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[Thornton Reed]

Look. I get the people saying 'lol polls', 'lol Brexit', 'lol, polls said Clinton would win the popular vote but she actually did so the polls weren't wrong' but that really misses a massive point here.

This poll isn't significant because Labour may win. Its significant because the Tories have completely fucked it. They saw this as a home-run but the real issue is that Corbyn had years of the left and right wing media vilifying him and making the public dislike him with very little visibility awarded to him. Now, though, people actually have to listen to Corbyn and a lot of them like what he has to say. I'm not a Labour voter but fuck me, the Tories hubris has been at least partly an undoing, fucking ridiculous.

Anything other than the conservatives taking more seats is absolute disaster for them. With the passion and movement behind corbyn and the labour party, if they keep him, in 5 years time it will be a landslide.

After the shambles that is this campaign i wouldn't trust the tories to organise a piss up in a brewery. Brexit is going to be a shitshow.

 

[Thornton Reed]

Not really a Corbyn fan, but it is hard to argue that he has proven to be the better option. Labour have a real identity and he has really stood out nicely.

The Labour party deserves scorn for their continual lack of support and the persistent infighting. However the Corbyn team were absolute shite for a long time. They were atrocious and mismanaged opposition. If they'd been as competent as this campaign, then it would be a different story altogether.

it would have never have happened if they were

 

[Dirtyshubb]

I really hope things work out and there's a Labour SNP coalition, they have to realise that's a better option than having the Tories be in power. It'd be the best for the country.

As someone else said earlier we need the Rebel Alliance of progressives: Labour, SNP, Lib Dems and Green. Form a super group and push every damn progressive thing you can and all work together in fighting the myths and lies that the opposition would use.

Im sure that wouldn’t or couldn’t happen for various reasons but if I was any of those listed parties I would be more than happy to work together to help rebuild this country in a better image. They may have differences but surely they can all be more civil than the right and just discuss and work together to come to a position they all agree on.

 

[Audioboxer]

I know for sure my stance on the dude was way different before the election. All I saw were gaffs, party turmoil and annoying stances like on nuclear power. Fundamentally I figured I'm down for a more left platform as a whole, but wanted him to be a more effective opposition, because I couldn't see his Labour getting anywhere.

But now we're here, turns out there is a decent amount of momentum, a decent amount of people who would vote for them. Maybe it's more disdain for the Tories and them running a limp campaign. Maybe people are coming round to Corbyn's unconventional ways. But whatever it is he's not causing the huge vote migration I was worried about.

It'd probably be misguided to scapegoat him for a conservative majority. Might mean he shouldn't be the face of Labour but I'd hope the party would look at how and why people voted and work out a strategy from there.

The in-fighting and lack of cohesion/unity are what really kills Labour. Corbyn might have some responsibility there, but ultimately the party has been in a spiral of existential crisis for a while. Especially Labour Scotland, but at the end of the day, it's Labour in England that really need to make the gains to cement a UK-wide win. Labour Scotland just needs punted into the sun and rebooted. Far more than any criticism for Corbyn is warranted.

Personally, I'm utterly convinced if Labour attempted to unify as a cohesive centre-left party like the SNP they'd manage in a short amount of time to convince enough of the rUK they were a fresh, new, viable option. Although I may be projecting a bit for what I'd like Labour to be. What frustrates me most is when they seem like Tony Blair era Labour or Tory-lite. Corbyn at least isn't that, even if many want to say he's still not the right leader and has some duff proposals/views.

I don't really mind Ed Milliband, but he didn't really stick out as anything different for Labour.

 

[Huw_Dawson]

Make it easy, Lamb v Farron.

Even though I think Lamb would be the better leader, I'm tempted to go Farron. With the Lib Dems so anonymous outside of elections, having a leader that some people recognise is vital.

Lamb vs Farron - Farron.

The issue is that it wouldn't be Lamb vs Farron. It could easily be a contest with four or five people on the ballot.

