The Brexit Arms. Is this Ben Elton? Is it free mulled wine and mince pies for everyone or a Corb-free Christmas 🎄?

[SingingLily]

Welcome to the Brexit Arms!

The temporary Landlady is back but worry not, all is festive good cheer with just another three days to go until we reach the Only Poll That Really Matters. Till then, the gloves are still on!

A quick recap of the events of the last week or so:

📋❓💙❤️💛⁉️💙‼️🤷🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️😀☹️😀☹️😧😱🙄😬🤥🤔🤕🗳

Anyone of any political persuasion who is prepared to join in, eschew goadery, and enjoy a laugh, welcome. First drinks are on the house.

Lily I went to South Korea straight after North - I agree with you. It is the best modern day example of the difference between socialism and capitalism.

Although IMHO the South has gone so far towards the US cultural model that it doesn't feel that like Asia to me (and I've been to most of Asia). For understandable reasons of defence etc.

twitter.com/itvnewspolitics/status/1204404481745657857

That would be fascinating to see, Twattage. I've been a fair way around the world but apart from Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, not ventured further around Asia. The impression I get from my reading is that South Koreans walk a tightrope between undue American influence and the need for a protector against the predations of the North. Tricky, to say the least.

When I lived in Canada as a youngster, the invaders were American but they came in peace...and in search of Canadian beef for their barbecues plus alcohol if they lived in "dry" counties. At that time, the 49th Parallel was known as the longest undefended border in the world but even that is very different now. Big penalties if you knowingly cross the well-marked border without a damn good reason.

And the EU thinks Schengen was a spiffing idea???

I'm impressed by the personal tales of real socialism experiences!

Just had a Conservative canvasser at the door, doing a grand job out in the wind and rain! There was a whole group of them working their way up the road. I gave him the good news that he has 2 guaranteed votes from this house

I always think that if a country has borders to check people coming in, that's common sense. If it has borders to stop people leaving, that's socialism.

Hmm I was curious to see how many socialist states I had actually been to from this list! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_socialist_states

I've done: China, Cuba, Lao, Vietnam, India (surely a democracy), North Korea, Nepal, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania.

Former socialist states I've visited: Albania, Cambodia, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, South Korea, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia / USSR (Estonia), Ukraine.

Other non-Marxist states: Burma, Egypt.

Quite a lot! It makes you feel so fortunate to live in the UK when you see the history & current situation of other people in the world.

I always think that if a country has borders to check people coming in, that's common sense. If it has borders to stop people leaving, that's socialism.

Agree 100%, Limer. Well said.

No other canvasser at our door, Limer, other than young well-informed Conservative chap. However, the LibDem candidate, Helen Belcher, today sent one of those weird computer-generated letters that look handwritten, pleading for support. It was addressed personally to DH, not to me.

This is about the seventh piece of LibDem junk mail addressed only to him, even though my name appears first on the electoral role. I realise the LibDems are struggling with the definition of "woman" but I'm beginning to feel quite slighted.

DH, on the other hand, is terrified.

Helen's slogan is "Choose Change".

He's refusing to come out of the den.

DS is working in Australia at the moment, so his post is being re-directed to us. We've had Brexit/Tory/Lib Dem from his part of London, but nothing from our 'safe' seat candidates!

Are you in a marginal, ajandjjmum? Mine is a swing seat and one of Jo Swinson's 60 seat Remainer Alliance, so the only choice here is Conservative, LibDem or Labour. Around here, Labour's idea of a successful GE would be one in which they manage to scrape their deposit back.

Sorry, you did say "safe seat". Oops.

What time can we expect results to start coming through on election night...

It makes you feel so fortunate to live in the UK when you see the history & current situation of other people in the world. Amen to that Twattage13

Comradesally Sunderland will have their army of sixth-formers racing against each other to declare first around 11pm. But most results come in around 2am-4am, usually by then there's a flavour of what the final result will be.

Limer well amen indeed. I would love to know how many people who are proposing to vote Labour this time actually have been to a socialist country (current or former) and seen with their own eyes what this means when you go down the old Marxist route for a period of years...

Sunderland lost its "first to declare" crown in 2015 and are determined not to repeat that this time so they have indeed been practicing. However, it was Labour Sunderland voting 62.43% Leave that sent shockwaves through the Remainer campaign so although I'm expecting a Labour hold there, any big movement in the vote share will be an indicator of what's to come.

In 2017, the results were:

Bridget Phillipson
LAB
24,665
59.5%
+4.3
Paul Howell
CON
12,324
29.7%
+11.3
Michael Anthony Joyce
UKI
2,379
5.7%
-15.8
Paul Edgeworth
LIB
908
2.2%
+0.1
Richard Peter Bradley
GRE
725
1.7%
-1.1
Oth
OTH

I expect Sunderland to still be a Labour win, but with a reduced majority. This time they have a Brexit candidate too, question is how many Labour/UKIP/Conservative voters will switch to Brexit? How many Remainers of all persuasions will go Lib Dem? Agree Lily that it'll be interesting to see that first result, and hear how the various experts extrapolate that across the rest of the country.

A result that surprises no one & is evidenced across MN at election time & wrt Brexit...

Well Dusty, that’s the poll to end all polls! 😂

I think we could have figured that part out ourselves though! 😂

LOL at that poll Dusty

I'm probably biased, but Remainers and Labour voters treat their allegiance almost as a cult, they have something akin to a religious belief in it. An evangelical zeal to spread the word among the unbelievers, shedding tears when their side loses, and praising their Dear Leader with the anthem of the truly faithful, "ohhhhhh Jeremy Corbyn"

Voted Remain. Historically voted Labour since the mid 80s. Please avoid silly stereotypes - you hate it when people do it about Leave voters and Tory voters.
There is cultish behaviour all over. And sensible considered behaviour too. Do yourself the courtesy of recognising that.

Oh here we go again. 🤦🏻‍♀️

So a parody twitter account called Britain Erects (mimicking Britain Elects) has a fake poll post showing labour within 3pts of Tories and loads of blue tick accounts have been re tweeting it.

Given the chaos last night about the punch coming off twitter, it really feels out of control right now. Especially when you can’t even rely on verified accounts to share legit info. Does the electoral commission need to set some new rules in the age of social media?!

C'mon Bellini it was a joke, hence the

I've voted Labour in the past too, most people have.

Boris doesn't have an anthem - but I'm sure we could think one up

well said bellini.

Thatcher got in on my 18th birthday (I didn't get a vote). The 80s were 'my decade' - career flew, on the property ladder, etc, bloody loved them. In the 90s, I got married and had 2 babies.

Since then, I have never voted Tory; I cant cope with the attitudes towards the poor, the disabled, the unemployed, combined with the whole 'greed is good' ethos.

That doesnt mean I cant understand why someone would vote Tory, or that you are all kitten-killing baby-eaters etc etc.

I just think there is a total lack of empathy in society any more. My (anti-Tory) vote will be useless, but at least I can tell my self that I didnt vote for more cuts, for more action against the poor, the disabled, the unemployed...

Mine's a large please landlady while I shuffle off to the end of the bar with the nuts.

Turns out ridiculing cultish behaviour only works on one side of the debate. Ho hum.