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Original poster

Do we have any hope of an early general election?

44 replies

namechanged1233 · 14/10/2022 14:39

It goes without saying UK politics is in a mess! I think most of the country now thinks a general election is needed to make the changes needed

But a general election isn't due until January 2025. Do we have any chance of an early general election before then? I can't see the conservatives voting for it as they know they will lose.

Is there any other way? (I'm not particularly knowledgeable about politics and genuinely intrigued)

OP posts:

HRTQueen · 19/10/2022 01:50

There is no reason for the Tories to give up such a large majority earlier than they see as necessary

i can’t see the Tories turning things around to their advantage so they will hold out as long as they can

Nat6999 · 19/10/2022 01:59

The only way is if at least 80 Tories vote against everything that is put through parliament & they can't get legislation through, very much like when Theresa May was PM.

Paslaptis · 19/10/2022 02:28

ThreeFeetTall · 15/10/2022 14:17

The 2008 crash was down to Gordon brown?

Perhaps not, but it was fun to blame him for it.

MajorCarolDanvers · 19/10/2022 03:07

An early election can only happen if the PM calls it or Tory MPs vote for it.

At 36 points behind in the polls how likely do you think that is?

paintitallover · 19/10/2022 03:16

Any of us could manage to run the country, compared to this endless shower.

Todayissunny · 20/10/2022 19:38

I'm not in the uk and can't vote in uk elections anymore.
.....And maybe Maybe I don't understand politics but I think there us a huge flaw in the whole voting (and party) system that allowed Truss to become PM and do what she did - selected by about 100,000 people and trying to implement policies that were far away from those by which the party was voted in on . Is that democratic?
A general election is the only democratic next move and it shouldn't be possible for the failing ruling party to block it.
on every level the conservatives look completely incompetent - a disaster. It is beyond my comprehension that anyone continues to support them.

GreenLunchBox · 20/10/2022 19:42

I think we'll have one before Christmas. Bookmark this

HRTQueen · 20/10/2022 19:52

GreenLunchBox · 20/10/2022 19:42

I think we'll have one before Christmas. Bookmark this

Why do you think the Tories will give up their majority?

RosaGallica · 20/10/2022 20:26

They have no public credibility, but it is very difficult to say who does. Media has been hostile to most in politics, and not without reason.

Blair had a huge impact on the direction, economics and culture of Britain. His time saw the start of intergenerational inequality. So yes, anyone who was alive then will remember his actions.

SuspiciousHedgehog · 21/10/2022 06:45

Up until very recently, the BBC was known for making every excuse. Kussenberg is parodied widely on social media for her sycophantic slant on Boris.

I honestly don't recognise what you are saying. I lived through the last Labour government as a young person in one of the countries most deprived areas.
Didn't realise at the time how good we had it, tbh. Policies that were perhaps not ideal, hindsight is 20/20, but still by today's standards, they were pretty damn fantastic for someone who comes from where I do.

TizerorFizz · 21/10/2022 10:19

I would agree that the Tony Blair government was so much more stable than this one. However what was considered profligate spending became an issue. Obviously with hindsight, austerity didn’t go well when the nation voted for that. We are now in a state of turbulence due to our own making and world events again. We do not have politicians that are good enough. The factions are warring and the schisms are irreparable.

We have a democracy by voting for MPs. It’s not presidential (which would be fixed term). So our reoresebrstune a should choose their leader.

donquixotedelamancha · 21/10/2022 12:50

I would agree that the Tony Blair government was so much more stable than this one. However what was considered profligate spending became an issue.

Are you kidding? Taxes barely rose as a share of GDP under Blair. They went up far more under Cameron, Johnson and Thatcher.

When the Blair Gov borrowed it spent it on capital investment: hospitals, schools, roads, houses and IT. When it spent taxes it did so on education, training, intervention schemes and healthcare. These things grew the economy.

Austerity effectively raised taxes because slashing spending on these things slowed the economy. At the same time the Tories have 'misplaced' more taxpayer money than any government in history.

The idea that Tories are low tax is a myth.

JS87 · 21/10/2022 12:59

It drives me mad all this "but labour trash the economy". Debt is far higher now than under labour. The money did run out due to the banking crash. However before then when they were in power at least they spent the money on the NHS (slashing waiting lists) and education etc. Tories seem to like to splash the cash too but they give it all to their mates.

londongals · 21/10/2022 13:17

No hope at all

Anniefrenchfry · 21/10/2022 13:18

Absolutely but it will be a year to 18 months away. If you really mean will there be one now or in the next six months, no chance.

donquixotedelamancha · 21/10/2022 15:27

The money did run out due to the banking crash.

Thing is. The disruption of the banking crash was effectively a short term cost to government and a hit to the economy but countries which responded effectively (e.g. the US) were recovering within a year.

Our low growth has lasted since then (12 fucking years) because we did what every economics textbook says not to: we slashed investment.

TizerorFizz · 21/10/2022 18:27

@donquixotedelamancha
The Conservatives fought the 2010 election on Labour spending too much. Whether you remember that or not, that’s what Cameron did and brought in austerity. I think you might have misunderstood what I said. I didn’t think it was a great over spend, but Cameron snd Osborne did. Whatever we think is immaterial. Elections are often fought on half truths. As are referenda.

PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior · 21/10/2022 18:39

Our low growth has lasted since then (12 fucking years) because we did what every economics textbook says not to: we slashed investment.

Yup.

TizerorFizz · 21/10/2022 22:49

@PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior
Unfortunately the electorate don’t understand that economics of the country is a balance. Many governments would (and did) invest in public services if there is growth in private industry which largely funds such measures through greater employment opportunities and taxation. Until the banking collapse we had reasonable growth. We need to get back to that but Brexit and other world events are against that desirable outcome. It will be very difficult to do what we need and invest. However we could make savings such as scrapping HS2 but we need people to work in social care snd maintain the vital services. Some areas of investment will have to go on the back burner or taxpayers and younger people will be screwed for years. Never mind private pension holders and mortgage payers. We can borrow to invest, and have, but we are maxed out on that now. We have mismanagement to thank for that.

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