BoJo's focus on a presidential manner is his way of distancing himself from the party's past such as austerity - vote for BoJo, it's not really a vote for the Tories.
It's extraordinary that the same party that delivered austerity is now signing up to spending gazillions and promising no tax raises. So all the previous work on the nations finances by the Tories will be undone in his first year as he'll have to borrow those gazillions. Got to make you wonder if it was worthwhile voting Tory in the first place if they are going to see-saw on the economy like this and undo and nullify what they previously set out to do.
But I guess that's a minor point compared to him being a serial liar and about to deliver a disastrous hard brexit.
Another small silver lining if he wins will be watching him have to answer questions every week in parliament about why the economy is shafted and when we can expect to see the promised sunlit uplands.
People saying Corbyn is more dangerous than Boris? Even if Corbyn was prime minister he'd likely be in a minority government so would have to compromise. Just not seeing how they are equivalent.
Sadly, people are thick SPR and too easily bought by the propaganda, there is no reasoned critical thinking going on. To be honest screw them. Let's reboot, let's start again, it is positive. There's no point in a hung Parliament presiding over a cluster fuck of a second referedum (now moved to Remain 51 Leave 49) which is not a guaranteed win. We need an opposition with a majority and a clear mandate to govern.
As for PLP being entrenched, well it's the membership that voted and they've already delivered 2 shocks in the last 3. Full of Corbynites? All (yes ALL) of the Corbynites I know have repented having voted for him, it is no shoo in. And the thing with losers? No-one likes backing them. Suddenly all their best friends slope away. Pretend they never backed him. It's a sad fact of life.
Remember Miliband said he'd stay on, and was resigning within hours on the next morning? Defeat is what breaks spirits, and the Corbynites have yet to truly experience it. If Corbyn attempts to stay, there will be a hostile leadership bid within days I'd say, and if they put up Rayner (she's already made some horrendous gaffs) or Long Bailey (no-one knows who she is and she doesn't have the experience), then someone like Yvette Cooper or Keir Starmer is likely to enjoy a big advantage just from recognition. Defeatism does not become us. It's long been said, let the Tories preside over Brexit. It's still the case. Let them do it, let it destroy them. I'll be sad on Dec 12th, but excited on Dec 13th in a Farageless world, and the chance to start again.
I wish I could see the same silver lining as you there, Chrisull. It terrifies me what a Boris Johnson government with a large majority might do. I don't think it'll be the familiar swing to the right, followed ultimately by a swing back in the opposite direction. I think the working of democracy in this country might be permanently harmed by them. If (when) things go badly wrong for them, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them adopting some form of emergency powers for repression of dissent. And in the short term, before the shit hits the fan, I think we're highly likely to see some kind of purge of Remainers.
I've never been a fan of the "We had to destroy the village in order to save it" line of argument.
As said above I think Johnson, for all his buffoonery and clownishness, is presiding over a government of heartless ideologues who also happen to be fairly uninformed individuals - my euphemism for "idiots".
Leadsom, Raab, Patel, Truss, Hancock, Cleverly - not one of them shows any sign of self-awareness or reflection on the bigger picture of what politicans are in Parliament "for" - to create a better society and to serve and protect. They all seem quite capable to me of spouting appalling policies in pursuit of what they think is the greater good, without worrying too much about the impact of their policies on ordinary folk. I'm very glum about 12th December. The next 5 years will be grim. The only chinks of light I am currently glimpsing are that the good youth of Uxbridge combine to chuck Johnson out of office. That would be some compensation for a heavy Tory win.
In my opinion, a Tory majority at this election will likely result in a Tory majority for a generation at least. BoJo's Brexit planning has all been about what's best for the Conservative Party, not the country.
My thoughts around the bigger picture - the Tories will see through Brexit, that will lead to Scotland leaving the UK, NI will feel the Brexit agreement means they may as well be part of Ireland, so that'll be the next demand. That will leave England & Wales - where the Tory Party has always had the majority of their voters. With no SNP seats in Westminster, and a loss of Labour voters from Scotland, we'll be down to one party politics within 10 years.
It's an old adage that Politicians don't look at the bigger picture - but too large a number of voters don't either. In this instance I think that Dominic Cummings may well be playing the long game...
It's car crash tv folks - fasten your seat belt because it's going to be a rough ride...
mushroom, and a large majority will allow them to bring in boundary changes which will help them maintain that majority indefinitely. However I think the fallout from Brexit and their general ideological fanaticism combined with incompetence will mean that they will do everything in their power to avoid a normal general election again. If they're in power for a generation it will be because parliamentary democracy has been suspended, 'for the good of the country' or some such thing. And I wouldn't be surprised if the country goes along with it. Strongman politics is very much on the rise across the world these days.
Name-calling will be called out, and Ad hominem will be frowned upon. And whatabout-ery sits somewhere above responding to tone and below contradiction.
*** NEW US election PREDICTOR *** Predict:
1) Number of electoral college votes Democrats get 2) Party to win the Senate (Democrat or Republican) 3) Party to win the House (Democrat or Republican)
Do the prediction like this: 312 D D - you win if you get the first number right and no-one else does.
Johnny Blaze 360 R D Bob 312 D D EarlyRiser 306 R D LindsD 298 R D Chrisull 276 R D Larkim 268 R R TROSaracen 226 R R PaulCook 0 R R
Show Full Description...
Useful Links
FE accepts no responsibility for external links. Or anything, really.
Free training & racing tools for runners, cyclists, swimmers & walkers.
Fetcheveryone lets you analyse your training, find races, plot routes, chat in our forum, get advice, play games - and more!
Nothing is behind a paywall, and it'll stay that way thanks to our awesome community!
Fantasy General Election
Jul 2024
