Westminstenders: Christmas Cold, Campaigning, Canvassing and Cancelled Carols

[RedToothBrush]

It looks like a December General Election is on.

The EU have officially extended A50 until 31st January. We have to name an EU Commissioner though.

All that seems left to do is decide between the 9th and 12th December.

The difference between the two is about whether there is any possibility that the WAB can be passed before Parliament dissolves.

A pre-brexit GE is thought to favour the LDs at the expense of Labour and the Conservatives. What the Brexit Party decide to do and where they decide to stand will also be crucial.

Labour's plans are incredibly positive! I think JustAnother had a list of them earlier or yesterday. Tories have nothing but screaming about Brexit and a godawful record to defend. Food banks, child poverty, police slashed, schools shutting on fridays, hospitals on their knees, we are 11,000 doctors and 26,000 nurses short now

Wait and see what happens when the press is forced to give the opposition equal time. I want to hear about the green new deal, schools and hospitals and housing. People are sick of Brexit and I think they are going to vote on entirely other issues, none of which the Tories have anything to offer. Combine that positivity with some fucking xmas spirit eh... what, you think people are going to go, "you know what, I LOVE the state of the country right now, let's have more of that..."

Anyone talking about reality who is voting Tory is welcome to come work in my A&E on a Saturday night ... it's not even winter yet and it's been a warzone since about 2015 ambulances queueing, staff in tears and quitting.

But I can by God drive a car, and I have a car, and I can volunteer to drive people to the polls on 12th December -- and I am going to.

Good for you. This is what will make a difference, not endless rounds of friendly fire on social media.

I'll be in the U.K. in election week and as I have a U.K. address I am seriously considering offering to cast proxy votes for Brits in Europe who are registered to vote in London and who would normally cast a postal vote (a short notice December election will effectively disenfranchise all overseas voters who choose to cast a postal vote).

Sajid Javid a heavyweight !
< shakes grey head sadly >

Indeed, misti in normal times, he would barely count as a paperweight

But, but, but Mistigris ..... he's The. Saj.

Aren't we supposed to bow down in awe at his masculine superiority?!

Do the press have to give parties equal time? I thought it was just broadcast media?

Tonight's edition of Newsnight is worth watching. Very sensible and adult discussions on the abuse MPs get (Anna Soubry being very frank) and the marginal seats not just Labour northern marginals but those remain Conservative marginals too. Also they go to Crewe and Nantwich - Flouncy

Javid is at least minimally competent with some experience of working in the real world (albeit I strongly suspect that his Deutsche bank expérience has been overhyped and he's just a marketing guy. He only has a bachelor's degree; I'm probably better qualified to be chancellor and you can take it from me that I am absolutely not qualified at all ).

@BercowsPoliticalPumpkin meant to say earlier - love the pumpkin 🎃 !

tobee No requirement for newspapers to give equal time,
or to be fair, or even vaguely truthful (if they avoid libel)

Legally specified for broacasters during a GE campaign is the number of official party political broadcasts per party

re broadcasters, afaik, only the Beeb are legally obliged to give equal time / be impartial - they are supposed to do this year round as part of their charter
However, imo the other main Channels are at least as impartial, even if not legally mandated to be so.

General election: Campaigning will be 'harder and dirtier' than ever before, says Corbyn

news.sky.com/story/general-election-campaigning-will-be-harder-and-dirtier-than-ever-before-says-corbyn-11849644

The Labour leader will say the elite are scared of paying tax in a campaign speech to party faithful in London.

< This GE will be dirty because it is for all the marbles. It can't be reversed by the next GE.
Once Brexit happens, it could be 20+ years before we rejoin and the country may do so as a looted wreck, a shadow of its former self >

*prettybird
AskingQuestionsAllTheTime - the other thing you can do from your home (without walking) in advance of the actual Election Day is telephone canvassing.
It can be as simple as asking whether they need a lift to the polling station
You can contact your local anti-Tory Party and they'll come up with suggestions

I shall wait a short while to see which of the others is most possibly-winner and then do that! Thanks!

Thanks BCF

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

You have inspired me to do the same

Over 40 MPs standing down of all parties:

Full list:
news.sky.com/story/general-election-2019-11-big-mps-who-are-standing-down-plus-the-full-list-11848416

The Best for Britain website is rather confusing. I've signed up and they've emailed me to say why tactical voting is so great... but the email says nothing about what they're actually going to do to help. I can't find anything on their website to tell me who to tactically vote for our when and how they'll provide that advice. In the meantime the guardian is reporting that they're saying people should vote Lib Dem in Labour marginals.

Tactical voting is our only hope. The state of preparation for it is really worrying!

Guardian article: www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/oct/30/tactical-voting-could-deliver-remain-victory-in-election-study

Finally found the tool.... Shouldn't it be on the best for Britain website front page???? getvoting.org/

Must admit I've not found Best for Britain that helpful.

I'm in York Outer, safe Tory since 2010. last election Labour were 9k behind with lib dems 24k behind, or thereabouts. That wasn't bad going considering that the Labour candidate was all of 21 years old and the lib dems campaigned like hell here.

It suggests voting lib dem.

We do have a brexit party candidate apparently but UKIP were always in fourth place.

Having said that, it was lib dem before 2010 - when were the last lot of boundary changes?

And I suppose we are in a unique situation for an election.

Richard Coles
@RevRichardColes
·
17h
A parishioner, a plumber, was working today when two Tory canvassers asked if they could rely on his vote. When he said he would be voting Lib Dem or Green, and explained why, one said “you and your sort are the reason this country’s in the mess it’s in today”. Which was nice.

Best for Britain is ONLY recommending remain candidates. They’re not recommending tactical voting in the sense of how to vote out the Torys.

Just gone on another tactical voting site and it suggested labour.

Although tbh I'm a bit wary of then anyway.

I think it's just going to be a case of waiting to see what develops. Long way to go yet.

🎃HAPPY DEAD IN A DITCH DAY! 🎃

Before doing what Best for Britain says please look carefully at who they are and who funds them. Stephen Peel of Novalpina Capital for one.
www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/18/whatsapp-spyware-israel-cyber-weapons-company-novalpina-capital-statement
If you're happy to vote the way Peel and Soros tell you, then fair enough, but at least be aware.

Happy no Brexit day!

It's humble pie day at the Brexit Arms, and Jo Maugham has conveniently just posted a list of all the fatberg's broken promises.

Brexit: All the times Britain had a deadline for leaving the EU but didn't

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-50240015/brexit-all-the-times-britain-had-a-deadline-for-leaving-the-eu-but-didn-t