Westminstenders: Frozen

[RedToothBrush]

Boris Johnson was empty chaired by C4 with a block of ice.

The Conservatives went mental and have threatened to look at C4 broadcast remit.

This is illiberal and anti democratic.

Journalists are supposed to hold power to account on behalf of the public. If MPs don't turn up then they can't be held to account.

They have a duty to show. It's not good enough to avoid scrutiny because it might make you look bad. That's the whole point.

The contempt with which Johnson holds the press and public is reprehensible and you should be concerned whatever your political alligence. It allows corruption to fester without consequence.

And to then threaten C4 because they do their job in line with their responsibility as a broadcaster is alarming.

This is how authoritarian dictators work.

THat Libdem webchat was an utter waste of time
he answered nothing at all

Free tuition fees is THE most persuasive policy to me

I think the UK has managed to get the political process spectacularly arse-about-face.

Surely we - the electorate, society, whatever - should be telling politicians the sort of country we want to live in.

Right now, it seems to be the exact opposite. Which may account for some of the "can't vote/won't vote" angst that seems to be extant.

DGR there's a strong argument that we need more parties in our fractured political landscape, but that can only happen with proportional representation. I like the mixed system here in Scotland now that I'm used to it. I generally split my vote and I think that's not uncommon.

Hi - a question please. How do I find out polling data by constituency? Mine is very blue (nearly a 20k majority last time) but I’d be interested to see what’s happening now as our remain voting Tory MP has stood down and we have a leave voting brexitty candidate instead. Not someone who is a candidate for shittiest Tory though I don’t think.

In other news.....my dh is NOT VOTING! I’m thrilled by this as he’s generally a Tory voter (he is lovely though, promise 😜) but doesn’t want to vote for them this time. He voted leave so doesn’t want to vote Lib Dem but is irrationally terrified of Corbyn so won’t vote Labour either. That’s ok though. I’m not terrified of Corbyn so as they were the second party last time, I’m going to vote for them, unless constituency polling data persuades me otherwise.

DGR there's a strong argument that we need more parties in our fractured political landscape, but that can only happen with proportional representation.

We will only get that when the Tories realise that the current system no longer works for them.

Did you see about the lovely reception Nish Kumar got at the Lord's Taverners for giving up his time free?

Comic Nish Kumar booed off stage at charity bash www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-50644317

Peregrina I salute you. I can understand it would be a difficult choice but in your case, it's absolutely the right one. With the caveat of course that there isn't another Libdem/Conservative coalition.

I'm voting Labour. I have 'issues' with Labour, but it's the best choice. It's the only choice I would proffer because our incumbent MP is full on ERG, anti abortion, anti same sex marriage and knows full well she' going to get in.

I love London too. Wish it was replicated throughout the country. Alas it isn't.

I can't quite get my head around the channel 4 past Labour voters. They voted for Corbyn in 2017 but now say they won't vote Labour because of Corbyn. It smacked of disingenuous to me.

QueenMabby
I suspect that at constituency level the sample sizes are so small that the error margins are huge
use the historic data including from June 16 and the Euros to tell you about your area and go from there

I can't quite get my head around the channel 4 past Labour voters. They voted for Corbyn in 2017 but now say they won't vote Labour because of Corbyn. It smacked of disingenuous to me

I don’t believe for a moment they voted Labour in 2017. Do people get paid to do focus groups during an election as they would for a commercial product?

One look at your average Lord's taverner ought to have suggested there was a 'know your audience' element there.

I am amazed he was booked.

I can't think which modern comedian might suit their tastes : maybe McIntyre!

Tempted to throw Kevin bridges or Frankie Boyle, even, their way!!

One look at your average Lord's taverner ought to have suggested there was a 'know your audience' element there. I am amazed he was booked.

Especially as Reginald D. Hunter was probably free

To be fair I think he came off better, looking at Twitter.

As long as the charity benefited ....

Help please!

My ds did his postal vote application - sent it off the working day before the deadline, first class post.

He hasn't heard anything back yet. Presumably this could still be ok?

Free tuition fees is THE most persuasive policy to me. It's not privately educated kids heading to RG unis that are put off uni by tuition fees. I teach any number of less well off students who are choosing not to go, or think it is beyond their means.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing, or that it's bad politics. But it is economically regressive because most of the benefits don't go to the poorest.

Did Greg James book Nish Kumar? Surely he should have warned him! Anyway, not surprising but still pretty disgusting to treat him like that.

Going back to our comedian theme of yesterday. How Alexei have gone down

Like one of my friends who has another four years to work in terrible health, her greatest wish is to be made redundant.

So focus on spending money on disabled benefits and the universal credit taper rather than handing money to middle class women who may have a moral point about unfairness, but who shouldn't be the priority for a large government bung.

Would have thought Kumar could have guessed too about the reaction. But the booker is responsible ime

Free university benefits go disproportionately to the better off.

Disagree. They most benefit the least well off who would like to go but would not if they had to pay. Those are the people we most want to encourage.

There is no state provision that doesn’t benefit the better off including state schools and the NHS.

Combined with more money to state education and a meaningful intervention on child poverty (which means changes to benefits + the whole penumbra of 'stressors' surrounding child poverty: adult MH services being increased, child MH interventions, low wage culture & housing being addressed), I think it would end up helping the poorest, GreyKitten.

It's hard to get meaningful figures about tuition fees impacting the poorest from entering HE when so many are effectively excluded from HE at present.

That exclusion impacts on data.

tobee Is it worth phoning the council?

And I too salute you, Peregrina.

Narrow political loyalties are a complete hindrance in this GE.

I am in Rees Mogg's constituency. He went a bit quiet after his Grenfell comments, but in the past few days has been out knocking on doors (not mine, yet...).

There is a strength of feeling behind voting him out, so I'd love to hope... but the Remain vote is split. The tactical voting sites are now aligned to Labour, but all I'm seeing locally are bright orange placards... The Lib Dems are hitting us with leaflets on a daily basis, but we've had hardly any from anyone else. It's not really clear who to get behind, as Labour came second in 2017, but there was a big Lib Dem surge in the local and EU elections.

So cross that Labour / Lib Dems didn't sort out some kind of pact to oust Mogg.

QueenMabby you can search the YouGov MRP data for a constituency:

yougov.co.uk/uk-general-election-2019/#uk-elections-constituency-search-anchor

I know, CurrerBell.
It's heartbreaking and infuriating.
I think tobee has a similar situation in her constituency, where Labour should really step aside, and instead are sending masses of activists.
It's so wrong.

So focus on spending money on disabled benefits and the universal credit taper

She’s not disabled. The vast majority of Waspi women aren’t middle class and affluent. Remember less than 10% are graduates. Many have worked in low paid jobs since they were 16, had their children when there was no maternity leave, gave up work until their kids started school because there was no child care and worked in female dominated jobs where equal pay was a joke.

For people like me it’s not an issue. For a lot of my contemporaries it’s been disastrous.