Westminstenders: From Uxbridge to...? Part deux GE 2019 special.

[placemats]

New thread.

General election 12th December 2019. Results out on Friday 13th. Unlucky day for some.

So this election is unusual in that it will focus primarily on Brexit and referendums with domestic issues tagged alongside, for some parties.

www.heraldscotland.com/news/18012966.conservatives-blame-snp-lib-dems-labour-new-brexit-clock-message/

They probably bought it from a catalogue that fell out of The Sunday Telegraph!

Latest Brexit guarantee from Downing Street: Categorically rules out extending transition beyond 2020.

Problem is, with three previous "guarantees" (including one that should have seen Boris "dead in a ditch") the Tories are starting to sound a bit Eastenders about the whole Brexit thing, now..

Aw, com'on 'Shell. It'll be different this time. I promise .

I'm getting a weird vibe that the Tories need to be a little bit circumspect about Brexit (although Farage will ensure that's not really possible). "Brexit fatigue" may be a real thing, and (if I were a Tory strategist) I would be most concerned to see what it's implications are.

I still remain to be convinced that there aren't a good number of voters who believe (thanks to Boris) that Brexit happened on 31st October.

John Woodcock (who left Labour) is standing down as he's having a baby with political journalist Isabel Hardman. He's MP for Barrow and Furness which was a tight marginal and will definitely be targeted heavily.

One to watch.

Although I'm pretty certain research shows the most effective campaigning votes/person-hours is simply getting as many people to the poll as possible.

A lot of canvassing - at least by the SNP - is simply identifying those who are going to be voting (and hopefully who'll they'll vote for) and whether they need help getting to the polling station.

I've certainly get rung up on the day to check I've been out to vote!

Although having said that, dh is an example of someone who was convinced to start voting for the SNP as opposed to spoiling his vote after being doorstepped by Nicola back in 1997 Says he'll continue to vote for them until we achieve independence - and then has no idea who he'd vote for.

I was speaking to someone last weekend who says he was out campaigning once, when Nicola was still health minister (alongside being Deputy FM) and he came across 2 nurses up a close who weren't going to vote because they didn't like any politicians because "they never listen". He asked them if they'd like to speak to the Health Minister. They replied, "She'd never speak to the likes of us". He said, "Hang on a minute", as Nicola was on the floor below. She came up, went in and spoke to them for half an hour (which is unusual as she refused to come in to our flat and stayed in the close for the whole 45 minutes she spent debating with dh) and came out and said, "That's 2 new votes for us" - plus they took some posters to display Who knows who else those two nurses then convinced?

I'd hope in 2019, all parties have some sort of mechanism to direct doorstep campaigners from stronghold areas, to marginals ? Sort of Uber for canvassers.

Bet they haven't.

Just seen the latest after first round of voting for Speaker. Eleanor Laing came second! Chris Bryant third and Harriet Harmon 4th!

No 10 blocks Russia EU referendum report until after election

Decision to prevent publication described as ‘jaw-dropping’ by Dominic Grieve

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/04/no-10-blocks-russia-eu-referendum-report-until-after-election

How dodgy does this sound? And why can I find no mention of it on the BBC news site? Lots about Mothercare/Farage/Speaker election, but this matter of considerable national importance is obviously not worthy of mention by our national broadcaster.

No 10 blocks Russia EU referendum report until after election

ffs, Grieve must feel that he's battling all alone. Only yesterday I heard someone on LBC berating Corbyn for his 'appeasement' of Russia/Putin but not one mention of this report

And why can I find no mention of it on the BBC news site?

Because the BBC stopped doing "news" a long time ago. It's now just a repository for government propaganda.

So this report must be very damning. If the media cared enough they could get a leaked copy surely?

Eleanor Laing was abysmal the other day and admitted she didn't know what to do! But then she's a Tory and being competent isn't a requirement these days.

They'll not get it leaked by Grieve - nor, I suspect the other members of the committee.

The only other route to get it leaked would be via the civil servants who've been involved - again not very likely

I so much want Harriet Harman as speaker. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I met her 30 years ago and she was so lovely to me.

I so much want Harriet Harman as speaker. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I met her 30 years ago and she was so lovely to me.

Sadly I can't unforget the time she tried to pretend that the rule of law was inferior to the rule of the mob. Something I wouldn't forgive any politician for, but especially not one that prances around pretending to be a solicitor. ("regardless [of not actually having broken the law]...in the court of public opinion, they are guilty" of Fred the Shred, IIRC)

I add her to the list of phenomenal Labour personalities that absolutely demolished the Tories 1992-1997, only to become absolute asshats in office (see also: Prescott, John).

I guess farage not standing means he can continue in his LBC slot?

• or will he have to give equal time to the lib dems...

Talking about canvassing in the dark earlier: this was the view out our bay window at 17.25 today. We have a very bright LED street lamp across the road (one of 5 in the street - as they break down/are at risk of falling down, the old concrete orange sodium street lights are being replaced) - white pools of light in amongst the general orange glow.

They'll not get it leaked by Grieve - nor, I suspect the other members of the committee.

Where's Assange when you need him ?

Not thrilled by Harriet Hartman's brush with PIE
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/10659169/Harriet-Harman-admits-paedophile-group-joined-her-civil-liberties-group-in-the-1970s.html
But she wasn't the only one not to switch her critical thinking on.
There are things I admire about her as well.

Where's Assange when you need him ?

I was thinking the same..

Wonder how many (if any) of the cabinet have seen this report?

Not thrilled by Harriet Harman's brush with PIE

I think we - as a society - really need to sort our shit out over how we view and deal with "the past".

Either we take a view that no one can ever make a mistake or change, and just put a bullet in the back of the head for any and all infractions.

Or we actually act as if rehabilitation is possible, people make mistakes, and more good comes from a mistake regretted than a life lived purely.

You can't have it both ways. Which is what people seem to want.

Beyond the hysterical reporting (is there any other kind, when you can cowbar the word "paedophile" into a headline ?) I don't recall reading that Harriet Harman was actually canvassing the streets for PIE - who Private Eye were keeping a weather eye on in the 80s, from my memory ....

@Clavinova

Somehow I think there is a difference between Tracey Brabin acting being an alien (given that was her job) and the Brexit Party candidate actually being a bona fide nutter “Passion Test Facilitator and Soul Re-alignment specialist”?

The issue I have with it is that surely in the 70's having sex with dc wasn't okay.
It happened then, it happens now but it hasn't been okay for a very long time.
So it suggests that HH is susceptible to being a cool liberal without doing any critical thinking.
This in my eyes would place her at risk of not doing a thorough critical assessment of issues like trans/gc debate or similar.

Indeed a quick google has produced this
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/01/labour-to-clarify-policy-over-trans-women-on-all-female-shortlists

I think that any person can make mistakes, apologize and move on. Or change their position on an issue.
But some mistakes suggest certain weaknesses which lead to the same sort of mistakes being made again.
( plus to be honest years working with dc after sex abuse have made me pretty intolerant of any hint of acceptance of it)