Anyone in Hartlepool - what on earth is going on

[Purplecatshopaholic]

Genuine question. (Apologies if this is in the wrong place, I don’t post much). I’m Scottish and in Scotland, and I am constantly aware these days of how different the views are of Westminster up here, to across the border sometimes. We also have our own Labour Party leader up here. But really? Is Keir Starmer that bad? Are other parties not available? Who on earth is still voting for Boris…? Any WHY?

@BuggerBognor

I’m a conservative remainer who would dearly love to slap Boris about the head with a rolled up newspaper. But I guess traditional Labour voters don’t like to be told they’re being oppressed by the rich by a party stuffed with wealthy metropolitan elite types. What does Labour actually stand for these days?

Quite happy to vote for wealthy metropolitan elites though who blow 100k+ on a flat refurb they can’t afford. So that doesn’t really hang together.

And telling people how they are just being manipulated by the “right wing” “millionaire owned” “MSM” is telling them you think they are stupid. No one wants to vote for a party stuffed to the gills with people calling them stupid.

@CovidCorvid

42% turnout. I think a lot of people have given up.

Well, as was said by many at the time (inc me)- many Brexit voters voted for the one and only time they ever would, in their lives, in the referendum.

#LabourLosingWomen might tell you at least part of the answer.

If they can't say what a woman is, they're alienating at least half of the population.

The sad thing is that these voters seem to think that Conservatives will create [jobs]. Shall we take a bet on that now?
This is what I can't understand. I totally get all the other arguments that people in Hartlepool are angry at Labour's stance on trans issues/being patronised about being working-class/Brexit and all the other reasons put forward here.
But really, honestly, what jobs are the Tories going to create in Hartlepool? I would genuinely like to hear opinions on this.

Quite happy to vote for wealthy metropolitan elites though who blow 100k+ on a flat refurb they can’t afford. So that doesn’t really hang together.

I’m deeply middle class and even I am struggling to make myself give a shit about the flat refurb. If I was worried about my job or housing situation I would care even less. This is pure Westminster bubble stuff.

It would make sense of Labour voters said ‘Labour party no longer represents me thus I am voting Green or Raving Loony etc’

But to say Labour doesn’t represent me so I will vote for another party that doesn’t represent me either who are even bigger arseholes who give even less of a shit about me - that makes no sense whatsoever.

@Handsoffstrikesagain

The Labour Party has been living in an echo chamber for many years now. If they want to stand any chance of winning an election they need a Tony Blair circa 1997 style front man.

Absolutely!

I had to laugh at this post: Urgh, the last thing we need is another Tony Blair

What exactly is it about the only Labour leader to win a general election since the 1970s that you don't need?

Excellent summary from RedToothBrush. Personally I care little about party politics, but I want a decent, well led lot to vote for and there simply isn't one

The whole bunch have sold out to narrow self interest - corrupt cronies with the Tories, ridiculous woke lobbyists with Labour and the rest with no idea what to do - so here's another homeless voter

Much better, IMO, if the inevitable Labour split happens sooner rather than later so that something better can be built, but whether that'll happen is anyone's guess

Keep seeing "woke agenda" in posts like these can someone please explain what this is and why some people seem threatened by it.

@JeanClaudeVanDammit

Quite happy to vote for wealthy metropolitan elites though who blow 100k+ on a flat refurb they can’t afford. So that doesn’t really hang together.

I’m deeply middle class and even I am struggling to make myself give a shit about the flat refurb. If I was worried about my job or housing situation I would care even less. This is pure Westminster bubble stuff.

You struggle to care about corruption in politics? Ok.

Anyway, that avoided the question of Labour voters disliking Labour metropolitan elites yet voting for Tory ones.

I suspect it is because the UK isn't as woke or metropolitan left as Mumsnet is. You would think the Tories and Brexit are toxic to people on here in the real world outside of this echo chamber it isn't the case. BLM, trans rights and other strong causes the Labour party might have advantage in just aren't high priority to most people.

Plus Labour and their current leader spent 4 years trying to undo the 2016 referendum telling people they didn't know what they voted for then to rub insult to injury put a remainer candidate up in a strong leave seat. It was bonkers and they deserve all they get.

The Labour Party has become like a bad student union group.
The 'working class' they claim to represent doesn't exist in huge numbers anymore so not enough voters identify with them.

They have also alienated a huge % of the population with their obsession with gender identity politics and the fact that they have thrown women's rights under a bus.
Most voters don't take to Twitter and Facebook to voice their opinions about this, they simply vote for another party.
Women = c. 50% of the population
Trans people = c 0.5% of population.

