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The weekend has seen the leaders question time debates.

Johnson failed to answer a question and the BBC edited later edited footage to change laughter at him to applause.

Swinson continues to prove that the Lib Dem campaign planners don't understand the electorate. They based the campaign around her and the more the public see her and the more she opens her gob she proves she's the witless headgirl who really knows fuck all.

Corbyn has now adopted a neutral 2nd referendum position. Far too late.

Jo Johnson apparently said that a good election manifesto is one people aren’t talking about 48 hrs later, and it seems that the Conservatives really have gone for that strategy.

Johnson had promised a manifesto for change yet of the three main parties it seems far from that. It avoids controversy for the most part, but also doesn't offer solutions to some of our biggest problems like social care. But with the Tories so ahead in the polls, the status quo and making sure they don't have a repeat of the 'dementia tax' car crash seems to be the order of the day. Because Brexit is going to going to provide a magic solution instead...

Meanwhile the Labour Party have gone completely the other way and really have gone for it and come up with ideas. With a mixed response from the public and press.

And I still can't tell you what is in the LD one, cos Prince Andrew...

This week should see the election come into focus as postal voting starts. As it stands its hard to bet on anything but a Tory majority.

I don't think the Chief Rabbi has helped his cause today.

I wholly agree, being appalled by the Israeli Government's behaviour, does not make you anti-semitic.

By the same token, supporting Palestinians is pro semitic ....

I don't think the Chief Rabbi has helped his cause today.

I thought this after hearing the news. After reading Twitter responses I feel certain you are right.

Labour 32% (+5)
Liberal Democrats 14% (-2)
SNP 4% (nc)

Do not despair (yet) people. That 4% in Scotland could mean a Tory wipe out there. May needed those 12 Tories last time.

Well, it looks as though many posters disagree with me but I find that post quite problematic.

It comes close to the tropes on social media, discounting the Chief Rabbi's intervention as being

• because he's an Israeli puppet
• he's a friend of Johnson and this anti-Corbyn.

Digging deeper, those two tropes link up with the trope that the 'antisemitism is a problem in Labour' issue is actually a Jewish/Israeli plot to destabilise Corbyn because of his support for Palestinians.

Frankly, I think that is

• insensitive to the concerns of Jewish people at best
• and/or anti Semitic at worst.

It's pretty clear the Chief Rabbi's interventions are based in communitarian politics. A politics I, personally, think are necessarily limited and (ultimately) a bit reactionary. But they are a legitimate politics.

It is utterly, utterly unhelpful to the bridge-building - that needs to be done, with some urgency - to dismiss that intervention by means of what are essentially conspiracy tropes.

Listening, and taking small steps forward, together, is - in my opinion - the way to go.

Responding with what is actually tainted by association with what many Jewish people are concerned about, is not going to bring us together.

if he lives on long enough to see the NHS and social care descend to the bare minimum and he has to wait a day for someone to come around and wipe his arse, because presumably his family will be working all hours God sends to stay above water.

Very shrewdly he married someone younger than him -so I think he assumes the personal care aspects will fall to her. So I guess it's all part of his I'm alright Jack philosophy. I don't think DH would help with the intimate care side of things anyway..

I certainly won't be helping with FiLs toilet care. I did it endlessly for both my own parents- in one case for over 5 years.But, you see, I loved them!

thecat

The problem for me is that I don't think any religious leader should be involving themselves in any Election. I include the Archbishop in that of course.

The fact that they both of made such loud declarations so close to this election makes me question both of their motives.

Do not despair (yet) people. That 4% in Scotland could mean a Tory wipe out there. May needed those 12 Tories last time.

Following on from the suggestion a while back that Boris was willing to throw Guildford under the bus, whilst trying to reach the seats that have never been reached before ... it's clear we are seeing a redrawing of the accepted electoral map of my life. Maybe less North/South and more rural/urban. Which would be a return to the Tory origins of landed gentry with their estates and safe seats lording it over the peasant city dwellers - when Manchester returned no MPs while some market towns had a member of parliament for each pub.