If we assume they're all available to stand, there are six people who could run the party after the GE:

Tim Farron
Simon Hughes
Nick Clegg
Norman Lamb
Jo Swinson
Vince Cable

Cable would be 78 at a GE in 2022, and would be 83 in 2027 if he was to win that election and serve a five year term. So eliminating him for age reasons unfortunately, you have two people who've already lost a leadership election (Hughes and Lamb), the current leader, a former leader... and someone who is competent, likeable, has government experience, and also as an aside happens to be a woman. which would make her the first female Liberal leader in the entire party's history.

The wildcard is if Clegg stands again. Which he won't... unless Farron steps down.

Bear in mind that there isn't an election if no other candidates are raised.

BTW notice the advantage of this automatic leadership contest rule: it's totally fine for me to talk about the possibility of future leaders etc, as Farron may not want to continue, or nobody may want to challenge him. There's no nasty coup or knives, it's just a rule in the constitution. Bloodless.

Other ways our leaders can be booted: 75 local parties have no confidence in the leader, or a vote of no confidence by the PLDP.

Labour is significantly wonkier constitutionally.

 

[Mr Git]

As someone else said earlier we need the Rebel Alliance of progressives: Labour, SNP, Lib Dems and Green. Form a super group and push every damn progressive thing you can and all work together in fighting the myths and lies that the opposition would use.

.

That was me and I'd love that. It'd be even better if that's what the Tories named the alliance thus inadvertently admitting that they're the Empire.

 

[Audioboxer]

Here we go again, bonus points as usual for using the black and white derpy face pictures

 

[JonathanEx]

I guess the 'BUT THE SNP!!!!' thing worked last time, so tried and tested, but coming back to that slightly smacks of desperation

 

[Audioboxer]

I guess the 'BUT THE SNP!!!!' thing worked last time, so tried and tested, but coming back to that slightly smacks of desperation

 

[Mr Git]

Here we go again, bonus points as usual for using the black and white derpy face pictures

lmao at the sources. Times, Express and the Sun. Good one Tories, good one.

 

[Huw_Dawson]

I guess the 'BUT THE SNP!!!!' thing worked last time, so tried and tested, but coming back to that slightly smacks of desperation

It worked amazingly well last time. But Nicola Sturgeon is a well-liked figure on every topic other than independence, and nobody seriously thinks Corbyn can win (and by that I mean the general public - maybe there's a red scare by polling day).

 

[WhatNXt]

lmao at the sources. Times, Express and the Sun. Good one Tories, good one.

This is like owning a restaurant or an app and getting three of your best mates to leave reviews that attack your opponents on Yelp or Google Play. Then using those reviews in promotional literature.

 

[*Splinter]

lmao at the sources. Times, Express and the Sun. Good one Tories, good one.

This is like owning a restaurant or an app and getting three of your best mates to leave reviews that attack your opponents on Yelp or Google Play.

What's the combined readership of the Times, the Express, and the Sun?

 

[hodgy100]

Labour + SNP sounds pretty awesome to me actually!

 

[WhatNXt]

What's the combined readership of the Times, the Express, and the Sun?

All too high I suspect.

 

[Taker666]

Maybe Labour should put out a version with Theresa May in Trump's pocket?

 

[Mr Git]

What's the combined readership of the Times, the Express, and the Sun?

A lot of cunts?

 

[Linkstrikesback]

Maybe Labour should put out a version with Theresa May in Trump's pocket?

If I had time this weekend, I'd totally do that myself. Didn't bring a laptop when visiting the old man this weekends, alas.

 

[Beefy]

BritainElects

Craig Mackinlay (Con, South Thanet) has been charged with election offences for the 2015 election campaign in the South Thanet constituency.

 

[itsbenoclock]

What's the combined readership of the Times, the Express, and the Sun?

Between three and four million based off a quick Google search, with the Sun being the highest at over two million daily as of late 2014, so could be much higher with more recent figures potentially.

 

[Dorsal Axe]

BritainElects

Craig Mackinlay (Con, South Thanet) has been charged with election offences for the 2015 election campaign in the South Thanet constituency.

The timing of this is just delicious.

Even if the Tories manage to scrape through, I'm still going to enjoy the hell out of their awful campaign collapsing after all their hubris (and the other campaign, and the new one they're running with...I've lost count now) and the end of the TMP.

