To think it's not a foregone conclusion that Labour will win the next election?

[flashbac]

I am seeing things here and there predicting Keir Starmer being our next prime minister etc, as if its already been decided.

I won't be voting for them under Keir that's for sure. Their stance on Gaza is the straw that broke the camel's back. I don't care if the Tories get in again. I am so disenfranchised I dont give a shit and at least with the Tories its "better the devil you know" and not Labour pretending they give a shit about people/human rights.

So you can use his actual name. There, that wasn't too difficult, was it?

I was a Labour activist back in 1992. We were convinced that we would win the general election, then we blew it in the last few days. Labour then lost an election it could & should have won in 2015. Then Corbyn & his muppets refused to campaign in the EU referendum, which Remain should have won easily. Then the party self-destructed at the last election.

The lesson of these defeats?
1, Never underestimate the sheer ruthlessness of the Tories in terms of saying & doing whatever it takes to win.
2, Never underestimate Labour’s ability to fuck up & shoot themselves in the foot.
3, Never underestimate the hard Left’s ability & willingness to sabotage their own party’s chances of winning to stick to their precious principles.

Absolutely agree Libertass

There is a reason why the Tories are the most successful political party ever it’s there absolute belief in themselves that they should be running the country and a change in leadership late in the game is no issue for them if it means a strong possibility for them to win (I don’t think it will happen as potential new leaders will wait until after the next election)

Sorry but the polling in 1992 was marginal at best, much like Remain, they took a 2pt lead in the polls and celebrated before the result.

btw Remain lost because they had no one of any charisma, Leave had Boris & Farage, with Cummings in the background, just seems like an attempt to blame Lab for Brexit? which is 110% on the Tories.

Labour don't fuck up, they were never going to win in 2015, no one predicted them to win, the press did for Milliband, remember the hamburger? they made him a laughing stock in peoples minds.

I wasn't a fan of his but Corbyn did well in 2017, all things considered, May was predicted to increase the Tories majority, Corbyn wiped it out.

Tories are successful because they have the printed press on their side, note Labour haven't won in recent years against a hostile press, Blair had the Murdoch's on his side and where we do agree, will (sometimes) be ruthless, whether they will dump Sunak is another matter, hopefully they will, shoe horning in Braverman or Badenoch, the far right will never vote for either of them, just as they don't support Sunak.

Neil Kinnock, who was gleefully celebrating before the results were in.

I’ll be voting Labour as always.

Labour are 20 points ahead in polls, so a win is likely.

I would prefer a lib dem and Labour coalition.

Definitely will not vote Tory again ever. My 8 year old son detests them too, so the next generation hates them as well. 😂

no doubt the printed press helps enormously but its not just that. Labour will often allow ideology to get in the way of winning an election, the voting of the wrong brother by the left of the party that was just a gift to the Tories and Corbyn did well against a disasterous May campaign

we have social media now so it’s not just about the printed press the Tories have always been the more successful party because of how they operate. Labour moved to the centre and in how they managed the party was far more Tory like Blair/Brown were not only visionary they also had a fantastic PR and we all know how utterly ruthless Campbell was

I wasn't a fan of his but Corbyn did well in 2017, all things considered, May was predicted to increase the Tories majority, Corbyn wiped it out.

May entirely fucked up 2017, she couldn't have run a worse campaign. Bring back fox hunting and grammar schools? It's like she didn't want to win.

I do wonder whether all the people who seem so sure the Tories will win again have even looked at the polls. Whatever Sunak does they're not budging from an abysmal low. On Labour's side the SNP vote in Scotland is falling apart opening up the possibility of regaining lots of seats there.

Another thing that will impact the next election is tactical voting - websites telling you who to vote for in your area for 'anyone but the Tories' will be a powerful tool.

@jasflowers

Blaming Murdoch, the Mail, the electorate who insist on voting against their own interests, anything & everything except themselves for their defeats is another reason why Labour have lost so many elections.

Blair understood that bleating about the horrid right-wing media was as pointless as moaning about weather. They are a factor political life which had to be dealt with & neutralised.

I will be spoiling my ballot paper with the words None of them, or A plague on all of them.

He neutralised it by flying to Australia and asking Murdoch what he wanted. Pushing at an open door though . The Sun went with Labour coz they were going to win big time. Yet Mr Tony remained terrified of them and especially the Mail even after 2 landslides. What an opportunity he screwed up.

Leaving the field clear for those well known supporters of women, the Tories.

Yeah, that'll work🙄

Actually, I might write to spoil my ballot paper "please work together to improve the country for us all" which is what I would like, and I am not black or white politics so grey politics is good enough. I'd like pragmatic, works for most people politics. A bit short of everything you'd dream of getting seems about right to me.

I don't think it's a given. 6 months plus is a very long time in politics. I still remember that in 1992 Labour pretty much thought they had it in the bag and that didn't end up happening.

Nothing will induce me to vote conservative.

I'm fascinated that Labour (and I don't always vote that way) are held to a higher standard that the Conservatives. I don't see the Conservatives being held to account their lack of compassion towards almost any group or even indeed the country at large. They now seem to be a one trick immigration obsessed pony, who isn't very good even at that one trick.

Better the devil you know? Why would you knowingly vote for a devil?

No guarantees and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the tories got back in because the British public are fickle morons.

And of course, you do realise that the Conservatives have a much harder line on the Israeli conflict, don't you?

I am always going to vote mainstream. I dislike any version of extreme politics. The more radical the policies, the less likely any party will sway me.

Labour are so disappointingly unimpressive. I won’t vote conservative but round here our best candidate in libdem… not sure that’s going to help get rid of the tories but our Labour candidate is illiterate.

@Papyrophile i think I’d rather a proper coalition!

And actually @Exasperatednow , I do take the Israeli side. I prefer a relatively modern liberal democratic state that isn't going to throw awkward women and gay people off high buildings or under buses.

Me too @TeenLifeMum . A forced coalition is my dream, even if it takes time. The country is run by the civil service for the most part. Belgium runs smoothly and they have barely had a government in the last five years.

Papyrophile are you saying that the Israeli govt is a relatively modern liberal state?

No. It's really NOT better the devil you know.