Rishi has saved us from the terror of the 'seven bins' and the 'meat tax' that was definitely foing U.K. happen. Now rejoice!! We are to be saved from the WAR on motorists. Freedom is ours!

[maybewhoknows]

Can't wait to tune into this week's conference for the next desperate attempts at gaslighting and catchy slogans...

I'm puzzled tbh. Is this really the best that they've got?

We are facing so many major national and global issues. The planet is burning. People are desperately struggling with the CoL crisis. The NHS is broken. Education is broken. The war in Ukraine is ongoing.

And the PM is focusing his attention on traffic calming measures, recycling bins and mobile phones in schools?

I mean, surely they don't think this stuff is going to win them an election? So what on earth are they playing at?

It seems to be about wedge issues, about suggesting that other parties would just be dreadful. But agree entirely, @MrsBennetsPoorNerves. It's just bizarre.

I can't think that enough people would vote for a national government on local traffic measures and recycling when both are the responsibility of local government in any case.

Wedge issues are not going to win. If you have to make them up they are big things people will care about.

Some people who still want ti vote Conservative may like them. But that isn't a majority.

They are not...

I can only presume that, off the back of the ULEZ by-election win, some overpaid political strategist somewhere has concluded that wedge issues are the only hope for the Tories.

I believe that they're seriously misreading the public mood if they think that's going to help them win a general election though. I seriously hope they're wrong in any case...if the British electorate decides the next election on the basis of this kind of trivia, then they're seriously more stupid than I could ever have imagined.

I don't think people will buy it, personally.

That is where they seem to be, though. Wedge issues and trying to make voters feel unsure. It's not great.

I think this is absolutely who they're targeting - people who are generally inclined to vote Conservative but are apathetic and disillusioned at this lot.

Some of this has to be damage limitation as well as narrow path to victory - and so this might be as much a 'get out the vote' tactic for those who would otherwise have stayed home as it is a genuine attempt to win people from Labour or the Lib Dems.

The 15 minute cities one is my favourite. It's such a blatant tactic to avoid people being reminded that they used to have most of this stuff within a 15 minute walk if they lived in an urban area, before all the public services crumbled.

Haha, "fact". How quaint. 😀