EDIT: Just realised this is the seat Farage lost out on. So, holy shit, he was right about it being a dodgy win for the Tories after all...

 

[D4Danger]

It's absolutely​ disgraceful that Theresa May won't publicly condemn Donald Trump. She is such a coward.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

My dream future: Corbyn consolidates a more leftist hold on the PLP, steps down for Clive or Angela or Lisa. May wins narrow majority but with shattered credibility. Brexit goes tits up (I mean, no horribly so, but in the sense of: looks awful for the Conservatives). 2022 is landslide for new, invigorated leftist Labour. We nationalise the memes of production.

 

[Uzzy]

I guess the 'BUT THE SNP!!!!' thing worked last time, so tried and tested, but coming back to that slightly smacks of desperation

I wouldn't be voting for Labour if they were planning a coalition with the SNP. But yeah, unlike last time when the polls were making everyone think that was a real possibility, to come back to it this time round does smack of desperation. It's like they've thrown everything at Corbyn and he's not gone away, so best to go back to the Miliband playbook.

 

[Audioboxer]

COALITION OF CHAOS!

 

[pulsemyne]

Between three and four million based off a quick Google search, with the Sun being the highest at over two million daily as of late 2014, so could be much higher with more recent figures potentially.

The readership of newspapers has gone down massively over the past few years. The Sun also inflate their figures with free copies etc.

 

[*Splinter]

I wouldn't be voting for Labour if they were planning a coalition with the SNP.

Why not?

(And are you in Scotland or elsewhere, if you don't mind me asking?)

 

[PJV3]

COALITION OF CHAOS!

If the SNP supported a Tory government then it would be the strongest coalition in the world.

 

[Beefy]

Tories must be throwing cash at ads way more then any one else. They are everywhere.

Wonder if their expenses get looked into again? 🤔

 

[Ashes]

It's absolutely​ disgraceful that Theresa May won't publicly condemn Donald Trump. She is such a coward.

She's a bloody difficult woman... NOT.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Why not?

(And are you in Scotland or elsewhere, if you don't mind me asking?)

I think a lot of people wouldn't, because of the conflict of interests. At least theoretically, national parties are supposed to concerned with everyone, but that's explicitly not true for the SNP, who have no incentive to care for the future of anyone non-Scottish other than insofar as it indirectly benefits Scots. That means in cases where you have a policy that would hurt Scotland a little but (for example) benefit the North and Wales a lot (like a fairer distribution of the Barnett formula), the North and Wales are going to lose out.

This is why my dislike of the SNP is so entrenched. The prospect of them being in a coalition is a legitimate fear for many traditional, working-class Labour voters in the North and in Wales. The mere existence of the SNP hampers Labour even outside Scotland, and divides the British left.

I mean, it's not like this in practice, because the Conservatives don't really give two shits about the North or Wales, but at the very least, they put up the pretence of doing so. The SNP never can, for... kinda obvious reasons.

 

[War Peaceman]

I get why she won't criticise him, she needs all the friends she can get and Trump is notoriously sensitive.

But I guess that is the downside of being a sitting PM.

 

[autumnleaf]

It's funny to see the Tories panicking a little. Anything less than them gaining a few more seats than they already have would be a huge failure (but I suppose there's only one UKIP seat to steal).

 

[GamingKaiju]

I was going to vote for the lib dems they never had a chance to win in my seat. I'll be voting Labour now in my attempt to stop the tories gaining a majority.

Don't care if it leads to a coalition of chaos lol much prefer a Labor+SNP then a conservative government at this point hopefully Brexit will get kicked into the long grass.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Net satisfaction

T. May: 43 / 50 (-7)
J. Corbyn: 39 / 50 (-11)
T. Farron: 25 / 44 (-19)
P. Nuttall: 18 / 55 (-37)

(via @Ipsos Mori)

 

[Spaghetti]

Campaign managers at CCHQ must be on suicide watch by now.

 

[PJV3]

I get why she won't criticise him, she needs all the friends she can get and Trump is notoriously sensitive.

But I guess that is the downside of being a sitting PM.

It's not going to be good if Trump starts to lose his grip after elections in 2018, but I doubt she is capable of thinking beyond next week.