Go figure.

@BuggerBognor

Quite happy to vote for wealthy metropolitan elites though who blow 100k+ on a flat refurb they can’t afford. So that doesn’t really hang together.

My fuckometer is empty for the flat refurb tbh. But you’ve missed the point entirely - it’s the hypocrisy of the tone deaf luvvie woke-mongers in labour wanking on about oppression - and telling everyone how deeply racist and discriminatory they are - that piss voters off, not the existence of wealth.

It’s not I who has missed the point - the hypocrisy of Tories being actively racist and discriminatory is apparently fine.

I think you can't underestimate the appeal of Boris Johnson for many people. I saw a segment on the news where they were speaking to Northern factory workers and many of them were saying ‘Boris really cares about us, he won’t let us down’. Many, many people have really fallen for the scruffy rogue who is affectionate to all shtick. A lot of talk at the moment about who would succeed Johnson if he’s pushed/toddles off for a higher paid gig, but I can’t see someone like Gove (who’s often touted as his successor) commanding the same affection. A lot of this is very Boris Johnson centred.

I had to laugh at this post: Urgh, the last thing we need is another Tony Blair

What exactly is it about the only Labour leader to win a general election since the 1970s that you don't need?

Someone who takes the country into an unwanted over oil under the auspices of ideology?

@TatianaBis

It would make sense of Labour voters said ‘Labour party no longer represents me thus I am voting Green or Raving Loony etc’

But to say Labour doesn’t represent me so I will vote for another party that doesn’t represent me either who are even bigger arseholes who give even less of a shit about me - that makes no sense whatsoever.

Why are you assuming that defecting Labour voters don't feel represented, to at least some degree (however small that may be) by the party they chose to vote for?

You're assigning intentions and feelings to a large swathe of people that you have no legitimate background data for. You've unilaterally decided that anyone who moved their vote from Lab to Con did so despite believing that the Tories do not represent them in any way, shape or form ~ what have you based that assertion on?

In light of the 'non-man' debacle and the David Challenor scandal, the Greens are considerably less representative of me than the current Conservative party.

it’s the hypocrisy of the tone deaf luvvie woke-mongers in labour wanking on about oppression - and telling everyone how deeply racist and discriminatory they are - that piss voters off, not the existence of wealth.

Do you think I could fit that on a T-shirt? I expect I'd sell quite a few.

@Puzzledandpissedoff

Excellent summary from RedToothBrush. Personally I care little about party politics, but I want a decent, well led lot to vote for and there simply isn't one

The whole bunch have sold out to narrow self interest - corrupt cronies with the Tories, ridiculous woke lobbyists with Labour and the rest with no idea what to do - so here's another homeless voter

Much better, IMO, if the inevitable Labour split happens sooner rather than later so that something better can be built, but whether that'll happen is anyone's guess

Absolutely, we desperately need a centrist party. The trouble is TIG or whatever they called themselves were a disaster and a cautionary tale. The best case scenario would be for Labour to push out Bromentum and rebrand themselves like New Labour did..but that will take time, talent and vision that I fear they don’t have.

Amboseli

Fools rush in

Sums it up.

Labours thought on why it lost. Everyone who didn’t vote Labour is a fool.
No need to look at what it is doing wrong. It’s the voters fault that they aren’t intelligent enough to vote Labour.

@JeanClaudeVanDammit

Quite happy to vote for wealthy metropolitan elites though who blow 100k+ on a flat refurb they can’t afford. So that doesn’t really hang together.

I’m deeply middle class and even I am struggling to make myself give a shit about the flat refurb. If I was worried about my job or housing situation I would care even less. This is pure Westminster bubble stuff.

I couldn't give a shit what BJ's flat looks like. I absolutely do care, though, about who is paying for it and what they are going to get in return. Why would anyone pay £58000 without expecting something back? That's the issue.

The opposition was responsible for moving A&E services out of Hartlepool to nearby North Tees Hospital in Stockton, this has never been forgotten, hence the result.

@Whippet

The Labour Party has become like a bad student union group. The 'working class' they claim to represent doesn't exist in huge numbers anymore so not enough voters identify with them.

They have also alienated a huge % of the population with their obsession with gender identity politics and the fact that they have thrown women's rights under a bus.
Most voters don't take to Twitter and Facebook to voice their opinions about this, they simply vote for another party.
Women = c. 50% of the population
Trans people = c 0.5% of population.

Go figure.

Everyone has thrown women’s rights under a bus - it’s not particular to Labour - the Tories are the ones currently in charge of this. They have never given a fuck about women’s rights.