Do you think there will be a General Election?

[Jourdain11]

And do you think there should be? Apparently there is a 'demand' for one, but surely the Tories wouldn't be so stupid (given that even their membership don't appear to be that keen on the PM they're about to elect)?

@MercurialMonday Starmer is a centrist. He is not like by the real left wing and will alienate them more. It does not matter.
It was centrists in the Red Wall who turned against Corbyn, not the left-wing.

Unfortunately, I agree with this, despite never supporting the conservatives at all.

I don't think he'll get the core Labour voters out for him.

I think he'll get the well he's better than Truss (assuming Truss) voters who may not get to the actual voting booths.

If it is low voter turn out and who gets the core vote out will be vital - if Tory can do that they'll win - but that depends on events if things are dire people and people get angry will vote as a fuck you if both side look meh - many won't bother.

I don't agree with this at all.

I don't believe Truss will build confidence. She's inflammatory and already is making waves at ruining what relationships we have internationally and will likely inflame things with Russia and China, France and Scotland.

Plus Labour have come up with policy.

They came up with the windfall tax policy that we are all benefitting from this winter (although it won't be enough now).

The also have another policy re fuel costs they've published.

The current government refused the windfall tax and even made people vote against it using the whip. Then a week later implemented it (but refuse to call it that) because of another scandal they needed to distract from.

As one brilliant journalist said to Sunak who - as many - keep going on about what they will do to improve this country, reverse the cuts and affects of austerity and saying what a mess the country actually is in.

"You'll be quite surprised when I inform you which party has been in power the last 12 years then".

People should be worried about how the tory party is now serving the interests of the far right of their party rather than worrying about Labour!

Labour need to stop sniping at what the tories aren’t doing and start coming up with policies of their own if they want to build public confidence in them and make themselves electable. But right now they’re just not doing that

Labour are the opposition, they oppose ! its not any oppositions job to be an ideas think tank for the Govt, Thatcher never did, neither has any opposition party before or since.

thats what GE's are for, Labour will publish a manifesto and we will then see their polices and weith that up against the Tories one and that they have been in for 15 years.

Labour have been very clear about freezing the price cap. Tories have suggested tax cuts. I know which of those I prefer. Maybe this energy crisis will finally show the fools who vote for the tories where their true interests lie. The tory Party represents the interests of wealthy people who can afford to go private when they need health, education or social care. Their kids go to private schools. They pay private consultants if they need to jump a queue and they pay out for live in care or the best care homes. The problems of ordinary people are irrelevant.

And nor can it, since we don't live in that fantastical "solid, middle of the road, centrist" country of your 20th century dreams. Various political decisions, and some obscenely big money, in the last 2 decades have seen to that. Wake up

Laughing at the idea of the hard left in the Labour Party. They all left when Corbyn was thrown out.
Starmer is a centrist. If you want a centrist he is one.
The SNP do not like Starmer as he is not left-wing enough for them.

Corbyn was stitched up. Read the conclusions of the Forde report and get your facts straight.

Similarly, some of the so-called 'hard left' were pushed out, or back.

I think Truss is going to do everything possible not to call a general election and hope desperately that the constituency boundary changes all go through and the economic outlook improves just a little bit by the end of the term. I reckon she will cling on with her fingertips for every last minute.

I don't think Starmer will win outright - the loss of Scotland is a big issue and they won't be in a hurry to come back. Its more likely that some of the more liberal conservative seats go lib dem and some of the red wall go labour and together they are enough to outnumber the conservatives.

It's all unraveling.

Braverman has had a massive rant on her FB page. Proper thrown her toys out the pram about being accused of voting for something she denies voting for.

And her voting record full stop is nothing to be proud of.

And it is panic. A 5% ride in turn out this year and she loss 9% of the vote from previously.

Makes a change from a picture of her at another coffee and cake shop in the ice middle class areas of our town.

