Thread 42 Starmer : Du drikker en kop te, og så tænker du lidt over alting

[DuncinToffee]

Welcome to our long running thread for political discussion, general chat, a friendly hug and taxes in kind.

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5474213-thread-41-starmer-alban-arthan-the-returning-of-the-light?page=40

If your "massive majority" is contingent on 3 seats, maybe you need a lesson in maths.

It's telling quite how quickly the collective media has been allowed to forget the sheer seismic scale of 2024s result. The possibility of the Tories having fewer seats than the LibDems wasn't derided.

It's a shame Labour seems to have forgotten.

Reform used to call for such bye elections too! The reform councillor I heard the other week on LBC (re Jenrick)said he still thought a bye election would be the right thing and so does his party but they’re just playing by the current rules. When it suits hmmm.

Like wealthy pensioners who got the WFA, or indeed wealthy parents who receive CB.

Labour in 2nd and Lib Dems in 3rd. A tactical vote there would have ousted her looking at the results.

Jenrick only just squeaked through and I believe the Tories had to put a lot of money into that. Reform 3rd behind Labour there.

He went to the University of Salford is his only connection with, well Salford.

I think we are now down to 44 more defections making the Lib Dems the 2nd largest party.

And they still wouldn't get the second most airtime.

Misinterpreted your post apologies.

Are there potentially 44 defectors?

It all depends on how Badenoch takes it from here, after Jenrick and Braverman's defection.

Is she the person in charge to quell doubts and fears?

No idea. I can’t see any of the one nation tories going. There’s still a few of the ERG left that could go.
I don’t see 44 going but it’s a fun idea.

It is!

Who are those Conservative MPs that are ERG?

Rees Mogg doesn't count.

Francois, Duncan Smith, Hayes, Chope. There are a few more. Was Williamson in the ERG? I saw his name mentioned as being on defection watch.

I can see Francois going, probably Chope.

There’s also a level of weighing up the best option for your career vs loyalty to the party. If the post Brexit Tory party taught us anything it that they will put party before country but also self first. If reform are still going well in the polls, then the run up to the next election could get interesting.

I’d have had Badenoch down to make a calculated move but even I don’t think she’s go that far while she’s leader of the opposition.

Trouble is you can barely insert a fag paper between them - what happened to the ‘clear blue water’ between parties and policies that is required to make them stand out?
I think only the health service has any real difference between reform and Tory and I’m sure Tories would go with privatise if they didn’t know it would lose votes with their voting demographics.
I say ‘trouble’ - I’m quite happy splitting nasty party votes really.
I would like a decent and respectable opposition though so I’ll have to be relying on 44 blue balloons floating over to Reform - which seems only a bit less unlikely than Tories regrouping in a half decent manner.

Tories privatised many community services, MH, Physio, OT and SALT, all down here are run by private sector, its effectively NHS though, with just another v expensive layer of management (duplicate Directors, IT, HR, Training) in between
Even wear similar uniforms and ID badges, the patient wouldn't know unless they looked closely.

I expect this will be the pattern if Reform/Con win, AE, Maternity, elective surgeries... why not? then introduce charging/co payments.

& Labour have, so far continued, poss because of contracts.

It would cost more to break the contracts than to continue them. I’m very surprised that the Lansley legislation that required those services to be tendered hasn’t been repealed. It’s not just the extra layer that costs money but the bureaucratic tendering process which is lengthy and expensive for both sides. Quite often the service is delivered by exactly the same staff.

Yep my DD worked for the NHS direct, now to get a promotion, works for Livewell, delivering the exact same service.

But required a lengthy and tedious application process & now has a duplicate management structure above her.

Labour need to get an excellent candidate for Gorton and Denton as do the Green Party. Matt Goodwin is no pushover. I've a feeling that the Conservatives may lose their deposit.

If they’ve got any sense they’ll try and persuade a local councillor to stand. Parachuting an ambitious would be career politician in would be disastrous. I wonder if the Tories will even bother standing a candidate looking at the 2024 result.

Matt Goodwin is a horrible, horrible specimen. But I see there is some fluttering on MN about him. I would rather see the Tories win than that man.

Goodwin seems to be overlooking the demographics of Gorton and Denton. Odd given that he is basically being presented as a "local lad".

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/27/matthew-goodwin-gorton-and-denton-reform-uk-minorities

Goodwin has gone from exposing the far right to joining them.

How long has St Albans been part of Manchester?

And the Rwanda deal is the gift that keeps giving, the country is now trying to sue the UK for cancelling it.