original comment included Lammy as well. It is not misogynistic to describe Angela Rayner as unintelligent. She is as thick as a plank. She left school with more children than qualifications. That tells you all you need to know.

Good, because what we really don't need is yet more oxbridge-educated MPs worried about how to ensure that get a nice directorship or two after their political career is over.
Our MPs are supposed to represent the electorate, and that means we need a mix of working, middle and upper classes, the privately and publicly educated, the well-to-do and the single mums, businessmen and factory workers. A "meritocratic" House of Commons, where only those who have enjoyed the benefits of a pricey Eton and Oxford education is what got us into the mess we are in.