Generally I think there is now panic in the party about losing a GE rather than a will to stop, look and listen and change what needs to be changed. Rather than moving more centric to benefit those who vote they are moving further (too far imo) right and have suddenly realised they can't tell the electorate what to think all the time - especially during a cost of living crisis.

Things are going to implode. They are doing nothing and this is just going to hit on too many fronts at once for them to manage.
Come November, only two months away, businesses and households will have to put the heating on. By January/February costs will have mounted.
If they do nothing or very little such as the proposed tax cut, by March there will be a lot of unhappy voters, lots of independent businesses will have closed, lots of hospitality businesses will have closed, some care homes will have closed causing even more problems for hospitals trying to move elderly people out, some nurseries will have closed, admissions to hospitals will have increased because of the cold, schools will be a shit show, and many public services such as libraries will have limited opening hours. Alongside that will be various striking workers causing other issues e.g. rail network, bins being emptied, airport staff, etc.
Governments can deal with issues in some areas and ride it out, but this will be on too many fronts for them to be able to ride do that.
Added to this will be Liz Truss making ridiculous statements that simply manage to anger people. This is inevitable as she has a long history of doing this and is not bright.

I think it’s most likely that the Tories will try to go full term.

I can only see one scenario of an early election - new leader announced in September pulls a rabbit out of the hat (immediately freezing energy bills or some such drastic measure) then calls an election for end of October.

There are plenty of centrists in the Labour party, and plenty of centrists in the Conservative party. If they broke out, you would have your Social Democratic party.

Cut from Wiki, but this would be ideal:

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was a centrist to centre-left political party in the United Kingdom.[2][3][4] The party supported a mixed economy (favouring a system inspired by the German social market economy), electoral reform, European integration and a decentralised state while rejecting the possibility of trade unions being overly influential within the industrial sphere.[5] The SDP officially advocated "social democracy",[6][7] but its actual propensity is evaluated as close to social liberalism.[8][9]

My thoughts too. I'd rather vote for the tele tubbies than either of those two.

I don't know why people are demanding a General Election just to vote the Tories back in, because that's what'll happen.

The Tories will not be voted back in if there is an early general election. It is going to be a shitshow very soon.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/619781

sign petitions, support strikes , contact your MP . We have to do what we can

I watched that about freezing price cap BUT the problem was it was for 6 months and they have no plan after that

when pressed to for what would follow silence

There wasn’t an election when Brown took over from Blair though, was there? Brown took over in 2007, and we had elections in 2005 then 2010, so nothing in 2007. I agree with you that there was demand for an election in 2007 though - sorry if I’ve misunderstood that you meant!

This is the really dangerous opinion voiced by more than one person recently , that is going to give us another decade of duplicitous, corrupt , pocket liners...

THEY ARE NOT ALL THE SAME !!

This lot aren't even the same as any previous conservative government I have ever known. Their self-serving behaviour, disregard for the law and blatant lies does not compare with ANY government of any hew.

It is a line trotted out by die-hard conservatives in an attempt to justify voting Tory when they KNOW all of the above - but would still vote for nicely turned out sheep if they were wearing a blue rosette.

I agree @Patchworkpatty Many traditional Conservatives are horrified by this lot.
Starmer is a centrist in the model of John Major.

I doubt Labour will win without a coalition. I would prefer that but for them to get a majority (and if they do it will be slim) will require the lib dems to make gains in areas which labout have no chance (south west old lib dem heartlands) require labour to win back the 'red wall' seats. and also make some ground in Scotland.

Unfortunately Scottish labour are a joke and unless the SNP implodes i just cannot see them making it up.

I can see a Lib Lab supply and confidence pact potentially happening though.

The only other option would be the alliance party making up a large amount of ground in NI to make up the differance in a coallition/supply agreement, but with the increasing polarisation i cannot see past a SF majority and SF will not sit in parliament (although are very active in westminster) because they stand on a platform of abstention

It depends what the next pm comes up with.

Personally non of them excite me at all.
I think the Tories ousting a leader at this time was horrific.
Totally stupid.

I think we need a war coaltion government.