Labour victory feels flat - just me?

[Rafting2022]

I seem to remember after the 1997 landslide the country was on a real high for days - this feels like an anti-climax. Is it just me?

What is there to feel excited about with this new government? I sincerely hope they bring positive change, but experience tells me they won't.

I'm thrilled personally.

Try being diagnosed with a potentially curable condition under the Tories, being unable to get medical treatment so you end up losing your entire career, then try to survive on benefits that become increasingly worthless when it's no fault of your own that you got sick and couldn't get treatment, get to the point you're considering suicide because you've been made to feel utterly worthless and like you have nothing to live for, but by that point it is impossible to get an appointment with a GP to get any help, and then tell me you'd have been pleased to have another Tory government.

Exactly this. Many of us are disillusioned and pessimistic about politics- we have chosen what we hope will be a less awful option!

Oh god - me too.

But there is no money to easily fix public services this time, and the whole women's rights thing is simmering away unresolved. So it's not surprising.

Trying to stay hopeful.

But were you getting positive change with the Tories?

That'll be because only 36% of the electorate voted for them!

I think the mood is quiet and desperate relief, rather than celebration.

Of what?

For me, it’s tainted by the fear of the far right lurking in the background.

In 1997 the economy was already improving. There were no major conflicts. It seemed a fairly settled time. People were just fed up with the Conservatives after 18 years and wanted something new. This time there is the sense that there is an insurmountable hill to climb. The economic outlook is not good, there is an increased threat of conflict, Europe and the USA are politically unsettled. I think most people feel there is just too much to do and not enough money to do it with. I do feel that, at least, there is now a government with the intention of making things better rather than just in it for themselves. Whether or not they will be able to put much into action remains to be seen.

We have a FPTP system - all those who voted for other parties in a wide range of seats in order to defeat a Conservative are presumably pleased there has been a change in government.

It’s because it’s not democracy, that’s why. We’re being gaslit already. ‘The British people have given us a mandate’.

Its patent bollocks. Starmer got about as many votes as John Major in 1992 when he lost to Blair. They’ve won a thumping majority on 34% of a 60% turnout. What an endorsement.

Why will people in work be worse off (according to you)?

The party have been given a mandate - it is FPTP, that is how our system works. When did any party win a majority of the overall electorate? Is that your new criteria?

I’m delighted!

Reckon Keir deserves a go.

Very interested to see where he takes it.

Because too many are taking from the system and not enough are contributing.

Theu don’t have any choice but to tax the money that’s moving round the system, and most of that is from people in work.

the very rich, and the very poor won’t be touched. The middle will be hit again.

None of it rings true to me - they seem to have quite small scale ambitions in the face of massive global issues, eg we're going to magically create all this growth while staying out of the European Single Market, we'll water down our environmental commitments and yet somehow everything will be rosy. There are massive challenges that require someone with vision and Starmer doesn't have it.

The ruling party in the UK very rarely if ever gets a majority of the votes cast. So according to your logic, no party ever has a mandate under our system.

Have you always campaigned for electoral reform or only this time?

The Tories gave it up far too easily, it’s almost like they know that there is another global crisis on the horizon. I don’t think they could weather another disaster.

They didn't willingly give it up, they were just hopelessly incompetent!

Has Rishi commented on his batshit choice of election date yet? I'd be fascinated to hear his account of that.

97 was different as people were genuinely keen on Labour, and as people have said, this was more about the Tories losing.

I am glad we have swung away from most of the world in not electing a far-right Nationalist government, but I fear we have only put that off for four years. Labour will have very litle to work with to improve things and even if they try their best Tories are likely to increasingly model themselves after Reform and lure voters back with false promises of wealth and 'national pride', with the vast majority of the press and a lot of social media bots supporting them in this and declaring Labour to be a 'disaster' even if they do quite well.

After less than 24 hours? Don't be silly.

I think it's realism. Labour voters get accused of expecting unicorns and rainbows once 'their' party has got in, but that's just sour grapes. The flatness is because we all know that this time round there's no high - just the prospect of years of hard slog clearing up the mess that the previous incumbents have left behind. Things will get better, but it will be a long, slow climb out of the pit.

Yep, exactly that. And my adult dc and all their friends feel the same, having experienced Tory sleaze and incompetence for more than half their lives. We’re all delighted, thank you very much.

Flatter than Starmer's moobs