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?

That's was for @MiaMc

Because Boris Johnstone is quite appealing to a large amount of the demographic in Hartlepool. If people want to clutch their pearls in horror at how anyone could support Boris, get your head out of your arse or prepare to be unelectable for a long time.

The vaccine rollout is going well, and furlough made a difference to very many people. Despite people’s bitching on here, for many people in England life is not that bad.

I've voted Labour my whole life. I didn't vote yesterday , I just couldn't bring myself to. I can't vote for Labour, they just want to eradicate women's rights and are way too woke (and I'm part of LGB)
I won't vote tory as a working class person who relies on benefits right now.
My local libdem candidate is a moron.

I feel incredibly shite about it.

@Hellocatshome

Because the Labour our Grandfathers voted for no longer exists

I'd agree with this. The current Labour party can't connect with and doesn't speak for the working class.

That said, I don't understand why people feel that Boris et all do

@ScabberPig

I've voted Labour my whole life. I didn't vote yesterday , I just couldn't bring myself to. I can't vote for Labour, they just want to eradicate women's rights and are way too woke (and I'm part of LGB) I won't vote tory as a working class person who relies on benefits right now. My local libdem candidate is a moron.

I feel incredibly shite about it.

Yes I think that's a good point. Many of us want to vote Labour, but we can't.

Scratch that theory then, didn’t realise the figures were available.

I've always voted Labour. But in all honesty I can't anymore. They have no policies, they will bankrupt the country, they witter on about sleaze instead of coming up with better policies, Kier S isn't representative of a typical labour voter and doesn't have any charisma, he's not even as charasmatic as Corbyn ffs. My local MP is useless and corrupt. And at the end of the day the Tories caused Bexit and I think they need to remain in power for the next 10 years until all the shit settles down. They wanted it, Bojo campaigned for it and he should be the one to deal with it all.

Because none of the other parties have any respect for safeguarding and women. I can’t stand Boris but no way would I vote for a party that is trying to erase 51% of the population. Conservatives keep dipping their toe into identity politics but hopefully they will see it is a vote loser.

From the Guardian:

“There was unhappiness that Labour selected the pro-Remain former neighbouring MP, Paul Williams, as its candidate in a town that voted 70% to leave the European Union. “

@Mumteedum

Absolutely the question should be what do labour in 2021 stand for?

I don't think the party can reconcile that amongst its own members, because the very left of the party don't agree with centre left policies and vice versa.

Until they sort out their internal wrangling, they aren't going to get anywhere.

Oh, as well as working out what a woman is. That's rather important (to some of us).

@User135644

They actually care about women's rights in the north east.

They don’t in Yorkshire. It’s the Labour Party that’s keeping legalised prostitution going.

Another Scot who would love to know this? Why are people so approving of to conservative Mis management at Westminster?

I thought Keir Starmer was/is a very positive alternative. His policy during the pandemic to not play party politics but work together was broadly understandable.

Is it just that he left it too late to be a strong opposition?

I am not pro independence, but I am thoroughly fed up of Boris Johnston’s attitude and government. Nobody appears to be holding him to account.

@DazzlePaintedBattlePants

From the Guardian:

“There was unhappiness that Labour selected the pro-Remain former neighbouring MP, Paul Williams, as its candidate in a town that voted 70% to leave the European Union. “

Big mistake. Huge.

TBH I’d have thought the average Labour voter (I’m not talking the likes of Rebecca Long Bailey and their followers) might not be too heartbroken at this result. Because it might just mean that Labour will finally wake up and realise that actually winning elections is perhaps more important than pandering to - or at least tolerating - the more hard line element.

Of course there may still be a faction who’d still prefer to be comfortably in opposition, slagging off everything That Lot do, rather than having to put their money where their mouth is.

Maybe Labour will now exert itself to find a leader and policies with truly widespread appeal, but I will admit that I’m not holding my breath.

The Labour party have attacked and betrayed women so it's not suprising.

Brexit is the number one reason

I'm gutted this morning. I just can't get my head around it.

And -please help me understand the “trying to erase what a woman is” argument. I know it is about trans rights, but if a biological women is transitioning to a man, and wants the legal right to be a man, is that not “they don’t know what a man is” too?

Sorry, small point, but I find this issue and all the arguments very confusing.

Because labour chose the wrong candidate Hartlepool voted for brexit in a massive way so a pro remain candidate would go down like a lead balloon at the best of times, let's chose a candidate that votes the opposite way to their constituents and thinks they are wrong that's a plan that will work no problem , could no one in labour see that a remain candidate in a leave area was a recipe for a disaster and an insult to the local electorate
For many people the furlough by chancellor was much much better than they expected not huge job losses the vaccine worked well and in a brexit voting area was confirmation that brexit was good ( even if you don't think it is a brexit confirmation there is no denying it was a success) down playing success doesn't go down with a patriotic electorate

People get what they deserve.

You vote for your mp not kier at this level
And the labour candidate has history ... not just brexit

Accepting a gift of a £8000 trip to Saudi whilst mp for Stockton
And up against a woman when the last labour guy was sleeze

The question has to be why did labour want to lose Hartlepool ?

Brexit is over and so onto destroy public services and continue to make the rich richer now appears to be the agenda.

I've just looked at the figures. All the woke parties bombed. The Lib Dem result was risible, as was the Green Party's and WEP's.

Labour are 'represented' by some real woke idiots on the front bench, in the press & TV and on social media. Some really unhinged arguments are being put forward by some seriously unpleasant people.

And still Keir Starmer has done nothing to shut it all down. He either won't, or he can't.

Meanwhile the UK's living on tick and voting for another Freeman's catalogue, and they don't trust Labour's alternative.

'Disappointing' doesn't even begin to describe it for me.

Labour's fucked.

Because Labour policies are not representative of Hartlepool voters. Labour appear to be pandering to very vocal sections of their party rather than getting out and asking the larger population what they want. The Conservative mayor for Teesside has done a good job and people recognise that. Labour have done nothing for the north east and haven't done since Tony Blair was the leader.

People like GiveMeTulips are a huge part of the issue. If you demonise people who don't vote the 'right' way, don't be surprised when they continue to do so. Make an effort to understand their concerns and priorities rather than smearing them.

@CormoranStrike

And -please help me understand the “trying to erase what a woman is” argument. I know it is about trans rights, but if a biological women is transitioning to a man, and wants the legal right to be a man, is that not “they don’t know what a man is” too?

Sorry, small point, but I find this issue and all the arguments very confusing.

That's actually an excellent question and a clue to the answer is contained within.