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[Audioboxer]

Jeremy Corbyn has said he "looks forward" to fighting a snap general election on June 8 to "stand up for the people of Britain".

Mr Corbyn's statement said: "I welcome the Prime Minister's decision to give the British people the chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first.

"Labour will be offering the country an effective alternative to a government that has failed to rebuild the economy, delivered falling living standards and damaging cuts to our schools and NHS.

"In the last couple of weeks, Labour has set out policies that offer a clear and credible choice for the country.

"We look forward to showing how Labour will stand up for the people of Britain."

Asked if he'd stand down if he lost, Mr Corbyn told Sky News: "We are campaigning to win this election, that's the only question now."

Asked if he was the next Prime Minister, he replied: "If we win the election, yes."

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politi...s-snap-general-10247641#ICID=sharebar_twitter

Corbyn. I welcome / we look forward to....

Sure the guy needs to remain optimistic, but he needs a bit more fire in his belly. Should look at the angry Scots way of "flinging shit" at May, whilst still being reasonably polite.

 

[Mario007]

Parliament calls for it with a majority, the PM just needs to request it for a valid cause.

Right...still, coming from a country where the Parliament needs a 2/3 majority to call for a snap election and the President has to sign off on it, this seems like a system ripe for abuse.

 

[GrizzleBoy]

Just to summarise this whole situation.

Our Prime Minister has decided that elected officials having opinions that don't match her party, need to be silenced so we can fix this huge fucking mess, created by her party.

Even though labour have 100% committed to not blocking us from leaving the EU, the very idea that labour have stated that they will not support a bad deal for the UK, is somehow construed into something negative that needs to be killed?

The fact that we have people who can scrutinise the deal we get from Brussels, and push for better ones, is a bad thing???

We need LESS democracy, so we can save our country. That's what we're doing right now. We need to give one party maximum power, to save our future.

We need people to vote not for who or what they believe in, but to be held ransom and pushed into voting to make our negotiation positions slightly less dogshit by "coming together" or some shit.

That's what's being put towards everyone in this union.


How is this not EXTREMELY fucked up?


And all these fucking idiots in poorer counties suffering BECAUSE of austerity, will vote for the austerity party in their droves. And when Brexit is all done and finished, they're going to fucking complain that they're suffering and nobody is paying attention to them while Westminster whores out to big business to keep them in the U.K.. Good luck having Westminster looking out for wherever the fuck-on-sea while scrambling all over the place just trying to get the economy working after we leave.

Let me know how that works out for you all.

 

[Maledict]

Partly this...

But there seems to be nothing in the pipeline regarding a new upcoming leader.

I had slight hopes for Chuka Umunna - but he might have some skeletons in his closet.

Skeletons and more...

 

[nekkid]

Nope.

Polls suggested EU Ref was going to be close. Polls don't report binaries.

 

[Hazzuh]

Didn't UKIP already lose their one seat? I thought Carswell jumped ship

You're right, this is just 2015 GE seats it seems

 

[StayDead]

I'm terrified, because the tories are going to get a majority and we'll be stuck with them for an extra year.

This should've happened before the Brexit process :|

 

[nOoblet16]

May's gonna walk it, but hey at least we can finally be rid of Corbyn sooner rather than later.

Lots of people saying to vote for a specific party, but really, if you truly don't want the Tories you should cast your vote for whoever polls right behind the Conservatives. No use voting for a party that always performs poorly in your constituency, when there's a candidate that just needs that little boost in votes to edge it.

Yea if one truly wants the Tories to go away then the vote needs to go to the one who is polling right behind instead of spreading it apart and voting someone who is not going to win simply because you agree with their policies the most. I know voting should be about who you agree the most with but if you truly want the Tories to be out then you would need to cast a tactical vote because otherwise those Tory numbers aren't going to get challenged otherwise.

 

[Airan]

Hah, I was going to protest vote for Lib Dems, but I didn't even realise they had a change of leadership. I thought the new bloke's name was Nick Farron lmao!

 

[Goodlife]

Totally different, and the fact that those figures are over the course of a year. We're 7 weeks away from this election.

Ok, 2 take the last 2 months
Looks like was about 38 / 45

Closing to pretty much even

Then opening again to 48/41

And then Trump won

 

[Charles Brandon]

That chart is before Trump got the nomination, it's not analogous to this election at that point.

 

[Talents]

Fingers crossed Corbyn ends up retiring/unable to partake in the election so Labour gets a new leader.

Spoiler

Jk we're gonna be under the shit tories forever aren't we?

 

[Principate]

I'm terrified, because the tories are going to get a majority and we'll be stuck with them for an extra year.

This should've happened before the Brexit process :|

I mean it sorta did. Voting in Cameron again got us into this mess in the first place. He campaigned on the referendum.

