Burnham has been blocked!

[Ohcrap082024]

Just being reported on BBC news now. The NEC has met and refused to allow Andy Burnham to stand in the by-election. This is looking very bad for Starmer.

Sadly the Greens support mass building on the "Green" belt. I am not sure how that sits with their aims of restoring nature, sustainable farming etc. There won't be any left. Not so Green and nature friendly then.

The discussion around the voting intentions of young people is really interesting. Assuming we have a GE in summer 2029, it’s kids currently in Year 8 and 9 (those currently aged 12.5 -14) who will be the voting 16/17 year olds. That blows my mind.

So what if she is a recipient of our tax system!! I hope @ginasevern doesn’t dignify this with an answer

I can't see how 16 year old will have the vote if the online safety bill restricts what they can see online compared to an 18 year old. Thats just an aside.

The word Nazi in the 70s had connotations to Gen X for example that it doesn't to Gen Z due to over use and tne distance of time since WW2. There's no real bogeyman to refer to.

The polls are appalling because Labour have gone back on too many election promises and have stupidly moved too far to the right to appease the undecideds who might vote for Reform, instead of shoring up what they stand for. They are no longer the party of socialism. As a lifelong Labour voter, I am infuriated Starmer has blown this opportunity. He and the party inherited such a fiscal shitshow from the Tories that the only way really was up. Instead, he's had them lurching all over the place and in many areas – education being one – going backwards. If it wasn't for the fact I think a Government coalition headed by Reform is a terrifying prospect (I don't think they can win overall without striking a deal with the Tories), I'd say he and the Labour party deserve to lose big time to them.

My DD is at the very youngest end of this scale. It's rather bonkers to think she'll get a vote if this government lasts the full term.

Well so what if someone was in a coma? Save me the virtue signalling nonsense.

It was a rhetorical question anyway, the answer is entirely obvious…as it is with you.

Because Keir Starmer isn't a Blair or Boris Johnson. People vote for personalities as much as (or probably even more so) than policy and it's fair to say that Starmer doesn't cut it in that quarter. Also bear in mind the ultra hatchet job of the right wing press. It's more ruthless than I've ever known and I'm 69. That, coupled with the fact that Labour has a useless PR machine. People also wanted a quick fix. Things were appalling under the Tory government and getting worse by the day. They thought a new broom would just sweep it all away.

This also seems to be Labours current thinking, it’s not that their policies have been destructive it’s that they weren’t destructive enough.

I think it's something much simpler - they are just not up the the job of governance. I think the quality of our elected MP's has been on the slide for years. I look back at Blair's cabinet and see the likes of Jack Straw, Robin Cook, David Milliband, Margaret Beckett, Claire Short, Mo Mowlem. Do you see Nandy, Lammy and Reeves in the same league? I just see a lack of competence.

And mine!

Ok sure, so you’re God and know everything.. 😂

You’re talking nonsense.

Thanks for the support dramaQueen. But I will respond to the not so veiled insinuation.

This is a good point, Labour are also planning ‘social justice’ lessons and to ‘decolonise’ education..I guess long term the plan is to just move the polling booths into schools and tell 16 year olds who to vote for.

You don’t have to be God to recognise personality traits.

This is true and I’m noticing one in you, I would guess you’re also a Trump supporter…

@MissMollyanna "are you by any chance a net recipient of our glorious tax system?"

No my dear. I'm 69 and a pensioner having worked solidly since the age of 17. However, I don't think that criticism of the past Tory incumbents for their sleeze and rudderless government necessarily correlates with those in receipt of benefits.

It does very much strongly correlate with Labour supporters.

I think fewer are sticking with this take as Starmer continues. As his rating and the polling shows.

You’d be right, I am a net tax payer. I can’t vote for Trump so I’ve never given it much thought, I’m too busy …some of us do actually work to pay the bills (and your bills I should add).

I pay my own bills (work very hard, have a career) so clearly you thinking you can tell was horseshit. Not that it’s any of your business.

Actually you're quite some years behind the curve on that one. I live on a large, under privileged council estate in a major city and the majority of those on benefits or in very low paid jobs are Reform through and through.

Nope, nice try though. It’s my business when you support utter odd balls to run the country so you can keep living at working peoples expense. Stop doing it.

Clean air zone nonsense.
The pantomime outside Manchester Central library during COVID.
The bus drivers going on strike almost as soon as he bought them in house.
The lack of police crime stats available.
The knife crime increasingly resulting in the death of young men.

Id rather we didn't waste money on a mayor's office with it's social media staff.

Perhaps they don’t want to stay on benefits and/or recognise the dangers of such large proportions of working age people living off the state?