Sir Keir’s Kerfuffle

Originally Posted by Mick

What a ridiculous assertion, Hugh. Labour was not fiscally sound at all, had Corbyn come to power, UK would be a utopian failure on epic proportions, a socialist woke and failing leftist Country.

I was refering to the Governments in power over the last 50 years - I am/was not a Corbyn fan.

We were discussing the previous/current Governments.

Starmer's decision to start a civil war seems even more stupid given the results of the last two days.

Labour have still down very badly but they've had small victories in winning the London Mayorality again along with Manchester by an increase in the majority and the West Midlands. Additionally, they're doing better in the south even picking up seats in places like Tunbridge Wells and Witney.

The Tories are of course going to change how Mayors are elected: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/mayo...m-b924534.html so that's it 'first past the post' rather than having his run off system because in those cases Labour still would have won.

GLC all over again…

I don't think it's fair the Tories can simply change the voting system people use without asking them. They think the Greens/Liberals/Labour will split the left vote so they can get in with less than 50% but it's so cynical.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Damien

I don't think it's fair the Tories can simply change the voting system people use without asking them. They think the Greens/Liberals/Labour will split the left vote so they can get in with less than 50% but it's so cynical.

Sadly just more corruption. This can be evidenced by the fact that there is no proposal to elect members of the London Assembly in the same way. Could this be because first past the post would reduce the number of Conservative seats?

[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by Damien

Starmer's decision to start a civil war seems even more stupid given the results of the last two days.

Just re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

[tweetiepooh]

Originally Posted by Damien

I don't think it's fair the Tories can simply change the voting system people use without asking them. They think the Greens/Liberals/Labour will split the left vote so they can get in with less than 50% but it's so cynical.

I think an issue in London was that there were so many candidates that the paper was split over 2 pages and large number of people voted first choice twice invalidating the paper.
In this country at least that sort of vote tends to favour left of centre where there is more choice without going extreme. We only have one right wing party that isn't tending towards Nazi-ism. (May be minor parties someplaces)

[heero_yuy]

Quote from The Sun:

Keir Starmer faces fresh by-election woe after former Coronation Street actress Tracy Brabin was voted in as mayor of West Yorkshire.

Labour MP Brabin will now have to stand down as Batley and Spen MP - triggering another by-election.

She received the most first and second preference votes, with a total of 310,923.

She beat second-place candidate – the Conservative’s Matt Robinson – by 101,786 votes.

Ms Brabin, who won the contest on her 60th birthday, becomes Labour’s 11th candidate to claim a mayoral post – after 13 elections in cities and metropolitan areas across England.

It comes after Boris Johnson spanked Sir Keir Starmer in “Super Thursday’s” elections — seizing the Red Wall jewel of Hartlepool and demolishing Labour across the country.

Can the Tories do another Hartlepool?

The results at the 2019 election were:

Labour, Tracy Brabin – 22,594, 42.7 per cent Conservative, Mark Brooks – 19,069, 36.0 per cent Heavy Woollen District Independents, Paul Halloran – 6,432 12.2 per cent Liberal Democrats, John Lawson – 2,462, 4.7 per cent Brexit Party, Clive Minihan – 1,678, 3.2 per cent Green, Ty Akram – 692, 1.3 per cent.

Bookies odds are:

Conservatives - 1/4 Labour - 3/1 Heavy Woolen District - 33/1 Greens - 100/1 Lib Dems - 100/1 Northern Independence Party - 200/1

Figures from National World

You think it could be closer. There isn't as big a Brexit vote (although the Heavy Woollen District Independents were independent UKIP people) to move over to the Tories as there was in Hartlepool. Labour will probably try to time the by-election not to coincidence with another loosening of restrictions as well.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Can the Tories do another Hartlepool?

The results at the 2019 election were:

Labour, Tracy Brabin – 22,594, 42.7 per cent Conservative, Mark Brooks – 19,069, 36.0 per cent Heavy Woollen District Independents, Paul Halloran – 6,432 12.2 per cent Liberal Democrats, John Lawson – 2,462, 4.7 per cent Brexit Party, Clive Minihan – 1,678, 3.2 per cent Green, Ty Akram – 692, 1.3 per cent.

Bookies odds are:

Conservatives - 1/4 Labour - 3/1 Heavy Woolen District - 33/1 Greens - 100/1 Lib Dems - 100/1 Northern Independence Party - 200/1

Figures from National World

If they did, it would be a bigger shock than Hartlepool, I don't think they will.

Not sure it would be a bigger shock. The Tories have won there before.

Originally Posted by Damien

Not sure it would be a bigger shock. The Tories have won there before.

Liz Peacock was MP there for 14 years (83-97).

Proper Yorkshire lass - nice person, always bought a round; we agreed on more than we disagreed on, and she was always willing to listen, even if she didn't agree with you.

[Pierre]

It’s a different place than it was 24 years ago.

Whatever the result, it will be a surprise to someone.

Labour got destroyed the other day, Cons took over everything around here.

[heero_yuy]

Quote from The Sun:

Sir Keir Starmer was hit by a new blow last night as a poll found one in three Labour voters has no idea what the party stands for now he is leader.

While two in three of all adults think the party has lost its way, Savanta ComRes found.

The Labour boss is now fighting to save his job and the party as voters turned to the Tories in last week's elections.

They held on to a handful of mayoralties in the big cities but lost councillors and even the Hartlepool by-election as Boris Johnson continued to smash the Red Wall.

The poll revealed a huge chunk of Labour's 2019 supporters say the leader doesn't represent change for the better.

One does wonder what Labour actually stands for apart from criticising interioir decor.