 

[Bony Manifesto]

Sure the guy needs to remain optimistic, but he needs a bit more fire in his belly. Should look at the angry Scots way of "flinging shit" at May, whilst still being reasonably polite.

I think UKIP has the 'indignant nationalism' shtick pretty much locked down in England. I'm genuinely not sure what angle Corbyn has open to him here.

 

[Coxy100]

Personally:

Jesus Christ - that's terrible

 

[JonnyDBrit]

Hah, I was going to protest vote for Lib Dems, but I didn't even realise they had a change of leadership. I thought the new bloke's name was Nick Farron lmao!

This is an issue Tim's gonna have to work hard on in the next seven weeks.

 

[Ravensmash]

It actually needs two-thirds majority in Parliament to pass. Corbyn waving the white flag means it'll happen though.

Well done, Jezza.

An opposition party not wanting an election would be seen as pure cowardice.

 

[Charles Brandon]

Ok, 2 take the last 2 months
Looks like was about 38 / 45

Closing to pretty much even

Then opening again to 48/41

And then Trump won

Ok but UK polling is 44 - 23! 21 pts!

 

[dan2026]

Can people seriously vote for the Tories after they hellish wave of shit they have dragged us through?

 

[Uzzy]

Right...still, coming from a country where the Parliament needs a 2/3 majority to call for a snap election and the President has to sign off on it, this seems like a system ripe for abuse.

This will need a 2/3 majority to call for a snap election. Alternatively, a vote of no confidence (in the government) could be passed, which is just a simple majority, and would lead to a new election if a vote of confidence wasn't passed within a fortnight.

 

[Mr. Sam]

Can people seriously vote for the Tories after they hellish wave of shit they have dragged us through?

Spoiler

In record numbers.

 

[31GhostsIV]

I presume the relevant authority will be watching the Tory campaign like a hawk, given that they were accused of electoral fraud last time?

But yeah, the Great British public just shrugs. .

 

[Audioboxer]

I think UKIP has the 'indignant nationalism' shtick pretty much locked down in England. I'm genuinely not sure what angle Corbyn has open to him here.

I would suggest more of the "us vs them" siege mentality. Sure it ruffles some feathers, but if you truly believe you're trying to be on the side of the people/poor/working-class/social services like the NHS, you need to throw some punches with your words. That's politics.

Corbyn is too dull, inward looking and yes... too proper/polite at times. No one is saying go full UKIP (you never go full UKIP), but learn how to get people enthusiastic in standing against a political opposition. Already in this topic there is multiple Labour voters saying "why vote?". That shit is toxic. The red wedding in Scotland in 2015 partly happened because the SNP found a way to enthusiastically rally people around them. Labour can do that in England, just not with Corbyn and not how they are currently acting.

 

[Bossun]

Can people seriously vote for the Tories after they hellish wave of shit they have dragged us through?

Were you under the assumption that people are nice and smart? Or had any common sense and decency at all?

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Depends - didn't Ashcroft polling last time around show that Blair was the most popular leader still with people who previously voted labour and now voted Tory?

Not quite. Ashcroft asked Labour defectors who they thought was the best leader of the Labour Party, which is not the same as whether they personally would vote for a Labour Party lead by Blair. For example: Miliband is much closer to my personal beliefs than Blair, yet if asked, I would say Blair was the better leader insofar as he proved actually capable of leading and had electoral success. Nevertheless, more Blair wouldn't increase my likelihood to vote for Labour.

If you look at a slightly different question, whether they feel favourable towards Blair or not... he's actually less popular than Corbyn!

The difficulties of establishing what people think: they all hate Blair but remember him for his successful domination of politics, would probably be the best way of summing it up.

And by centrist, I mean centre left. I don't think either party will ever cross to the other side, but I'd do think there's now a decent amount of room to move back to the middle. Mays been trying very hard to claim that territory but there is space there for a Labour Party that sells a message of economic ambition and opportunity.

Labour, ultimately, has to stop talking about the top 10% and the bottom 10%. That's not how you win votes or elections.

I know, and this is what I was responding to, because talking to the middle 50% means being more socially conservative. I mean, put it this way - the middle 50% voted Leave. They support the death penalty. They want immigration to be reduced to net 0. They also wants the trains nationalised, and a higher rate of tax on big corporations. They're almost the polar opposite of Blairism: small-c conservative but increasingly in favour of government intervention.

If you want to see the light at the end of the tunnel, you're probably looking at Blue Labour, not Progress.

 

[Uzzy]

I presume the relevant authority will be watching the Tory campaign like a hawk, given that they were accused of electoral fraud last time?

But yeah, the Great British public just shrugs. .

Luckily, this new election makes all those electoral fraud allegations irrelevant! Isn't that great.

 

[Charles Brandon]

He'll pledge to fight the Tories after the election. The Corbyn way.