Britain has always tended be more bleeding than leading edge in some matters ... maybe this is how the post-industrial society is meant to look ? Post-truth. Post-fact, and post-industrial.

On the Rabbi front also it's important to remember that Conservative Chief Rabbi's approach isn't shared by all.

On the last anti Brexit demo I was chatting to a big group of youth Jewish Labour Party members with a huge pro Labour anti Brexit red banner.

The senior reform rabbi ( who I once met) wrote this article in 2016 but don't know if her view has since changed?

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/28/these-feel-like-dark-times-but-jewish-labour-supporters-should-r/

The problem for me is that I don't think any religious leader should be involving themselves in any Election. I include the Archbishop in that of course.

It does rather beg the question what's the point of religion then ?

And also, why should religious leaders stay out of the election, when for the other 4 years, 11 months and 1 week between [normal] elections they can't seem to shut up about how we are supposed to behave ?

And whatever the outcome of this election, the UKs head of state is also the head of the state religion.

Agree with Dusty. Church and State are meant to be kept separate in this country (never really were due to religious seats in the Lords) so no religious leader should be speaking out right now.

The Queen keeps out of politics and I have never known her make an announcemnt just before an election which clearly shows which way she'd like 'her people' to vote.

DGRossetti - I'm not religious in an organised religion sense - so forgive if I get this wrong. I'm very likely to get in wrong in fact - so I've just googled it ... The purposes of the practice of a religion are to achieve the goals of salvation for oneself and others, and (if there is a God) to render due worship and obedience to God. Different religions have different understandings of salvation and God.

To me this is about an inward journey. I don't connect the above with politics at all.

The danger being that it becomes a little "boy who cried wolf" and when real anti semitism rears its head (and it will) we'll have lost interest.

This. And also I fear encouraging anti semitic feeling in people who previously had never given it a thought.

I wish people weren't so fucking horrible. As far as I can see it's white men who have caused the majority of the world's problems, and it has only ever been in the pursuit of wealth. And it's been going on since European genocide against the Neanderthals.

And whatever the outcome of this election, the UKs head of state is also the head of the state religion. She's head of the Church of England but not head of the Church of Scotland.

Dusty
Religious/community leaders intervene in politics all the time.

Goodness knows, George Galloway's career with Respect was based on that.

Saying you believe they shouldn't is a legitimate opinion.

Responding to a particular intervention with memes that refer to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories (even if unintended) is 'next level'.

I'm sure it was unintended - but I think it shouldn't be posted here.

And ...

No, of course the Chief Rabbi doesn't speak for all Jewish people.

If anyone is interested in reading about the limitations (& also successes) of communitarian politics, I recommend Mouffe and Laclau's 'Hegemony and Socialist Strategy'.

And it's been going on since European genocide against the Neanderthals.

Which never happened.

Sorry, the Neanderthals weren't wiped out. They were assimilated. We are them.

The purposes of the practice of a religion are to achieve the goals of salvation for oneself and others, and (if there is a God) to render due worship and obedience to God.

Well in your book. Others may disagree ...

Anyway, here's a Boris Johnson tweet.
It's quite neat because I think it encapsulates a certain strand of their targeting: towards older voters, who just want to be able to switch all this off and disclaim responsibility for the consequences.

Conscience-assuaging.

We all know there won't be money for schools and the NHS - well, not enough, but they can wash their hands - because 'Fun Boris' said it would be OK.

I am thinking a lot about ideology and propaganda, these days.

I think it's purpose isn't even to hide the truth.

People know. They know they're being lied to. But it's a fig-leaf that means they don't have to publicly or privately acknowledge the truth.

"She's head of the Church of England but not head of the Church of Scotland."

Good reminder from Scotland, derxa

"We'll spend, but we won't tax to pay for it"

So rack up the national debt for the younger generation to pay off ?

Indeed, BigChoc.

Meaningless.We'll invest in the NHS and schools. Yeah Right.

Well 10p is an 'investment' but it isn't good for much.