Snap elections globally = sign of global war threat?

[visionahead]

Please don't shoot me down with 'conspiracy theories', hear me out. This year more than any time in history, globally voters will head to the polls with around 65 countries meant to hold national elections. This represents around 49% of the people in the world, including some major economies / countries too.

Sunak called a snap election, yes, inflation had gone down but there had at that point already been signs that although energy prices will decrease short term, they will increase again in autumn.

Macron has recently called a snap election, supposedly because of the shift in France to the right after the EU elections. But he must have seen how badly the snap election decision affected Sunak and the Tories. He still went ahead.

Lots of other countries globally seem to have brought their elections forward to what had been expected late last year.

There have for some time now been lots of war talk from major heads of state and heads of defence in many countries including in Europe (Poland, Sweden, Germany, UK etc etc).

Am I unreasonable to think that some of the rush to get us all (not just in the UK) to an election is due to uncertainties about what lies ahead from a perspective of the Ukraine/Russia (and to an extend, Israel/Palestine) with a broader conflict expected?

If so, and I've never been a Tory voter, I do worry that even though the Tories have had a very bad track record (although to be fair to them an any other government in power during the last few years, have had to manage the worst pandemic for over a century and a war - can't think of other governments having to deal with that volume of challenges).

Imagine a new party coming in - how will that work if they're faced with global conflicts. Presumably, they would spend a good few months just settling in, finding their feet? Have we had examples in the past when incoming governments have had to immediately deal with a situation of war?

A new ruling party don't govern in isolation, they are surrounded by thousands of experts, advisors and professionals. It's not like they arrive to an empty office with a new pencil case and a flask.

Winston Churchill hadn't been a PM before 1940 and he seemed to pick things up ok.

Ok, yes Sunak called a snap election, but we all knew it was going to be sone time this year, so it is hardly a surprise.

I wouldn't call it a snap election, it had to be done before Xmas anyway ,I personally thought they would hold it around September/ October ,but it was no great surprise.

Imagine a new party coming in ............................Presumably, they would spend a good few months just settling in, finding their feet?

Reeves says, if elected, Labour wants to “hit the ground running”.

BBC News
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is hosting her "British Infrastructure Council" this morning - some of the biggest British and international investors.
It includes CEOs of Lloyds, M&G, Santander and top execs from the international investors Blackrock, and CDPQ. These companies own some of the countries’ biggest infrastructure investments.
It is intriguing that they are meeting mid-election campaign. A sitting government wouldn’t be able to do this because of purdah (rules that restrict what happens in an election campaign) but no similar Conservative initiative has occurred during the campaign.
While all attendees say they are doing so in an “independent advisory” capacity, it seems quite a statement to sit publicly with the shadow chancellor a fortnight before the general election.
Reeves says, if elected, Labour wants to “hit the ground running”.
Private investment is especially important at a time when most parties are saying the public finances are constrained.

The UK's election isn't a snap one it was expected this year

No

Maybe

Maybe not

Who nose? 👀

I'll stock up on some jars of Nutella to lob at the ruskie invaders whilst the neighbourhood formulates a plan.

I think it's a response to the march of the right wing across Europe. It's to the point where centrist leaders can no longer ignore it and need a popular mandate that no one can argue with.

On one level such an attention to democracy is laudable but on another it can backfire badly. I am a little worried about France.

No no no on no, you've got to EAT the Nutella whilst holed up in your bunker.

You're doing this WW3 thing all wrong you know!

Bloody hell don't waste Nutella on the invaders! Who knows how bloody difficult it might become to get that stuff!

I do agree there is a worrying trend to the far right that needs addressing.

I'll get the cheap stuff from Lidl. They'll never know 🤫

Sunak called a snap election

He didn't, though. This election is entirely within the schedule window.

It's run up is also a usual length, I think?

Nothing snap about it - except that he doesn't appear to have shared with many in his party before declaring it. Just an aide to give him time to get a 5-1 bet on

Given how terrible the Conservative government were at handling the crisis of the pandemic, I'd say even more reason to get rid of them if there is any threat of war. They handed out millions of pounds of taxpayers' money to their friends for unusable PPE in corrupt fast lane contracts and partied at 10 Downing Street while everyone else was in lockdown under their rules. They would regard any conflict as an opportunity to enrich themselves and their cronies, and look after themselves rather than the country.

Yeah nah 🤣

I'm going to buy hundreds of jars then I can use it as currency when bartering for weapons and tinned lentils.

Oh THIS again. Anyone who follows politics knew our general election was coming.

So leave the loo roll and bottled water alone in Tescos please.

I think sunak just wants to be out of office in time to enjoy the summer. He has quite young children doesn't he, and when it's clear he won't run again it seems a waste of time waiting until autumn.

They'll spend millions on cheap plastic artillery from China then jet off to the Bahamas leaving the 20 something parliamentary aids to run the show. They'll just go out and get drunk with the petty cash.

The UK election was widely expected to be in May 2024 if you'd asked people in the last few months. So actually it's slightly later than expected (and definitely within the normal timeframe).

Its a sign of unpopular governments trying to hang on to as many seats as they can.

The UK election should have been a surprise to no one who reads a newspaper or watches the news.

Yeah. It's been building in Europe (and UK to a lesser extent) since about 2015. Now that there are genuine far right parties in positions of power in Germany, Sweden etc, it's no longer a trend but a reality and I think snap elections are a last throw of the dice by centrists. I fear it will backfire though.

We're lucky to be FPTP in the UK. Far right German parties likely to do incredibly well in their elections. Because nothing terribly bad happened last time...

Why don't we start training all the migrants in military tactics then they can help us defend the country?

https://time.com/6550920/world-elections-2024/

He'll be in Silicon Valley within weeks of losing I reckon