 

[Uzzy]

Why not?

(And are you in Scotland or elsewhere, if you don't mind me asking?)

I live in Hull. And while Crab's points are certainly valid, for me at least I don't want to see our country broken apart. Now I actually would support a second referendum on the issue, given that Brexit has rather fundamentally changed the constitution of the UK. Of course if the Scots democratically choose to leave, then while I'll be sad to see them go, that'd be fair enough as it's their choice to make.

That's a different matter entirely to actively working with the party who wants to see our country break up.

 

[Dougald]

This "coalition of chaos" narrative is fairly amusing considering the last coalition we had was far less chaotic than the last two years of Conservative Majority

 

[CCS]

Net satisfaction

T. May: 43 / 50 (-7)
J. Corbyn: 39 / 50 (-11)
T. Farron: 25 / 44 (-19)
P. Nuttall: 18 / 55 (-37)

(via @Ipsos Mori)

Not only is Corbyn improving, but am I correct in remembering that that represents a massive fall for May?

 

[Mr. Sam]

The thing is, even if you stroke Trump's hair and assure him he has very, very big hands, he's so erratic and unreliable, it's unclear what you'll ever gain from it.

 

[Taker666]

I get why she won't criticise him, she needs all the friends she can get and Trump is notoriously sensitive.

But I guess that is the downside of being a sitting PM.

Problem is... it ostracises us from the rest of Europe even further...and I can't see Trump giving the UK anything in return for support.

The closer May appears to get to Trump..the more tainted we are with everyone else.

Not a great place to be in before Brexit talks.

 

[Huw_Dawson]

Not only is Corbyn improving, but am I correct in remembering that that represents a massive fall for May?

Severe fall for May and a damning loss on Farron on ratio.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Not only is Corbyn improving, but am I correct in remembering that that represents a massive fall for May?

It does, yes. -18 in a month.

Farron's fall was sharper in proportion, though. He's had a bad campaign. Visibility has barely gone up and among people who knew him already, opinion has fallen.

 

[Ashes]

I get why she won't criticise him, she needs all the friends she can get and Trump is notoriously sensitive.

But I guess that is the downside of being a sitting PM.

The diplomacy thing makes sense. But the green vote has some weight I feel.

 

[Wrestlemania]

If there was a Labour government, do people think the SNP would actually go through with another referendum?
Another Tory government plus increasing awareness of the effects of Brexit could potentially be enough to swing a 'yes' vote, but with Labour in power I think it'd be incredibly unlikely, in which case I don't know that they'd go through with a referendum in the first place.

 

[Number45]

That Economist article backing the Lib Dems is something. It basically says they're all shit, but the Lib Dems are marginally less shit than the Tories while Labour are basically the devil incarnate.

 

[SuperBowser]

The thing is, even if you stroke Trump's hair and assure him he has very, very big hands, he's so erratic and unreliable, it's unclear what you'll ever gain from it.

Trump will take the best deal that suits him at the time. Anybody expecting him to act out of friendship or loyalty will be burned like the hundreds (?thousands) before them.

 

[excowboy]

Milliband going in hard on May not condemning Trump on Radio 4 right now.

The fact that he has made himself quite visible in this election bodes well for Labour I think. Assuming May is PM with a minimal increase in majority I think that's a good outcome for the left wing in the UK - although more powerful in Parliament the Tories are weakened politically and certainly internally given the shambles of this election. They'll also still be responsible for a Brexit that will please no-one.

If this campaign can convince the PLP to unite, and bring the Blairites back into the fold whilst having seen more socially progressive policies are popular, we could have a genuinely decent opposition. If Brexit outcome can cause enough Parliamentary upheaval an early election in 2020 could see Labour returned under Corbyn with a united party. Maybe?!

 

[TheCrackInTime]

Latest IpsosMORI/Standard Poll:

Con 45% (-4)
Lab 40% (+6)
Lib Dems 7% (nc)
UKIP 4% (nc)

Down from a 15 point lead in their last poll.

The narrowing of the polls is making it harder and harder to stop myself from getting my hopes up. Much like 2015 though, I can't help but feel that these polls are setting us up for disappointment.