The real fight starts after the election

 

[dan2026]

Were you under the assumption that people are nice and smart? Or had any common sense and decency at all?

Yes

Spoiler

No

Trump exists

.

 

[Hazzuh]

Jesus Christ - that's terrible

Just imagine what the Tories will find if they read through 35 years of Jeremy's Morning Star columns!

 

[cabot]

The two thirds rule was put there as a safeguard for the coalition. It's utterly irrelevant outside of those circumstances. No leader of the opposition, no matter HOW they feel about an election, would be able to vote against it. They would immediately get pilloried in the media from all sides, and there's no real defense against the accusation you're tying to stop voters having their say in an election.

As you can judge from my post history, I'm hardly Corbyn biggest fan, but the two thirds rule was never anything other than a formality once we were outside of the coalition.

When your party is on the verge of electoral elimination as viable opposition, maybe you use that formality.

 

[Plum]

My areas a pretty heavy Tory seat but I'll still be voting. I know nothing's going to change right now but I'd hate myself even more if I didn't at least try to influence some sort of change in the future.

 

[Maledict]

Can people seriously vote for the Tories after they hellish wave of shit they have dragged us through?

Consumer confidence is at very high levels. Whilst we might think the current period is a disaster, it seems a majority of the British public don't. Someone earlier pointed out that expecting consumer confidence to drop after the referendum result was silly, because if the referendum was successful it means a majority of people voted for it so why would they then immediately think things were going to be terrible?

We are a liberal enclave here. Unfortunately. If more young people voted things would be different, but if wishes were real...

 

[Auctopus]

Firstly, May's a lying toad-woman for announcing this after denying it. Secondly, it's terrifying how likely it is that Tories will trounce Labour and gain even more influence prior to Brexit negotiations.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

When your party is on the verge of electoral elimination as viable opposition, maybe you use that formality.

If you want to see verge of electoral elimination, try: badly losing opposition party denies public opportunity to give democratic mandate to spite the will of the people.

 

[31GhostsIV]

Luckily, this new election makes all those electoral fraud allegations irrelevant! Isn't that great.

Phew! I sure am glad the Tories aren;t going to commit fraud this time! Such a relief.

I'm astounded they needed to, what with the might of Murdoch and Dacre behind them.

 

[Randdalf]

So will MPs actually vote for a GE tomorrow?

 

[QuicheFontaine]

Can people seriously vote for the Tories after they hellish wave of shit they have dragged us through?

I'm in a safe Labour seat (Bristol South), but I might vote Tory just to signal my support of Brexit.

 

[Charles Brandon]

When your party is on the verge of electoral elimination as viable opposition, maybe you use that formality.

If they vote against, gov't can force election by making a paradoxical vote of no confidence in itself, which only requires a simple majority. So if Corbyn instructs his MPs to vote against an election it will be both ineffective and apparently spineless.

 

[King Gilga]

Can people seriously vote for the Tories after they hellish wave of shit they have dragged us through?

Who else is there to vote for?

Our parties are all giant messes.

 

[cabot]

An opposition party not wanting an election would be seen as pure cowardice.

Brexit has already made them cowards.

 

[Ravensmash]

So will MPs actually vote for a GE tomorrow?

Yes.

It'd be unprecedented for it to not happen.

It'd also spell the literal end for Labour if not.

 

[31GhostsIV]

As it looked like we were heading for a hung parliament last time, and as the only choice in my area is Tory or their then bedfellows the Lib Dems, I spoiled my ballot with a 'none of the above'.

This time i'll probably vote Lib Dem because they actually had this seat prior to the last election, so it seems like the only hope of getting them out here.

Our system is so fucked.

 

[Dougald]

I'm in a safe Labour seat (Bristol South), but I might vote Tory just to signal my support of Brexit.

A vote for Labour would do the same thing to be fair

 

[QuicheFontaine]

A vote for Labour would do the same thing to be fair

Huh, hadn't really thought about it that way, but you're right!

 

[Hazzuh]

If you want to see verge of electoral elimination, try: badly losing opposition party denies public opportunity to give democratic mandate to spite the will of the people.

You can't lose a general election if you don't let one happen

 

[Bits N Pieces]

Scotland can't hold a referendum because of Brexit. The UK can hold a General Election in less than two months.

What?!

 

[oti]

I'm in a safe Labour seat (Bristol South), but I might vote Tory just to signal my support of Brexit.

Who doesn't want to turn the UK into a dumpster tax haven? Yay!

 

[Beefy]

Will be voting Labour, but they have no chance.

 

[Maledict]

Scotland can't hold a referendum because of Brexit. The UK can hold a General Election in less than two months.

What?!

Something that happens every 5 years at a minimum, for the past few centuries, versus a constitutional issue that makes Brexit look simple.

They aren't the same, at all.

 

[slider]

Heh. I'm in an overwhelmingly Conservative area too.